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94-490: Florida Prep , formerly known as Florida Air Academy , is a private boarding and day school founded in 1961 by Jonathan Dwight, located in Melbourne, Florida , United States. Students in grades 6-12 are provided a college-preparatory education that emphasizes leadership, character, accountability, and trust. There are 130 students from 22 countries. Ernest Kouwen-Hoven built the main building in 1925 as his personal residence. It

188-583: A "Period of Friendship" with the Ais Caciques(Chiefs) and made a color map of the area. During the 19th century, the state of Florida frequently changed the names and borders of counties. St. Lucie County was split off from Mosquito County in 1844. St. Lucie County was renamed Brevard County in 1855 after Theodore Washington Brevard , who served as Florida Comptroller from 1854 to 1860. This "Brevard County" contained very little of present-day Brevard County. Most of present-day Brevard north of Melbourne

282-616: A bomb exploded under their home, fatally injuring both of them. The murders were racially motivated and believed committed by members of the Ku Klux Klan . Four separate investigations were conducted, including the first by the FBI in 1951–1952, and the last in 2005 by the state. No one was ever prosecuted. In 1940, the United States federal government built Naval Air Station Banana River (now Patrick Space Force Base ). This military installation

376-446: A few concessions to the people in the northern part of the county, and agreed not to officially move the county seat. Since construction of the new center, Viera has been for all intents and purposes the de facto seat of Brevard County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,557 square miles (4,030 km ), of which 1,016 square miles (2,630 km ) is land and 541 square miles (1,400 km ) (34.8%)

470-525: A four-week period. Deer flies are particularly noticeable from April through June. Local bird counts indicate that there are at least 163 species of birds in the county. Turkey vultures , a migrating species, are protected by federal law. They migrate north in the summer and return in September. The county's most common winter bird is the lesser scaup , a diving duck. In 2008, half a million were counted. In 2010, 15,000 were estimated. Other birds include

564-408: A frost in the city of Melbourne or at the ocean beaches. On Christmas Eve 2003, the city as others in east central coast of Florida received snow from the ocean effect , when cold air passes over the considerably hotter ocean and causes the rise of air with higher temperature to bring moisture into the higher portions of the atmosphere . Tropical flora typical of more southerly locations is grown in

658-402: A household in the county was $ 49,523, and the median income for a family was $ 60,842. Males had a median income of $ 48,191 versus $ 33,276 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 27,606. About 7.2% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those aged 65 or over. In 2010, 8.6% of the county's population

752-739: A later stratum. In 1925 attention shifted to the Melbourne golf course. A crushed human skull with finger, arm, and leg bones was found in association with a horse tooth. A piece of ivory that appeared to have been modified by humans was found at the bottom of the stratum containing bones. Other finds included a spear point near a mastodon bone and a turtle-back scraper and blade found with bear, camel, mastodon, horse, and tapir bones. Similar human remains, Pleistocene animals and Paleo-Indian artifacts were found in Vero Beach , 30 miles (48 km) south of Melbourne, and similar Paleo-Indian artifacts were found at

846-431: A public pier, Historic Rossetter House and Gardens, Pineapple Park, a few businesses over 40 years old, and a community park and band shell, which is the center of many community activities. It is now a non-accredited main street program. A $ 180.8 million Operating and Capital Budget was passed for the 2014–2015 fiscal year. In 2007, the city had a taxable real estate base of $ 4.96 billion. A 2011 study rated

940-580: A rare protected species , give birth near the coast of Brevard, among other places, from November 15 to April 15. The venomous brown recluse spider is not native to the area but has found the environment congenial. The Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network has counted species of butterflies monthly for a year since 2007. In 2010, it counted 45 species. Included are zebra swallowtail butterflies . Lovebug season occurs twice annually in May and August–September. Motorists encounter swarms of these while driving during

1034-439: A separate political entity. Melbourne, Florida has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ), bordering closely to a tropical savanna climate ( Aw ). Melbourne has a distinctly seasonal precipitation pattern, with a hot and wet season (late May through October) and a warm and dry season (November through April). The climate is strongly influenced by the nearby Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Stream, as well as incursions of cold fronts from

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1128-553: A woody marsh at the time, was used by the Archaic Floridians as a burial ground, with the bodies being wrapped in fabric and submerged in the peaty soil . The pond was used for interments for around a thousand years (circa 8,000–7,000 BCE). The Ais and the Jaega were the dominant tribes in the area when it is thought that Ponce De Leon landed on the shores near Melbourne Beach in 1513. There were about 10,000 of these natives in

