Merritt Island, Florida

Merritt Island, Florida
Location in Brevard County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 28°18′45″N 80°38′50″W / 28.31250°N 80.64722°W / 28.31250; -80.64722
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountyBrevard
Area
 • Total
46.15 sq mi (119.54 km2)
 • Land16.97 sq mi (43.96 km2)
 • Water29.19 sq mi (75.59 km2)
Elevation
0 ft (0 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
34,518
 • Density2,034/sq mi (785.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
32952–32954
Area code321
FIPS code12-44275
GNIS feature ID2403280

Merritt Island is a peninsula in Brevard County, Florida, United States, located on the eastern Florida coast, along the Atlantic Ocean. It is also the name of an unincorporated town in the central and southern parts of the island and a census-designated place (CDP).

The population was 34,518 at the 2020 census, down from 34,743 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center is located on Merritt Island to the north of the town, and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is located north of the space center.

The central part of Merritt Island, previously known as Merritt City, is home to the majority of the population and includes the local high school, library, and shopping district. The southern area is heavily residential, with centralized light commercial and light industrial areas.