Sebastian, Florida

Sebastian is a city in Indian River County, Florida, United States at the confluence of the St. Sebastian River and the Indian River.[7] It is two miles away from the Atlantic Ocean. It is the largest city in Indian River County and the biggest population center between Palm Bay and Fort Pierce.[8] The city's economy is heavily reliant on tourism.[9] It has numerous resorts in the local area, such as Disney's Vero Beach Resort. It is very close to many natural and scenic areas like the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, Sebastian Inlet State Park, and St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park.[10]

Sebastian, Florida
City
City hall
City hall
Official logo of Sebastian, Florida
Logo
Motto(s): 
"Home Of Pelican Island"[1]
"Friendly People and Six Old Grouches"[2][3]
Location in Indian River County and the state of Florida
Location in Indian River County and the state of Florida
Sebastian, Florida is located in the United States
Sebastian, Florida
Sebastian, Florida
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 27°46′58″N 80°28′56″W
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountyIndian River
Settled1870s
First settlersAndrew Canova, Ed Marr, Thomas New, and David Peter Gibson
Incorporated (municipality)Dec. 6, 1924
Incorporated (city)May 18, 1925
Government
 • TypeCouncil-manager government
Area
[4]
 • Total14.84 sq mi (38.44 km2)
 • Land14.00 sq mi (36.26 km2)
 • Water0.84 sq mi (2.18 km2)
Elevation
20 ft (6 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total25,054
 • Density1,789.70/sq mi (691.02/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
32958, 32978
Area code772
FIPS code12-64825[5]
GNIS feature ID0295607[6]
WebsiteCity of Sebastian Florida

In 2020, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 25,054.[11]

Sebastian is a principal city of the Sebastian−Vero Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Indian River County.

History

In 1715, several Spanish ships loaded with treasure (known as the 1715 Treasure Fleet) encountered a storm off the shores of the Treasure Coast and were lost.[12] It is estimated that only a portion of the sunken treasure has been found. The value placed on the treasure lost from the 1715 fleet has been estimated at more than US$500 million.

The town of Sebastian was a fishing village as early as the 1870s. In the early 1880s David Peter Gibson and Thomas New settled in the area. New filed to start a post office under the name New Haven. However, New got into legal trouble for misuse of his position as postmaster and was removed. Officially, Sebastian was founded in 1882[12] and named St. Sebastian, after Saint Sebastian.[13] Later, “St.” was removed from the name of the town, but not from the river. Sebastian was incorporated as a city in 1923.

Nearby Pelican Island was declared the first National Wildlife Refuge in the United States in 1903.[14]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total land area of 13.66 square miles (35.4 km2).[15]

Climate
Climate data for Sebastian
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 88
(31)		 90
(32)		 92
(33)		 95
(35)		 99
(37)		 98
(37)		 102
(39)		 97
(36)		 99
(37)		 93
(34)		 90
(32)		 90
(32)		 102
(39)
Average high °F (°C) 73
(23)		 74
(23)		 77
(25)		 80
(27)		 85
(29)		 88
(31)		 89
(32)		 89
(32)		 87
(31)		 83
(28)		 77
(25)		 73
(23)		 81
(27)
Average low °F (°C) 54
(12)		 56
(13)		 59
(15)		 64
(18)		 68
(20)		 72
(22)		 74
(23)		 74
(23)		 74
(23)		 69
(21)		 62
(17)		 56
(13)		 65
(18)
Record low °F (°C) 24
(−4)		 29
(−2)		 26
(−3)		 37
(3)		 46
(8)		 55
(13)		 62
(17)		 63
(17)		 61
(16)		 44
(7)		 31
(−1)		 24
(−4)		 24
(−4)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.1
(53)		 2.2
(56)		 3.5
(89)		 3.5
(89)		 3.6
(91)		 5.1
(130)		 5.8
(150)		 6.0
(150)		 9.1
(230)		 7.1
(180)		 2.4
(61)		 1.6
(41)		 52
(1,320)
Source: [16]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1930386—
194042510.1%
1950376−11.5%
196069885.6%
197082518.2%
19802,831243.2%
199010,205260.5%
200016,18158.6%
201021,92935.5%
202025,05414.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]
Sebastian Historical Marker

At the 2020 census,[18] There were 25,054 people residing in 10,684 households. The racial make-up of the city was 90.8% White, 3.2% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.40% Asian, and 3.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.70% of the population.

14.4% of the population were people under the age of 18, and 35.5% were people over the age of 65. The average household size was 2.39.

51.6% of the population were female and 48.4% male. The median household income for the city was $54,986 in 2020, and the per capita income was $32,400. About 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line.[18]

Government

The Government of the City of Sebastian follows a council-manager government model with a five-member city council as the elected governing body and a city manager as the chief operating officer. Members of the city council serve two-year terms with staggered elections.

Public safety

Fire Rescue

Indian River County Fire-Rescue provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the citizens of Sebastian. There are two fire stations assigned to the city:

  • Station 8 – Engine 8, Rescue 8, Battalion 1.
  • Station 9 – Quint 9, Rescue 9.[19][20]

Police Department

The Sebastian Police Department provides police protection for the city. It operates from the municipal complex, and is staffed by approximately 43 sworn officers.[21][22]

Education

The School District of Indian River County operates public schools.

There are three elementary schools (Sebastian Elementary,[23] Pelican Island Elementary[24] and Treasure Coast Elementary,[25]) two middle schools (Sebastian River Middle School[26] and Sebastian Charter Junior High) and one high school (Sebastian River High School) in the city.

Located to the west of the city center on County Road 512, the North County Public Library is part of the Indian River County Library System.

Transportation

The GoLine Bus system operates buses out of the North County Transit Hub at 90th Avenue & Sebastian Blvd to various parts of Indian River County.[27]

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "City of Sebastian Florida". City of Sebastian Florida. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  2. "Russ Lemmon: Origin of Sebastian's 'Six Old Grouches' remains a mystery".
  3. "Who are Sebastian's "six old grouches"?", Tampa Bay Times
  4. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  7. "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  8. "Florida Cities by Population". www.florida-demographics.com. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  9. "Visit Indian River County | Official Travel & Tourism Information". Visit Indian River County. October 26, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  10. "Explore Nature Vero Beach Sebastian Fellsmere Florida". Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  11. "United States Census". Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  12. "Sebastian, Florida - City Information, Fast Facts, Schools, Colleges, and More".
  13. "Profile for Sebastian, Florida, FL". ePodunk. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  14. "History - Pelican Island - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  15. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Sebastian city, Florida; United States". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  16. "Monthly Weather-Sebastian, FL". The Weather Channel. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  17. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  18. "United States Census". Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  19. "Fire Rescue Division". Indian River County. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  20. "Indian River County Emergency Services Org Chart" (PDF). Indian River County. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  21. "Police Scorecard: Sebastian, FL". Police Scorecard: Sebastian, FL.
  22. "Sebastian Annual Budget".
  23. "Sebastian Elementary School". Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  24. "Pelican Island Elementary School". Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  25. "Treasure Coast Elementary School". Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  26. "Sebastian River Middle School". Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  27. "Goline Transportation". Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  28. "Bryan Augenstein". MLB.com. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
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