Editing St. Cloud, Florida

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = St. Cloud, Florida
| settlement_type    = [[City (Florida)|City]]
| image_skyline      = St Cloud FL City Hall02.jpg
| image_alt          = St. Cloud City Hall
| image_caption      = St. Cloud City Hall
| image_blank_emblem = StCloudLogo.jpg
| blank_emblem_type  = City logo
| nickname           = The Friendly Soldier City
| motto              = "Your Centerplace for Life"
| image_map          = Osceola County Florida Incorporated and Unincorporated areas St. Cloud Highlighted.svg
| map_caption        = Location in [[Osceola County, Florida|Osceola County]] and the state of [[Florida]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|28|13|50|N|81|17|7|W|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = <ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flagu|United States}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Florida}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Florida|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = {{flagicon image|Flag of Osceola County, Florida.png}} [[Osceola County, Florida|Osceola]]
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = April 16, 1909<ref>[http://www.stcloud.org/DocumentCenter/View/11930 About St. Cloud, FL]. stcloud.org. Retrieved 2015-04-26.</ref>
| established_title1 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date1  = January 3, 1911<ref name="cityfacts">[http://www.stcloud.org/DocumentCenter/View/11943 City Facts - St. Cloud, FL]. stcloud.org. Retrieved 2015-04-26.</ref>
| government_type    = [[Council–manager government|Council–Manager]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Chris Robertson
| leader_title1      = [[Deputy Mayor]]
| leader_name1       = Shawn Fletcher
| leader_title2      = [[City Council|Council Members]]
| leader_name2       = Kolby Urban,<br>Ken Gilbert, and<br>Jennifer A. Paul
| leader_title3      = [[City Manager]]
| leader_name3       = Veronica Miller
| leader_title4      = [[City Clerk]]
| leader_name4       = Ivy Llauro
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_12.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=December 2, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi   = 25.53
| area_land_sq_mi    = 25.49
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.04
| area_water_percent = 0.061
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 69
| population_total   = 58964
| population_as_of   = 2020
| population_footnotes = 
| population_density_sq_mi = 2313.22
| timezone1          = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset1        = -5
| timezone1_DST      = [[Eastern Time Zone|EDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST    = -4
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code        = 34769, 34771-34773
| area_code          = [[Area code 321|321]], [[Area codes 407 and 689|407, 689]]
| website            = {{URL|www.stcloud.org}}
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 12-62625<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2015-04-26|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2405392<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2405392}}</ref>
| pop_est_as_of      = 2024
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name="q380">{{cite web | title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: St. Cloud city, Florida | website=Census Bureau QuickFacts | date=2024-07-01 | url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/stcloudcityflorida/LFE041223 | access-date=2025-05-15}}</ref>
| population_est     = 71036
| area_total_km2     = 66.11
| area_land_km2      = 66.02
| area_water_km2     = 0.09
| population_density_km2 = 893.13
}}
'''St. Cloud''' or '''Saint Cloud'''<ref name=gnis/> is a city in northern [[Osceola County, Florida]], [[United States]]. It is on the southern shore of [[East Lake Tohopekaliga]] in [[Central Florida]], about {{convert|26|mi|km|1}} southeast of [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]]. The population was 35,183 in the 2010 census, and 58,964 in the 2020 census. The city is part of the [[Greater Orlando|Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford]] metropolitan area.

St. Cloud was founded as a retirement community for [[American Civil War|Civil War]] union veterans, and gained the nickname "The Friendly Soldier City".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2002/04/21/sharing-tales-of-early-settlers-will-preserve-st-clouds-past/|title=Sharing Tales Of Early Settlers Will Preserve St. Cloud's Past|website=orlandosentinel.com|access-date=9 September 2018}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:St. Cloud Hotel, St. Cloud, FL.jpg|thumb|left|St. Cloud Hotel c. 1922]]
[[File:St Cloud FL old hotel01.jpg|thumb|left|St. Cloud Hotel, 2011]]
During the 1870s, [[Hamilton Disston]] of [[Philadelphia]] took an interest in developing the region while on fishing trips with [[Henry Shelton Sanford]], founder of the city of [[Sanford, Florida|Sanford]]. Disston contracted with the [[Internal improvements|Florida Internal Improvement Fund]], then in receivership, to pay $1 million to offset its [[American Civil War|Civil War]] and [[Reconstruction era of the United States|Reconstruction]] debt. In exchange, Disston was awarded half the land he drained from the state's swamps. He dug canals and, in 1886–1887, established St. Cloud [[sugarcane]] [[plantations in the American South|plantation]], named after [[St. Cloud, Minnesota]], although many longtime locals claim the town was named after [[Saint-Cloud]], France.<ref>Berman Law Group</ref>

