Yeehaw Junction, Florida | |
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Coordinates: 27°41′58″N80°53′13″W / 27.69944°N 80.88694°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Florida |
County | Osceola |
Area | |
• Total | 1.88 sq mi (4.87 km2) |
• Land | 1.87 sq mi (4.84 km2) |
• Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
Elevation | 49 ft (15 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 240 |
• Density | 125.67/sq mi (48.52/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
ZIP Code | 34972 [3] |
Area code | 321 |
FIPS code | 12-78975 |
GNIS feature ID | 2403047 [2] |
Yeehaw Junction is a census-designated place (CDP) in Osceola County, Florida, United States. [4] As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 240. [5] The area was confused with Buenaventura Lakes CDP in the 2000 census, and the correct data for the area was not recorded. [6]
Yeehaw Junction is part of the Orlando – Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Destiny development was planned nearby.
Yeehaw Junction is located at the intersection of US 441/SR 15, SR 60 and Florida's Turnpike (SR 91), approximately 30 miles (50 km) west of Vero Beach and 30 miles north of Lake Okeechobee. The location was named after the Yeehaw station on the Florida East Coast Railway's Kissimmee Valley Line, which passed through Yeehaw Junction from 1915 to 1947. [7]
Some say the community's name comes from the fact locals would yell "Yeehaw!", while others believe the name is derived from the Creek language word meaning "wolf". [8] According to town historians and several original newspaper articles that are displayed at the Desert Inn and Restaurant, the town was originally named "Jackass Junction" or "Jackass Crossing". [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] This name was given to the four-corner site back in the early 1930s, when local ranchers rode on burros to visit the Desert Inn (then the local brothel). As the 1950s approached, the Florida legislature felt that a name change was due in light of the construction of Florida's Turnpike through the center of the community in 1957, resulting in renaming the town to its present-day name. [15] [16]
In late 1968 the Deseret Test Center conducted a biological warfare experiment at Yeehaw Junction. The experiment was part of Project 112 and was labelled DTC Test 69–75. Stem rust, referred to as "Agent TX", was tested to determine its effectiveness against a wheat crop in time of war. The tests were conducted over a period of one month from October 31 to December 1, 1968. Live agent was sprayed by a U.S. Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom fighter jet on seven occasions and dead agent, consisting of spores that were killed by a gaseous mixture of ethylene oxide, was sprayed on four occasions. [17] The stated objective of Deseret Test Center (DTC) Test 69-75 was to investigate the effectiveness of the F-4/A/B and 45Y-2/TX weapon systems to reduce Soviet wheat crop yields in selected geographic areas. The objective was subdivided into other tasks: determine the downwind travel of Agent TX released from the A/B 45Y-2 spray tank, estimate the yield reduction and loss of wheat crops attacked by the weapon system, study the effectiveness of killed TX as a simulant for Agent TX, and evaluate the adequacy to predict downwind dosages of Agent TX. [17] The tests were unknown to local residents and officials until October 2002 when U.S. senator Bill Nelson demanded details of the tests from the U.S. Department of Defense after knowledge of the test was eventually revealed during a larger congressional inquiry of potential effects on participating veterans of chemical and biological testing. Eglin Air Force Base, Avon Park Air Force Range, Panama City, Belle Glade, and Fort Pierce, were additional sites in Florida of biological agent production and testing. [18]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | 240 | — | |
2020 | 235 | −2.1% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [19] |
In 2010 Yeehaw Junction had a population of 240. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 89.2% non-Hispanic white, 1.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian (one person), 2.9% reporting two or more races and 6.3% Hispanic or Latino. [20]
The Yeehaw Junction exit on Florida's Turnpike is still active. It was once known as a major stopping point for tourists to purchase conditional discount tickets for various tourist attractions in the Orlando area, but Yeehaw Junction's ticket booth has since closed down. The Turnpike exit links with State Road 60, an important traffic route going from Vero Beach on the Atlantic to Tampa and Clearwater Beach on the Gulf Coast. The Turnpike exit at Yeehaw Junction is notable for being the only exit on a nearly 90-mile stretch of the Turnpike. It is located at the southern end of the longest stretch of limited-access highway without an exit in the United States (the next interchange to the north being 48.9 miles away at Kissimmee/St. Cloud) and the northern end of the second-longest such stretch (the next exit to the south being 40.5 miles away at Fort Pierce). [21]
Since the population is not large enough to support its own schools, children in the community can choose to attend Osceola County School District, which may be over an hour's bus ride for students (the nearest public school is located in St. Cloud), or be bused to closer schools in Indian River County or Okeechobee County.
The Desert Inn closed temporarily in June 2018. [22] There are plans to reopen it as a museum, restaurant and motel after restorations. [23] The Desert Inn was largely destroyed on December 22, 2019, when an 18-wheeler lost control on a nearby road and crashed into the building at highway speeds. [24] Recently, the owners have been able to save what was not destroyed and are planning on restoring the site.[ citation needed ]
Osceola County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 388,656. Its county seat is Kissimmee. Osceola County is included in the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Fla. Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Okahumpka is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lake County, Florida, United States. The population was 267 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Bithlo is a census-designated place and an unincorporated community in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,268 at the 2010 census, up from 4,626 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Orlo Vista is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Orange County, Florida, United States. While the spelling "Orlo Vista" is used by the U.S. Postal Service, the community is shown as Orlovista on federal maps. The population of the Orlovista census-designated place was 6,123 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The boundaries of the Orlovista CDP are West Colonial Drive on the north, Pine Hills Road on the east, Old Winter Garden Road and Carter Street at the Orlando city limits on the south, and Hiawassee Road on the west.
