WELCOME TO OUR WORLD, THE GLADES
ROOTED IN AGRICULTURE, OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND NEW IDEAS
'The Glades' is a rural region south of Lake Okeechobee in Florida. More than 44,300 residents live in eastern Glades and Hendry counties and western Palm Beach County, the area that makes up the Glades. The Glades is a vibrant and diverse community that is home to a vast agricultural industry, large mouth bass and a gridiron culture that has produced NFL standouts.
The Glades, like the many of Florida's coastal communities, is a wonderful place to live, grow in a career and raise families. It is a community that is often maligned and misunderstood. The Voices of the Glades is giving our residents an opportunity to speak for themselves. The Glades has a good story to tell. It's our hope that visitors to the websites will hear our voices.
Florida's Inland Sea Is Our Backyard
The Seminole call it "Big Water." The name fits the 730 square-mile freshwater lake that is the second largest of its kind in the conventional United States. Outside of its rich black soil, there's nothing that better identifies the Glades than Lake Okeechobee.
A Breeding Ground For Athletes
The Glades takes its high school football seriously — seriously. It's not just a game here; it's a way of life.
In Belle Glade, Glades Central Community High School won six state championships and has produced more current National Football League players than any other high school in the country. Their cross-town rival is no slouch either. The Blue Devils of Pahokee Middle-Senior High also won six state championships between 1989 and 2008, including a two year span which featured a remarkable 28-0 record.
Our Vibrant But Often Overlooked Community
Agriculture, and the related industries that support farming activities, may be the economic drivers to our local economy , but, it's the many community activities they support that makes the Glades a special place to live, work and play.
The Voices Of The Glades — In Videos
Every voice needs a platform.
Having your very own stage ensures the chance to be heard. The Voices of the Glades is our digital platform that will provide our region with the opportunity to reach a wider audience.
Here's your chance to get a deeper understanding of the place we call home.
Striving for Better
While many rural communities have seen healthcare services cut in recent years, we are fortunate to have a robust team of medical providers here in Hendry County. At a time when we rely on medical professionals more than ever, we are proud of our rural providers and their commitment to the community to provide services you can count on for routine healthcare or in your time of need.