Apopka, Florida
Encyclopedia
Apopka is a city
located in Orange County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 26,969 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2006, the city grew to 53,563. It is part of the Orlando
–Kissimmee
Metropolitan Statistical Area. Apopka is an Indian word for “Potato eating place”. Apopka is often referred to as the "Indoor Foliage Capital of the World."
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 64.6 km² (24.9 sq mi). 62.3 km² (24.1 sq mi) of it is land and 2.3 km² (0.888034964762831 sq mi) of it (3.57%) is water.
of 2000, there were 26,642 people, 9,562 households, and 7,171 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,108.1 inhabitants per square mile (427.9/km²). There were 10,091 housing units at an average density of 419.7 per square mile (162.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.85% White, 15.56% African American, 0.42% Native American, 1.89% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 5.36% from other races
, and 2.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or latino of any race were 18.08% of the population.
There were 9,562 households out of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples
living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,651, and the median income for a family was $49,380. Males had a median income of $32,177 versus $26,553 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,189. About 7.1% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
In 2010 Apopka had a population of 41,542. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 49.5% White, 20.7% African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.4% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% reprting two or more races and 25.4% Hispanic or Latino.
people, members of the Timucua
confederation. They had disappeared by 1730, probably decimated by diseases brought to Florida by Spanish colonists.
The Acuera were succeeded by refugees from Alabama and Georgia, who formed the new Seminole
Indian Tribe. They called the area "Ahapopka," which means "potato eating place." By the 1830s, this settlement numbered about 200, and was the birthplace of the chief Coacoochee (known in English as "Wild Cat
").
At the conclusion of the Second Seminole War
, the U.S. Congress passed the Armed Occupation Act
of 1842, forcing surviving natives at Ahapopka to abandon their village and seek refuge deeper in the wilderness of the Florida peninsula.
The early American settlers built a major trading center on the foundations of the earlier Indian settlement. Their population was large enough by 1857 to support the establishment of a Masonic lodge
. In 1859 the lodge erected a permanent meeting place at what is now the intersection of Main Street (U.S. Highway 441) and Alabama Avenue.
The settlers in the vicinity of "The Lodge" were largely isolated during the American Civil War
, but the area rebounded once peace was re-established, and a population boom followed the construction of railroad lines through the region.
In 1882 the one square mile surrounding "The Lodge" was officially incorporated under the name "Apopka."
In 1905, the Apopka City Council authorized incorporation of the Apopka Water, Light, and Ice Company. Councilman A.M. Starbird was appointed its manager, but it was not until voters approved a $9,000 bond in 1914 that he was able to contract with International Harvester Corporation to construct a power plant, so electricity was not available in the city until February 10, 1915. This independent utility company was one of many that were gobbled up by the Florida Public Service Corporation in the 1920s. They continued to manage the city's utility needs until the 1940s, when they sold off its ice plants to the Atlantic Company, its electric service to Florida Power Corporation, and its water services to Florida Utilities.
, has served for over 55 years (with a short three-year gap) and is one of the longest serving mayors still in office in Florida.
Apopka is a fast-growing city and is expanding in all directions. Most notable are the new Lowes and Home Depot DIY stores to the north of the city on US 441
in the location of the previous Dunn Citrus grove (the stretch of 441 which runs through the city is named after Fred N. Dunn). Other businesses on the former Dunn Citrus site include Staples office supply and a second Chili's restaurant.
The John Land Apopka Expressway (Toll 414) opened on 15 May 2009 relieving some of US 441's traffic, taking the route from what is now the US 441 junction with SR 429, and then passing south of the city to rejoin US 441 at its junction with Maitland Boulevard South of the city.
Earthmoving began in the Summer of 2010 to further expand the Expressway including an extension of Toll 414, known as Wekiva parkway, planned to continue just West of the Toll 414 / Toll 429 junction and then North creating a junction at US 441 and Plymouth Sorrento Road. Master plans take the Wekiva Parkway extension further North and then East connecting to I4 at Sanford. Its unclear when such an expansion might be completed.
