Pensacola, Florida
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- This article is about the inland city of Pensacola. For the nearby beachside community, see Pensacola Beach, Florida. For other Pensacolas and Pensacola-related articles, see Pensacola (disambiguation).
| Pensacola, Florida | |||
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| Nickname: "The City of Five Flags" | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Florida | ||
| County | Escambia County, Florida | ||
| Mayor | John Fogg | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 102.7 km² | ||
| - Land | 58.8 km² | ||
| - Water | 43.9 km² | ||
| Population | |||
| - City (2005) | 54,734 | ||
| - Density | 956.8/km² | ||
| - Metro | 437,125 | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-6) | ||
| Website: http://www.pensacolacitygov.com | |||
Pensacola is a city in Escambia County, Florida. It is the county seat of Escambia County.GR6
As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2005, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 54,055.<ref>Pensacola city, Florida - Population Factfinder. United States Census Bureau.</ref> However, the Pensacola metropolitan area, comprised of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, had a population of 439,877.<ref>Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005. United States Census Bureau.</ref>
Pensacola is a sea port on Pensacola Bay, which connects to the Gulf of Mexico. A large United States Navy airbase, the first in the United States, is located southwest of Pensacola (near the community of Warrington) and is home to the Blue Angels flight demonstration team and the National Museum of Naval Aviation.
Pensacola is nicknamed "The City of Five Flags" due to the five flags that have flown over it during its history: the flags of Spain (Castile), France, Great Britain, the Confederate States of America, and the United States. Other nicknames include "World's Whitest Beaches" (due to the white sand prevalent along beaches in the Florida panhandle), "Cradle of Naval Aviation" (the National Museum of Naval Aviation is located at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, home of the legendary Blue Angels), "Western Gate to the Sunshine State," "America's First Settlement," "Emerald Coast," "Redneck Riviera," and "Red Snapper Capital of the World."
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[edit] History
Pensacola, Florida has had a rich and colorful history, being the first settlement in the continental United States. Pensacola has been under the possession of the Spanish, French, British, United States, Confederate States, and has remained a part of the United States since the end of the American Civil War.
[edit] Geography and climate
Pensacola is located at (30.436988, -87.209277).GR1
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 102.7 km² (39.7 mi²). 58.8 km² (22.7 mi²) of it is land and 43.9 km² (17.0 mi²) of it (42.77%) is water.
The climate of Pensacola is subtropical, with mild winters and hot, humid summers. Summer temperatures are characterized by highs in the low 90s and lows in the mid 70s. The average high in July is 91 °F (32.8 °C), with 59 days per year reaching at least 90 °F (32.2 °C).<ref>Mean Number of Days With Maximum Temperature 90 Degrees F or Higher. National Climatic Data Center, June 23, 2004.</ref> The average low in July is 75 °F (23.9 °C). <ref name="TWC Averages">Monthly Averages for Pensacola, FL. The Weather Channel.</ref> Evening thunderstorms are common during the summer months. Temperatures above 100 °F (37.7 °C) are rare, and last occurred in July 1999, when seven days over 100 °F were recorded.<ref>History for Pensacola, Florida on Saturday, July 1, 2000. Weather Underground.</ref> The hottest temperature ever recorded in the city was 106 °F (41.1 °C) on July 14, 1980.<ref name="TWC Averages">
Average highs in January are 61 °F (16.1 °C) and average lows are 43 °F (6.1 °C).<ref name="TWC Averages"> There are, on average, fifteen nights per year of below freezing temperatures<ref>Mean Number of Days With Minimum Temperature 32 Degrees F or Less. National Climatic Data Center, June 23, 2004.</ref>. Temperatures below 20 °F are rare, and last occurred in January 2003, when a low of 18 °F (-7.7 °C) was seen.<ref>History for Pensacola, Florida on Friday, January 24, 2003. Weather Underground.</ref> The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was 5 °F (-15 °C) on January 21, 1985.<ref name="TWC Averages">
Snow is rare in Pensacola, but does occasionally fall. The most recent frozen precipitation occurred on December 25 and December 26, 2004, when the city received ice pellets.<ref>History for Pensacola, Florida on Saturday, December 25, 2004. Weather Underground.</ref><ref>History for Pensacola, Florida on Sunday, December 26, 2004. Weather Underground.</ref>
The city receives 64.28 inches (1633 mm) of precipitation per year, with a rainy season in the summer. The rainiest month is July, with 8.02 inches (204 mm), while 3.89 inches (99 mm) falls in April, the driest month.<ref name="TWC Averages" />
[edit] Hurricanes
Pensacola's location on the Florida Panhandle makes it vulnerable to hurricanes. Major hurricanes which have made landfall at or near Pensacola include Eloise (1975), Frederic (1979), Juan (1985), Erin (1995), Opal (1995), Ivan (2004), and Dennis (2005).
