Quick Facts

Town of Orchid city limits sign

The Town of Orchid is an idyllic, coastal community and small suburban municipality located on the barrier island within Indian River County. The Town is bounded to the north by the community of Windsor, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the west by the Indian River Lagoon and to the south by County Road 510. The Town is a master planned community incorporated in 1965. The Town is 1199.62 acres in size or 1.87 square miles.

Quick and Fun Facts

  • The Town’s first settlers arrived in 1887 and created a small agrarian community that grew pineapples, bananas and leaf crops. Later the area would be internationally known for its delicious grapefruit. Only in the 1990s did the Town move from an agricultural to a residential community. Today the Town is almost entirely built out.
  • When the Town was incorporated, only 17 registered voters lived in the community. Nowadays, the Town has between 400-500 residents, but in the summer months about 80% of the population is out-of-state. 
  • The Town operates under a Manager-Council form of government. 
  • Councilmembers serve four year terms. Elections are held every two years. 
  • Town Hall is not located within the boundaries of the Town; instead it is located at the corner of Highway A1A and SR 510. In fact, the only property owned by the Town inside its boundaries consists of 109 streetlights. 
  • The Town is very active on the county level, as Councilmembers represent the Town on many county and Treasure Coast committees. 
  • The Town has two Charter Officers, the Town Manager and Town Clerk, who are the only full-time employees.
  • The Building Clerk works part-time.
  • The Town Attorney, Land Planner, Building Official, and Land Use Attorney are all contractors.
  • The Town has its own, very busy building department, but has an agreement with Indian River County for law enforcement, ambulance and fire protection services. 
  • Golf is the number one pastime in the Town of Orchid, but the Tennis and Beach Clubs offer further leisure activities to the residents. 
  • Everyone’s favorite Town residents are the otters, who live around the golf course, and the turtles, who visit the beach.

Click any thumbnail image to view a slideshow

Aerial overview of the Town of Orchid with Wabasso Bridge, the Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean.
The entrance gatehouse surrounded by palm trees and hibiscus bushes while the entrance bars are closed.
A sign at the entrance to Orchid that reads "Otter Crossing" with a picture of an otter.
Streetlight in the grass at the edge of a crossing with a golf course in the background dotted with palm trees.
View from the upper balcony of the Orchid Island Beach Club overlooking a garden, the dunes and the Atlantic Ocean
Pelicans fly in a line over the beach by the Atlantic Ocean in Orchid.
Turtle tracks on the beach toward the water over which the sun is shining.
Orchid's canopy of green from a balcony vantage point; the roof of the Orchid Island Beach Club is also depicted
A condominium building photographed from the ground up showing many balconies
A golf cart adorned with a small American flag is parked by the side of the road
A wooden bench surrounded by bushes overlooks a golf course late surrounded by homes
Tall grasses surround a golf course lake on which white pelicans float close to houses
A white pelican flies low above the golf course
A golf course flag close to a lake with houses next to it
A roundabout in front of the beach club with in its center a palm tree surrounded by floral bushes
  • Printer-friendly version