Ponce Inlet, Florida
Encyclopedia
Ponce Inlet is a town in Volusia County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 2,513 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,178.
The Town of Ponce Inlet is located on the southern tip of a beach peninsula, south of Daytona Beach
and Daytona Beach Shores
. Several marinas are located in Ponce Inlet, which is considered one of the area's prime fishing spots. The area is prized by residents for its relaxed lifestyle and natural, uncrowded beaches.
Visited by over 80,000 people each year, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. The lighthouse tower and museum are located 12 miles south of Daytona Beach and are open to the public year round. The lighthouse is close to Orlando attractions, historic St. Augustine and the Kennedy Space Center. The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and the second tallest lighthouse in the nation. Visitors who climb the 175-foot-tall lighthouse tower are treated to a magnificent view of the Florida coastline and Halifax River from Daytona Beach to New Smyrna Beach.
The lighthouse keeper
s' dwellings and other historic light station buildings are now home to the lighthouse museum, with exhibits on lighthouse life, lighthouse and Fresnel lens
restoration, the keepers and their families, Daytona Beach and Florida history, and shipwreck
s. The Ayres Davies Lens Exhibit Building houses one of the finest collections of restored Fresnel lenses in the world, including the rotating first order Fresnel lens from the Cape Canaveral lighthouse
and the restored original Ponce Inlet lighthouse first order Fresnel lens.
Ponce Inlet is on a peninsula at 29°5′41"N 80°56′33"W (29.094744, -80.942599), adjacent to the Ponce de León Inlet
, and between the Halifax River
and Atlantic Ocean
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 14.7 square miles (38.1 km²). 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²) of it is land and 10.3 square miles (26.7 km²) of it (70.48%) is water.
's 27th Legislative District.
of 2000, there were 2,513 people, 1,206 households, and 883 families residing in the town. Census population estimate for 2006 was 3192. The population density
was 580.1 inhabitants per square mile (224.1/km²). There were 2,043 housing units at an average density of 471.6 per square mile (182.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.73% White, 0.60% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races
, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population.
There were 1,206 households out of which 11.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.9% were married couples
living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.38.
In the town the population was spread out with 10.1% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 15.6% from 25 to 44, 38.2% from 45 to 64, and 32.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $52,112, and the median income for a family was $58,828. Males had a median income of $42,188 versus $31,989 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $36,518. About 3.7% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
Volusia County, Florida
Volusia County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 official county's population was 494,593 . Its county seat is DeLand, and its most populous city is currently Deltona....
, 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 2,513 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,178.
The Town of Ponce Inlet is located on the southern tip of a beach peninsula, south of Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
and Daytona Beach Shores
Daytona Beach Shores, Florida
Daytona Beach Shores is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,299 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 4,586.-History:...
. Several marinas are located in Ponce Inlet, which is considered one of the area's prime fishing spots. The area is prized by residents for its relaxed lifestyle and natural, uncrowded beaches.
The lighthouse
Completed in 1887, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station was built when the area was known as Mosquito Inlet. After decades of restoration by the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association, it stands today as one of the best preserved, most complete Light Stations in the nation.Visited by over 80,000 people each year, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. The lighthouse tower and museum are located 12 miles south of Daytona Beach and are open to the public year round. The lighthouse is close to Orlando attractions, historic St. Augustine and the Kennedy Space Center. The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and the second tallest lighthouse in the nation. Visitors who climb the 175-foot-tall lighthouse tower are treated to a magnificent view of the Florida coastline and Halifax River from Daytona Beach to New Smyrna Beach.
The lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
s' dwellings and other historic light station buildings are now home to the lighthouse museum, with exhibits on lighthouse life, lighthouse and Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
restoration, the keepers and their families, Daytona Beach and Florida history, and shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s. The Ayres Davies Lens Exhibit Building houses one of the finest collections of restored Fresnel lenses in the world, including the rotating first order Fresnel lens from the Cape Canaveral lighthouse
Cape Canaveral Light
The Cape Canaveral Light is a historic lighthouse on the east coast of the U.S. state of Florida.-History:The current Cape Canaveral Light is not the first lighthouse on Cape Canaveral. A 60-foot tall brick structure was built on the Cape in 1848. The light consisted of 15 lamps each with a...
and the restored original Ponce Inlet lighthouse first order Fresnel lens.
Geography
Ponce de León Inlet
The Ponce de León Inlet is a natural opening in the barrier islands in northern Florida that connects the north end of the Mosquito Lagoon and the south end of the Halifax River to the Atlantic Ocean. It is the site of the town of Ponce Inlet, Florida and the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light...
, and between the Halifax River
Halifax River
The Halifax River is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, located in northeast Volusia County, Florida. The waterway was originally known as the North Mosquito River, but was renamed after George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, during the British occupation of Florida .-Geography:The...
and Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
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 town has a total area of 14.7 square miles (38.1 km²). 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²) of it is land and 10.3 square miles (26.7 km²) of it (70.48%) is water.
Local government
Ponce Inlet is organized with a council-manager form of government; voters elect a Town Council which consists of five members who serve two-year staggered terms. All five seats including the Mayor are town-wide, there are no districted seats.The Town Council establishes ordinances and policies for the town. It also reviews and approves the town budget annually. The Council appoints a Town Manager, who implements policy as voted on by the council. The town manager is the senior administrative official of the town, and is responsible for all aspects of administrative oversight.Local elected officials
- Mayor, Seat 1 - Tom Rutledge
- Vice-Mayor Seat 5 - Tami Lewis
- Councilmember Seat 3 -Gary Smith
- Councilmember Seat 4 - Don Romanik
- Councilmember Seat 2 - Scott Meacham
- Town Manager - Jeaneen Clauss
Federal, state and county representation
Ponce Inlet is in the 24th Congressional District and is part of FloridaFlorida
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...
's 27th Legislative District.
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 2,513 people, 1,206 households, and 883 families residing in the town. Census population estimate for 2006 was 3192. 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 580.1 inhabitants per square mile (224.1/km²). There were 2,043 housing units at an average density of 471.6 per square mile (182.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.73% White, 0.60% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.16% 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 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population.
There were 1,206 households out of which 11.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.9% 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, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.38.
In the town the population was spread out with 10.1% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 15.6% from 25 to 44, 38.2% from 45 to 64, and 32.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $52,112, and the median income for a family was $58,828. Males had a median income of $42,188 versus $31,989 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 town was $36,518. About 3.7% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
Points of interest
- Marine Science Center
- Lighthouse Point Park
- Ponce Inlet Jetty
- Timucuan Oaks Botanical Garden
- Marinas:
- * Adventure Yacht Harbor Inc.
- * Inlet Harbor Marina
- * Sea Love Marina