Groveland is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States. The population was 18,505 at the 2020 census. It is located at the intersection of State Road 19 and State Road 33/50.
Groveland is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. Groveland is recognized as the first international Dark Sky Community in Florida, and in the Southeastern United States, by DarkSky International.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (24.1%) is water.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable"
|+Groveland racial composition<br> (Hispanics excluded from racial categories)<br> (NH = Non-Hispanic)<br>
!Race
!Pop 2010
!Pop 2020
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|White (NH)
|4,445
|8,615
|50.92%
|46.55%
|-
|Black or African American (NH)
|1,385
|2,901
|15.87%
|15.68%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native (NH)
|69
|57
|0.79%
|0.31%
|-
|Asian (NH)
|211
|486
|2.42%
|2.63%
|-
|Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)
|8
|6
|0.09%
|0.03%
|-
|Some other race (NH)
|103
|262
|1.18%
|1.42%
|-
|Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)
|245
|842
|2.81%
|4.55%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|2,263
|5,336
|25.93%
|28.84%
|-
|Total
|8,729
|18,505
|
|
|-
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Groveland had a population of 18,505. The median age was 38.9 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.6 males age 18 and over.
There were 6,398 households in Groveland, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 61.5% were married-couple households, 11.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 6,880 housing units, of which 7.0% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 9,792 || 52.9%
|-
| Black or African American || 3,011 || 16.3%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 117 || 0.6%
|-
| Asian || 496 || 2.7%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 6 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 2,104 || 11.4%
|-
| Two or more races || 2,979 || 16.1%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 5,336 || 28.8%
|}
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 8,729 people, 2,465 households, and 2,014 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the census </blockquote>In addition to the eyewitness testimony, there was physical evidence linking the car in which the young men were riding to the crime. The Florida Supreme Court stated:<blockquote>Near the scene of the crime a handkerchief and some cotton were found. The woman was found near the scene of the crime about dawn. A large track about the scene fit the shoe of one of the appellants. Cotton or lint about the car and broken glass in the automobile testified to by the woman assisted the officers in identifying the car which the appellants admit they were riding in at the exact hour the State charge the crime was committed.
In 1949, Harry T. Moore, the executive director of the Florida NAACP, organized a campaign against the conviction of the Groveland Four. Soon afterward, Sheriff Willis V. McCall of Lake County, Florida, shot Shepherd and Irvin. He asserted that they were trying to escape. Shepherd was killed, and Irvin was seriously wounded. When Irvin recovered, he told investigators that the sheriff had shot the two prisoners, without provocation, while they were in handcuffs.
Moore demanded that the sheriff be indicted for murder and requested that the Governor suspend McCall from office. On December 25, 1951, a bomb exploded in Moore's house, killing him and his wife, Harriette.
Some alleged that Sheriff McCall was associated with ordering this bombing; however, an extensive FBI investigation at the time and additional separate investigations have failed to produce any evidence supporting allegations of McCall's involvement.
Although members of the Ku Klux Klan were suspected of the crime, the people responsible were never brought to trial.
In 2016, the City of Groveland and Lake County each apologized to survivors of the four men for the injustice against them. On April 18, 2017, a resolution of the Florida House of Representatives requested that all four men be exonerated. The Florida Senate quickly passed a similar resolution; lawmakers called on Governor Rick Scott to officially pardon the men. On January 11, 2019, the Florida Board of Executive Clemency voted to pardon the Groveland Four. Newly elected Governor Ron DeSantis subsequently did so. On November 22, 2021, Judge Heidi Davis granted the state's motion to posthumously exonerate the men.
Grant money for cemeteries
In 2022, the city received a large grant to restore The Oak Tree Union Colored Cemetery of Taylorville, an abandoned cemetery in Groveland.
Arts and Culture
International Dark Sky Community
In 2022, the City of Groveland passed a robust outdoor lighting ordinance to help curb light pollution against the ongoing rapid development. The ordinance requires residential and commercial development to have responsible outdoor lighting that minimizes glare, reduces light trespass, and does not pollute the night sky. Groveland is currently retrofitting old streetlamps with dark-sky-friendly lights, which are shielded downward with a low color temperature with the goal to replace every light fixture by 2027.
In 2023, the City of Groveland became the first certified International Dark Sky Community in Florida and the Southeast US. This achievement is the result of a three-year Dark Sky Initiative that included extensive education, community outreach, events, the adoption of a comprehensive lighting ordinance, a citywide lighting inventory, and numerous commitments intended to reduce light pollution and protect the night sky.
The City of Groveland continues to work with new residents, potential developers and neighboring communities to raise awareness about the importance of natural night skies, to improve safety and quality of life, and to protect the natural environment for all living things.
- Jett Noland, Professional Racing Driver