Merritt Island, Florida | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location inBrevard County and the state ofFlorida | |
| Coordinates:28°21′28″N80°41′5″W / 28.35778°N 80.68472°W /28.35778; -80.68472 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | Brevard |
| Area | |
• Total | 46.16 sq mi (119.54 km2) |
| • Land | 16.97 sq mi (43.96 km2) |
| • Water | 29.18 sq mi (75.59 km2) |
| Elevation | 3 ft (1 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 34,518 |
| • Density | 2,033.94/sq mi (785.30/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 32952–32954 |
| Area code | 321 |
| FIPS code | 12-44275[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0294625[3] |
Merritt Island is apeninsula, commonly referred to as an island,[4] inBrevard County, Florida, United States, located on the eastern Florida coast, along theAtlantic Ocean. It is also the name of anunincorporated town in the central and southern parts of the island and acensus-designated place (CDP).
The population was 34,518 at the 2020 census, down from 34,743 at the 2010 census.[5][6] It is part of thePalm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
NASA'sJohn F. Kennedy Space Center is located on Merritt Island to the north of the town, andMerritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is located north of the space center.
The central part of Merritt Island, previously known as Merritt City,[7] is home to the majority of the population and includes the local high school, library, and shopping district. The southern area is heavily residential, with centralized lightcommercial andlight industrial areas.
Merritt Island owes its name to theKing of Spain.[which?] The entire island was part of a land grant given by the King to a nobleman named Merritt.[8]
Paleontological excavations in the area have unearthed the remains of numerousmegafauna and other extinct species, including manyherbivorousungulates,artiodactyls (camelids,peccaries),perissodactyls (equids,tapirs),proboscideans (mammoths,mastodons),rodents (beaver,capybara,porcupine),tortoises andxenarthrans (armadillos,glyptodonts).[4][better source needed] These species, and many more, thrived in the region up to approx. 11,000 years ago, when a larger North-Americanextinction event caused the majority of native megafauna to die out; this was possibly due toclimate change caused by the advancing and/or retreating of theglacial maximum, thus affectingnatural resources and weather conditions. Later, more pressures on wildlife would have come from the arrival of theClovis culture, who became prolific hunters with their distinct, fluted stone weaponry—including some of the earliestspears andarrowheads.[9][10] Biochemical analyses have shown, for example, that Clovis tools were used in the hunting of camelids.[11] ThePleistocene, orQuaternary,megafaunal extinction also coincided, roughly, with the appearance of the Clovis culture.[11]
By between800-900BC, permanentNative American structures were erected in the area. Theirmounds populated the lagoon margin.[12]
In 1605, Spanish explorerÁlvaro Mexía visited the local tribes living in theIndian River area. He interacted with the local tribe ofAis people, part of the native province of Ulumay.[13] Merritt Island is the prominent island on a color map he drew of the area, a copy of which is in the archives at theLibrary of Congress and the archives inSeville,Spain.[14] Within a few years, all but a handful of these natives were dead from anepidemic that plagued the area after a British merchant ship ran aground.[13]
In the 1760s, the Elliott Plantation grew and processedsugar cane. Remains of the plantation can be found in theWildlife Refuge.[4] In April 1788, French botanistAndré Michaux traveled to Merritt Island, nearCape Canaveral, and spent five days looking at the local plants. He wrote a letter on April 24, 1788, from St Augustine. He reported discovering the flag or bigflower paw-paw,Asimina obovata (Annona grandifloraBartr.).[15]
In 1837, Fort Ann was constructed on the east coast of Merritt Island, near present-dayHaulover Canal,[4] to protect the area against the localSeminoles.[16] Merritt Island's recent history dates back to the mid-19th century, and centers on the growth ofcitrus, with an emphasis on the cultivation oforanges as well aspineapples. TheIndian River oranges andgrapefruit come from this sandy area. Freezes temporarily destroyed the local pineapple industry in the late 1890s.[4] Freed slaves constructed small towns in the area after theCivil War, including Haulover, Clifton, and Shiloh.[4]
The island's population grew in the 1950s and 1960s as theSpace Race began and nearbyNASA expanded. Construction of a barge canal to theIntracoastal Waterway from theAtlantic Ocean (for power plant oil shipments) cut off the northern half of the island for many years. To this day, the northern portion of the island remains slightly less developed, with a few areas remaining as cattle pasture or citrus land. The small towns on the island vanished with the coming of theSpace Age, and now only live on in the names of streets and historic churches.[citation needed] In 1988, citizens defeated a proposed incorporation into a city, 77% opposed to 23% in favor.[17]
Sea Ray Boats operated a factory on Merritt Island from 1978 to 2012.[18] At one time it employed 1200 people.[19] It closed the plant in 2013.[20]
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Merritt Island extends some 46 mi (74 km) from theVolusia County line toDragon Point nearMelbourne. It connects to the Florida mainland whereSR 3 now intersects US 1 inVolusia County.[4] To the west it is separated from the mainland by theIndian River and theAtlantic Intracoastal Waterway. To the east it is separated by theMosquito Lagoon and theBanana River from thebarrier island on whichCape Canaveral andCocoa Beach stand. The east side of Merritt Island splits and is divided bySykes Creek and Newfound Harbor.