Disston opened the Sugar Belt Railway to the [[South Florida Railroad]] in 1888 to carry his product to market. But the [[Panic of 1893]] dropped land values, and the [[Great Freeze]] of 1894–1895 ruined the plantation. Disston returned to Philadelphia, where he died in 1896. The Sugar Belt Railway merged into the South Florida Railroad. An attempt to cultivate rice in the area failed, and for several years the land remained fallow. Then in 1909, the Seminole Land & Investment Company acquired {{convert|35,000|acre|ha}} as the site for a [[Grand Army of the Republic]] veterans' colony. St. Cloud was selected because of its "health, climate and productiveness of soil." It was first permanently settled in 1909 by William G. King, a real estate manager from [[Alachua County]] who had been given the responsibility "to plan, locate and develop a town."

On April 16, 1909, the ''Kissimmee Valley Gazette'' announced the "New Town of St. Cloud", a "Soldiers Colony" near Kissimmee. The newspaper called the [[Seminole Land and Investment Company]]'s purchase "one of the most important real estate deals ever made in the State of Florida." It was reported that the company had searched all over Florida for the perfect site for a veterans' colony, particularly one suited for "health, climate, and productiveness of the soil". It is believed that many of the streets were named for states from which the Civil War veterans had served, but the street names were already assigned to the platted land before settlement occurred.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.stcloudmainstreetflorida.org/history.html |title=St. Cloud Main Street - History |access-date=2008-07-30 |archive-date=2008-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807173300/http://www.stcloudmainstreetflorida.org/history.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Early St. Cloud is believed to have history as a [[Sundown Town]] with a plot of land outside the city reserved for black residents officially dubbed “Colored Quarter.” This name is still active on official land records as the title of this section of land.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2007-04-08-quarter08-story.html| title = St. Cloud-area neighborhood records reflect racism – Orlando Sentinel| date = April 8, 2007}}</ref> Early newspaper records support the history of being a “Sundown Town” with firsthand accounts of local residents making attempts “to keep the colored folks in their own quarters outside the town.”<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1191&context=cfm-stcloudtribune|title=St. Cloud Tribune Vol. 17, No. 35, April 22, 1926|work=St. Cloud Tribune|publisher=[[University of Central Florida]]|date=April 22, 1926|access-date=August 23, 2021}}</ref>

On June 1, 1915, the [[Florida Legislature]] incorporated St. Cloud as a city. Its downtown features landmark buildings by the Orlando architectural firm [[Ida Annah Ryan|Ryan]] & [[Isabel Roberts|Roberts]], a partnership consisting of two women. The buildings by Ryan and Roberts and others downtown are predominantly [[Spanish Revival]].<ref>Dalles, John, "The Pathbreaking Legacy of Ryan and Roberts", in "Reflections", the journal of the Historical Society of Central Florida, Summer 2009; pages 8 and 9.</ref>

St. Cloud has tried to separate itself from neighboring cities, and particularly the theme parks, by promoting an image of small-town life, and by attempting to make itself economically less dependent on Kissimmee. On March 6, 2006, St. Cloud introduced the CyberSpot program, becoming the first city in the United States to give residents free high-speed wireless Internet access, but the program ended in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2009-09-29-0909290002-story.html|title = St. Cloud pulls plug on free citywide Wi-Fi| date=September 29, 2009 }}</ref>

===Water tower cross controversy===
In the late 1960s, the city of St. Cloud was gifted a [[Latin cross]] during the Christmas season. The twelve-foot tall cross, which was illuminated at night, stood atop the city’s water tower off [[U.S. Route 192]] for nearly twenty years without issue.<ref name="justia">{{Cite web|title=Mendelson v. City of St. Cloud, 719 F. Supp. 1065 (M.D. Fla. 1989)|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/719/1065/1438172/|access-date=2023-09-12|website=Justia Law|language=en}}</ref>

