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Florida · South Florida · Lake Okeechobee · Sugarcane Country
Hendry County, Florida
South Florida's sugarcane heartland — from Clewiston's "America's Sweetest Town" and the US Sugar Corporation's massive operations to LaBelle's historic courthouse on the Caloosahatchee River, the Lake Okeechobee dike, and the vast agricultural landscape that feeds the nation's sugar supply. Property tax, courts, public records, and senior services for Hendry County residents.
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Hendry County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Hendry County Emergency Management – (863) 675-5260 | hendryfla.com/emergency
Alert System: Florida FDEM; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: LaBelle school facilities; Clewiston school facilities; contact OEM
FEMA Region: Region 4
Notes: South-central Florida agricultural county between Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades; LaBelle is county seat; hurricane risk (Charley 2004 struck the county directly – significant agricultural damage; Ian 2022 caused serious damage along the Caloosahatchee River corridor; Andrew 1992 impacts); flooding (Caloosahatchee River – the primary waterway connecting Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf; flooding from Lake Okeechobee discharges and river flooding; Hendry County’s very flat, low elevation makes it extremely flood-prone); severe thunderstorms; one of Florida’s most significant sugarcane producing areas; Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Big Cypress Reservation
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Hendry County Roads – (863) 675-5260
Transit: Very limited; primarily auto-dependent
Notes: SR-80 (east-west through LaBelle – the primary Hendry County route; connects to West Palm Beach east via SR-80/US-98 and Fort Myers west); US-27 (along Lake Okeechobee’s western shore through Clewiston); Clewiston is on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee; LaBelle is on the Caloosahatchee River; the Caloosahatchee River is navigable through LaBelle connecting Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf; Fort Myers is about 35 miles west
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Hendry County Building – (863) 675-5260
Services: County permits; LaBelle (separate – modest county seat), Clewiston (separate), Felda separate
Notes: Agricultural county with limited non-agricultural development; sugarcane processing facility construction; Clewiston has some development related to the US Sugar Corporation headquarters; Seminole Tribe Big Cypress Reservation has tribal development; limited residential activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Hendry County Veterans Services – (863) 675-5260
VA Medical: Bay Pines VAMC (about 80 miles west); West Palm Beach VA accessible east; LaBelle VA CBOC (limited)
Services: Benefits claims; multiple VA options accessible; small rural veteran population; agricultural community includes veteran farmworkers
Notes: Bay Pines and West Palm Beach VA both accessible via SR-80; telehealth for routine care; Seminole Tribe veteran services on the reservation
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Hendry County Library – (863) 612-4200 | hcbocc.net/library
Branches: LaBelle, Clewiston
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Lake Okeechobee heritage; Caloosahatchee River heritage; sugarcane farming history; Seminole heritage; Spanish-language materials
Notes: Two-branch system; Spanish-language materials are critical for the large Hispanic agricultural worker community; Lake Okeechobee and Caloosahatchee heritage; US Sugar Corporation history (Clewiston is a company town built around the US Sugar Corporation)
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Caloosahatchee River (boating; fishing; paddling; connects Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf; the W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam is the primary water control structure); Lake Okeechobee (western shore – fishing; the lake’s western shore accessible from Clewiston and US-27); Seminole Tribe Big Cypress Reservation (very large reservation in southern Hendry County – Seminole cultural heritage; the Big Cypress Reservation is the Seminole cattle ranching community; the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum (see Broward County – the primary Seminole museum is in Broward but the reservation is here); Billie Swamp Safari (eco-tourism on the Big Cypress Reservation – airboat tours, wildlife education; camp-style overnight experiences); the “Hollywood” Seminoles were the casino-operating Seminoles while the Big Cypress Seminoles maintain more traditional ranching); Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife Management Area (SFWMD – significant wetland and wildlife habitat in the county)
Notes: Hendry County’s Big Cypress Reservation provides access to authentic Seminole culture through the Billie Swamp Safari; airboat tours through the cypress swamp ecosystem are a Florida Classic; Clewiston (“America’s Sweetest Town” – the US Sugar Corporation’s headquarters; the company built much of Clewiston including the Clewiston Inn, a charming 1938 hotel that still operates; the sugar industry dominates the local economy and landscape)
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Hendry County GIS; SFWMD water management maps; Caloosahatchee River lock and dam maps; Okeechobee water level monitoring; Seminole Tribe reservation maps
Notes: County GIS; Caloosahatchee River flow and water quality monitoring maps; Lake Okeechobee level monitoring; Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) land use maps; Big Cypress Reservation maps
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Hendry County Animal Control – (863) 675-5260; Seminole Tribe manages animals on reservation
Notes: Agricultural county; cattle (significant); sugarcane harvesting; Florida black bears; panther territory (Hendry County is within the Florida panther’s range – Big Cypress adjacent); Florida sandhill cranes; wading birds; alligators in the Caloosahatchee and sloughs
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Hendry County Solid Waste – (863) 675-5260; transfer stations
Environmental: Florida DEP; South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD – manages the Caloosahatchee River water quality and flow; Lake Okeechobee discharges; Everglades Agricultural Area water management); US Army Corps of Engineers (Caloosahatchee locks and dams; Lake Okeechobee); Seminole Tribe environmental programs (sovereign; manages tribal lands)