's famous novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God
.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
located in Orange County
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 26,969 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2006, the city grew to 53,563. It is part of the Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
–Kissimmee
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee is a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 59,682. It is the county seat of Osceola County...
Metropolitan Statistical Area. Apopka is an Indian word for “Potato eating place”. Apopka is often referred to as the "Indoor Foliage Capital of the World."
Geography
Apopka is located at 28.676075°N 81.510618°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 64.6 km² (24.9 sq mi). 62.3 km² (24.1 sq mi) of it is land and 2.3 km² (0.888034964762831 sq mi) of it (3.57%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 26,642 people, 9,562 households, and 7,171 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,108.1 inhabitants per square mile (427.9/km²). There were 10,091 housing units at an average density of 419.7 per square mile (162.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.85% White, 15.56% African American, 0.42% Native American, 1.89% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 5.36% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or latino of any race were 18.08% of the population.
There were 9,562 households out of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,651, and the median income for a family was $49,380. Males had a median income of $32,177 versus $26,553 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $19,189. About 7.1% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
In 2010 Apopka had a population of 41,542. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 49.5% White, 20.7% African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.4% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% reprting two or more races and 25.4% Hispanic or Latino.
History
The earliest known inhabitants of the Apopka area were the AcueraAcuera
Acuera was reported to be the tribal headsman of a community of indigenous people of the same name. The Acuera were a Timucua people who flourished, in the north central region what is now called Florida, at the time of European arrival in the 16th century but, after fiercely defending their...
people, members of the Timucua
Timucua
The Timucua were a Native American people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in that area and consisted of about 35 chiefdoms, many leading thousands of people. The various groups of Timucua spoke several dialects of the...
confederation. They had disappeared by 1730, probably decimated by diseases brought to Florida by Spanish colonists.
The Acuera were succeeded by refugees from Alabama and Georgia, who formed the new Seminole
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
Indian Tribe. They called the area "Ahapopka," which means "potato eating place." By the 1830s, this settlement numbered about 200, and was the birthplace of the chief Coacoochee (known in English as "Wild Cat
Wild Cat (Seminole)
Wild Cat, born Coacoochee or Cowacoochee , was a leading Seminole chieftain during the later stages of the Second Seminole War as well as the nephew of Micanopy....
").
At the conclusion of the Second Seminole War
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
, the U.S. Congress passed the Armed Occupation Act
Armed Occupation Act
The Florida Armed Occupation Act of 1842 was passed as an incentive to populate Florida. The Act granted 160 acres of unsettled land south of the line separating townships 9 and 10 South....
of 1842, forcing surviving natives at Ahapopka to abandon their village and seek refuge deeper in the wilderness of the Florida peninsula.
The early American settlers built a major trading center on the foundations of the earlier Indian settlement. Their population was large enough by 1857 to support the establishment of a Masonic lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
. In 1859 the lodge erected a permanent meeting place at what is now the intersection of Main Street (U.S. Highway 441) and Alabama Avenue.
The settlers in the vicinity of "The Lodge" were largely isolated during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, but the area rebounded once peace was re-established, and a population boom followed the construction of railroad lines through the region.
In 1882 the one square mile surrounding "The Lodge" was officially incorporated under the name "Apopka."
In 1905, the Apopka City Council authorized incorporation of the Apopka Water, Light, and Ice Company. Councilman A.M. Starbird was appointed its manager, but it was not until voters approved a $9,000 bond in 1914 that he was able to contract with International Harvester Corporation to construct a power plant, so electricity was not available in the city until February 10, 1915. This independent utility company was one of many that were gobbled up by the Florida Public Service Corporation in the 1920s. They continued to manage the city's utility needs until the 1940s, when they sold off its ice plants to the Atlantic Company, its electric service to Florida Power Corporation, and its water services to Florida Utilities.
Present-day Apopka
Apopka's mayor, John LandJohn H. Land (mayor)
John H. Land is the longest serving Mayor in the history of Florida and one of the longest serving mayors in the United States .-Background:John Land is the current mayor of the city of Apopka, Florida. He was born in Plant City, and he moved to Apopka at a very young age. He served in the U.S....