1222-580: Is Mediterranean Revival architecture with Art Deco interior. He used the mansion as his home for only one year, before selling it in 1926 to A.S. Widrig, who named the property "The Lincoln Hotel." In 1957, the Lincoln Hotel was sold to August J Rimer who renamed the hotel the Belcelona. In 1961, educator Jonathan Dwight bought the building and founded the Florida Air Academy, patterning the school on

1316-401: Is April with 1.6 inches (4.1 cm) of rainfall; the wettest is September, with 6.6 inches (17 cm). Offshore ocean temperatures have averaged: January – 64 °F (18 °C), February – 62 °F (17 °C), March – 67 °F (19 °C) and April – 72 °F (22 °C). In federal maps printed before 2012, nearly half of Brevard was classified as prone to flooding. Most of this

1410-486: Is Holmes Medical Center, and Melbourne Regional Medical Center. Kindred Hospital is a chronic care facility for ventilated patients and does not accept emergency patients. A new Viera hospital was opened in May 2011. Brevard County, Florida Brevard County ( / b r ə ˈ v ɑːr d / brə- VARD ) is a county in the U.S. state of Florida . It is on the Atlantic coast of eastern Central Florida . As of

1504-600: Is a city in Brevard County, Florida , United States. It is located 72 miles (116 km) southeast of Orlando and 175 miles (282 km) northwest of Miami . It had population of 84,678 at the 2020 United States Decennial Census, up from 76,068 at the 2010 census. The municipality is the second-largest in the county by both size and population. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . In 1969,

1598-475: Is in place for students needing additional academic motivation and instruction. Graduates have had a 100% rate of acceptance by colleges since 1978. In 2023, there were 130 students. Day students were admitted in the 1980s and comprised 50% of the student body. Boarding students are from across the USA and beyond and represent 22 different countries. Boarding students live with one or two other roommates, depending on

1692-562: Is known as the Space Coast due to the influence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center and the aerospace industry on its economy. As such, it was designated with the telephone area code 321 , as in " 3, 2, 1 liftoff ". The county has several incorporated cities and towns, primarily along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and is mostly rural or suburban west of Interstate 95 . Brevard County comprises

1786-480: Is land and 5.7 square miles (14.8 km ) (14.42%) is water. The east–west street named Brevard Drive was historically the "center" of town; with addresses called "north" and "south" of this street. The north–south Babcock Street provided the same centerline for "east" and "west" directions. Melbourne Beachside has a small presence on the South Beaches barrier island. It is often confused with Melbourne Beach ,

1880-660: Is less frequently hit by direct hurricane landfalls than are portions of the Panhandle or South Florida . There are two predominant reasons for this. First, westward-moving tropical systems often reach an atmospheric ridge weakness in the Bermuda High by the time they approach Florida at a latitude as northerly as Brevard County. Combined with frontal systems that exit the United States' East Coast , many of these tropical systems are steered northwest and eventually curve northward offshore along Florida's East Central Coast. A second reason

1974-500: Is made up of eight class periods, with a five-minute passing period between classes. The last class ends at 3:40 p.m. Boarding students are given the option of going home for the weekend or to remain on campus. If the student stays on campus, a variety of activities are available, including trips to Orlando, visits to the local beach, ice skating, bowling, and trips to the local movies and mall. Melbourne, Florida Melbourne ( / ˈ m ɛ l b ər n / MEL -bərn )

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2068-598: Is most recent step in an effort to revitalize this area. In 2010, the Eau Gallie Arts District received its designation as a Florida Main Street. Established in 1860 along the Indian River, the arts district (called EGAD!) has proven to be highly successful in its redevelopment of the community of art galleries, shops, restaurants, Melbourne's first microbrewery, and contains the city civic center and public library with

2162-460: Is that hurricanes making landfall along the Florida peninsula Gulf Coast often weaken to a tropical storm by the time they move northeast and reach Brevard County. (2004's Charley was an exception). No major hurricane, defined as category 3 or higher, has struck Brevard since 1850, the beginning of recorded climate. Although residents may refer to past storms as "hurricanes", by the time they strike