Key Issues: Caloosahatchee River water quality (when USACE releases excess Lake Okeechobee water to prevent dike failure, the discharges go through the Caloosahatchee River to the Gulf through Fort Myers; these discharges carry the lake’s elevated phosphorus and algal blooms; the toxic algal blooms that travel down the Caloosahatchee have devastated Fort Myers estuaries and shell fishing; the response to this problem is a central goal of Everglades Restoration – building water storage south of the lake to hold water rather than releasing it to the coasts); Florida panther habitat (Hendry County is within the Florida panther’s core range – the Big Cypress-Everglades system that is the panther’s last stronghold; development in Hendry County must be managed to maintain habitat connectivity; vehicle collisions on US-27 and SR-80 are panther mortality concerns); Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) management (Hendry County is partly in the EAA – the drainage area south of Lake Okeechobee that is used for sugarcane and vegetable farming; the EAA’s water management (pumping water off the agricultural land into Lake Okeechobee or south into the Everglades) is central to both the lake’s water quality problem and the Everglades Restoration)
Notes: Hendry County sits at the geographic and ecological heart of South Florida’s most significant water management challenges – the Lake Okeechobee/Caloosahatchee/Everglades system that is the focus of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan; US Sugar Corporation’s sugarcane operations in the EAA south of Lake Okeechobee have been the subject of significant controversy regarding nutrient loading into the lake and Everglades; the state’s 2008 purchase of 180,000 acres of US Sugar land (for $1.75 billion) to create water storage for Everglades restoration was one of the largest conservation land purchases in Florida history; the project’s progress has been slow but represents a major commitment to Everglades restoration; the Seminole Tribe’s Big Cypress Reservation’s sovereign environmental programs and their cattle ranching operations coexist with the broader Everglades restoration context
About Hendry County
Heritage | Clewiston is the county’s largest city — “America’s Sweetest Town” (United States Sugar Corporation — the largest sugarcane producer in the United States — is headquartered here; the surrounding farmland produces an enormous share of U.S. domestic sugar); LaBelle is the charming county seat on the Caloosahatchee River Outdoors | Lake Okeechobee (south shore — excellent bass fishing); Caloosahatchee River; Big Cypress National Preserve (western portion); Seminole Indian Brighton Reservation Notable | Hendry County has one of the highest proportions of agricultural employment in Florida; significant Seminole tribal lands; the Caloosahatchee River connects Lake Okeechobee to Fort Myers and the Gulf Library | Hendry County Libraries — (863) 675-0125
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Florida assesses at just value each January 1. Agricultural classification available for qualifying agricultural land. TRIM Notice in August – 25-day petition window to the Hendry County Value Adjustment Board. Homestead exemption: File with the Hendry County Property Appraiser at 25 E. Hickpochee Avenue, Room 121, LaBelle, FL 33935, phone 863-675-5270, by March 1. No FL estate or inheritance tax.
Recommended
Hendry County TRIM notice August — 25-day appeal window. Agricultural land classification considerations critical for sugarcane and citrus operations. No FL estate or inheritance tax. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Circuit Court (Probate): The Hendry County Circuit Court – 20th Judicial Circuit at 25 E. Hickpochee Avenue, LaBelle, FL 33935, phone 863-675-5217, handles probate, estate administration, and all civil and criminal matters. Clerk of Courts at hendryclerk.com.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF COURTS (Records, Marriage Licenses)
25 E. Hickpochee Ave., LaBelle, FL 33935
(863) 675-5217
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Hendry County Clerk of the Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The Old Hendry County Courthouse (built 1926, Mediterranean/Mission Revival style), now a National Register of Historic Places listing, sits in the Downtown LaBelle Historic District.
Local societies
No dedicated Hendry County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Hendry County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Probate Division 25 E. Hickpochee Avenue, LaBelle, FL 33935 (863) 675-5217
Hendry County sits in Florida’s 20th Judicial Circuit. Probate Judge: Hon. Darrell R. Hill. Clerk & Comptroller: Kimberley R. Barrineau.
IMPORTANT – a major statewide law change just took effect: Florida’s summary administration threshold DOUBLED from $75,000 to $150,000 effective July 1, 2026, under CS/HB 1337 (Chapter 2026-57, Laws of Florida). Confirm which threshold applies based on date of death when helping someone (see
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
100 Arizona St., Clewiston, FL 33440
(863) 674-5600
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
25 E. Hickpochee Ave., LaBelle, FL 33935
(863) 675-5230
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
FL Dept of Health — Hendry
514 W. Sagamore Ave., Clewiston, FL 33440
(863) 674-4060
FL DCF — Hendry
(863) 983-1470
FL Medicaid
(800) 299-4833
Hendry Regional Medical Center
hendryregional.org
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Florida DOH in Hendry County – (863) 675-5202 | hendry.floridahealth.gov
Services: Immunizations, WIC, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; behavioral health; agricultural worker health (pesticide exposure; sugarcane harvesting; heat illness); Caloosahatchee water quality monitoring
Hospital: Hendry Regional Medical Center (LaBelle – (863) 675-8656; solid critical access hospital); Fort Myers hospitals for major care
Notes: Hendry Regional Medical Center serves the county; Fort Myers hospitals accessible for specialty care; agricultural worker health (sugarcane industry – large migrant worker community, predominantly Hispanic, requires bilingual services and specialized occupational health); behavioral health in isolated agricultural community; heat illness prevention is critical in summer
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