By November 1986, the [[American Civil Liberties Union|American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)]] filed its first lawsuit against the city of St. Cloud to have the cross removed. Four months later, in March 1987, private citizen Ronald Mendelson filed a similar lawsuit that the cross violated the [[Separation of church and state in the United States|U.S. Constitution’s mandate of separation of church and state]].<ref name="orlandosentinel1990">{{cite news |title=St. Cloud Officials Decide Water Tower Loses Cross |author=Fernandez, Phil |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1990/04/20/st-cloud-officials-decide-water-tower-loses-cross/ |newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |date=April 20, 1990 |access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref> Mendelson, a Jewish resident who lived east of St. Cloud, decided to sue because of the city’s implicit endorsement of Christianity atop the water tower and the inconvenience Mendelson felt due to the “shadow of the cross.”<ref name="justia" /> In defense of its presence, residents cited the cross as a local landmark and directional marker for boaters, drivers, and pilots commuting within St. Cloud.<ref name="sunsentinel1987">{{cite news|title=ACLU Finds Plaintiffs In Cross Fight|newspaper=South Florida Sun Sentinel|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1987/02/20/aclu-finds-plaintiffs-in-cross-fight/|date=February 20, 1987|access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref>

On August 16, 1989, a U.S. District judge ruled in favor of Mendelson to have the Latin cross removed off the water tower.<ref name="justia" /><ref name="upiarchives">{{cite news|title=Quirks In The News|newspaper=UPI Archives|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/09/30/Quirks-in-the-News/4985623131200/|date=September 30, 1989|access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref> The judge, however, suggested in his ruling that the city replace the Latin cross with a [[Greek cross]], distinguished for representing a plus-sign, to identify St. Cloud as a crossroad city.<ref name="orlandosentinel1989">{{cite news |title=Symbols Swapped Atop St. Cloud Water Tower |author=Ahmad, Ishmael |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1989/09/30/symbols-swapped-atop-st-cloud-water-tower/ |newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |date=September 30, 1989 |access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref> The ACLU quickly filed an additional lawsuit, claiming that the new Greek cross still violated the U.S. Constitution in an attempt to evade the judge’s original ruling.<ref name="orlandosentinel1990"/>

Eventually, the city of St. Cloud agreed to remove the cross in 1990, primarily due to the mounting legal costs incurred by the ACLU.<ref name="orlandosentinel1990"/><ref name="orlandosentinel1995">{{cite news|title=Intercession City Has Long History Of Involvement With Christians|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1995/09/16/intercession-city-has-long-history-of-involvement-with-christians/|date=September 16, 1995|access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref> Local support through the city council to reinstate the Latin cross on private property within St. Cloud was proposed.<ref name="orlandosentinel1995"/> Ultimately, those discussions fell through due to the 35-foot height restriction that the cross would have exceeded on a structure within city limits.<ref name="orlandosentinel1991">{{cite news|title=St. Cloud's Cross Getting A New Home|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1991/01/10/st-clouds-cross-getting-a-new-home/|date=January 10, 1991|access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref>

The original Latin cross has since been moved atop a 60-foot tower on private property in nearby [[Intercession City, Florida|Intercession City]], where it has remained since 1995.<ref name="orlandosentinel1995"/>

==Geography==
The approximate coordinates for the City of St. Cloud is located at {{coord|28|13|50|N|81|17|7|W|}}.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|9.2|sqmi}}, of which 0.11% is water. St. Cloud is on the southern shore of [[East Lake Tohopekaliga]], an exceptionally clear lake, with good visibility to depths of {{convert|7|to|9|ft}}. East Lake is nearly circular in shape and covers approximately {{convert|12000|acre|km2}}.

The major highway is [[U.S. Route 192]] running in tandem with [[U.S. Route 441 in Florida|U.S. Route 441]] east and west. This six-lane road is intersected by avenues running north and south. Many have names of US states in no particular order.<ref>[http://www.mapquest.com/maps/Saint+Cloud+FL/ Mapquest] accessed March 12, 2008</ref>

==Climate==
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the [[Köppen climate classification]], the City of St. Cloud has a [[humid subtropical climate]] zone (''Cfa'').