2256-906: Is the major waterway route in Brevard County. It includes the Indian River . Additional waterways include Lake Washington , Lake Poinsett , Lake Winder , Sawgrass Lake , the St. Johns River, and the Banana River . Dredging for the Intracoastal created 41 spoil islands in the Brevard portion of the Indian River. Brevard County is the sole county in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Palm Bay, Melbourne, and Titusville are designated as principal cities in

2350-505: Is water. Most of the water is the Atlantic Ocean , the St. Johns River and the Indian River Lagoon . The county is larger in area than the nation of Samoa and nearly the same size, and population, as Cape Verde . Located halfway between Jacksonville and Miami , Brevard County extends 72 miles (116 km) from north to south, and averages 26.5 miles (42.6 km) wide. Emphasizing

2444-627: The Canaveral National Seashore , the St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge , the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge , several conservation areas managed by the St. Johns River Water Management District , Brevard County's Environmentally Endangered Lands Program Sanctuaries, and lands dedicated by the State as conservation areas. The underlying limestone in the county is relatively young at 150,000 years old. This means that

2538-674: The Helen Blazes archaeological site , 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Melbourne. The first settlers arrived after 1877. They included Richard W. Goode, his father John Goode, Cornthwaite John Hector , Captain Peter Wright, Balaam Allen, Wright Brothers, and Thomas Mason. Three of these men, Wright, Allen, and Brothers were black freedmen. The city, formerly called "Crane Creek", was named Melbourne in honor of its first postmaster, Cornthwaite John Hector , an Englishman who had spent much of his life in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia (which

2632-634: The Orlando-Melbourne International Airport drawing a crowd of approximately 9,000 people according to the Melbourne police department. Melbourne is located approximately 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Orlando on the Space Coast , along Interstate 95 . It is approximately midway between Jacksonville and Miami . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 39.6 square miles (102.5 km ), of which 33.9 square miles (87.7 km )

2726-452: The Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville , FL Metropolitan Statistical Area . The first Paleoindians arrived in the area near Brevard county between 12,000 and 10,000 years ago. The Paleoindians were semi-nomadic people who lived in smaller groups. After a few thousand years, a new group of settlers appeared known as " the archaic people ." These people were primarily fishermen, as opposed to

2820-562: The South Beaches . There are also several beaches along the coast of the county. The North Reach includes 9.4 miles (15.1 km) of coastline from Cape Canaveral, through Cocoa Beach, to Patrick Space Force Base. The Patrick Space Force Base beach is 4.1 miles (6.6 km) long. South of Patrick SFB, the Mid Reach includes the 7.6 miles (12.2 km) of coastline in Satellite Beach. The South Reach includes 3.8 miles (6.1 km) of beach in

2914-612: The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Florida Council of Independent Schools . In 2015, class sizes ranged from 5 to 20 students, and averaged 13. A.P. classes, Honors classes and Dual Enrollment classes are offered (Dual Enrollment at nearby Florida Tech and Eastern Florida State University) A Teacher Help period occurs after school and students are encouraged to see their teachers for help with homework or other questions. A formal "Academic Assistance Program"

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3008-568: The United States Air Force Academy . For several decades, the former Florida Air Academy operated as a military (Air Force JROTC) boarding/prep school, placing an emphasis on discipline. Another strong draw to Florida Air Academy was the unique opportunity for students to enroll in flight training at the Florida Institute of Technology, where they could earn their Private Pilot License and multi-engine ratings. Consequently,

3102-502: The red-shouldered hawk , the loggerhead shrike , the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker , Cooper's hawks , pileated woodpeckers , Savannah sparrows , rails (which also includes coots ), Florida scrub jays (an endangered species), wood storks , grackles , great horned owls , northern mockingbirds , brown thrashers , catbirds , green-winged teals , greater yellowlegs , western sandpipers , least sandpipers , dowitchers , and American white pelicans . Peak migration in

3196-480: The 1920s. C. P. Singleton, a Harvard University zoologist , discovered the bones of a mammoth ( Mammuthus columbi ) on his property along Crane Creek , 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Melbourne, and brought in Amherst College paleontologist Frederick B. Loomis to excavate the skeleton. Loomis found a second elephant, with a "large rough flint instrument" among fragments of the elephant's ribs. Loomis found in

