Indian River County, Florida | |
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.JPG) Indian River County Courthouse inVero Beach | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofFlorida | |
 Florida's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:27°42′N80°35′W / 27.7°N 80.58°W /27.7; -80.58 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| Founded | May 30, 1925 |
| Named after | Indian River Lagoon |
| Seat | Vero Beach |
| Largest city | Sebastian |
| Area | |
• Total | 617 sq mi (1,600 km2) |
| • Land | 503 sq mi (1,300 km2) |
| • Water | 114 sq mi (300 km2) 18.5% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 159,788[1] |
• Estimate (2023[2]) | 169,795 |
| • Density | 318/sq mi (123/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 8th |
| Website | www |
Indian River County (Spanish:Condado de Río Indio) is acounty located in the southeastern and east-central portions of theU.S. state ofFlorida. As of the2020 census, the population was 159,788.[3] Itsseat isVero Beach.[4]
Indian River County comprises theSebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FloridaMetropolitan Statistical Area. The MSA was first defined as the Vero Beach, Florida MSA in 2003. It was renamed Sebastian-Vero Beach, Florida MSA in 2005, and Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, Florida MSA in 2023.[5][6] The MSA is included in theMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, Florida,Combined Statistical Area.
On November 16–17, 2023, northern Indian River County wasseverely impacted by flooding after 14” of rain fell in less than 24 hours.[7][8][9]
Prior to 1821, the area of Indian River County was part of the Spanish colony ofEast Florida. In 1822, this area became part ofSt. Johns County, and in 1824 it became part ofMosquito County (original name ofOrange County).
TheSecond Seminole War was fought in 1835 and from 1838 to 1839. Fort Vinton was built for this purpose near the intersection of present-dayFlorida State Road 60 and 122nd Avenue.[10]
In 1844, the county's portion of Mosquito County became part of newly created St. Lucia County. In 1855, St. Lucia County was renamedBrevard County. In 1905,St. Lucie County was formed from the southern portion of Brevard County; in 1925 Indian River County was formed from the northern portion of St. Lucie County.[11] It was named for theIndian River, which runs through the eastern portion of the county. In 2025, Indian River County celebrated itscentennial for turning 100 years old.[12]
On November 16 and 17, 2023, extreme rainfall struck northern Indian River County,causing severe flooding. Fourteen inches of rain fell in Fellsmere, and eleven inches of rain fell in Vero Lake Estates.[9][8][7][13][14][15]
Indian River County's location in EastCentral Florida makes it a very prone location to impacts from Hurricanes.
Indian River County experienced devastating effects from the2004 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
On September 5, 2004, the county was affected by the category 2landfall ofHurricane Frances.[1] There was wide spread power outages, flooding, and high winds.
Only 21 days later, on September 26, 2004,Hurricane Jeanne made landfall near Indian River County as a category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds. A special Tornado Warning was issued (precursor to theExtreme Wind Warning) for Indian River County due to the right eye wall of the storm striking the county. A 122 mph wind gust was reported inVero Beach, and 116 mph wind gust was reported inSebastian.[16]
“Catastrophic” beach erosion occurred on the beaches of the county after 6–8 feet ofstorm surge was caused by Jeanne.[17] Widespread flooding occurred, which resulted in the closure of all barrier island bridges being closed. One fatality was caused when an elderly woman was attempting to evacuate her home inIndian River Shores. An F1 tornado touched down inWest Vero Corridor causing $34,000 (2025 USD) in damage.
A staggering $3.4 billion+ (2025 USD) of damage was inflicted on Indian River County alone, easily making the storm the costliest and most destructive hurricane in Indian River County history.[18]
On November 10, 2022,Hurricane Nicole made landfall near Vero Beach as aCategory 1 hurricane.[19] Mostly minor damage was reported, however, the iconic Jaycee Beach and Humiston Beach boardwalks sustained significant damage.[20]
On October 9, 2024, asHurricane Milton approached Florida, Indian River County was part of a prolifictornado outbreak spawned by Milton.
