Completed in 1887, replacing the former lighthouse (built in 1835, it had collapsed into the inlet the following year), the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station was built when the area was known as Mosquito Inlet. After decades of restoration by the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association, it stands today as one of the best preserved light stations in the nation.
Visited by over 80,000 people each year, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. The lighthouse tower and museum are located 12 miles (19 km) south of Daytona Beach and are open to the public year-round. The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and the second tallest lighthouse in the nation. Visitors who climb the 175-foot-tall (53 m) lighthouse tower are treated to a view of the Florida coastline and Halifax River from Daytona Beach to New Smyrna Beach.
The lighthouse keepers' dwellings and other historic light station buildings are now home to the lighthouse museum, with exhibits on lighthouse life, lighthouse and Fresnel lens restoration, the keepers and their families, Daytona Beach and Florida history, and shipwrecks. The Ayres Davies Lens Exhibit Building houses one of the finest collections of restored Fresnel lenses in the world, including the rotating first order Fresnel lens from the Cape Canaveral lighthouse and the restored original Ponce Inlet lighthouse first-order Fresnel lens.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 14.7 square miles (38 km2), of which 4.3 square miles (11 km2) is land and 10.3 square miles (27 km2) (70.48%) is water.
Local government
Ponce Inlet is organized with a council-manager form of government; voters elect a Town Council, which consists of five members who serve two-year staggered terms. All five seats including the Mayor are town-wide; there are no districted seats. The Town Council establishes ordinances and policies for the town. It also reviews and approves the town budget annually. The Council appoints a Town Manager, who implements policy as voted on by the council. The town manager is the senior administrative official of the town, and is responsible for all aspects of administrative oversight.
Local elected officials
Aerial view
Mayor, Seat 1 – Lois Paritsky
Vice Mayor Seat 5 – Gary L. Smith
Council Member Seat 3 – Skip White
Council Member Seat 4 – Joseph Villanella
Council Member Seat 2 – Bill Milano
Town Manager – Michael Disher
Federal, state and county representation
Ponce Inlet is in the 24th Congressional District and is part of Florida's 27th Legislative District.
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,032 people, 1,206 households, and 883 families residing in the town. Census population estimate for 2006 was 3192. The population density was 580.1 inhabitants per square mile (224.0/km2). There were 2,043 housing units at an average density of 471.6 units per square mile (182.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.73% White, 0.60% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population.
In 2000, there were 1,206 households out of which 11.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.9% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.38.
In 2000, in the town the population was spread out with 10.1% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 15.6% from 25 to 44, 38.2% from 45 to 64, and 32.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $52,112, and the median income for a family was $58,828. Males had a median income of $42,188 versus $31,989 for females. The per capita income for the town was $36,518. About 3.7% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