3290-726: The 1930s, Harry T. Moore was a civil rights leader, teacher , and founder of the Brevard County NAACP . After the war he became president of the state NAACP. After the Supreme Court had ruled in 1944 that white primaries were unconstitutional, he conducted voter registration drives and succeeded in registering 31% of black voters in Florida, a higher percentage than in any other southern state. The white establishment resisted, firing both him and his wife Harriette in 1946 from their teaching positions as economic blackmail against them because of their activism. On Christmas night, 1951,

3384-462: The 2020 census, the population was 606,612, making it the 10th-most populated county in Florida. The official county seat is located in Titusville . A secondary center of county administration, including a circuit courthouse, was built in 1989 in the planned community of Viera, Florida , the geographic center of the county. Before the arrival of non- indigenous settlers in the 16th century,

3478-551: The Florida Air Academy Alumni Association remains active with the contribution of students from the former Air Force JROTC school. The Alumni Association organizes annual events during Florida Prep Academy's Homecoming celebrations and is attended by hundreds who return to the Melbourne Area for fellowship and continued support for the organization. The academy is accredited by AdvancedED, formally known as

3572-682: The MSA. The MSA was created as the Melbourne-Titusville-Cocoa, Florida Standard MSA in 1972, renamed the Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, Florida MSA in 1983, and given its current title in 2003. The county is unofficially divided into three sections: North County, comprising Titusville , Mims and Port St. John ; Central Brevard, which includes Cocoa , Rockledge , Merritt Island , and Cocoa Beach ; and South County, which includes Melbourne , Palm Bay , Grant , Valkaria , and

3666-545: The Melbourne area (coconut palms, royal palms, Christmas palms , and bananas), but can be damaged or killed when subjected to infrequent light freezes or cooler temperatures, although several years might pass without a freeze in the Melbourne area. The Melbourne area has many lush gardens and public landscapes, and is noted for the botanical northern limit of cultivated coconut palms on the Florida East Coast. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has ordered

3760-566: The Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area as the 98th most populous metropolitan statistical area and the 96th most populous primary statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012. The county has a Köppen climate classification of Cfa, with a year-round distribution of rainfall. This means a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild winters. There are distinct wet and dry seasons. The dry lasts from December through May,

3854-459: The adults in the county. Of those, a local agency counted in 2010 that 225 of the veterans were homeless. In 2012, the Urban Institute ranked the Brevard metro fourth in the country for racial equality. Criteria were integration of neighborhoods, income, and the quality of schools minorities attend. The area was ranked first for Hispanic equality with whites. In 2010, the median income for

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3948-477: The age of 18 living with them, 48.28% were married couples living together, 11.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.40% were non-families. 28.44% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.53% (4.00% male and 8.53% female) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.84. There were 74,000 veterans who lived in Brevard in 2010, accounting for 21% of

4042-503: The area was inhabited by Native Americans . The county is the site of the Windover Archeological Site , which contained evidence of habitation over 7,000 years ago. Brevard County was established in 1855 and is named after Theodore Washington Brevard , an early Florida settler and state comptroller . The county's boundaries were changed and reduced numerous times, resulting in the current boundary since 1907. Brevard County

4136-511: The area. Pedro Menéndez de Avilés gave an early account of the Ais people in 1570 when he was shipwrecked off of Cape Canaveral. He faced hostile natives but through the use of a bluff was able to escape from them and get back to St. Augustine. In 1605 , Alvero Mexia was dispatched from St. Augustine to the Indian River area on a diplomatic mission to the Ais Indian Nation. He helped establish

4230-494: The average size of Melbourne's labor force was 39,391. Of that group, 37,708 were employed and 1,683 were unemployed, for an unemployment rate of 4.3%. In 2008, 259 building permits were issued for 263 units. There were 209 permits issued for 320 units in 2007, which was down from 329 permits for 512 units in 2006. The median home price in 2007 was $ 215,000. In May 2005, the Melbourne– Titusville – Palm Bay area

4324-596: The cities of Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Indialantic, Melbourne Beach, Patrick Space Force Base, Indian Harbour Beach, and Satellite Beach. The American Indian Association of Florida submitted in October 2011 a proposal to name the island after the Ais people . In January 2012 the United Third Bridge and the Florida Puerto Rican/Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Melbourne submitted a proposal to name

4418-527: The city received a record 9.06 inches (230 mm) of rainfall from Hurricane Erin . During the week of August 22, 2008, a record 17.54 inches (446 mm) of rain fell caused by Tropical Storm Fay . A 2009 Halloween street party sponsored by a downtown restaurant attracted an estimated 8,000–10,000 people. This overwhelmed the downtown area. Street parties were curtailed until public safety issues were addressed. On February 18, 2017, president Donald J. Trump held his first post-inauguration rally at

