Rockledge, Florida
Rockledge is a city of 29,133 people in Brevard County, Florida, founded in 1887.
Why visit Rockledge
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 25 parks and trails, 34 places to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Merritt Island Causeway, The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse, Aladdin Theater and Barton Avenue Residential District.
Weather in Rockledge
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rockledge
Rockledge is the oldest city in Brevard County, Florida. The city's population was 27,678 at the 2020 Census, up from 24,926 at the 2010 United States census, and is part of the Palm Bay−Melbourne−Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Rockledge, Florida (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Merritt Island Causeway
Bridge · 2.7 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Museums and landmarks10
Aladdin Theater
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic theater in Cocoa, Florida
Barton Avenue Residential District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic district in Florida, United States
Cocoa Junior High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic school building in Cocoa, Florida
Marion S. Whaley Citrus Packing House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Building in Florida, United States
Porcher House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Building in Cocoa, Florida, United States
Rockledge Drive Residential District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in Rockledge, Florida
Valencia Subdivision Residential District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic district in Florida, United States
Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science
Museum · 4.8 mi
Museum and nature center in Cocoa, Florida, USA
Parks, trails and playgrounds25
Oaks of Country Club - Pool House
Park · 1.4 mi
Rest Rooms and Storage
1600 Woodland Drive, Rockledge
Mo-Su sunrise-sunset
13 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes34
A&M Atlantic Seafood, Inc
Restaurant · Seafood · 2.4 mi
Seafood Restaurant in Cocoa, FL
724 West King St, Cocoa
Tu-Th 10:00-19:00; Fr,Sa 10:00-20:00
Ryan's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza, Burger, Irish · 2.5 mi
Irish pub & pizzeria resturaunt serving beer and liquor with an upstairs patio & weekend live music.
4 Harrison Street, Cocoa
Su-Th 11:00-22:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-24:00
2 Angry Wives Pub and Eatery
Bar and pub · Irish · 2.1 mi
3826 Murrell Road, Rockledge
Su-Mo 12:00-21:00; Tu-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-24:00
Dirty Oar Beer Company
Brewery and winery · 2.4 mi
329 King Street, Cocoa
We-Th 16:00-21:00; Fr 14:00-22:00; Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 12:00-20:00
Moonshine - A Plant Based Kitchen
Restaurant · 2.5 mi
307 Delannoy Avenue, Cocoa
We-Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 09:00-16:00
Murdocks Bistro & Char Bar
Restaurant · 2.3 mi
600 Brevard Avenue, Cocoa
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Su 11:00-02:00
Bugnutty Brewing Company
Brewery and winery · 2.4 mi
225 King St Unit B, Cocoa
Mo-Th 15:00-21:00
George & Dragon English Tavern
Bar and pub · 2.3 mi
502 Brevard Avenue, Cocoa
Mo-Su 08:00-02:00
Ruby Tuesday
Diner · American · 1.7 mi
3780 South Fiske Boulevard, Rockledge
22 more on the map.
History
Rockledge was officially founded on August 7, 1887, making it the oldest incorporated municipality in Brevard County. The name Rockledge, attributed to Gardner S. Hardee, an early settler, comes from the many ledges of coquina rock that line the Indian River. Other sources refer to a man named Cephas Bailey Magruder, who built his home after settling in the area in 1876 near the Indian River. Magruder called his home "the rockledge home" and the name was eventually attributed to the whole town. It was originally referred to as Rock Ledge; the two-word name persisted through the 19th century.
Early industry in the area was based on the citrus trade and accommodation for tourists traveling to South Florida via the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway of the Indian River.
President Grover Cleveland and his wife visited the city in 1888.
The town had several large hotels in the late 19th century to the early 20th century that catered to Northern tourists escaping cold winters. These included the Hotel Indian River, the Plaza, and the Rockledge Hotel, all located north of Barton Avenue, looking out over the river.
From the History section of Rockledge, Florida on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship30
Shopping4
TJ Maxx
Shopping center · 3.3 mi
120 South Courtenay Parkway, First Merritt, Merritt Island
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries41
Contracted Residential Services
School · 5.0 mi
2700 Judge Fran Jaimeson Way, Viera
Healthcare2
Map of Rockledge
156 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
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
Brevard County has had 31 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-10-11: Hurricane Milton (Hurricane)
- 2024-10-07: Hurricane Milton (Hurricane)
- 2024-08-10: Hurricane Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-03: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2023-08-31: Hurricane Idalia (Hurricane)
- 2023-08-28: Tropical Storm Idalia (Tropical Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Merritt Island Airport (COI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Merritt Island 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Cocoa 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Cocoa Beach 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
- Cape Canaveral 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
- Port St. John 12 mi north, about 19 min by car
- Melbourne 15 mi south, about 25 min by car
- Palm Bay 26 mi south, about 41 min by car
- Bithlo 28 mi northwest, about 45 min by car
- Alafaya 31 mi northwest, about 50 min by car
- Orlando 37 mi west, about 1 h 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
- 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
- Valenciasubdivision, Fl295 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Marionwhaleycitrus, Fl295 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Rockledgedrive, Fl295 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- FL Cocoa Junior High School01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bartonavehouse, Fl295 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- PorcherHouseFL, Smallbones, Public domain
- AladdinTheater, Fl295 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Cocoa, Florida) 002 crop, Leonard J. DeFrancisci, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cocoa FL Brevard Msm Hist Nat Sci01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bridge at Cocoa, Florida, User:Kolossos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Historic Derby Street Chapel 01, Leonard J. DeFrancisci, CC BY-SA 3.0
_002_crop.jpg){kind=link}
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