Several strong tornadoes hit the county including theLakewood Park - Vero Beach EF3 tornado. Severe damage occurred in the Bethel Creek neighborhood of Vero Beach with homes sustaining heavy damage.[21][22] Numerous other tornadoes also touched down in the county, with two EF1 tornadoes hitting Downtown Vero Beach within the span of 20 minutes, causing extensive damage.[23] An EF2 tornado touched down farther west nearBlue Cypress Lake. In total, six tornadoes struck the county.[24]
Torrential rainfall also occurred from Milton, causingflash flooding in the county.[25] According to preliminary reports, 9.41 inches of rain fell in around 3 hours in Vero Beach.[26] Aflash flood warning was issued at 7PM EDT for most of eastern Indian River County due to ongoing flooding.[27]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 617 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 503 square miles (1,300 km2) is land and 114 square miles (300 km2) (18.5%) is water.[28] Indian River County is theninth-smallest county in Florida by area.
Eight bird species in Indian River County are listed as "highly vulnerable" toclimate change:
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 6,724 | — | |
| 1940 | 8,957 | 33.2% | |
| 1950 | 11,872 | 32.5% | |
| 1960 | 25,309 | 113.2% | |
| 1970 | 35,992 | 42.2% | |
| 1980 | 59,896 | 66.4% | |
| 1990 | 90,208 | 50.6% | |
| 2000 | 112,947 | 25.2% | |
| 2010 | 138,028 | 22.2% | |
| 2020 | 159,788 | 15.8% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 169,795 | [30] | 6.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[31] 1790-1960[32] 1900-1990[33] 1990-2000[34] 2010-2019[3] | |||
| Race | Pop 2010[37] | Pop 2020[38] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 106,780 | 117,422 | 77.36% | 73.49% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 12,074 | 13,079 | 8.75% | 8.19% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 277 | 273 | 0.2% | 0.17% |
| Asian (NH) | 1,646 | 2,341 | 1.19% | 1.47% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 49 | 52 | 0.04% | 0.03% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 189 | 730 | 0.14% | 0.46% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 1,548 | 5,059 | 1.12% | 3.17% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15,465 | 20,832 | 11.2% | 13.04% |
| Total | 138,028 | 159,788 |
| Non-Hispanic White 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Hispanic 40–50% 60–70% Black or African American 50–60% 70–80% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 159,788 people, 60,959 households, and 37,647 families residing in the county.
As of thecensus[39] of 2000, there were 112,947 people, 49,137 households, and 32,725 families residing in the county. The population density was 224 inhabitants per square mile (86/km2). There were 57,902 housing units at an average density of 115 per square mile (44/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.43%White, 8.19%Black orAfrican American, 0.25%Native American, 0.74%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 2.15% fromother races, and 1.21% from two or more races. 6.53% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 49,137 households, out of which 21.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.50% weremarried couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.40% were non-families. 28.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.72.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.20% under the age of 18, 6.00% from 18 to 24, 22.30% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 29.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.80 males.[40]
The median income for a household in the county was $39,635, and the median income for a family was $46,385. Males had a median income of $30,870 versus $23,379 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $27,227. About 6.30% of families and 9.30% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 13.60% of those under age 18 and 5.70% of those age 65 or over.
GoLine is Indian River County's main method of public transportation. The program was introduced in 1994 to provide an alternative option to driving. Due to County population increases in the early and mid 2000s, Indian River County devised a series of bus routes fromBarefoot Bay in southern Brevard County to the south end ofVero Beach. In 2006, GoLine (formerly known as Indian River Transit) was introduced with more stops along and through theTreasure Coast. By 2010, the GoLine system had a total of 14 stops with an additional four stops planned for 2011/2012. Riders pay no fare or fee to board the bus. In 2010 the buses operated between 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. weekdays and from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Saturdays. Some routes have extended operating hours depending on location.[42][43]
Amtrak began planning to add service along the east coast of Florida, including a station inVero Beach, in 2000.[44] In 2012, Amtrak announced that it hoped to start service over theFlorida East Coast Railway (FEC) line in 2013.[45] The All Aboard Florida project (nowBrightline) was also announced in 2012, and now operates over part of the FEC track that Amtrak intended to use, but does not stop anywhere in Indian River County.[46]
Florida East Coast Railway serves a team yard in Vero Beach for off-line customers that don't have direct rail service via spurs. There are two lumber and sheetrock/structural steel customers who receive boxcars, center beam and bulkhead flatcars, and occasionally- gondolas, at the team yard.[47][48]
I-95
Florida's Turnpike
US 1
SR A1A
SR 60
SR 510 (Wabasso Causeway)
CR 510
CR 512
CR 606 (Oslo Road)
SR 656 (Alma Lee Loy Bridge)Healthcare, education, government, and retail sales are important employment segments in Indian River County. As of 2024[update] (some numbers have not been updated since 2019), the largest employers in the county were:
| Employer | Sector | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| School Board of Indian River County | Education | 2,234 |
| Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital | Healthcare | 2,027 |
| Indian River County | Government (includingconstitutional offices) | 1,455 |
| Publix Super Markets | Retail | 1,380 |
| Piper Aircraft | Manufacturing | 1,100 |
| Walmart | Retail | 806 |
| Sebastian River Medical Center | Healthcare | 750 |
| John's Island | Residential development and resort | 495 |
| Indian River Estates | Retirement community | 486 |
| Visiting Nurse Association | Healthcare | 500 |
| City of Vero Beach | Government | 328 |
| CVS Warehouse | Distribution | 440 |
| Disney's Vero Beach Resort | Resort | 279 |
| St. Edward's School | College-preparatory school | 223 |
| City of Sebastian | Government | 188 |
| Skyborne Airline Academy | Flight instruction | 170 |
| B & W Quality Growers | Agriculture | 142 |
Indian River County School District operates the public schools of Indian River County.