4512-476: The city to reduce pollution of the Indian River Lagoon , which it borders; about 80% of the city's landmass drains in the direction of the lagoon. The city must reduce run-off by 44,000 pounds (20,000 kg) of nitrogen and 13,000 pounds (5,900 kg) of phosphorus. The city responded by banning the use of fertilizer before flood and storm warnings. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 84,678 people, 32,874 households, and 18,242 families residing in

4606-588: The city was $ 19,175. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $ 34,571, and the median income for a family was $ 42,760. Males had a median income of $ 32,242 versus $ 22,419 for females. In Melbourne, about 8.6% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over. As of 2000, 90.39% of residents spoke English as their first language , while 4.69% spoke Spanish , 0.84% spoke French , 0.73% spoke German , and 0.55% spoke Arabic as their mother tongue . In total, 9.60% of

4700-481: The city was expanded by merging with nearby Eau Gallie . The city is also home to the National Weather Service office that serves East Central Florida including the cities of Orlando, Kissimmee , Sanford , Deltona , Daytona Beach , Cape Canaveral , Port St Lucie and Stuart . Evidence for the presence of Paleo-Indians in the Melbourne area during the late Pleistocene epoch was uncovered during

4794-431: The city. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 76,068 people, 33,377 households, and 18,394 families residing in the city. As of 2000, 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who

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4888-472: The communities of Indialantic and Melbourne Beach. At the southern end of the county, the South Beaches are the final 14.5 miles (23.3 km) of beach south of Melbourne Beach to Sebastian . The United States Board on Geographic Names considered two proposals in 2012 to officially name the barrier island extending from Port Canaveral to Sebastian Inlet . The 45-mile-long (72 km) island includes

4982-478: The county government. A centrally located County Government Center in Viera was established to provide more accessible services to residents in the southern part of the county. It houses the various county government branches, including Housing and Human Services, Juvenile Justice, Public Safety, Public Works and Solid Waste Management. The Brevard County government had annual expenditures just over $ 1 billion in

5076-1049: The county, most have subsided to tropical storms or depressions . But because of the threat of storm surge , the beach community on the barrier island is often required to evacuate well in advance of the storm. The possibility of storm surge is diminished when the storm comes across the state instead of directly from the Atlantic. Five hurricanes have directly affected Brevard since 1950: David (September 3, 1979); Erin (August 2, 1995) – made landfall near Sebastian Inlet and caused mostly minor wind damage and more extensive flooding countywide; Charley (August 13, 2004) – caused damage in Titusville and North Brevard; Frances (September 3, 2004) – struck neighboring Vero Beach in Indian River County directly and caused widespread wind damage throughout Brevard; and Jeanne (September 26, 2004) – struck Vero Beach directly, following very nearly

5170-520: The county. There were 1,677 manatees in Brevard County in 2015, out of a total of 6,063 in the state. This was an increase from 2014 when there was a total of 612 in Brevard County. Manatees experience numerous threats within Brevard, where 312 died in the first half of 2021. Bottlenose dolphin are commonly seen in the Intracoastal Waterway. Fish and reptiles include alligators , red snapper , sea turtles , North Atlantic right whales ,

5264-421: The county. Residents in the southern end of the county talked of creating a new county to serve them. The county decided to build a new county administration complex at Viera , near the geographical center of the county. This complex was started in 1989. Residents in the north also threatened secession. Their proposal to form a new county, to be called Playalinda, had some momentum in the early 90s. The county made

5358-412: The county. The population density was 597.7 inhabitants per square mile (230.8/km ). As of 2021, 18.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.2% were age 65 and over. There were 294,224 housing units and 76.2% of them were owner-occupied. There were 242,657 households in which the average household size was 2.46. In 2015, interracial marriage constituted 29% of all marriages, the fourth highest in

5452-557: The east coast of the state, mangroves have normally dominated the coast from Cocoa Beach southward. Northward these may compete with salt marshes moving in from the north, depending on the annual weather conditions. Live oak trees, various grasses, and juniper plants were sufficiently common to generate pollen noticeable by some people in February 2011. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 606,612 people, 236,005 households, and 148,934 families residing in