Pine Castle is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Florida's Turnpike, designated as unsigned State Road 91, is a controlled-access toll road in the U.S. state of Florida, maintained by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE). Spanning approximately 309 miles (497 km) along a northwest–southeast axis, the turnpike is in two sections. The SR 91 mainline runs roughly 265 miles (426 km), from its southern terminus at an interchange with Interstate 95 (I-95) in Miami Gardens to an interchange with I-75 in Wildwood at its northern terminus. The Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike continues from the southern end of the mainline for another 48 miles (77 km) to US Highway 1 in Florida City. The slogan for the road is "The Less Stressway". The mainline opened in stages between 1957 and 1964, while the extension was completed in 1974. The turnpike runs through Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, where it parallels I-95, and through Orlando, where it crosses I-4.
U.S. Route 441 (US 441) is a 939-mile-long (1,511 km) auxiliary route of U.S. Route 41. It extends from US 41 in Miami, Florida to US 25W in Rocky Top, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 travels through the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The highway acts as a connector between several major urban areas, including Miami, Orlando, Ocala, Gainesville, Athens, and Knoxville. It also crosses the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where it meets the southwestern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and where no trucks or other commercial traffic are allowed.
The Treasure Coast is a region in the southeast of the U.S. state of Florida. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and comprises Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie counties. The region, whose name refers to the Spanish Treasure Fleet that was lost in a 1715 hurricane, evidently emerged from residents' desire to distinguish themselves from the Gold Coast to the south.
The Kissimmee River is a river in south-central Florida, United States that forms the north part of the Everglades wetlands area. The river begins at East Lake Tohopekaliga south of Orlando, flowing south through Lake Kissimmee into the large, shallow Lake Okeechobee. Hurricane-related floods in 1947 prompted channelization of the meandering lower stretch, completed by 1970. The straightened course reduced wetland habitat and worsened pollution. In response, efforts since the 1990s have partially restored the river's original state and revitalized the ecosystem, as part of the broader restoration of the Everglades.
The Orlando metropolitan area, Greater Orlando, Metro Orlando, as well as for U.S. Census purposes as the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, is a metropolitan area in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. Its principal cities are Orlando, Kissimmee and Sanford. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines it as consisting of the counties of Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole.
Buena Ventura Lakes, more commonly known as BVL, is a census-designated place (CDP) in northern Osceola County, Florida, United States, near Kissimmee. Its population was 26,079 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The community is served by the Osceola Library System.
Holopaw is an unincorporated community in Osceola County, Florida, United States. It is located at the eastern end of the multiplex of highways US 192 and US 441. It has a population of fewer than 5,000 people and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike (HEFT), designated as unsigned State Road 821 (SR 821), is the southern extension of Florida's Turnpike, a controlled-access toll road in the U.S. state of Florida maintained by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE). Spanning approximately 48 miles (77 km) along a north–south axis, it supplements the 265-mile (426 km) mainline to form the complete 309-mile (497 km) turnpike. The extension begins at its southern terminus at U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Florida City, and transitions into the SR 91 mainline in Miramar at its northern end. Despite their designations as different state roads, the mainline and the extension are continuous in their exit numbering.
University is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Orange County, Florida, United States, east of Orlando. The community is centered around the University of Central Florida and includes a location on its south side known as University Park. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2020, the CDP had a population of 45,284.
Fort Drum was a town in Okeechobee County, Florida, United States, located on US 441, between Yeehaw Junction and Okeechobee. A service plaza on Florida's Turnpike is named after the town. The Fort Drum Wildlife Management Area consists of nearly 21,000 acres in southwestern Indian River County and is named for its proximity to the town and is known as the birthplace of the St. John's River. Fort Drum is the only known locale for crystal bearing fossil shells. There is a cemetery in the middle of the town on almost eight acres, in which many of the first settlers of Fort Drum were buried and still remain. It is currently owned and maintained by Okeechobee County.
The Desert Inn and Restaurant is a historic site in Yeehaw Junction, Florida, United States. It is located at 5570 South Kenansville Road, next to SR 60. On January 3, 1994, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
U.S. Route 441 (US 441) in Florida is a north–south United States Highway. It runs 433 miles (697 km) from Miami in South Florida northwest to the Georgia state line, with the overall route continuing to Tennessee in the Rocky Top area.
The Florida Heartland is a region of Florida located to the north and west of Lake Okeechobee, composed of six inland, non-metropolitan counties—DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee. In 2000, The US Census Bureau recorded the population of the region at 229,509. In 2010, The US Census Bureau recorded the population of the region at 253,399, a growth rate of 11.0%. The most populous county in the region is Highlands County, and the region's largest cities are Avon Park and Sebring, both with slightly more than 10,000 people. Unlike the coastal areas to the east and west, the rural nature of the Florida Heartland is culturally closer to the Deep South than the rest of South Florida and has traditionally been inhabited by Americans of predominantly English ancestry. While located in Palm Beach County, the nearby rural cities of South Bay, Belle Glade and Pahokee as well as the census-designated place of Lake Harbor, located on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee, are more associated with the Florida Heartland than the remainder of South Florida. The same could also apply to the Collier County communities of Immokalee, Ave Maria and Harker as well as to the Martin County community of Port Mayaca. Occasionally included are the southern Polk County communities of Fort Meade, Frostproof and River Ranch as well as Yeehaw Junction in Osceola County.
Clarcona is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,990 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Osowaw Junction is a ghost town in Okeechobee County, Florida, United States located about 9 miles away from Yeehaw Junction. The current main road through the former community is US Route 441.
This article incorporates public domain material from Project 112 Fact Sheets. United States Government.