Port Charlotte, Florida

History

The Calusa originally settled around the Port Charlotte area.{{cite web | access-date = 2010-09-22 | access-date = 2010-09-22 | access-date = 2010-09-22

In the 1950s, the now defunct General Development Corporation led by the Mackle brothers decided to take advantage of the Florida land boom and developed land primarily on both of Florida's coastlines. Among the areas they planned and developed was the Port Charlotte area. Ultimately, Port Charlotte became the most populous community in Charlotte County, although like most GDC developments, Port Charlotte remained an unincorporated community.

Port Charlotte was severely impacted by Hurricane Charley on August 13, 2004. The hurricane, predicted to hit Tampa as a Category 2 hurricane, took a last-minute right hand turn and intensified into a Category 4 storm as it made landfall near Charlotte Harbor and caused severe damage in the city of Punta Gorda and in the Port Charlotte area.{{cite web | access-date = 2010-09-22 | access-date = 2010-09-22

Just over 18 years later, Port Charlotte was once again severely impacted by a major hurricane, this time Hurricane Ian on September 28, 2022. Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Cayo Costa State Park before moving north-east into Charlotte Harbor, with south-eastern Port Charlotte going through the eye of the storm. Ian caused severe damage to Port Charlotte, mostly wind-related, and to the rest of the surrounding area. Maximum sustained winds of 115 mph and a wind gust of 132 mph were reported by a private weather station in Port Charlotte.

Geography and climate

Port Charlotte is located at the north end of the Charlotte Harbor Estuary, northwest of the city of Punta Gorda. It is 100 mi south of Tampa and 65 mi north of Naples. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 83.7 km2, of which 73.6 km2 is land and 10.1 km2 (12.01%), is water.

Port Charlotte has a warm humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa) bordering on a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen climate classification: Aw).{{cite web | access-date = 2010-09-22

| Jan record high F = 89 | Feb record high F = 92 | Mar record high F = 93 | Apr record high F = 94 | May record high F = 98 | Jun record high F = 102 | Jul record high F = 99 | Aug record high F = 99 | Sep record high F = 95 | Oct record high F = 94 | Nov record high F = 93 | Dec record high F = 89 | year record high F = 102 | Jan record low F = 23 | Feb record low F = 27 | Mar record low F = 29 | Apr record low F = 38 | May record low F = 49 | Jun record low F = 57 | Jul record low F = 63 | Aug record low F = 65 | Sep record low F = 61 | Oct record low F = 45 | Nov record low F = 28 | Dec record low F = 25 | year record low F = 23

Murdock

The area of northwestern Port Charlotte where State Road 776 intersects US 41 is also known as Murdock.

Government

Since Port Charlotte is unincorporated, it is governed by the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners. The county is governed by a 5-person county commission. They take turns rotating into the commission chair position every year. County commissioners frequently sit on other regional boards involving other municipalities and counties.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 60,625 people, 25,925 households, and 16,077 families residing in the CDP.

According to Sperling's Best Places, as of July 2015 the family median income in Port Charlotte was $48,911, and household income was $40,049. The per capita income was $22,681. Port Charlotte's unemployment rate was 5.50%, compared to 6.30% for the United States overall.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 54,392 people, 24,501 households, and 15,658 families residing in the CDP.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 46,451 people, 20,453 households, and 13,601 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,085.9/sq mi (805.3/km). There were 23,315 housing units at an average density of 1,047.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.23% White, 6.53% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.18% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.16% of the population.

In 2000, there were 20,453 households, out of which 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.71.

In 2000, in the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 18.7% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 30.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

Sports

Port Charlotte was home to the Charlotte Stone Crabs, which is a member of the Florida State League and Class High-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, which also hold its spring training at Charlotte Sports Park until 2020.{{cite news|last=Maffezzoli

The Port Charlotte Invitational was a golf tournament held in 1969 at the Port Charlotte Golf & Country Club on the LPGA Tour. Kathy Whitworth won the event.

Education

Public schools in Port Charlotte are operated by Charlotte County Public Schools. For the 2007-08 school year, all schools in Port Charlotte received A's from the Florida Department of Education. Port Charlotte High School is the only traditional public high school located in Port Charlotte, although some parts of Port Charlotte are considered part of Charlotte High School's area, and students have the option to attend Charlotte Virtual School, a charter school, a special needs school, or a different traditional public high school through school choice. There are numerous private schools in Port Charlotte, including Family Christian Academy (formerly known as Community Christian School), Charlotte Preparatory School (formerly known as Charlotte Academy), Genesis Christian School, Joyful Noise Learning Center, Port Charlotte Adventist School, Port Charlotte Christian School, and St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School. Port Charlotte is home to three small higher education facilities, including Charlotte Technical College, Southern Technical College's Port Charlotte campus, and Southwest Florida Bible Institute.