, has served for over 55 years (with a short three-year gap) and is one of the longest serving mayors still in office in Florida.
Apopka is a fast-growing city and is expanding in all directions. Most notable are the new Lowes and Home Depot DIY stores to the north of the city on US 441
U.S. Route 441 in Florida
U.S. Route 441 in Florida is a north–south United States Highway. It runs from Miami in South Florida northwest to the Georgia border north of the Lake City area....
in the location of the previous Dunn Citrus grove (the stretch of 441 which runs through the city is named after Fred N. Dunn). Other businesses on the former Dunn Citrus site include Staples office supply and a second Chili's restaurant.
The John Land Apopka Expressway (Toll 414) opened on 15 May 2009 relieving some of US 441's traffic, taking the route from what is now the US 441 junction with SR 429, and then passing south of the city to rejoin US 441 at its junction with Maitland Boulevard South of the city.
Earthmoving began in the Summer of 2010 to further expand the Expressway including an extension of Toll 414, known as Wekiva parkway, planned to continue just West of the Toll 414 / Toll 429 junction and then North creating a junction at US 441 and Plymouth Sorrento Road. Master plans take the Wekiva Parkway extension further North and then East connecting to I4 at Sanford. Its unclear when such an expansion might be completed.
Points of interest
- Apopka Seaboard Air Line Railway DepotApopka Seaboard Air Line Railway DepotThe Apopka Seaboard Air Line Railway Depot is a historic Seaboard Air Line Railroad depot in Apopka, Florida, United States. It is located at 36 East Station Street. The station was built in 1918 to serve a line originally used by the Tavares, Orlando, and Gulf Railroad in 1885. On March 15, 1993,...
- Carroll BuildingCarroll Building (Apopka, Florida)The Carroll Building is a historic site in Apopka, Florida. It is located at 407-409 South Park Avenue. On March 4, 1993, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It currently serves as the district office for State Representative Bryan Nelson, District 38.-References and...
- Mitchill-Tibbetts HouseMitchill-Tibbetts HouseThe Mitchill-Tibbetts House is a historic home in Apopka, Florida. It is located at 21 East Orange Street. On November 7, 1991, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References and external links:...
- Museum of the ApopkansMuseum of the ApopkansThe Museum of the Apopkans is located at 122 East Fifth Street, Apopka, Florida. It contains exhibits depicting the history of Apopka and Northwest Orange County- Accomplishments :...
- Ryan & Company Lumber YardRyan & Company Lumber YardThe Ryan & Company Lumber Yard is a historic site in Apopka, Florida. It is located at 215 East Fifth Street. On February 25, 1993, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
- Waite-Davis HouseWaite-Davis HouseThe Waite-Davis House is a historic home in Apopka, Florida. It is located at 5 South Central Avenue. On August 2, 1990, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
- Camp Thunderbird
Education
- Apopka is served by Orange County Public SchoolsOrange County Public SchoolsOrange County Public Schools is the public school district for Orange County, Florida. It is based out of the Educational Leadership Center, a seven-story building adjacent to the Amway Arena in Downtown Orlando. As of October 2009, OCPS has an enrollment of over 175,000 students, making it the...
with two high schools: Apopka High SchoolApopka High SchoolApopka High School is a high school located in Apopka in northwest Orange County, Florida, United States. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.The school serves grades 9 through 12...
and Wekiva High SchoolWekiva High SchoolWekiva High School is a high school located in Apopka, in northwest Orange County, Florida, United States. The school mascot is the mustang.The school colors are maroon, gold, and navy. It was established in 2007 as a relief school for Apopka High School and Ocoee High School. It's principal is Dr...
. - A satellite campus of the University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
College of Pharmacy is located in Apopka. - University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural ScienceIFASIFAS can stand for:* Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences* Irish Federation of Astronomical Societies* Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge System* Islamic Financial Accounting Standards* Independent Financial Advisers...
Mid-Florida Research and Education Center is located in Apopka.
