Glades County, Florida

Glades County is a county located in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,126, making it the fourth-least populous county in Florida. Its county seat is Moore Haven. Glades County is in the Clewiston micropolitan area, a Micropolitan statistical area (μSA) which also includes Hendry County. These two counties, along with the Cape Coral-Fort Myers (Lee County) MSA and the Naples-Marco Island (Collier County) MSA, constitute the Cape Coral-Fort Myers-Naples Combined Statistical Area (CSA).

Awards

Gov. Jeb Bush acknowledged Muse winning the Florida's Outstanding Rural Community of the Year 2002 award after "providing a safe community shelter to be used during storms."
Senior Ranger Danny Callahan, of the Florida Forest Service presented Jimmy Cianfrani and the Muse Community with a "10 Year Firewise Service Award" for "its diligence and commitment to the National Firewise Communities USA program. From the smallest project of cleaning the debris off their roofs to the largest undertaking of clearing flammable vegetation 30 feet away from their houses, the Muse Community’s dedication to reducing wildfire risk is commendable."

History

Indigenous people lived in this area for thousands of years. Due to warfare and exposure to infectious diseases after European contact, native tribes became depopulated. In the eighteenth century, when the area was under Spanish rule, Native American peoples of Creek and other tribes migrated into present-day Florida from Georgia. Africans and African Americans who escaped from slavery and shipwrecks also migrated to the area, where they created maroon communities. Some were given freedom by the Spanish in exchange for serving with their militias. Gradually the Seminole nation formed out of these multi-ethnic people. Some African-descended people set up communities near the Seminole and became known as Black Seminole. In the nineteenth century, most of the Seminole and many blacks were removed to Indian Territory after the Seminole Wars, a result of pressure from increasing Anglo-American settlement.

Glades County was created, in 1921, from Desoto County. It was named for the Florida Everglades, though most of the county is prairie and pinelands.

It is one of five counties surrounding Lake Okeechobee and the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail.

Glades County sponsors one of Florida's oldest recurring festivals. Chalo Nitka Festival is a celebration of local history and culture, similar to a county fair. The festival also draws attention to the long and friendly relationship between the local Seminole groups and Glades County settlers. Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation is located in the county.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (18.3%) is water.

Fisheating Creek is a stream that flows into Lake Okeechobee in Florida. It is the only remaining free-flowing watercourse feeding into the lake and the second-largest natural source for the lake.

Glades was added to the Clewiston micropolitan area (μSA) in July 2023.

Adjacent counties

Highlands County, Florida - north
Okeechobee County, Florida - northeast
Martin County, Florida - east
Palm Beach County, Florida - southeast
Hendry County, Florida - south
Lee County, Florida - southwest
Charlotte County, Florida - west
DeSoto County, Florida - northwest

Climate

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Glades County, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 1980

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|4,611

|5,634

|7,256

|7,947

|style='background: #ffffe6; |7,132

|76.95%

|74.22%

|68.61%

|61.68%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |58.82%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|805

|916

|1,106

|1,538

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,434

|13.43%

|12.07%

|10.46%

|11.94%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |11.83%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|336

|425

|473

|518

|style='background: #ffffe6; |193

|5.61%

|5.60%

|4.47%

|4.02%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.59%

|Asian alone (NH)

|10

|31

|46

|style='background: #ffffe6; |34

|0.12%

|0.13%

|0.29%

|0.36%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.28%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.02%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

|Other race alone (NH)

|10

|style='background: #ffffe6; |45

|0.08%

|0.01%

|0.09%

|0.08%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.37%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|105

|103

|style='background: #ffffe6; |238

|0.99%

|0.80%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.96%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|228

|605

|1,594

|2,720

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,050

|3.81%

|7.97%

|15.07%

|21.11%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |25.15%

|Total

|5,992

|7,591

|10,576

|12,884

|style='background: #ffffe6; |12,126

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

thumb|A map of racial demographics in Glades County, Florida by Census tract

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 12,126. The median age was 45.3 years. 16.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 25.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 135.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 143.8 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 68.0% White, 12.1% Black or African American, 1.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 7.1% from some other race, and 10.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 25.2% of the population.

17.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 82.7% lived in rural areas.

There were 4,250 households in the county, of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.2% were married-couple households, 21.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 3,852 households, out of which 25.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 22.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.91.

Moore Haven Junior Senior High School

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a majority of registered voters in Glades County.

{| class=wikitable

! colspan = 6 | Glades County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of July 31, 2022

! colspan = 2 | Political Party

! Total Voters

! Percentage

| Republican

| align = center | 3,506

| align = center | 50.88%

| Democratic

| align = center | 1,959

| align = center | 28.43%

| No party affiliation

| align = center | 1,303

| align = center | 18.91%

| Minor parties

| align = center | 122

| align = center | 1.77%

! colspan = 2 | Total

! align = center | 6,890

! align = center | 100.00%

Energy and environment

Florida Public Service Commission voted unanimously to deny a request by Florida Power and Light to build a huge coal-fired power plant in Glades County, that was to be located several miles to the west of Lake Okeechobee.

The Glades County Commission also allowed the construction in 2007 of a landfill on the southwest shore of Lake Okeechobee.

Libraries

Glades County is part of the Heartland Library Cooperative which serves Glades County and some of the surrounding counties, including Okeechobee, Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto. Of the system's seven branches, the Moore Haven branch is the only one located in Glades County.

Communities

Indian reservation

Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation

County Seat

Moore Haven

Census-designated places

Buckhead Ridge
Port LaBelle (part)

Other unincorporated communities

Lakeport
Muse
Palmdale
Ortona

Memorials

The Community Center features a veteran memorial to Jim J. Greer at the base of the flagpole. Memorial reads as follows: In Memory of, SMSGT Jim J. Greer, USAF RET., Glades County Tax Collector, January 1994 to October 2000, For His Outstanding Service, To Muse and Glades County, The Muse Community Association, April 18, 2002.