ZIP Code 33950

Punta Gorda (; English: Fat Point) is a city in and the county seat of Charlotte County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census the city had a population of 16,641. The city was the scene of massive destruction after Charley, a Category 4 hurricane, came through the city on August 13, 2004. In the years following the storm, buildings were restored or built to hurricane-resistant building codes. In 1887, 34 townspeople met at Hector's Billiard Parlor to discuss incorporation. The group voted to incorporate and rename the town after the Spanish name for the point on which it was located, Punta Gord a. The first mayor, W. H. Simmons, was elected. Phosphate was discovered on the banks of the Peace River just above Punta. Gorda in 1888. By 1907, the world's greatest phosphate shipping point was built direct to Port Boca Grande, ending the brief phosphate shipping boom. In 1890, the first postmaster was appointed, Robert Meacham, an African American American. The Sun Herald was founded by Robert Seward in 1893 and published during its early years. It underwent many changes in ownership, and today is known as The Charlotte Sun Herald. It is the only incorporated municipality in the county, as well as the only city in Charlotte County. It was the southernmost stop on the Florida Southern Railroad, until an extension was built to Fort Myers in 1904, attracting industries that propelled its initial growth.

History

Punta Gorda is the primary city name, but also Babcock Ranch are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is Punta Gorda, Florida. The name Punta Gorda ("Fat Point") has been on maps at least since 1851, referring to a point of land that juts into Charlotte Harbor, an estuary off the Gulf of Mexico. In 1883, Isaac Trabue, who purchased additional property along the harbor and directed the platting of a town (by Kelly B. Harvey) named Trabues. In 1888, 34 townspeople met at Hector's Billiard Parlor to discuss incorporation. The group voted to incorporate and rename the town after the Spanish name for the point on which it was located. In 1925, a bungalow built by Joseph Blanchard, an African American sea captain and fisherman, still stands as the African American House Museum. The first mayor, W. H. Simmons, was elected in 1887. In 1896, the Florida Times-Union reported that phosphate mining was Punta. Gorda's chief industry. By 1907, a railroad was built direct to Port Boca Grande, ending the brief phosphate shipping boom from Punta Gordona. The town's location at the end of the railway line spiked the crime rate, resulting in approximately 40 murders between 1890 and 1904. In the early 20th century, a small bridge was built along the Peace River along the brand-new Tamiami Trail. The current Barron Collier Bridge and Gilchrist Bridge were built in 1931, and then the current Barron Barron Bridge was built in 1947. During World War II, the town was home to the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division.

Geography

Punta Gorda lies on the south bank of the tidal Peace River and the eastern shore of Charlotte Harbor, an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 21.0 square miles (54.4 km²), of which 15.0 sq miles (38.9 km²) is land and 6.0sq miles (15.5 sq km) (28.52%) is water. Unincorporated communities bordering the city include Charlotte Park (nearly surrounded by the city), Solana to the east, and Charlotte Harbor to the north, across the Peace River. Port Charlotte is west of the city's incorporated residential neighborhoods Deep Creek and Suncoast Lakes, north of the peace River. Harbour Heights lies east of Punta Gord a's Deep Creek residential neighborhood. As of October 5, 2017, Punta. Gorda has 11 zoning districts, five overlay districts, and three planned development districts. Of the zoning districts, six are designated for residential use, two for commercial use, one for governmental use, and two districts allow mixed. use. The city has a population of 2,816. Punta Gordona is located in the central part of the state. It is located on the southern tip of the Biscayne Peninsula, on the east coast of the Florida Panhandle, and on the eastern edge of the Big Bend region of Florida, on Florida's panhandle. It has a latitude of 38.5°S and a longitude of 80°S.

Demographics

As of 2019 there were an estimated 20,369 people as compared to 2000 census when there were 14,344 people, 7,165 households, and 5,187 families residing in the city. There were 8,907 housing units at an average density of 628.9 per square mile (242.8/km²) The racial makeup of the city was 94.60% White, 3.17% African American, 0.17%. Native American,0.78% Asian, 0.,03% Pacific Islander, 0,59% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.99% of the population. The city's median income was $48,916, and the median income for a family was $54,879. About 4.7% of families and 6.5% of people were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 3.0% ofThose age 65 or over. The average household size was 1.97 and the average family size was 2.27. In the city, the population was spread out, with 8.2% under the age of 18, 2.1% from 18 to 24, 9.9%. from 25 to 44, 33.4% from 45 to 64, and 46. 4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 64 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males.

