Tides & Towns
Space Coast · FL

Cocoa Beach

A surf town in the shadow of the launch pads.

Population
11,354 (2020 census)
Settled
1888, as Oceanus
Pier
1962
Tides
Two highs, two lows, uneven

Then

  1. 1888

    Men from Cocoa buy the land and settle it as Oceanus.

  2. 1923–1925

    Cocoa's city attorney, Gus Edwards, buys up the land, leaves law to develop it and becomes mayor when the town is established in 1925.

  3. 1955

    The town prepares housing for the people who will launch missiles from what is now Cape Canaveral, about 15 miles north.

  4. 1961–1962

    Ron Jon Surf Shop opens its first local store, and the Cape Canaveral Pier, now the Cocoa Beach Pier, is built.

  5. 1960s

    The town holds parades for astronauts after crewed flights. The sitcom I Dream of Jeannie is set here, though never filmed here.

Now

Cocoa Beach is a surf town: 11-time world champion Kelly Slater grew up here, and the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame is here. Launches from the Cape are visible from the beach.

The Banana River forms the town's western edge. Cape Canaveral, Canova Beach and Melbourne share this stretch of coast.

On the water

From NOAA's predictions for Cocoa Beach, FL over the next 365 days. Heights are in feet above mean lower low water (MLLW).

Pattern
Two highs and two lows a day, one noticeably bigger than the other
Typical daily range
3.8 ft
Biggest swing
5.6 ft on Dec 24
Smallest swing
2.0 ft on May 25
Highest high
5.1 ft, Oct 28 at 9:57 AM
Lowest low
−1.1 ft, Jan 23 at 1:37 AM

6 tide stations around Cocoa Beach

Sources