5546-423: The eventual county seat of Titusville. Later, the southern portion of the county was cut off to form St. Lucie County, which in turn spawned Martin and Indian River County. The first concerted development the area occurred with the extension of Henry Flagler 's Florida East Coast Railroad into the area. The railroad reached Titusville in 1886 and Melbourne in 1894. With the railroad came increased settlement and

5640-543: The fall is from the last week in September through the first week in October. Fall migration tends to be stronger than spring because birds typically take different flyways. Native trees include cabbage palm (the state tree of Florida), fringetree , coral bean , sweet acacia , geiger tree , firebush , beautyberry , coral honeysuckle , and blanket flower . Other native plants include sea grape , red mulberry , purslane , dandelion , Spanish bayonet , blackberry , Jerusalem artichoke , dogwood , and gallberry . On

5734-422: The first tourists. The first major land boom began in the 1920s after the end of World War I . People flooded into the state of Florida, both tourists from northern winters and new full-time residents, and land prices soared. The Great Depression temporarily stopped growth in Florida. Before the start of World War II , the largest industries in Brevard were commercial fishing, citrus, and tourism. Beginning in

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5828-501: The fiscal year 2009–2010, exclusive of the municipalities. In 2009, real estate taxes for homesteaded property averaged 0.83% of the value of the property. Real estate taxes are levied by each authority. They are collected by the County Tax Collector. The total taxable real estate base was $ 33.7 billion in 2009. County taxes rose 26.5% in total per capita revenue from 2002 to 2007, and 49.8% in property tax per capita in

5922-524: The general pension fund for city employees highly at 190%. Less favorably rated were the pension plans for fire and police employees. In 2009, the city had 870 full-time employees and 176 part-time employees. Melbourne Orlando International Airport is located near the center of the city. Melbourne contains defense and technology companies with a high concentration of high-tech workers. The following corporations have operations in Melbourne: In 2007,

6016-491: The ground will not develop the sinkholes that are prevalent in the spine of Florida, where limestone is from 15 to 25 million years old. There are 4,000 species of animals locally. Common mammals include North American river otters , bobcats , white-tailed deer , raccoons , marsh rabbits , scrub lizards , rat snakes , and opossum . Feral pigs , introduced by Europeans, present an occasional traffic hazard. There are an estimated 3,500 endangered gopher tortoises in

6110-466: The hunting and gathering way of life which characterized the Paleoindians. The Windover Archeological Site , discovered in 1982, was found during excavation to have the largest collection of human remains and artifacts of the early Archaic Period (6,000–5,000 BCE), or more than 8,000 years before present. It has been designated as a National Historic Landmark . The Windover pond, which would have been

6204-452: The island Ponce de León Island , after Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León . In December 2012, the island was ultimately not named. Brevard County has 16 municipalities. The largest by population is Palm Bay and the smallest is Melbourne Village. The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Brevard County as the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The United States Census Bureau ranked

6298-526: The land that was used for that program makes up most of what is currently the Melbourne Orlando International Airport . In 1969, the cities of Eau Gallie and Melbourne voted to merge, forming modern-day Melbourne. In the 1950s, Babcock Street was extended north to intersect with US 1. The Melbourne Shopping Center was constructed on Babcock, the area's first strip mall . Consumers were sufficiently attracted to this new mall, that

6392-434: The nation, which averaged 17%. The population was distributed by age with 19.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.5 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males. In 2010, there were 229,692 households, out of which 23.20% had children under

6486-502: The national average of 27.7%, but the same as the rest of Florida. 14.7% of residents over 25 had undergraduate degrees in engineering. This is almost twice the national average. In 2010, 90.20% of residents spoke only English at home, while 5.29% spoke Spanish , 0.62% German , 0.61% French , and 0.47% French Creole (mostly Haitian Creole ) at home. In total, 9.80% of the population spoke languages other than English in their household. Brevard county commissioners are elected by

6580-549: The north in winter months. Melbourne averages 51 inches (1,300 mm) of rainfall annually, much of it coming in convective thunderstorms in the late May to early October time period. The record rainfall occurred on August 20, 2008, when Tropical Storm Fay dropped 18.21 inches (463 mm). Melbourne can sometimes have moderate to severe drought conditions from late fall through spring, with brush fires occurring and water restrictions put in place. Melbourne averages 2 days per year with frost, although several years might pass without

