Crystal River, Florida
Crystal River, Florida | |
|---|---|
 US 19-98 enters Crystal River | |
| Nickname: Manatee Haven | |
| Motto: "Gem Of The Nature Coast " | |
 Location in Citrus County and the state of Florida | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.3 sq mi (16.3 km2) |
| • Land | 5.7 sq mi (14.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0.6 sq mi (1.5 km2) |
| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 3,485 |
| • Density | 553.2/sq mi (213.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 34423, 34428, 34429 |
| Area code | 352 |
| FIPS code | 12-15775Template:GR |
| GNIS feature ID | 0281135Template:GR |
Crystal River is a city in Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,485 in the 2000 census. (4,044 in 1990). According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 3,539. [1] The city was incorporated in 1903 and is the self professed "Home of the Manatee".[2]. Crystal River Preserve State Park is located nearby, and Crystal River Archaeological State Park is located in the city's northwest side. Crystal River is at the heart of the Nature Coast of Florida. The City is situated around the magnificent Kings Bay, which is spring-fed and so keeps a constant 72-degrees Fahrenheit temperature year round. A cluster of 50 springs designated as a first-magnitude system feeds Kings Bay. A first-magnitude system discharges 100 cubic feet or more of water per second, which equals about 64 million gallons of water per day. Because of this discharge amount, the Crystal River Springs group is the second largest springs group in Florida, the first being Spring Creek Springs in Wakulla County near Tallahassee. Kings Bay is home to over 400 manatees during the winter when the water temperature in the Gulf of Mexico cools, and is the only place in the United States where people can legally interact with them in their natural conditions without that interaction being viewed as harassment by law enforcement agencies. Tourism based on watching and swimming with manatee is the fastest growing contribution to the local economy. In 2005 there was a movement to dissolve the city however this did not succeed and the City has since grown by annexure.
Crystal River is home to a mixed coal and nuclear power plant, the Crystal River 3 Nuclear Power Plant which was a major contributor to local real estate taxes however in 2012 the owners, Duke Energy, announced the closure of the nuclear plant.
Geography
Crystal River is located at 28°54′02″N 82°35′37″W / 28.900670°N 82.593699°W.Template:GR
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16 km2). 5.7 square miles (15 km2) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) of it (9.09%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 3,485 people, 1,498 households, and 927 families residing in the city. The population density was 611.8 people per square mile (236.1/km²). There were 1,956 housing units at an average density of 343.4 per square mile (132.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.76% White, 12.88% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.32% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. 3.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,498 households out of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.68.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.0% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 20.9% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 27.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,207, and the median income for a family was $47,250. Males had a median income of $39,357 versus $25,417 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,866. About 3.5% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Crystal River Mall opened in 1990.
Notable people
- Art Fleming, original host of Jeopardy!.
- Mike Hampton, Baseball player, attended Crystal River High School.[1]
- Wendi Richter, female professional wrestler.[2]
- Ted Williams, famed baseball player was a resident at the time of his death.
References
- ^ http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=115399
- ^ Peeples, Lisa (July 5, 1989). "Crystal River woman is at top of her sport". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-01-09. [dead link]
External links
Media related to Crystal River (city), Florida at Wikimedia Commons
- City of Crystal River
- Crystal River News historical newspaper for Crystal River openly accessible in the Florida Digital Newspaper Library
- Citrus County Visitors & Convention Bureau
- Springs Coast Watershed - Florida DEP
Municipalities and communities of Citrus County, Florida, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||