Indian River County lies at the northern end of a belt stretching toCollier County in the southwest that was the first part of Florida to politically distance itself from the "Solid South": the last Democrat to win a majority in the county wasFranklin D. Roosevelt in1944.[52] Only four Democrats have managed 40 percent or more of the county's vote since then.
In 1992, indeed, Ross Perot came second, fifteen votes ahead of President-electBill Clinton, this being one of only four Florida counties where he did so.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1928 | 847 | 55.61% | 657 | 43.14% | 19 | 1.25% |
| 1932 | 446 | 25.43% | 1,308 | 74.57% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 532 | 29.52% | 1,270 | 70.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 904 | 37.81% | 1,487 | 62.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 759 | 37.01% | 1,292 | 62.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 1,134 | 46.32% | 1,055 | 43.10% | 259 | 10.58% |
| 1952 | 3,055 | 65.94% | 1,578 | 34.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 4,059 | 70.49% | 1,699 | 29.51% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 4,656 | 61.05% | 2,970 | 38.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 6,191 | 54.72% | 5,122 | 45.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 6,518 | 51.25% | 3,179 | 24.99% | 3,022 | 23.76% |
| 1972 | 11,741 | 77.85% | 3,316 | 21.99% | 25 | 0.17% |
| 1976 | 9,818 | 52.63% | 8,512 | 45.63% | 324 | 1.74% |
| 1980 | 15,568 | 62.98% | 7,759 | 31.39% | 1,390 | 5.62% |
| 1984 | 23,716 | 73.08% | 8,736 | 26.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 24,630 | 69.71% | 10,451 | 29.58% | 252 | 0.71% |
| 1992 | 19,140 | 43.54% | 12,360 | 28.12% | 12,462 | 28.35% |
| 1996 | 22,714 | 51.66% | 16,375 | 37.24% | 4,883 | 11.10% |
| 2000 | 28,639 | 57.71% | 19,769 | 39.84% | 1,219 | 2.46% |
| 2004 | 36,938 | 60.15% | 23,956 | 39.01% | 520 | 0.85% |
| 2008 | 40,176 | 56.74% | 29,710 | 41.96% | 916 | 1.29% |
| 2012 | 43,450 | 60.70% | 27,492 | 38.41% | 638 | 0.89% |
| 2016 | 48,620 | 60.20% | 29,043 | 35.96% | 3,106 | 3.85% |
| 2020 | 58,872 | 60.23% | 37,844 | 38.72% | 1,024 | 1.05% |
| 2024 | 62,737 | 63.06% | 35,654 | 35.84% | 1,102 | 1.11% |
According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a plurality of registered voters in Indian River County.
| Indian River County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of July 31, 2022[55] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political Party | Total Voters | Percentage | |||
| Republican | 57,050 | 48.24% | |||
| Democratic | 30,487 | 25.78% | |||
| No party affiliation | 28,005 | 23.68% | |||
| Minor parties | 2,717 | 2.30% | |||
| Total | 118,259 | 100.00% | |||
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Places adjacent to Indian River County, Florida | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofIndian River County, Florida,United States | ||
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27°42′N80°35′W / 27.70°N 80.58°W /27.70; -80.58
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