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1920 = 2011
| 1930 = 1863
| 1940 = 2042
| 1950 = 3001
| 1960 = 4353
| 1970 = 5041
| 1980 = 7840
| 1990 = 12453
| 2000 = 20074
| 2010 = 35183
| 2020 = 58964
| estyear = 2024
| estimate = 71036
| estref = <ref name="h001">{{cite web | title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: St. Cloud city, Florida | website=Census Bureau QuickFacts | date=2024-07-01 | url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/stcloudcityflorida/PST045224 | access-date=2025-05-15}}</ref>
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010 and 2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''St. Cloud racial composition'''<br> (Hispanics excluded from racial categories)<br> (''NH = Non-Hispanic'')<br>
!Race
!Pop 2010<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - St. Cloud city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=St.+Cloud+city;+Florida+&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!Pop 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - St. Cloud city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=St.+Cloud+city;+Florida+&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|21,851
|23,799
|62.11%
|40.36%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|1,633
|3,392
|4.64%
|5.75%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|79
|100
|0.22%
|0.17%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|580
|1,111
|1.65%
|1.88%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] or [[Native Hawaiian]] (NH)
|21
|51
|0.06%
|0.09%
|-
|[[Other races (U.S. Census)|Some other race]] (NH)
|143
|393
|0.41%
|0.67%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races/Multiracial]] (NH)
|596
|2,038
|1.69%
|3.46%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|10,280
|28,080
|29.22%
|47.62%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''35,183'''
|'''58,964'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|-
|}

As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 58,964 people, 15,986 households, and 11,496 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2020: St. Cloud city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=St.+Cloud+city;+Florida+&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1101|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

As of the [[2010 United States census]], there were 35,183 people, 12,776 households, and 9,206 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2010: St. Cloud city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=St.+Cloud+city;+Florida+&tid=ACSST5Y2010.S1101|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

In 2010, the population of the Hispanic or Latino was 29.22%. Out of that percentage, 18.7% were [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]]s who were by far the largest Hispanic or Latino group. The median age of St. Cloud's population was 36.8 years. 7.8% of the population was 65 or older. There were 12,565 households with 9,145 of them constituting families.<ref>2010 general population and housing report for St. Cloud</ref>

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 20,074 people, 6,716 households, and 5,424 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|2,190.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 8,602 housing units at an average density of {{convert|938.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 90.27% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.07% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.47% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.95% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.07% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 4.10% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.06% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 13.36% of the population.

In 2000, there were 7,716 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.00.

In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $36,467, and the median income for a family was $41,211. Males had a median income of $30,955 versus $22,414 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $17,031. About 6.2% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
All of the public schools in St. Cloud are served by the [[School District of Osceola County, Florida]].

'''Elementary Schools'''
* Canoe Creek K–8 (formerly Canoe Creek Charter)
* Harmony Elementary School (HCES)
* Hickory Tree Elementary School (HTE)
* Lakeview Elementary School (LVES)
* Michigan Avenue Elementary School (MES)
* Narcoossee Elementary School (NCES)
* Neptune Elementary School
* St. Cloud Elementary School

'''Middle Schools'''
* Harmony Middle School (HCMS)
* Narcoossee Middle School (NCMS)
* Neptune Middle School (NMS)
* St. Cloud Middle School (SCMS)

'''High Schools'''
* [[Harmony High School]] (HHS) (Although HHS is not within the city limits (about 15 miles east), students in the eastern part of city limits along with 1/3 of the south portion of the city attend this school)
* [[St. Cloud High School]] (SCHS)

'''Parochial Schools'''
* St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School (Pre-K–8)

'''Charter Schools'''
* American Classical Charter Academy (K–8) (closed as of 2022)
* BridgePrep Academy (K–8)
* Creative Inspiration Journey School (K–5)
* Mater Academy (K–8)
* St. Cloud Preparatory Academy (K–9) (closed as of 2022)

'''Private Schools'''
* City Of Life Christian Academy (Pre-K–12)
* St. Cloud Christian Preparatory School (K–12)

==Public library==
The Veteran's Memorial St. Cloud Library is a branch library is in a remodeled [[SunTrust Banks|SunTrust Bank]], five blocks away from historic downtown St. Cloud.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.osceolalibrary.org/St.-Cloud-Library |website=Osceola Library System |access-date=9 February 2021|title=St. Cloud Library &#124; Osceola Library System }}</ref> Its hours are Monday-Saturday from 9am to 6pm. The branch offers many programs, such as LIVE storytimes, virtual bookclubs and over 50,000 volumes.