6674-426: The position halfway down Florida are two state roads that have been numbered at the midpoint of Florida's numbering system, State Road 50 and State Road 500 . Marshes in the western part of this county, together with those in neighboring Indian River country, are the source of the St. Johns River, which becomes navigable within the county. The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway along the eastern edge of Brevard County

6768-419: The program. Beginning in the 1960s, new bridges constructed across the waterways were designed as high-rise steel, designed to be high enough to allow passage of boats underneath. As the county was long, people in the southern, more populous side of the county complained about being so distant from the county seat. The county seat of Titusville was 50 miles (80 km) from Palm Bay , the most populous city in

6862-506: The public to establish ordinances and policies for the county. The Commission appoints a County Manager , who executes the will of the commission. The county employed about 2,900 workers in 2009. There are 16 autonomous municipal governments within the county. The various cities, towns and villages of Brevard have varying reliance on services provided by the Brevard County government. About 100,000 households are located outside organized municipalities, and their occupants are directly served by

6956-473: The same stratum mammoth, mastodon , horse, ground sloth , tapir , peccary , camel , and saber-tooth cat bones, all extinct in Florida since the end of the Pleistocene 10,000–8,000 BCE. At a nearby site a human rib and charcoal were found in association with Mylodon , Megalonyx , and Chlamytherium (ground sloth) teeth. A finely worked spear point found with these items may have been displaced from

7050-525: The same path as Frances. The latter two storms caused widespread damage in South Brevard, and resulted in $ 2.8 billion in claim payments. Slightly more than half of one percent (0.6%) of houses were lost. The following storms did not affect Brevard County with hurricane-force winds: Floyd (September 15, 1999), and Irene (October 16, 1999). Tropical Storm Fay dropped a record rainfall of 27.65 inches (70.2 cm) in 2008. The winter of 2009–2010

7144-655: The same time frame. Delinquent taxes were $ 36 million in 2008. In 2012 bonds issued by the county were given a rating of AA by the Fitch Group and improved ratings by Moody's . Brevard County has two unique election districts. One governs Port Canaveral ; the other, the maintenance of the Sebastian Inlet . County Commissioners: Commissioners were paid $ 60,272.98 annually as of January 2023. The following are elected school board officials: The following are considered state officials but are elected and paid by

7238-437: The school served as a springboard for future military and commercial airline pilots who went on to continue their careers at aeronautical universities and flight schools throughout the nation. In 2015, President James Dwight announced a change to the school name. In June 2015, the school became Florida Preparatory Academy, or Florida Prep for short. Despite the name change from Florida Air Academy to Florida Preparatory Academy,

7332-441: The school year to wear personal clothing, and students may wear their own clothing when leaving campus on the weekend for outings. The campus consists of a landscaped 11 acres (4.5 ha) and contains the largest collection of historic buildings in Brevard County. It includes an outdoor stage and gymnasium, athletic fields and tennis courts. A city golf course is located across the street and several pools are nearby. The school day

7426-466: The size of Melbourne. Streetlights were gradually added until, by the early 1960s, streets east of Babcock Street had lights. Lights were added to streets west of Babcock after the early 1960s. In 1969, the city elected Julius Montgomery , its first black councilman. Montgomery was also the first African American student of Brevard Engineering College, later Florida Institute of Technology which named their Pioneer Award after him. On August 2, 1995,

7520-473: The size of the room. Each room has beds, desks, swivel chairs, and wall lockers. Students are allowed to have a footlocker for additional storage. Boarding students arise at 7:15 a.m. They have breakfast at the dining hall until 8:00. All dormitories are inspected in the morning to ensure cleanliness. Day students must be on campus by 8:15 to attend class at 8:30 a.m. Students wear branded polo shirts and shorts or slacks. Various opportunities occur during

7614-439: The southern part of Brevard split off to form a new county, St. Lucie County in 1905. Gradually, the borders of Brevard County were shifted northward while the county got "pinched" eastward. The portions of Brevard County in present-day Broward and Palm Beach counties were given to Dade County, western areas of the county were given to Polk and Osceola County, and parts of Volusia and Orange Counties were given to Brevard including

7708-559: The total population spoke languages other than English. The Melbourne City Council consists of the mayor and six district council members. Melbourne uses a Council-Manager form of government . City officials The following are appointed by the council: Melbourne city officials created the Babcock Street Redevelopment District in 1998 to stimulate new development along Babcock Street from U.S. 1 south to U.S. 192 . A 218-unit apartment complex built in 2005