Pensacola and several surrounding areas were devastated by Hurricane Ivan. Pensacola found itself on the eastern side of the eyewall, which sent a large storm surge into Escambia Bay that eventually destroyed most of the I-10 Bay Bridge. Over six billion dollars in damage occurred in the metro area and more than 10,000 homes were destroyed, with another 27,000 heavily damaged. NASA created a comparison image to illustrate the massive damage. Hurricane Ivan drove up the cost of housing in the area, leading to a severe shortage of affordable housing.
In July of 2005, Hurricane Dennis made landfall just east of the city, sparing it the blow it had received from Ivan the year before. However, hurricane and near-hurricane force winds were recorded in downtown, causing moderate damage.
Although Pensacola only received a glancing blow from 2005's devastating Hurricane Katrina, light to moderate damage was reported in the area. Katrina also undermined a large percentage of Pensacola's tourist base from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
[edit] Demographics
- See also: Escambia County, Florida Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 56,255 people, 24,524 households, and 14,665 families residing in the city, and 402,000 people in the Pensacola MSA. The population density was 956.8/km² (2,478.7/mi²). There were 26,995 housing units at an average density of 459.2/km² (1,189.4/mi²).
- Race[citation needed] (totals > 100%)
- White = 64.91%
- Black = 30.58%
- Hispanic or Latino = 2.07%
- Asian (U.S. Census) = 1.77%
- Native American = 0.52%
- other races = 1.61%
There were 24,524 households out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 16.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.92.
In addition to the Christian majority, Pensacola is home to a small but significant Jewish community, whose roots stretch back to the mid to late 1800s. The first Florida chapter of B'nai Brith was founded downtown in 1874, as well as the first temple, Beth-El, in 1876. Paula Ackerman, the first woman who performed rabbinical functions in the United States, was a Pensacola native and led services at Beth-El. Apart from the Reform Beth-El, Pensacola is also served by the Conservative B'nai Israel Synagogue.
- Religion[citation needed]
- Christian = 89%
- Protestant = 73%
- Baptist = 47%
- Catholic = 15%
- Orthodox = 1%
- Protestant = 73%
- Other = 11%
- Christian = 89%
- Age Distribution<ref>Pensacola Area Demographic Data</ref>
- < 18 = 22.9%
- 18-24 = 8.9%
- 25-44 = 26.9%
- 45-64 = 24.0%
- > 65 = 17.2%
- Median = 39
- Gender
- Male = 46.9%
- Female = 53.1%
The median income for a household in the city was $34,779, and the median income for a family was $42,868. Males had a median income of $32,258 versus $23,582 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,438. About 12.7% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Politics
Like other parts of the South, Pensacola was solidly Democratic for more than a century after the Civil War. Until the 1970's, most local elections were determined by the Democratic primary. However, since the 1960's, the staunchly conservative military and Bible Belt city has become dependably Republican. In August 2005, registered Republicans outnumbered Democrats for the first time in the area's history. As of August 2005, in Escambia County, 44% of the residents are registered Republicans compared to 39.91% of the population having registered as Democrats with another 13.21% having no party affiliation [1].
In the 2004 presidential election, 65% of Escambia County residents voted for George W. Bush over John Kerry. The Pensacola area has not supported a Democrat for President since John Kennedy in 1960. In 1968, Pensacola and the rest of North Florida supported American Independent Party candidate George Wallace.<ref>[2]</ref>
[edit] City Officials
- See also: List of mayors of Pensacola, Florida
The current mayor of Pensacola is John Fogg.
[edit] Regional Representatives
Pensacola is currently represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Jeff Miller (R) and in the U.S. Senate by Bill Nelson (D) and Mel Martinez (R), in the state senate by Charlie Clary (R) and Durell Peaden (R), and in the state house by Holly Benson (R), Dave Murzin (R), and Greg Evers (R).
