Immokalee, Florida
Encyclopedia
Immokalee is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Collier County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 19,763 at the 2000 census
. It is part of the Naples
–Marco Island
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The settlement was originally known as Gopher Ridge. The etymology of the name appears to mean either "My Home" or "His Home".
The Immokalee Seminole Reservation and casino is located there. The Audubon Society's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
is nearby.
Immokalee is the birthplace of former Pro Bowl
running back
Edgerrin James
and his cousin Indianapolis Colts
running back
Javarris James
.
it is also the home of Albert Bentley, which attended and played football at Immokalee High School and went on to attend and play for Miami Hurricanes then played for Indianapolis Colts.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 8.1 square miles (21 km²), of which, 8.1 square miles (21 km²) of it is land and 0.12% is water.
of 2000, there were 19,763 people, 4,715 households, and 3,635 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 2,449.1 people per square mile (945.5/km²). There were 4,987 housing units at an average density of 618.0/sq mi (238.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 70.98% Hispanic, 18.03% African American, 3.19% White, 1.03% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 35.66% from other races
, and 6.38% from two or more races.
There were 4,715 households out of which 49.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples
living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 13.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.91 and the average family size was 4.10.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 34.9% under the age of 18, 15.7% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 14.1% from 45 to 64, and 4.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 129.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 145.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $24,315, and the median income for a family was $22,628. Males had a median income of $17,875 versus $16,713 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $8,576. About 34.6% of families and 39.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 46.1% of those under age 18 and 26.9% of those age 65 or over.
Immokalee used to be served by the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (formerly Atlantic Coast Line) which ran a branchline from Palmdale through Immokalee to Everglades City. The line used to generate considerable agricultural-related traffic. The rail line were cut back to Sunniland south of Immokalee in the 1950s and then abandoned to the mainline at Palmdale in the 1980s. This left Immokalee without rail service.
.
Elementary schools in Immokalee and serving Immokalee include Eden Park, Highlands, Lake Trafford, and Village Oaks. Pinecrest Elementary School, located outside of and adjacent to the CDP, serves a portion of the CDP. All residents are zoned to Immokalee Middle School and Immokalee High School
, both located in the CDP.
station owned and operated by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
. The station was built by numerous volunteers from Immokalee and around the country in December 2003 at the fifth Prometheus Radio Project
barnraising. WCIW broadcasts music, news, and public affairs to listeners in Spanish, Haitian Creole and several indigenous languages, including Mam and Kan.
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...
(CDP) in Collier County
Collier County, Florida
Collier County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 251,377. The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county is 315,839...
, 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 19,763 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. It is part of the Naples
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
–Marco Island
Marco Island, Florida
Marco Island is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States, located on an island by the same name in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Southwest Florida. It is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area...
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The settlement was originally known as Gopher Ridge. The etymology of the name appears to mean either "My Home" or "His Home".
The Immokalee Seminole Reservation and casino is located there. The Audubon Society's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a National Audubon Society sanctuary located in southwest Florida, north of Naples, Florida and east of Bonita Springs, in the United States. The sanctuary was established to protect one of the largest remaining stands of Bald Cypress and Pond Cypress Corkscrew Swamp...
is nearby.
Immokalee is the birthplace of former Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
and his cousin Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Javarris James
Javarris James
Javarris James is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at the University of Miami....
.
it is also the home of Albert Bentley, which attended and played football at Immokalee High School and went on to attend and play for Miami Hurricanes then played for Indianapolis Colts.
Geography
Immokalee is located at 26°25′16"N 81°25′22"W (26.421000, -81.422907).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 8.1 square miles (21 km²), of which, 8.1 square miles (21 km²) of it is land and 0.12% 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 19,763 people, 4,715 households, and 3,635 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 2,449.1 people per square mile (945.5/km²). There were 4,987 housing units at an average density of 618.0/sq mi (238.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 70.98% Hispanic, 18.03% African American, 3.19% White, 1.03% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 35.66% 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 6.38% from two or more races.
There were 4,715 households out of which 49.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% 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, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 13.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.91 and the average family size was 4.10.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 34.9% under the age of 18, 15.7% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 14.1% from 45 to 64, and 4.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 129.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 145.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $24,315, and the median income for a family was $22,628. Males had a median income of $17,875 versus $16,713 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 $8,576. About 34.6% of families and 39.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 46.1% of those under age 18 and 26.9% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
- Immokalee AirportImmokalee AirportImmokalee Airport is a public-use airport located northeast of the central business district of Immokalee in Collier County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned.-History:...
is a public-use airportAirportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located 1 miles (1.6 km) northeast of the central business districtCentral business districtA central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. - Collier Area TransitCollier Area TransitCollier Area Transit is the public transportation system in Collier County, Florida. Regular transit bus service and the paratransit system are administered by the Collier County Department of Alternative Transportation Modes. Service is provided to Immokalee, Marco Island, Golden Gate and the...
provides the local bus service and paratransit.
Immokalee used to be served by the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (formerly Atlantic Coast Line) which ran a branchline from Palmdale through Immokalee to Everglades City. The line used to generate considerable agricultural-related traffic. The rail line were cut back to Sunniland south of Immokalee in the 1950s and then abandoned to the mainline at Palmdale in the 1980s. This left Immokalee without rail service.
Education
Immokalee's public schools are operated by the District School Board of Collier CountyDistrict School Board of Collier County
The District School Board of Collier County, also known as Collier County Public Schools, is a school district in Collier County, Florida. The district has schools placed in four cities throughout the county: Everglades City, Immokalee, Marco Island and Naples. The district employees 2,900...
.
Elementary schools in Immokalee and serving Immokalee include Eden Park, Highlands, Lake Trafford, and Village Oaks. Pinecrest Elementary School, located outside of and adjacent to the CDP, serves a portion of the CDP. All residents are zoned to Immokalee Middle School and Immokalee High School
Immokalee High School
Immokalee High School, located in Immokalee, Florida, is one of nine public high schools located in Collier County.- Athletics :Immokalee High School is one of the seven members of the Collier County Athletic Conference.- Fall Sports :* Cross Country...
, both located in the CDP.
Media
Immokalee is home to WCIW-LP, a low power community radioCommunity radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
station owned and operated by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Coalition of Immokalee Workers
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is a non-profit organization in Immokalee, Florida whose members are "largely Latino, Haitian, and Mayan Indian immigrants working in low-wage jobs throughout the state."Founded in 1993, the group has seen major success on several fronts...
. The station was built by numerous volunteers from Immokalee and around the country in December 2003 at the fifth Prometheus Radio Project
Prometheus Radio Project
The Prometheus Radio Project is a non-profit advocacy and community organizing group committed to building an inclusive and representative media landscape in the United States and around the world. They are working to create a network of low power community radio stations...
barnraising. WCIW broadcasts music, news, and public affairs to listeners in Spanish, Haitian Creole and several indigenous languages, including Mam and Kan.
See also
- Coalition of Immokalee WorkersCoalition of Immokalee WorkersThe Coalition of Immokalee Workers is a non-profit organization in Immokalee, Florida whose members are "largely Latino, Haitian, and Mayan Indian immigrants working in low-wage jobs throughout the state."Founded in 1993, the group has seen major success on several fronts...
- a grassroots community and workers' organization in the area
External links
- The Story of Immokalee 1938 WPAWorks Progress AdministrationThe Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
interview covering founding, slave era, post-Civil War Reconstruction and up through Great DepressionGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Electronic record maintained by Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
. Accessed January 15, 2007.