Okeechobee County, Florida
Okeechobee
Oki chubi. Seven hundred and thirty square miles, nine feet deep, walled in concrete.
Lake Okeechobee is the eighth-largest natural freshwater lake in the fifty states and the largest contained entirely within the contiguous forty-eight - 730 square miles at an average depth of just nine feet.
What this place is
Why Okeechobee is here
Okeechobee was incorporated on 4 June 1915.
By the 1930s the area was shipping hundreds of train cars of winter vegetables a year, alongside poultry farms, catfish operations and a bullfrog breeding industry.
Worth the trip
What to look for
- 01
The Okeechobee Battlefield, where on 25 December 1837 Seminole forces met US troops under Zachary Taylor in one of the largest battles of the Second Seminole War.
- 02
Lake Okeechobee itself, ringed by the 40-foot Herbert Hoover Dike built after the 1928 hurricane, whose latest rehabilitation completed in January 2023.
Time your visit
The weekend that matters
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March
Speckled Perch Festival and Parade
Running since 1965
The oldest celebration in Okeechobee, running since 1965. It began by honouring the fishing industry with a parade and a fish fry in Flagler Park at the height of the tourist season; the Saturday parade still steps off at 10am.
Hotels, inns, rentals and campgrounds
Where to Stay
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Campgrounds
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Campgrounds
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Hotels
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Hotels
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Campgrounds
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Hotels
Restaurants, seafood, cafes and bars
Where to Eat
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Seafood · $
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Restaurants · $
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Restaurants · $
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Seafood · $
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Restaurants · $
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Restaurants · $
Parks, beaches, museums, tours and charters
Things to Do
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Parks Nature
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Parks Nature
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Attractions
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Tours Charters
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Tours Charters
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Parks Nature · $$
Okeechobee on the record
Pictures of the place
Archive and Creative Commons photographs of Okeechobee. Nothing here is generated; every image is credited to the person who took it.
66 guides, written from this town’s own record
Guides
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The Best Things to Do in Okeechobee, Florida
The lake is the whole story here, and it always has been.
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Best Restaurants in Okeechobee, FL: Local Favorites
Okeechobee eats like it works: plain, steady, and built on what the lake and the fields provide, not on impressing anyone passing through.
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Where to Stay in Okeechobee: Hotels, Inns and Rentals
The lake decides your plans here. A hotel room is just where you sleep it off.
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Okeechobee in a Day: A Practical Itinerary
The lake is a working body of water, not a postcard, and this itinerary treats it that way.
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Is Okeechobee Worth Visiting? Honest 2025 Guide
Okeechobee is a working lake town, not a resort, and that is exactly why it is worth your time.
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The Best Time of Year to Visit Okeechobee
The right time to come depends on whether you want to fish, farm, or just stand at the edge of the big water and respect what it has done.
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Okeechobee vs Stuart: Which Florida Town to Visit
Okeechobee sits 41 miles inland from Stuart. The difference between the two towns is the difference between a working lake and a polished coast.
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The History of Okeechobee in 7 Landmarks
The lake is the first landmark, and the reason the rest exist.
Public record
Okeechobee by the numbers
- 5,376Residents (2023)
- 0% Homes held for seasonal use
- 213 Places in this guide