Beginning in January 2007, Pensacola, and the rest of the State of Florida, will be represented by Charlie Crist (R) as the new governor, replacing term-limited Governer Jeb Bush (R).
[edit] Transportation
Pensacola is served by Interstate 10 and the Interstate 110 spur connecting I-10 with downtown Pensacola. Major air traffic in the Pensacola and greater northwest Florida area is handled by Pensacola Regional Airport. Airlines currently serving Pensacola Regional Airport are American Airlines, Delta, Air Tran, ASA, COMAIR, US Airways, Sky West, Continental, and Continental Express. Amtrak train service [3] and Greyhound bus service [4] are also available. However, Amtrak suspended service to Pensacola (and the rest of the Gulf Coast due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The local bus service is the Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT).
[edit] Festivals and holidays
Major holidays in Pensacola include Mardi Gras and the Fiesta of Five Flags. Celebrations of note in Pensacola are the Greater Gulf Coast Arts Festival, the Seafood Festival, The King Mackerel and Cobia Tournament, Florida Springfest, Gracefest (a Christian music festival), Lobsterfest, University of West Florida Festival On The Green, the Bushwhacker Festival and the Bill Fishing Tournament.[citation needed]
[edit] City media
The largest daily newspaper in the area is the Pensacola News Journal. Pensacola is also home to WEAR-TV, the ABC affiliate for Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, and Mobile, Alabama, and WSRE-TV, the local PBS member station, which is operated by Pensacola Junior College. Pensacola Magazine, the city's monthly glossy magazine, and Northwest Florida's Business Climate, the only business magazine devoted to the region, are published locally.
[edit] City schools and libraries
Public primary and secondary education schools in Pensacola are administered by the Escambia County School District. The University of West Florida, which resides north of the city, is the primary tertiary school in the area. UWF also has the largest library in the region, the John C. Pace Library.
[edit] Universities and colleges
[edit] High schools in the City of Pensacola
- East Hill Christian School
- Pensacola School Of Liberal Arts
- Pensacola High School
- Washington High School
- Pensacola Christian Academy
[edit] Libraries
- West Florida Regional Library System
- Pensacola Public Library — downtown Pensacola
- Lucia M. Tryon Branch Library — on the Pensacola Junior College campus
[edit] Local hospitals
- Baptist Hospital - the largest in the Baptist Health Care network
- Gulf Breeze Hospital
- Sacred Heart Hospital
- Nemours Children's Clinic
- Naval Hospital Pensacola
- West Florida Hospital
[edit] Sports teams
Pensacola is home to several semiprofessional sports teams:
- The Pensacola Ice Pilots of the ECHL
- The Pensacola Pelicans of the American Association (of Independent Baseball) (AA)
- The Pensacola Aviators of the American Basketball Association current status unknown (ABA)
- The Pensacola Power of the National Women's Football Association (NWFA)
[edit] Sister cities
According to Sister City International, Pensacola has the following sister cities:<ref>Sister Cities International</ref>
- Image:Flag of Peru.svg Chimbote, Peru
- Image:Flag of Costa Rica (state).svg Escazu, Costa Rica
- Image:Flag of Ukraine.svg Gorlovka, Ukraine
- Image:Flag of Japan (bordered).svg Gero, Japan
- Image:Flag of Peru.svg Miraflores, Peru
- Image:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Kaohsiung, Taiwan
See also: List of sister cities in the United States
[edit] Notable Pensacolians and residents
[edit] Politics, Law and Military
- Andrew Jackson
- Daniel "Chappie" James, Jr.
- Joe Scarborough
- Fred Levin
- Stephen Mallory
- Reubin O'Donovan Askew
- Todd Blackburn
- Craig Waters
- Vince Whibbs
[edit] Sports
- Derrick Brooks
- Emmitt Smith
- Joe Durant
- Justin Gatlin
- Roy Jones, Jr.
- Travis Fryman
- Danny Wuerffel
- Jay Bell
[edit] Religion
[edit] Music and Media
[edit] Notes
<references/>
[edit] External links
- City of Pensacola
- Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce
- City Parks
- Pensacola Florida Vacation and Relocation Guide
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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