Groveland, Florida

Groveland, Florida
City
Historic Edge House Historic Edge House
Location in Lake County and the state of Florida Location in Lake County and the state of Florida
Coordinates:
Country	United States of America
State	Florida
County	Lake
Area
• Total	3 sq mi (7.8 km2)
• Land	2.6 sq mi (6.8 km2)
• Water	0.4 sq mi (1 km2)
Elevation	102 ft (31 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	8,729
• Density	2,900/sq mi (1,100/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	34736
Area code(s)	352
FIPS code	12-27800
GNIS feature ID	0283474
Website	http://groveland-fl.gov/

Groveland is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,729 at the 2010 census. Between 2000 and 2010, Groveland's population increased by 189%, making it the fastest growing place in Florida. However, its land area increased more than fivefold from annexation. 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.

Geography

Groveland is located at (28.557853, -81.851918).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.8 km²). 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (12.91%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1930	470		—
1940	411		−12.6%
1950	1,028		150.1%
1960	1,747		69.9%
1970	1,928		10.4%
1980	1,992		3.3%
1990	2,300		15.5%
2000	2,360		2.6%
2010	8,729		269.9%
Est. 2014	10,460		19.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,901 people, 845 households, and 626 families residing in the city. The population density was 897.1 inhabitants per square mile (346.5/km²). There were 921 housing units at an average density of 350.1 per square mile (135.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.81% White, 22.42% African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 6.27% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.70% of the population.

There were 845 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,017, and the median income for a family was $37,857. Males had a median income of $27,292 versus $20,186 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,132. About 13.9% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 22.6% of those age 65 or over.

Groveland Case

Main article: Groveland Case

In 1949, Harry T. Moore, the executive director of the Florida NAACP, organized a campaign against the wrongful conviction of three African Americans for the rape of a white woman in Groveland. The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and two years later, the Court ordered a new trial. Soon afterward, Sheriff Willis V. McCall of Lake County, Florida, shot two of the men while in his custody. One was killed and other man was seriously wounded. When he recovered, he told investigators that the sheriff had shot the two prisoners without provocation.

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.

Transportation

Osborn Airfield is located 3 miles southwest of the city. The airport is private, but is open for general aviation.

Notable people

• Art Heyman - collegiate basketball player
• Jeff Demps - Running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Olympic Silver Medalist in London 2012

Further reading

• Groveland, FL was named the #5 safest city in Florida in 2014.