Education

Punta Gorda is home to five public schools operated by Charlotte County Public Schools. Florida SouthWestern Collegiate High School is the county school district's only charter school. Good Shepherd Day School is Punta GordA's only private grade school. Florida. SouthWestern State College's Charlotte Campus is the town's institution of higher learning. The town is also home to the Baker Pre-K Center, a pre-K center for children as young as three years old. The city is also the home of the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, which has been in charge of the town for the past 20 years. The sheriff's office is based in Charlotte, the county's largest city, and has been there since the early 1900s. The mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, has served as the city's mayor for the last 10 years. Punta. Gorda has a population of 3,000 people, the majority of whom live in the town of 2,500 people. It is the only city in Charlotte County, South Carolina, that has a post-secondary degree program. It also has a high school, with Charlotte High School, a middle school, and an elementary school. It has a charter school, Florida South Western Collegiate high School, and a private day school, Good Shepherd day school. The community also has an adult day school and a community center, which have been in operation since the 1950s. It was the site of the first high school in the state, which opened in 1961.

Libraries

The Punta Gorda Public Library is one of four branches in the Charlotte County Library System. It was established in 1908, making it the oldest branch of the system. The library was initially contained within an Episcopal Church rectory and supervised by the vicar's wife, Theodosia Trout, until 1909. The church that first housed this library still stands across the street, under the name Church of the Good Shepherd. In 1958, land from the Retta Esplanade lot was donated for a new library in 1958. In 1973, the City of Punta. Gorda donated the land at 424 West Henry Street for a. new library. On July 22, 1974, the Paschal B. Nobles-Punta GordA Public Library opened to the public. The new library branch has features such as study niches, conference rooms, and an archive reading room. The Punta Gordona Charlotte Library moved to a new, larger site on Shreve Street in 2019. It will be the first library branch in the state to move to a larger location. The branch will be located on the second floor of a new building on the third floor of the city's new downtown development, which is expected to be completed in 2020. It is the only library in the city to have a second floor, which will be used as a community center for the first time since the city opened its first public library in 1881. The city's first library opened in 1883. The current library was opened in 1908. It has been in its current location since 1958.

Transportation

U.S. Route 41, the Tamiami Trail, runs through the center of the city. Interstate 75 bypasses Punta Gorda to the east. Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines have scheduled commercial service at the airport. The city last had intercity passenger rail with service by the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad on the Jacksonville-Fort Myers-Naples section of pre-Amtrak Champion. In 2010, over 90% of Punta. Gorda commuters traveled by automobile, with about 81% driving alone and. 9% carpooling. According to the 2015 American Community Survey, about 88% of. Punta Gordona commuters traveling by automobile. About 6% of commuters travel by all other modes of transportation, including carpools, public transit, and walking to and from work. In 2013, the city had a population of 2,816. The population of P.C. in 2010 was 2,715. The 2010 Census recorded a total of 3,813. The 2014 Census reported a total population of 4,722. The 2013 Census reported that the population had a growth rate of 2.7%. The 2014 census reported a population growth rate was 2.8%. The 2013 census reported that there were 2,917 residents in the city, with 1,941 residents living in the town of 1,200 households. It is the largest city in the Florida Panhandle, with the largest population center being Fort Myers, which has 1,800 residents.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Punta Gorda, Charlotte County, Florida = 82. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 50. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 99. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Punta Gorda = 6.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 19,471 individuals with a median age of 63.1 age the population grows by 18.23% in Punta Gorda, Charlotte County, Florida population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,256.52 residents per square mile of area (485.14/km²). There are average 1.92 people per household in the 8,682 households with an average household income of $61,360 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 12.70% of the available work force and has dropped -4.33% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 18.64%. The number of physicians in Punta Gorda per 100,000 population = 204.9.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Punta Gorda = 51.7 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 97. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 267. 91 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 54.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 28, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Punta Gorda, Charlotte County, Florida which are owned by the occupant = 66.73%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 19 years with median home cost = $195,820 and home appreciation of -24.55%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $12.15 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,359 per student. There are 18.5 students for each teacher in the school, 617 students for each Librarian and 459 students for each Counselor. 6.23% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 19.98% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 12.74% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).