Notable residents
- John AndersonJohn Anderson (musician)John David Anderson is an American country music artist with a successful career that has lasted more than 30 years...
– country singer - Steve BaylarkSteve BaylarkSteve Ray Baylark is an American football running back for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
– Pro NFL Runningback from Umass - Sawyer BrownSawyer BrownSawyer Brown is an American country music band founded in 1981 in Apopka, Florida, by five members of country pop singer Don King's road band: Bobby Randall and Jim Scholten , both from Midland, Michigan; Joe Smyth , Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard , and Mark Miller...
– country music band founded in Apopka - Rogers BeckettRogers BeckettRogers Beckett is a former American football safety. He played for the San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals in his professional football career. After retiring from professional football, he completed his Masters Degree in Public Administration. Beckett currently resides in Apopka,...
– former NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
safety - Richard BorgRichard BorgRichard Borg is a game designer.Games Richard has designed or co-designed include:*2000 Battle Cry *2001 Wyatt Earp...
– board game designer. - Zack GreinkeZack GreinkeDonald Zackary "Zack" Greinke is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. Greinke won the American League Cy Young Award in 2009 with the Kansas City Royals.-High school & minor leagues:Greinke was born in Orlando, Florida...
– pitcher for Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and 2009 AL Cy Young Award Winner - Glenn Hubbard – dean, Columbia University Graduate School of Business
- Jerry LawsonJerry LawsonJerry Lawson is a lead singer, producer, musical arranger, performer, best known as the original lead singer of The Persuasions.Born as Jerome E. Lawson in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, he was raised in Apopka, Florida...
– former lead singer of The PersuasionsThe PersuasionsThe Persuasions are an a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid 1960s. They have performed interpretations of both secular and non-secular music, and have covered a wide range of musical genres.... - Brandon MeriweatherBrandon MeriweatherBrandon Meriweather is an American football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 24th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Meriweather's mother gave birth to him when...
– former University of MiamiUniversity of MiamiThe University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
All-American safety and presently a defensive back for the New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... - Michael LarsonMichael LarsonPaul Michael Larson was a contestant on the American television game show Press Your Luck in May 1984 that aired on TV in June 1984. Larson's claim to fame was his winning $110,237 in cash and prizes, at the time the largest one-day total ever won on a game show...
– Press Your LuckPress Your LuckPress Your Luck is an American television daytime game show created by Bill Carruthers and Jan McCormack. It premiered on September 19, 1983 on CBS and ended on September 26, 1986. In the show, contestants collected "spins" by answering trivia questions and then used the spins on an 18-space game...
Scandal winner of $110,287 in 1984. Died 1999. - Fireball RobertsFireball RobertsEdward Glenn Roberts, Jr. , nicknamed "Fireball", was one of the pioneering race car drivers of NASCAR.-Background:...
– race car driver - Warren SappWarren SappWarren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
– All-Pro NFL defensive lineman - Monty SoppMonty SoppMonty Kip Sopp is an American professional wrestler, best known as Billy Gunn during his tenure for World Wrestling Entertainment. He is probably best known as one of the members of the New Age Outlaws. He also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Kip James...
– professional wrestlerProfessional wrestlingProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, former WWF/EWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
World Tag Team, Intercontinental, and Hardcore Champion - Wayne TaylorWayne TaylorWayne Taylor is a South African sports car racer. He won the 1996 and 2005 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 2005 Rolex Series. He co-drives for SunTrust Racing with Max Angelelli...
– Owner, Wayne Taylor Racing. Winner of 1996 and 2005 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 2005 Rolex Series.
Apopka in literature
Apopka is referenced in Zora Neale HurstonZora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston was an American folklorist, anthropologist, and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance...
's famous novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God is a 1937 novel and the best-known work by African American writer Zora Neale Hurston. Set in central and southern Florida in the early 20th century, the novel garnered attention and controversy at the time of its publication, and has come to be regarded as a seminal...
.
External links
- City of Apopka
- Apopka Chief, newspaper that serves Apopka, Florida, available for free in full-text with images in the Florida Digital Newspaper Library