About The City of Melbourne, Florida

Today, the City of Melbourne is approximately 38 square miles in size, with about 75% of that land in use. The population was 76,742 as of April 1, 2006, as estimated by the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

Melbourne served as an official host city for the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay. The Olympic flame was carried across the nation before reaching Atlanta and the Olympic Centennial Games. Thousands of area residents enjoyed seeing the Torch Relay, which symbolized the competitive and unifying spirit of the Olympic Games.

While most of Melbourne is located on the Florida mainland, a small portion is located on a barrier island. The Indian River Lagoon separates the mainland from the island. The island is a narrow strip of land that separates the Lagoon from the Atlantic Ocean. (In prehistoric times the Lagoon was connected to the Ocean. Today, the only connection is by way of a handful of inlets, including the manmade Sebastian Inlet at the southern end of Brevard County.)

Spanning the Indian River Lagoon to connect the mainland to the barrier island are a pair of four-lane, high-rise bridges -- the Melbourne Causeway and the Eau Gallie Causeway.

Melbourne promotes economic development and is actively engaged in revitalization efforts in three areas of the city. Information and assistance is available from the Planning and Economic Development Department. The Melbourne metropolitan area has been ranked as one of the most affordable in the nation for homebuyers in a survey by the National Association of Home Builders. The 1998 "Money" Magazine 'Best Places' survey rated Melbourne and Brevard County 7th among medium-sized Southern communities.

The contemporary City of Melbourne is the result of a merger of the separate communities of Melbourne and Eau Gallie. An election allowed the consolidation under a common charter on July 15, 1969.

Make sure to check out our other neighborhoods: Viera, Suntree, Cape Canaveral,  Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island, Palm Bay, Satellite Beach, Titusville, Brevard County and the Brevard Beaches.