Cudjoe Key, Florida
Encyclopedia
Cudjoe Key is a census-designated place
in Monroe County
, Florida
, on an island
of the same name in the lower Florida Keys
. As of the 2000 census
, the CDP had a total population
of 1,695.
It was originally called Littleton Island.
The United States Army
activated Cudjoe Key Air Force Station in 1959 to track missile
s traveling through the Eglin Gulf Test Range
. The Air Force
took over operations the following year, and it subsequently became a detached installation of Homestead Joint Air Reserve Base. The station flies a white radar
aerostat
, known locally as "Fat Albert
", which is used for drug interdiction missions by the Drug Enforcement Administration
. On April 20, 2007 a Cessna 182
crashed after its left wing struck the tether anchoring "Fat Albert" http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070422/D8OLHLDO0.htmlhttp://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20070425X00453&key=1. The aerostat is marked on air navigation charts inside a restricted area that contains the warning, "Caution: Unmarked balloon on cable to 14,000 [feet]."
Possibly named for the Joewood tree (Jacquinia
keyensis), a native species which is also known as cudjoewood. A more likely derivation for the name is offered by writer John Viele of Summerland Key
. He believes that Cudjoe, a very common West Africa
n name, was the name of a fugitive slave
or free negro
who lived on the island at some point prior to Gerdes' survey in 1849.
U.S. 1
(or the Overseas Highway
) crosses the key at approximately mile markers 20.5 – 23, between Summerland Key
and Sugarloaf Key
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 14.6 km2 (5.6 mi2). 13.6 km2 (5.2 mi2) of it is land and 1.0 km2 (0.4 mi2) of it (6.93%) is water.
of 2000, there were 1,695 people, 799 households, and 541 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 124.9/km2 (323.6/mi2). There were 1,482 housing units at an average density of 109.2/km2 (282.9/mi2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.22% White, 0.88% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from other races
, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.66% of the population.
There were 799 households out of which 15.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples
living together, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.43.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 12.2% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 38.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 108.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $57,500, and the median income for a family was $59,883. Males had a median income of $36,094 versus $31,250 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $27,085. About 4.4% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in Monroe County
Monroe County, Florida
Monroe County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 79,589. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county was 74,737....
, 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...
, on an island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
of the same name in the lower Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
. As of the 2000 census
Census
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...
, the CDP had a total population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 1,695.
It was originally called Littleton Island.
The United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
activated Cudjoe Key Air Force Station in 1959 to track missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s traveling through the Eglin Gulf Test Range
Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
. The Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
took over operations the following year, and it subsequently became a detached installation of Homestead Joint Air Reserve Base. The station flies a white radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
aerostat
Aerostat
An aerostat is a craft that remains aloft primarily through the use of buoyant lighter than air gases, which impart lift to a vehicle with nearly the same overall density as air. Aerostats include free balloons, airships, and moored balloons...
, known locally as "Fat Albert
Tethered Aerostat Radar System
The Tethered Aerostat Radar System is an American low-level surveillance system that uses aerostats as radar platforms. Another system of this kind is the EL/M-2083.- System :...
", which is used for drug interdiction missions by the Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
. On April 20, 2007 a Cessna 182
Cessna 182
The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engine, light airplane, built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats, installed in the baggage area....
crashed after its left wing struck the tether anchoring "Fat Albert" http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070422/D8OLHLDO0.htmlhttp://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20070425X00453&key=1. The aerostat is marked on air navigation charts inside a restricted area that contains the warning, "Caution: Unmarked balloon on cable to 14,000 [feet]."
Possibly named for the Joewood tree (Jacquinia
Jacquinia
Jacquinia is a genus of evergreen shrubs and trees in the family Theophrastaceae, native to Central America and the Caribbean.The genus was established by Linnaeus in 1760 and named by him in honor of Jacquin.There are about 86 species. ....
keyensis), a native species which is also known as cudjoewood. A more likely derivation for the name is offered by writer John Viele of Summerland Key
Summerland Key
Summerland Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately 20 miles east of Key West.U.S. 1 crosses the island at approximately mile markers 24—25.5, between Ramrod Key and Cudjoe Key. The name appears on U.S...
. He believes that Cudjoe, a very common West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
n name, was the name of a fugitive slave
Fugitive slave
In the history of slavery in the United States, "fugitive slaves" were slaves who had escaped from their master to travel to a place where slavery was banned or illegal. Many went to northern territories including Pennsylvania and Massachusetts until the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed...
or free negro
Free Negro
A free Negro or free black is the term used prior to the abolition of slavery in the United States to describe African Americans who were not slaves. Almost all African Americans came to the United States as slaves, but from the earliest days of American slavery, slaveholders set men and women free...
who lived on the island at some point prior to Gerdes' survey in 1849.
Geography
Cudjoe Key is located at 24°39′51"N 81°28′56"W (24.664298, -81.482339).U.S. 1
U.S. Route 1 in Florida
U.S. Route 1 in Florida runs along the state's east coast from Key West to its crossing of the St. Marys River into Georgia north of Boulogne, and south of Folkston. US 1 was designated through Florida when the U.S. Highway System was established in 1926.US 1 runs in the state of Florida, and...
(or the Overseas Highway
Overseas Highway
The Overseas Highway is a highway carrying U.S. Route 1 through the Florida Keys. Large parts of it were built on the former right-of-way of the Overseas Railroad, the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway. Completed in 1912, the Overseas Railroad was heavily damaged and partially...
) crosses the key at approximately mile markers 20.5 – 23, between Summerland Key
Summerland Key
Summerland Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately 20 miles east of Key West.U.S. 1 crosses the island at approximately mile markers 24—25.5, between Ramrod Key and Cudjoe Key. The name appears on U.S...
and Sugarloaf Key
Sugarloaf Key
Sugarloaf Key is a single island in the lower Florida Keys that forms a loop on the Atlantic Ocean side giving the illusion of separate islands. Although frequently referred to simply and with technical accuracy as "Sugarloaf Key", this island contains two distinct island communities, known as...
.
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 CDP has a total area of 14.6 km2 (5.6 mi2). 13.6 km2 (5.2 mi2) of it is land and 1.0 km2 (0.4 mi2) of it (6.93%) 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 1,695 people, 799 households, and 541 families residing in the CDP. 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 124.9/km2 (323.6/mi2). There were 1,482 housing units at an average density of 109.2/km2 (282.9/mi2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.22% White, 0.88% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.71% 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 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.66% of the population.
There were 799 households out of which 15.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% 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, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.43.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 12.2% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 38.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 108.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $57,500, and the median income for a family was $59,883. Males had a median income of $36,094 versus $31,250 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 CDP was $27,085. About 4.4% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.