Library

The Mid-County Regional Library and the Port Charlotte Library are located in Port Charlotte. They are included in the Charlotte County Library System.

History

• 1961 – Port Charlotte Library was established
• 1963 – The Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, and Englewood Public Libraries joined and formed the Charlotte County System.
• 1968 – The Port Charlotte Library moved to the Cultural Center of Charlotte County, the present location.
• 1985 – The Murdock Library was established as the library system administrative facility.
• 1996 – The Charlotte County Library System updated circulation with an automated catalog system.
• 2005 – Murdock Public Library moved to the new Mid-County Regional Library facility.
• 2022 – The Mid-County Regional Library and Port Charlotte Public Library were both damaged and temporarily closed as a result of Hurricane Ian. However, the latter reopened in November of the same year while Mid-County Regional Library remains under repair. Each location had hours extended on certain days to accommodate the continued closure of Mid-County Regional Library. Customers were able to pick-up holds from Centennial Park Recreation Center north of Port Charlotte.

Health care

AdventHealth Port Charlotte and HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital are the only two hospitals.

Notable people

• Charlie Bachman (1892–1985) – college football player and coach
• Patricia Barringer (1924–2007) – All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) player
• Kim Pawelek Brantly (born 1974) – middle and long-distance runner
• Al Bruno (1927–2014) – gridiron football player, coach, and sports administrator
• Jeff Corsaletti (born 1983) – Minor League Baseball player
• Marty DeMerritt (1953–2025) – Minor League Baseball player and Major League Baseball (MLB) coach
• Doug Dunakey (born 1963) – professional golfer
• Vinnie Fiorello (born 1974) – co-founder and drummer–lyricist for the band Less Than Jake
• Jim Fridley (1924–2003) – MLB player
• Billy Goelz (1918–2002) – professional wrestler
• Bob Grumman (1941–2015) – poet
• John Hall (born 1974) – National Football League (NFL) player
• Vincent Hancock (born 1989) – skeet shooter and Olympian
• Nathan Handwerker (1892–1974) – founder of Nathan's Famous
• Anthony Hargrove (born 1983) – NFL player
• David Holmberg (born 1991) – MLB player
• Raymond W. Hood (1936–2002) – Michigan House of Representatives member
• Douglas T. Jacobson (1925–2000) – United States Marine Corps major and Medal of Honor recipient
• Matt LaPorta (born 1985) – MLB player and 2008 Olympian
• Asher Levine (born 1988) – fashion designer
• Barbara Liebrich (1922–2006) – AAGPBL baseball player
• T. J. Luther (born 2000) – NFL player
• Walter Minx (1917–2009) – bomb-maker who threatened to blow up a Sears store to extort money
• Thomas C. Peebles (1921–2010) – physician who discovered the measles virus
• René Robert (1948–2021) – National Hockey League (NHL) player
• Eileen Southern (1920–2002) – musicologist and educator
• Roy Spencer (1900–1973) – MLB player
• Chuck Taylor (1901–1969) – inventor of the Chuck Taylor All-Stars sneakers
• Ted Wegert (1932–1986) – NFL player
• Pete Whisenant (1929–1996) – MLB player
• Josephine Wilkins (1893–1977) – feminist and president of the Georgia branch of the League of Women Voters
• Josh Williams (born 1993) – NASCAR and ARCA driver