In the north, theHaulover Canal, first dug in the 19th century, separates the island from the mainland. To the west, the island is connected by causeways to mainlandBrevard County nearTitusville andCocoa on its northern end, and inMelbourne on its southern end. To the east the island is connected to Cape Canaveral by theCrawlerway, and by causeways to Cocoa Beach andSatellite Beach.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 122.2 km2 (47.2 sq mi), of which 45.4 km2 (17.5 sq mi) is land and 76.8 km2 (29.7 sq mi), or 62.88%, is water.[21]
To the north,Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, along with a narrowbarrier island that make upCanaveral National Seashore, offer an unpopulated protectedbuffer area for rocket launches atKennedy Space Center. There are about 356 species of birds on the peninsula, one of the most diverse in the country.[4]Migratory birds join the more residentwildlife, includingalligators,manatees,dolphins,sea turtles,bald eagles,ospreys,bobcats, and the elusiveFlorida panther. A number of bald eagle nests are monitored atop power line poles alongSR 3 within Kennedy Space Center.
There are about 12,000feral pigs in North Merritt Island. Licensed trappers catch about 2,000 annually, which keeps the population even. TheUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service would like to reduce the population.[22]
Merritt Island has or had 23 named communities,[4] all unincorporated, including:
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 32,886 | — | |
| 2000 | 36,090 | 9.7% | |
| 2010 | 34,743 | −3.7% | |
| 2020 | 34,518 | −0.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[23] | |||
| Race | Pop 2010[24] | Pop 2020[25] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 29,241 | 27,770 | 84.16% | 80.45% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1625 | 846 | 4.68% | 2.45% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 137 | 115 | 0.39% | 0.33% |
| Asian (NH) | 772 | 1,029 | 2.22% | 2.98% |
| Pacific Islander orNative Hawaiian (NH) | 37 | 72 | 0.11% | 0.21% |
| Some other race (NH) | 63 | 126 | 0.18% | 0.37% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 739 | 1,772 | 2.13% | 5.13% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,129 | 2,788 | 6.13% | 8.08% |
| Total | 34,743 | 34,518 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 34,518 people, 13,790 households, and 8,600 families residing in the CDP.[26]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 34,743 people, 14,247 households, and 9,385 families residing in the CDP.[27]
As of thecensus of 2000,[2] there were 36,090 people, 14,955 households, and 10,049 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,044.6 inhabitants per square mile (789.4/km2). There were 15,813 housing units at an average density of 895.9 per square mile (345.9/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.22%White, 5.31%African American, 0.41%Native American, 1.65%Asian, 0.06%Pacific Islander, 0.68% fromother races, and 1.66% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.83% of the population.
In 2000, there were 14,955 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18, 52.9% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband, and 32.8% were non-families. Of households, 26.8% were solely individuals and 11.4% had a lone resident of 65 or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.86.
In 2000, in the CDP, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% of 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
Merritt Island is under the administrative care of thelocal county government, with water being handled by the neighboring city ofCocoa. The county maintains operations for the sheriff's office, fire department, emergency medical services, and sewage systems.
According to the 2000 Census:
There are light industrial fabrication centers on theMerritt Island Airport, andNASA-related industrial activities to support theSpace Shuttle, which was retired in summer of 2011, and other rocket launches onCape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Air Liquide operates a plant there.[28][29]Arnott Air Suspension Products, develops and sells aftermarket automotiveair suspension products, is also headquartered in Merritt Island.[30]
Merritt Island has a redevelopment agency funded by the county.[31]
Merritt Island has several schools.
Public schools are operated byBrevard Public Schools:
Private schools:
The Merritt Island Public Library, though a part of theBrevard County Library System, is a state-designated special library district. Since Merritt Island is an unincorporated area of Brevard County,[33] in 1965 the area applied for, and was designated, a special library district under Chapter 65-1289 by theFlorida Legislature.[34] In 2005, theFlorida House of Representatives codified all special acts and amendments, in regards to the Merritt Island Public Library District, under HB 1079.[34]
The residential areas of Merritt Island, East and West Merritt Island, are only accessible by causeway or drawbridge at all points. The island is linked by causeways,
SR 520 (Merritt Island Causeway),
,State Road 404 (Pineda Causeway),
,State Road 405,
,State Road 406, and
SR 528, to the barrier island to its east and the mainland to the west.Mathers Bridge connects the southernmost area to the barrier island.
SR 3, a four-lane highway, connects theKennedy Space Center for workers from the more densely populated central and southern sections of the island.
The lift station near the Pineda Causeway was built to handle 9,000,000 US gal (34,000,000 L) per day. It became overloaded afterHurricane Irma in 2017. Trucks were used to dispose of the excess which rose to 12,000,000 US gal (45,000,000 L) daily.[35]
Merritt Island Airport is a public general aviation airport located on South Merritt Island and run by the Titusville-Cocoa (TICO) Airport Authority.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.Municipalities and communities ofBrevard County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
