Orchid Island, Florida
Encyclopedia
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
located in Indian River County, Florida
Indian River County, Florida
Indian River County is a county located in the Treasure Coast region in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 112,947. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 128,594...
, is actually the Indian River County part of North Hutchinson Island, although that term in not used in Indian River County. Orchid Island is separated from the mainland on the west by the Indian River Lagoon
Indian River Lagoon
The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and the Indian River, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida. It was originally named Rio de Ais after the Ais Indian tribe, who lived along the east coast of Florida....
. Its southern boundary is the county line between Indian River and St. Lucie
St. Lucie County, Florida
St. Lucie County is a county located in the state of Florida. The county seat is the city of Fort Pierce. In the year 2000, the population was 192,695. As of the year 2010, the United States Census Bureau sets the population at 277,789.- History :...
counties, while its northern boundary is the Sebastian Inlet, which is the county line between Indian River and Brevard
Brevard County, Florida
Brevard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the population is 536,521, making it the 10th most populous county in the state. Influenced by the presence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard...
counties. The entire island constitutes the Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
32963 Zip Code. The island is home to many wealthy residents and luxurious homes.
Main Roads
The principal north-south road on the island is State Road A1AFlorida State Road A1A
State Road A1A is a Florida State Road that runs mostly along the Atlantic Ocean, with sections from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Callahan, just south of Georgia. It is the main road through most oceanfront towns. SR A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Highway, a...
which runs the entire length of the island. It is called South A-1-A from Beachland Boulevard south and North A-1-A north of Beachland Boulevard, Signs at each county line and at the foot of each bridge from the mainland welcome the visitor to Orchid Island.
South Beach CDP
The area from the southern county line to the Vero BeachVero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
city limits is in the South Beach
South Beach, Florida
South Beach is a census-designated place on Orchid Island in Indian River County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,457 at the 2000 census...
CDP or census designated place.
Sites of Interest
County-maintained Round Island Park abuts the county line on the south and runs from the ocean to the river.Vero Beach portion
The City of Vero Beach lies on both sides of the Indian River, with its main business and residential areas on the mainland. Two of the island's three bridges from the mainland lie within the city limits. The island part of Vero Beach is primarily residential but has a business area located along Beachland Boulevard which runs from the New Merrill Barber Bridge east to Sexton Plaza on the Ocean front, The Riomar Country Club built in the 1920s set the tone for residential development on the island, but two 13-story condominium apartment buildings built in the 1980s threatened to change that. The city, though, adopted stringent planning and zoning regulation to prevent further highrise development.Sites of interest
- Riverside Park at the foot of the New Merrill Barber Bridge is the location of the Vero Beach Art Museum, the Riverside Theatre and the Riverside Children's Theatre.
- Driftwood Inn and RestaurantDriftwood Inn and RestaurantThe Driftwood Inn and Restaurant is a historic site in Vero Beach, Florida. It is located at 3150 Ocean Drive. On August 6, 1994, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The Driftwood Inn was opened in 1937, conceived and constructed by local Vero Beach eccentric and...
, listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
is at Sexton Park on the ocean.
Town of Indian River Shores
The upscale town of Indian River ShoresIndian River Shores, Florida
Indian River Shores is a town on Orchid Island, in Indian River County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,448 at the 2000 census. It is ranked ninth in Florida locations by per capita income....
borders the City of Vero Beach on the south and the Wabasso Beach CDP on the north.
John's Island
John's Island is an upscale gated country club community on 1650 acres (6.7 km²) within the Town of Indian River Shores.Wabasso Beach CDP
Wabasso BeachWabasso Beach, Florida
Wabasso Beach is a census-designated place in Indian River County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,075 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Sebastian–Vero Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
is a CDP or census designated place lying north of the Town of Indian River Shores and south of the Town of Orchid and is centered around the intersection of North A-1-A and Wabasso Road, which comes across the Wabasso Bridge from the mainland. County-maintained Wabasso Beach Park is located just east of this intersection.
Town of Orchid
The Town of OrchidOrchid, Florida
Orchid is a town in Indian River County, Florida, United States. The population was 140 at the 2000 census and was the 9th highest-income place in the United States. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 292. It is ranked sixth in Florida locations by per capita income...
lies north of the Wabasso Beach CDP and is mainly to the north of Wabasso Road (SR 510) and now consists primarily of the Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club, although it was originally incorporated by the grove owners located in the area and covered somewhat different lands. The town does have some territory on the Atlantic.
North Beach CDP
The unincorporated area north of the Town or Orchid to the Sebastian Inlet is in the North BeachNorth Beach, Florida
North Beach is a census-designated place on Orchid Island in Indian River County, Florida, United States. The population was 243 at the 2000 census...
CDP, or census designated place.
Sites of interest
- McLarty Treasure MuseumMcLarty Treasure MuseumThe McLarty Treasure Museum is located at 13180 North A1A, in the North Beach C.D.P., on Orchid Island, near Vero Beach, Florida. The museum occupies part of the former site of the Survivors' and Salvagers' Camp - 1715 Fleet, and is part of Sebastian Inlet State Park. It houses exhibits on the...
at Sebastian Inlet State Park - Pelican Island National Wildlife RefugePelican Island National Wildlife RefugePelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located just off the western coast of Orchid Island in the Indian River Lagoon east of Sebastian, Florida. The refuge consists of a island that includes an additional of surrounding water and is located off the...
is located in the Indian River Lagoon west of North Beach CDP. - Sebastian Inlet State ParkSebastian Inlet State ParkSebastian Inlet State Park is a Florida State Park located 10 miles south of Melbourne Beach and 6 miles north of Vero Beach, Florida. The park lies on both sides of the Sebastian Inlet, which forms the boundary between Brevard and Indian River counties. The land for the park was acquired by the...
is located on the north end and extends across the Sebastian Inlet into Brevard County.
Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
The Archie Carr National Wildlife RefugeArchie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located along a twenty mile section of coastline from Melbourne Beach to Wabasso Beach, Florida along Florida State Road A1A. The 900 acre refuge was established in 1991, to protect the...
established for the protection of sea turtles extends from Wabasso Beach on Orchid Island north along the coast to Melbourne Beach
Melbourne Beach, Florida
Melbourne Beach is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,335 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,314. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:The Ais Indians resided...
Income on the island
- Florida locations by per capita incomeFlorida locations by per capita incomeFlorida has the eighteenth highest per capita income in the United States of America, at $21,557 . Its personal per capita income is $30,446 .-Florida Counties Ranked by Per Capita Income:...
ranks island places as follows:- 006. Orchid;
- 009. Indian River Shores;
- 010. South Beach CDP;
- 015. North Beach CDP;
- 041. Wabasso Beach; and
- 133. Vero Beach (but this includes the mainland)
- According to the IRS, Zip Code Vero Beach, FL 32963, which is exclusive to Orchid Island is the:
- 57th wealthiest in the United States; and
- 3rd wealthiest in Florida after Palm BeachPalm Beach, FloridaThe Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
and Longboat KeyLongboat Key, FloridaLongboat Key is a town in Manatee and Sarasota counties along the central west coast of the U.S. state of Florida, located on the barrier island of the same name. Longboat Key is south of Anna Maria Island, between Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It is almost equally divided between Manatee...
.