Rockledge

Rockledge is a city of 28,000 people (2019) in Central Florida on US Route 1. Local businesses focus on technology and aerospace, especially those related to nearby Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral.

History


Settlers gave the town its name due to regional coquina rock found along the coast. Gardner Hardee and Cephas Magruder were early settlers; Magruder arrived in the 1870s and built one of the town's historic houses. The city was incorporated in 1887 as "Rock Ledge" to become Brevard County's first municipality.

Agriculture (citrus) and tourism were factors in the local economy's development, as the Intracoastal Waterway was (and remains) a major draw. President Grover Cleveland visited the city in 1888. The permanent population of the town was a mere 200, but this increased by a factor of ten each winter due to tourism. Steamboats and train routes brought tourists thanks to the efforts of Henry Flagler. The construction of the Dixie Freeway in 1915 brought tourists to the region by automobile, and it was paved during the next decade and routed as US-1.

A series of development projects would see the city's evolution into its current form. A hospital was built on a former golf course just before the U.S. entered World War II, and during the Baby Boom after the war, construction of housing developments began, continuing throughout the rest of the 20th century. The construction of the nearby Kennedy Space Center contributed to the town's population and economy, and a locally significant nursery, the Rockledge Gardens, was opened in 1962. Apart from these gardens, much of the former agricultural land was replaced by housing, and today, Rockledge is a suburban community of Melbourne to the south and the Canaveral region to the northeast.

Climate
There are two major seasons which characterize the area. One is hot and rainy, lasting from June until late September. The other is the dry season, October through May, brings more moderate temperatures and less frequent rainfall.

By plane
Next nearest airports for commercial flights are:
 * Melbourne Orlando International Airport in Melbourne is the nearest large airport at  south via I-95 or US Hwy 1 (30 min drive).
 * Larger airports are Orlando International Airport  west on via I-95 & FL-528; and Daytona Beach International  ( north) which are 4min to 1 1/2 hr drive.

By car
Within easy driving distance from Cocoa Beach, and Cape Canaveral is 10 miles east, Kennedy Space Center, 16 miles north; and Universal/Disney is 1 hour to the west. The exit off of I-95 to Rockledge is Fiske Blvd. Route 528 (which is 6 miles north of 520) goes east to the Beaches. From Orlando Airport (MCO) travel east via 528.

By bus

 * Space Coast Area Transit is the name of the local Brevard County bus service. It is a cheap way to get around and is handicap accessible. To find routes in the Rockledge area, go to their route maps page and click the circles next to "Cocoa/Rockledge" and "Rockledge/Viera" to show bus stations and any bus that is on the route. The website also provides timetables. Buses travel to most sites and places of interest. $1.50 per ride, or 75 cents for active or inactive U.S. military, seniors 60+, students (as of July 2021).

Sleep
More lodging is available in Melbourne to the south.



Go next

 * Melbourne