Gifford, Florida
Gifford is a community of 4,668 people in Indian River County, Florida.
Why visit Gifford
Townapedia lists 13 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 5 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Merrill P. Barber Bridge, Judge Henry F. Gregory House, Maher Building and Grand Harbor - River Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 54°F.
Weather in Gifford
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Gifford
Gifford () is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Indian River County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Sebastian–Vero Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,511 at the 2020 census. Gifford has a rich African American history and is noted as the hometown of several African-American landscape artists who were members of The Highwaymen.
From the Wikipedia article Gifford, Florida (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Merrill P. Barber Bridge
Bridge · 3.5 mi
Concrete bridge in Florida, United States
Museums and landmarks13
Judge Henry F. Gregory House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Vero Beach, Florida, listed on the NRHP in Indian River County
Maher Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Department store in Vero Beach, Florida
Old Indian River County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
County courthouse in Florida, United States of America
Old Vero Beach Community Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Community centre in Vero Beach, Florida
Osceola Park Historic Residential District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic district in Florida, United States
Royal Park Arcade
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic place in Florida, United States
Theodore Hausmann Estate
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic house in Florida, United States
Vero Beach Diesel Power Plant
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Power station in Florida, United States of America
Vero Railroad Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Railway station in Vero Beach, the United States of America
Vero Theatre
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Former movie theater in Vero Beach, Florida
Old Palmetto Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Pueblo Arcade
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
1 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes5
C.J. Cannon's
Diner · American · 1.7 mi
3414 Cherokee Drive, Vero Beach
Mo-Sa 07:00-21:00; Su 07:00-14:00
Sir B Bar-B-Q Grill
Restaurant · Jamaican · 0.8 mi
2605 45th Street, Vero Beach
McDonald's
Fast food · Burger · 1.2 mi
5280 US 1, Vero Beach
Mo-Th 05:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 05:00-24:00; Su 05:00-23:00
History
The settlement of Gifford was organized in the mid-1880s, according to the Indian River County Historical Society. The area was named as the Woodley precinct in the 1900 census, and as a settlement village for black families, the community grew. By 1893, the early settlers of Gifford had been joined by black laborers who had come to work on Henry Flagler's new railroad project, the Florida East Coast Railway. The residents named the small agricultural community Brownsville after farmer William Brown who settled there in 1880s, but another town in North Florida carried the same name. Instead, the community was named after Charlie Gifford, the railroad's stationmaster and Henry T. Gifford's son.
The town's first school was built in 1898, but only served white children. In 1901 William Edward Geoffrey, a black man from Darlington, South Carolina who had come to work on the railroad, set up school for black children. The school served as the heart of the community and remained Gifford High School until integration, and the last graduating class was in 1969, before transitioning into the middle school.
In 2018, the Historic Macedonia Church was converted into the Gifford Historical Museum by the Gifford Community Cultural & Resource Center (GCCRC).
From the History section of Gifford, Florida on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship21
New Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
Church · African Methodist Episcopal · 1.5 mi
1905 38th Lane, Vero Beach
Community Missionary Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.7 mi
4290 29th Avenue, Vero Beach
Davis Temple Church of God in Christ
Church · 0.5 mi
4695 32nd Avenue, Vero Beach
New Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.7 mi
4465 28th Avenue, Vero Beach
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries21
Indian River Virtual Instruction Program
School · 5.6 mi
6055 62Nd Lane, Vero Beach
Healthcare2
Map of Gifford
76 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73°F | 54°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 75°F | 56°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 78°F | 59°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 82°F | 64°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 86°F | 69°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 89°F | 74°F | 6.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 75°F | 6.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 76°F | 7.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 89°F | 75°F | 7.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 85°F | 70°F | 6.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 80°F | 63°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 75°F | 58°F | 2.8 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Vero Beach 4Se (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Indian River County has had 25 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-10-11: Hurricane Milton (Hurricane)
- 2024-10-07: Hurricane Milton (Hurricane)
- 2022-12-13: Hurricane Nicole (Hurricane)
- 2022-11-08: Tropical Storm Nicole (Tropical Storm)
- 2022-09-29: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
- 2022-09-24: Tropical Storm Ian (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Vero Beach Regional Airport (VRB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- Winter Beach 3 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Vero Beach 3 mi southeast, about 4 min by car
- Indian River Shores 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- Vero Beach South 4 mi south, about 7 min by car
- West Vero Corridor 5 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- Wabasso 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Wabasso Beach 6 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Florida Ridge 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
- Sebastian 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
- Vero Lake Estates 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Gifford Community Center 2, GreaterPonce665, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Vero Beach FL Gregory House01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- OldVeroBeachCommunityBuilding, SebasTorrente, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Vero Beach FL Hausmann Estate dway01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- RoyalParkArcadeVeroBeach, SebasTorrente, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Vero Railroad Station, Robert Lawton, CC BY 2.5
- Brick house in the Osceola Park Historic Residential District, Dminvero, CC BY-SA 3.0
- VeroBeachDieselPowerPlant, SebasTorrente, CC BY-SA 3.0
- IndianRiverCountyCourthouse, SebasTorrente, CC BY-SA 3.0
- VeroTheatre, SebasTorrente, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MaherBuilding, SebasTorrente, CC BY-SA 3.0
- PuebloArcade, SebasTorrente, CC BY-SA 3.0
- VeroBeachWoman'sClubVeroBeach, SebasTorrente, CC BY-SA 3.0
- OldPalmettoHotel, SebasTorrente, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Barber Bridge and Royal Palm Pointe, Mackenziecerjan, CC BY-SA 4.0
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