References

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
2. "List of 2020 Census Urban Areas". United States Census Bureau.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau.
4. {{GNIS. 2403437
5. "The 10 Best Places to Retire in 2012".
6. Borresen, Jennifer. (2023-01-09). "Ian's deadly path: A visual look at how the hurricane devastated Florida region by region". [[USA Today]].
7. Sochoki, Trevor. (2022-10-01). "Port Charlotte picks up pieces after Hurricane Ian". [[WFLA-TV]].
8. "Hurricane IAN Tropical Cyclone Update".
9. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Port Charlotte CDP, Florida". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder.
10. (2010). "Monthly Averages for Port Charlotte, Florida". The Weather Channel Interactive, Inc.
11. "Port Charlotte, Florida, USA - Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas.
12. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Port Charlotte CDP, Florida".
13. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Port Charlotte CDP, Florida".
14. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Port Charlotte CDP, Florida".
15. "S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2020: Port Charlotte CDP, Florida".
16. "S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2010: Port Charlotte CDP, Florida".
17. "LPGA Tournament Chronology 1960-1969".
18. "2008/2009 Elementary School Boundaries". [[Charlotte County Public Schools]].
19. "School Accountability Report (for Deep Creek Elementary, Kingsway Elementary, Liberty Elementary, Meadow Park Elementary, Murdock Middle, Neil Armstrong Elementary, Port Charlotte High, and Port Charlotte Middle in the 2007-08 school year)". Florida Department of Education.
20. "Secondary Education – High School". Charlotte County Public Schools.
21. (2022). "The Real Yellow Pages - Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte". [[Thryv]].
22. "Family Christian Academy homepage". Family Church Port Charlotte.
23. "Charlotte Prep School homepage". Charlotte Preparatory School.
24. "Genesis Christian School homepage". Genesis Christian School.
25. "Port Charlotte Adventist School home page". Port Charlotte Seventh Day Adventist Church.
26. "School". St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church.
27. "Charlotte Technical College Home Page". Charlotte County Public Schools.
28. "Port Charlotte Campus". Southern Technical College.
29. "Southwest Florida Bible Institute Home Page". Southwest Florida Bible Institute.
30. (2011). "Historic Charlotte County: An Illustrated History". Historical Publishing Network.
31. "Charlotte County Libraries and History November 2022 Newsletter".
32. (March 4, 2025). "AdventHealth purchases ShorePoint Health Port Charlotte in Florida, US".
33. Orenczuk, Alex. (May 13, 2024). "HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital cuts ribbon on $60M expansion project after seeing 20% increase in patients".
34. (December 16, 1985). "CHARLES W. BACHMAN". [[The New York Times]].
35. "Patricia Barringer".
36. (July 17, 2015). "Four-time Bridge of Lions 5K winner looking for more". [[The St. Augustine Record]].
37. (October 7, 2024). "Former Ticats coach Al Bruno passes away". [[CHCH-DT]].
38. "Jeff Corsaletti".
39. (January 12, 2025). "Longtime Rays minor-league coach Marty DeMerritt dies at age 71". [[Tampa Bay Times]].
40. "Doug Dunakey".
41. "Less Than Jake". Times Union.
42. "Jim Fridley".
43. (November 24, 2002). "William Goelz Obituary".
44. "Stories by Bob Grumman".
45. "John Hall". [[CBS Sports]].
46. (August 7, 2024). "Southwest Florida Native Wins Silver Medal At Paris Olympic Games". [[WCCF (AM).
47. (March 25, 1974). "Inventor of Coney Islands cut hot dogs to five cents". The Daily Sentinel.
48. "Tony Hargrove past Stats, Statistics, History and Awards". Databasefootball.com.
49. "David Holmberg".
50. "Legislator Details". [[Michigan Department of Education]].
51. (September 18, 2000). "Douglas T. Jacobson, a Hero of Iwo Jima, Is Dead at 74". [[The New York Times]].
52. "Matthew LaPorta".
53. (June 20, 2024). "EXCLUSIVE: Port Charlotte's fashion visionary shares story during Pride Month". [[WFTX-TV]].
54. "Barbara Liebrich".
55. "T.J. Luther".
56. "Walter Minx".
57. Martin, Douglas. [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/05/health/05peebles.html "Dr. Thomas C. Peebles, Who Identified Measles Virus, Dies at 89"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', August 4, 2010. Accessed July 18, 2024. "Dr. Thomas C. Peebles, whose D in college biology belied a keen aptitude for medical research that led him to make landmark scientific advances including identifying the virus that causes measles, died on July 8 at his home in Port Charlotte, Fla."
58. (July 11, 2021). "Tributes: Buffalo Sabres star Rene Robert played for Tulsa Oilers". [[The Oklahoman]].
59. (October 17, 2022). "Eileen Southern dies at 82".
60. "Roy Spencer".
61. (December 15, 2019). "Anderson: Port Charlotte's connection to the Chuck Taylor basketball shoe, a cultural icon". [[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]].
62. (August 8, 2011). "Greatest Athlete #10: Speed brought Wegert to the NFL". The Suffolk Times.
63. "Pete Whisenant".
64. (June 2, 1977). "JOSEPHINE WILKINS, CIVIC LEADER, DIES". [[The New York Times]].
65. "About Me".