Clewiston

Understand

The town had a population of roughly 8,000 in 2019, having increased by over 1,500 in the past twenty years. Permanent settlement did not take place until 1920 and the town was incorporated in 1925. John O'Brien and Alonzo Clewis founded the city. The newly incorporated town maintained the local Native American tradition in the area, fishing, due to the largemouth bass in Lake Okeechobee. Agriculture was important during the mid-20th century, and crops included sugar, citrus, and vegetables. The US Sugar Corporation's location in Clewiston has made it important for manufacturing.

Clewiston is an ethnically diverse minority-majority community, with 49% of its residents being of Hispanic or Latino origin and 13% identifying as Black or African American.

Get in

By car

US-27 is the main local route, as it is across much of the Florida Heartland which goes through town as Sugarland Hwy (as the 'main street'). In Clewiston it is merged with FL-80. FL-80 comes from Belle Glade in the east and from Fort Myers to the west. West of town Fl-80 and US-27 splits where US-27 goes up north towards Lake Placid.

By bus

Go next

• Okeechobee is at the other end of the lake.