| Official Name: | Canal Point, Florida |
| Settlement Type: | CDP |
| Nickname: | CP |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Palm Beach |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 3.60 |
| Area Land Km2: | 3.60 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 1.39 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 1.39 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 344 |
| Population Density Km2: | 95.42 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 247.13 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation M: | 4 |
| Elevation Ft: | 13 |
| Coordinates: | 26.8619°N -80.6306°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 33438[2] |
| Area Code: | 561, 728 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 12-10100[3] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0279964[4] |
Canal Point is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida despite its local culture and location being way more similar to the Florida Heartland. Canal Point has a population of 344 people counted in the 2020 US census.
The land was originally inhabited by the Calusa tribe until 1650 CE. White settlers began occupying the area in 1909, establishing an agrarian community that currently still relies heavily on agriculture, especially sugar from sugarcane crops. The completion of the West Palm Beach Canal in 1917 allowed crops to be shipped by boat to West Palm Beach and then to other areas of the country, while construction of Conners Highway in 1924 resulted in crops being transported by motor vehicle. The CDP is very small with very little infrastructure.
Canal Point is located at (26.862060, -80.630543).[5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.5sqmi, all land.
Canal Point is located along the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee, to the northeast of Pahokee and to the northwest of Bryant.
Archaeological evidence from Big Mound City, located roughly 10miles of Canal Point, suggests that the Calusa tribe inhabited the area between about 500 BCE and 1650 CE.[6] In 1909, Canal Point became the first White settlement on the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee. The Southern States Land and Timber Company began planting sugarcane in the area in 1917. Around that time, the West Palm Beach Canal was completed. The canal connected Lake Okeechobee at Canal Point to West Palm Beach, allowing farms to sell crops to West Palm Beach or elsewhere in the United States via the Florida East Coast Railway. Transportation of crops by motor vehicle from the area to other destinations began in 1924 with the completion of Conners Highway, which mostly followed the path of the West Palm Beach Canal.[7]
Unlike other communities along the southeastern and eastern shores of Lake Okeechobee, Canal Point was relatively unscathed by the 1928 hurricane. The community was likely inundated with 1.5to of water and one death occurred.[8] However, the local economy suffered greatly and never recovered after construction of the Herbert Hoover Dike limited boat traffic in the 1930s. Residents saved the historic Canal Point School from demolition and hoped to convert it into an agricultural museum, but the building was destroyed by a fire in 2008. About three years earlier, Hurricane Wilma wrecked several other historic buildings in the community.[7]
| White (NH) | 107 | 31.10% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 50 | 14.53% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Asian (NH) | 1 | 0.29% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Mixed/Multiracial (NH) | 3 | 0.87% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 183 | 53.19% |
| Total | 344 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 344 people, 107 households, and 81 families residing in the CDP.[10]
| White (NH) | 177 | 48.23% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 74 | 20.16% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 1 | 0.27% |
| Asian (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 6 | 1.63% |
| Mixed/Multiracial (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 109 | 29.70% |
| Total | 367 |
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 367 people, 91 households, and 35 families residing in the CDP.[12]
As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 525 people, 197 households, and 127 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 339.3sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 227 housing units at an average density of 146.7sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the CDP was 55.05% White (43.1% were Non-Hispanic White),[14] 17.52% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 21.14% from other races, and 5.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 35.05% of the population.
As of 2000, there were 197 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were [married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.38. In 2000, in the CDP, the population was spread out, with 30.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.6 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the CDP was $37,813, and the median income for a family was $29,792. Males had a median income of $32,232 versus $12,283 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $18,625. About 19.5% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, English as a first language accounted for 65.00% of all residents, while Spanish is the first language of 35.00% of the population.[15]
Almost the entirety of Canal Point's populace is involved in agriculture. Most are independent farmers or employees of one of the large local sugar co-operatives, the largest three being the US Sugar Corporation, Osceola Farms, and Fanjul Sugar. The town has an access point to the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail.
The Palm Tran Route 47 connects Canal Point to Pahokee, Belle Glade, and South Bay, as well as to Route 40,[16] which links Belle Glade to Wellington.[17] State Road 15 and US routes 98 and 441 move jointly northeastward through Canal Point, generally parallel to the shore of Lake Okeechobee, with the road locally referred to as E. Main Street. The road is adjoined by the northwest-southeast moving State Road 700, locally known as W. Main Street and Conners Highway, just south of the West Palm Beach Canal. State Road 700 moves southeastward and rejoins State Road 15 and US routes 98 and 441 near Twentymile Bend.[18]
There are no colleges or universities in Canal Point. However, Palm Beach State College has campuses in Belle Glade and Loxahatchee Groves.[22]