7802-564: The traditional downtown, off New Haven, suffered. Urban blight was successfully mitigated in the 1980s. A board was created by the legislature to spend a 10% tax on electric bills. This was used by the Melbourne Civic Improvement Board to build the Melbourne Auditorium, the first library and fire station, and various parks. The board was dissolved when Melbourne was merged with Eau Gallie in 1969. That merger doubled

7896-642: The wet from June through November. During the dry season, periods of drought often occur, and can lead to a persistent and high wild land fire threat. In numerous instances these fires have caused property damage. Several fires in 2008 forced the evacuation of Bayside High School , in the town of Palm Bay . In that particular event, 162 homes were damaged. January is the coldest month, with an average low of 50.7 °F (10.4 °C) and an average high 71 °F (22 °C). The warmest months are July and August with average highs of 90 °F (32 °C) and average lows of 72.2 °F (22.3 °C). The driest month

7990-713: Was foreign born , with 59.4% being naturalized American citizens . Of foreign-born residents, 49.1% were born in Latin America , 22.9% were born in Europe , 18.3% born in Asia , 6.4% in North America , 2.4% born in Africa , and 0.9% were born in Oceania . In 2010, 90% of residents had a high school degree, compared with 85% statewide. In 2009, 25.7% of residents had an undergraduate degree, below

8084-466: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.82. In 2000, the city the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. As of 2000, per capita income for

8178-470: Was among the top 20 in home price appreciation from 2003 to 2004. In 2009, Forbes ranked the area 18th out of 100 Metropolitan Statistical Areas and first out of 8 metros in Florida for affordable housing, and short commute times, among others. Melbourne has two downtown business districts, a result of the merger of Eau Gallie into Melbourne: The city has three hospitals, day care for senior citizens, hospice, walk-in, and urgent care facilities. There

8272-475: Was founded in 1885 and is still active. In the late 1890s, the Brownlie-Maxwell Funeral Home opened and it is still in business. The oldest black-owned business in the county is Tucker's Cut-Rate plumbing. It opened in 1934. In the early 1900s, houses were often built in the frame vernacular style. In 1919, a fire destroyed most of the original downtown along Front Street. At the time, it

8366-424: Was in the relatively undeveloped low-lying areas, west of Interstate 95, on the banks of the St. Johns River . About 18,900 homes out of 164,000 single-family homes were in that area. Florida is located both in the subtropical and the tropical climate zone , and thus regularly affected by hurricanes . Although Brevard County is located along Florida's eastern peninsula, because of associated weather patterns, it

8460-540: Was in turn named after the British Prime Minister William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne ). He is buried in the Melbourne Cemetery , along with many early residents in the area. The first school in Melbourne was built in 1883 and is on permanent exhibit on the campus of Florida Institute of Technology . By 1885, the town had 70 people. The Greater Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church

8554-449: Was part of either Volusia or Orange counties. Brevard County in 1856 extended as far west as Polk County and as far south as coastal Dade County. Complicating the discussion of Brevard County in the 19th century is that the boundaries have shifted such that the southernmost parts of present-day Brevard, were originally the northernmost parts. The original county seat was located at Susannah , an early name for present day Fort Pierce. Later

8648-605: Was rebuilt west of US Hwy 1. During the Jim Crow years, black people were required to enter movie theaters via a different entrance from whites and sit in the balcony. Gas stations had signs for rest rooms labeled "Men", "Women", and "Colored." This persisted until integration in the late 1960s. In late 1942 the Naval Air Station Melbourne was established as a site to train newly commissioned Navy and Marine pilots for World War II . The program ran until 1946, and

8742-616: Was the coldest on record since 1937, when such records were first kept. Planting season, which normally starts around February 14, came six weeks later instead. Some flowers and herbs are planted as early as January. December 2010 was the coldest December on record. Brevard County works together with the federal and state government to control pollution and preserve wetlands and coastal areas through lands dedicated to conservation and wildlife protection. There are 250 square miles (650 km ) of federally protected wildlife refuges . These lands include Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ,

8836-541: Was the first of major federal investment in projects to aid the development of Brevard County. In the late 1950s, the government opened the Long Range Proving Ground. This later became the Kennedy Space Center. These facilities helped stimulate development in the county; where Brevard had once been considered a "backwoods" area of Florida, it attracted more educated workers and scientists associated with

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