Florence, Calahan
Florence, Calahan | |
|---|---|
City | |
| City of Florence | |
 From upper left: Statue in front of downtown fire station, oak-lined street in the university district, Downtown, Calahan Dome, and Calahan State University quad. | |
| Country |  Ibica |
| State |  Calahan |
| County | Camden |
| Founded | 1861 |
| Government | |
| • Type | City |
| • Mayor | Daniella Leigh (C) |
| Area | |
| • City Total | 53.91 sq mi (139.63 km2) |
| • Land | 53.81 sq mi (139.37 km2) |
| • Water | 0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2) auto% |
| • Metro | 5,252 sq mi (13,600 km2) |
| Elevation | 36 ft (11 m) |
| Population (2015) | |
| • City Total | 120,623 |
| • Estimate (2018) | 126,143 |
| • Density | 2,371.75/sq mi (915.74/km2) |
| • Urban | 252,720 |
| • Metro | 490,488 |
| • CSA | 627,146 |
| Demonym | Florentines |
Florence is the third-largest incorporated city in the state of Calahan, located on the Cuyoga River. Founded in 1861 in Camden County, it is a major industrial, cultural, and educational center in the northeast region of the state.
As of the 2015 census, the population was 120,623. Florence is the principal city of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area, having a population of 490,488. It is considered a regionally significant center of petrochemical refining, gaming, tourism, and education, being home to Calahan State University.
Geography
Florence, located on a level plain about 30 miles (48 km) from the Bay of Albion, has an elevation of 13 feet (4.0 m), and is located on the banks of the Cuyoga River in Northeastern Calahan. Oak trees and pine trees dot the landscape; the lumber industry was once the main economic engine of the area. The Florence Ship Channel, a dredged section of the Cuyoga River, which allows large ocean-going vessels to sail up from the Bay, also borders the city.
Economy
The top employer, the Florence School District, employs approximately 5,000 workers. The second-largest employer is Golden Nugget Florence Casino Resort, which has 2,400 workers.
Several petrochemical plants and an oil refinery are located nearby along the Florence Ship Channel. Turner Industries, Florence Chemical Corporation, and Albion Oil each employ over a thousand engineers. The Florence LNG terminal, immediately northwest of Florence, is one of Ibica's few liquified natural gas terminals. It has facilities for LNG receipt, storage, and re-gasification.
Education
Universities and colleges
The city has one university. Calahan State University, located on a 121-acre (0.49 km2) main campus lined with oak trees in the heart of Florence, is a four-year flagship university of the Calahan State University System. Poltier Bayou flows through the campus. CSU was founded in 1939. It offers over 80 majors, and includes the colleges of Business, Education, Engineering and Engineering Technology, Liberal Arts, Nursing, Science, Honors College, and the Doré School of Graduate Studies. Other properties include a 65-acre (260,000 m2) athletic plant and student apartment complex, the Florence Environmental Research Center, Florence Coliseum, the 503-acre (2.04 km2) CSU Farm, and nearly 1,600 acres (6.5 km2) of donated farm property used for research, farming, and ranching.
Primary and secondary schools
Florence's public schools are operated by the Florence School District. There are two charter schools, and a number of private schools.
Government and politics
The City of Florence is governed by a mayor-council form of government. The elected officials include the Mayor, the Clerk of Court, and seven City Council members. Each council member represents a particular district within the city limits. One council member is elected president and presides over each meeting. The mayor serves a four-year term. The city attorney is appointed by the mayor.
The Florence Police Department or F.P.D. provides law enforcement and protection for the city. The Police Chief is appointed for a six-year term, and the Fire Chief is appointed as well. The Florence Fire Department consists of eight fire stations with fifteen fire companies. Calahan State University also has its own law enforcement, the Calahan State University System Police Department.
Infrastructure
Roads
The city's streets are laid out primarily in a grid pattern. Interstate 70 passes through Florence, connecting the city with Hamilton to the west and Mobile, Petra to the east. The Traiger Bridge crosses the Cuyoga River. Interstate 25's northern terminus is in the city, and connects the city with Albany, Petra, and eventually Willmington, to the South.
Airports
Florence is served by Florence Regional Airport, located south of the city, which provides commercial airline service to Cuyoga, St. Clarke, and Parkland.
Seaports
The Port of Florence is the fourteenth-busiest seaport in Ibica and a major West Bay container load center. The Florence Ship Channel provides direct access to the Bay of Albion 34 miles (55 km) downstream. The ship channel has a projected depth of 40 feet (12 m) and a bottom width of 400 feet (120 m).
Public transportation
Florence Municipal Transit, the city's bus system, provides five routes throughout the city.