===History of Veterans Memorial Library===
The first form of a library in St. Cloud was in 1910, when the new woman's club set up a traveling library and a table at the train station with reading materials for locals. By 1911, there was a reading room that was purchased on Pennsylvania Avenue that the ladies of the town worked to make comfortable and stocked with things to read. Within the next couple of years the collection had outgrown the reading room and moved to the People's Bank and then City Hall. In 1915, the town began fundraising to build a proper building. These efforts were put on hold temporarily while war efforts were made a priority. When 1922 rolled around, it was decided that there was enough money to pay an architect to begin planning and building. The contract price was for $4,506.20. The building was extremely well-built and designed with many updated features, including electricity. On February 17, 1923, the new library was dedicated and named "Veteran's Memorial Library" which remains today.<ref>{{Cite web|title=St. Cloud Heritage Museum|url=http://www.stcloudheritagemuseum.com/|access-date=2020-11-16|website=St. Cloud Heritage Museum, St. Cloud, FL|language=en-US}}</ref>

From 1923 to 1968, Veteran's Memorial Library was operated and taken care of by the Woman's Club of St. Cloud. In 1968 it officially became part of the Osceola County Library System. From 1972 to 1974, the location of the library collection moved into a former bank on the corner of New York Avenue and 10th Street. At this point, the original building became a thrift store to benefit the Red Cross and other groups. In 2001, the building was purchased by The City of St. Cloud, and with the help of other organizations was planned to become a museum. The grand opening of The St. Cloud Heritage Museum (pictured below) was held on February 17, 2005.

While the St. Cloud Heritage Museum still proudly boasts the name "Veteran's Memorial Library", the branch location was moved to a former SunTrust bank building on 13th Street and Indiana Avenue in 1995, where it still operates today as part of the Osceola County Library System.

==Sites of interest==
[[File:St Cloud Heritage Museum01.jpg|thumb|St. Cloud Heritage Museum]]
* Lakefront Park
* [[Reptile World Serpentarium]]
* [[St. Cloud Depot]]
* St. Cloud Heritage Museum
* [https://www.theatreinthecloud.com Theatre in the Cloud]
* Wild Florida

==Notable people==
*[[Dave Cianelli]], former [[National Football League|NFL]] football player and former [[lobbyist]]
*[[Sam Riggs]], [[country music]] singer-songwriter
*[[The Supervillains]], five-piece [[ska band]]
*[[Brent Fullwood]], former [[National Football League|NFL]] football player
*[[Jesse Neal]], Professional Wrestler/Former TNA Superstar/USS Cole Veteran survivor

==In popular media==
{{unreferenced section|date=March 2023}}

===Music===
*The album ''[[Saint Cloud (album)|Saint Cloud]]'' (2020), by [[Waxahatchee]] gets its name from the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/song-by-song/waxahatchee-breaks-down-every-song-on-her-new-album-saint-cloud/|title=Waxahatchee Breaks Down Every Song on Her New Album, Saint Cloud|work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=March 27, 2020|access-date=April 16, 2024|last=Moreland|first=Quinn}}</ref>

===Play (and film) based in St. Cloud===
*''[[Sweet Bird of Youth]]'' (1959), by [[Tennessee Williams]]

===Films shot in St. Cloud===
*''[[Two Thousand Maniacs!]]'' (1964), directed by [[Herschell Gordon Lewis]], starring [[Connie Mason]] and [[William Kerwin]]{{sfn|Romer|2000|pp=63–64}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=Morgenstern |first1=Meg |title=When Pleasant Valley Came To St. Cloud |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22793838/ |work=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |date=January 19, 1964 |location=Orlando, Florida |page=20F}}</ref>
*''[[Barracuda (1978 film)|Barracuda]]'' (1978), starring [[Wayne Crawford]], [[Jason Evers]], and William Kerwin
*''[[The Waterboy]]'' (1998), starring [[Adam Sandler]], [[Henry Winkler]], and [[Kathy Bates]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Notes==
* {{cite book |last=Romer |first=Jean-Claude |chapter=A Bloody New Wave in the United States (July 1964) |title=Horror Film Reader |location=New York |publisher=Limelight Editions |year=2000 |isbn=0-87910-297-7 }}

==External links==
{{Portal|Florida}}
* [http://www.stcloud.org/ St. Cloud official website]

{{Osceola County, Florida}}
{{Metro Orlando}}
{{Florida}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Cloud, Florida}}
[[Category:St. Cloud, Florida| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Osceola County, Florida]]
[[Category:Cities in the Greater Orlando]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1909]]
[[Category:Cities in Florida]]
[[Category:1909 establishments in Florida]]