The Town of Orchid is an idyllic, coastal community and small municipality located on the barrier island within Indian River County. The entire barrier island, which stretches from the Sebastian Inlet to the north all the way to St. Lucie County in the south, is called "Orchid Island". This lovely name often causes confusion, even among the local population. Not only does it refer to the whole barrier island in this County, it is also the name of the exclusive community that the Town of Orchid encompasses - Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club, which is only a small, but paradisiacal, piece of the Orchid Island barrier island. There is a profusion of the names "orchid" and "orchid island" throughout the County, not just on the island but also on the mainland. Many communities and business use one or the other in their names. Our own Town Hall, for example, is located in the Orchid Professional Centre, which is not in the Town of Orchid, but is on Orchid Island. And the Town is not the "Town of Orchid Island", which it is sometimes mistakenly referred to as.
One thing everyone immediately understands is that the Town of Orchid, on Orchid Island, is a piece of paradise right here in Indian River County, where it 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 on the south-end of Wabasso. 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 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.
