Okeechobee County () is a county located in the Florida Heartland region of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,644. The county seat is Okeechobee. The County of Okeechobee comprises the Okeechobee, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Port St. Lucie, FL Combined Statistical Area. History Okeechobee County was incorporated in 1917. It was named for Lake Okeechobee, which was itself named for the Seminole Indian words okee (water) and chobee (big). Historic buildings Historic buildings in Okeechobee County include: First United Methodist Church, 1924 Freedman-Raulerson House, 1923 Okeechobee County Courthouse, 1926 Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (13.8%) is water. Adjacent counties Indian River County - northeast Martin County - east St. Lucie County - east Glades County - southwest Hendry County - southwest Highlands County - west Polk County - northwest Osceola County - northwest Points of interest The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, part of the Florida National Scenic Trail, runs along the Herbert Hoover Dike around the Lake. Transportation Airports Okeechobee County Airport Major highways Demographics As of the 2020 United States census, there were 39,644 people, 14,601 households, and 9,837 families residing in the county. As of the census of 2010, there were 39,996 people, 13,857 households, and 9,016 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 15,504 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile (8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.9% White, 8.6% Black or African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 1.2% from two or more races. 24.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2005 68.5% of the county population was White non-Hispanic, 21.6% of the population was Latino, 8.0% was African-American and both Native Americans and Asians constituted 0.9% of the population. In 2000 there were 12,593 households, out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.50% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.40% were non-families. 21.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.07. In the county