Why Melbourne
Melbourne is a city situated in Brevard County along Florida's Space Coast, positioned roughly midway between Jacksonville and Miami and approximately 60 to 72 miles southeast of Orlando. Accessible via Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1, most of the municipality lies on the mainland west of the Indian River Lagoon, with a minor portion extending onto the adjacent barrier island. Originally known as Crane Creek, the community was renamed in honor of its first postmaster, who had spent years in Melbourne, Australia. The modern city boundaries were established in 1969 following a municipal merger between the former cities of Eau Gallie and Melbourne.
The area's history extends back to the late Pleistocene epoch, as evidenced by Paleo-Indian skeletal remains and stone artifacts discovered alongside extinct fauna such as mammoths, mastodons, and saber-toothed cats near Crane Creek. Permanent modern settlement began after 1877, led by a small group that included freedmen. A local school opened in 1883, followed by the establishment of early churches and commercial enterprises. After a major fire destroyed the original Front Street downtown in 1919, the commercial core was rebuilt west of U.S. 1. During World War II, Naval Air Station Melbourne was established to train Navy and Marine pilots; its former grounds now form the basis of the Melbourne Orlando International Airport.
Among the notable areas within the city is the Eau Gallie Arts District, situated along the Indian River. Designated as a Florida Main Street program, this sector contains art galleries, eateries, local stores, a microbrewery, and historic landmarks including the Historic Rossetter House and Gardens. The district also hosts Pineapple Park, a public library featuring a pier, a civic center, and a community park with a band shell utilized for local gathering events. Additionally, the city's original 1883 schoolhouse is preserved on the campus of the Florida Institute of Technology.
Melbourne experiences a humid subtropical climate heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream. Weather patterns divide into a warm, dry period spanning November through April and a hot, rainy season from late May through October, during which convective thunderstorms account for much of the annual rainfall. Freezing temperatures are extremely rare, enabling the growth of tropical flora such as banana plants and royal palms. The city is notably recognized as the northern limit for cultivated coconut palms along Florida's eastern coast, and the majority of its terrain drains into the adjacent Indian River Lagoon.
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