Edgewater

Edgewater's history begins with Dr. John Milton Hawk, who first purchased land in the area in 1865 and settled there in 1874, naming the settlement Hawk's Park. The community grew slowly along the western shore of Mosquito Lagoon — the northernmost section of the Indian River Lagoon system — and was incorporated in 1915 as the Town of Hawks Park, retaining that name until 1924 when the Florida Legislature renamed it the City of Edgewater, a name that better reflected its waterfront character.

Through the 19th and early 20th centuries, Edgewater's economy revolved around fishing, citrus, and the small-scale commerce of a Lagoon-side town. The Florida East Coast Railway's presence to the west linked the community to broader markets, but Edgewater remained modest and largely undeveloped through the mid-20th century. Its identity was always defined by the Lagoon and by its position just south of whatever was happening in larger New Smyrna Beach — close enough to share the coastal lifestyle, distinct enough to maintain its own quieter character.

Growth began accelerating in the 1990s and 2000s as South Volusia County attracted buyers priced out of New Smyrna Beach's barrier island market. Edgewater's combination of affordable canal-front lots, Lagoon access, and proximity to NSB's shopping and dining made it an attractive alternative. Holiday Builders and other volume builders have kept new construction active in Edgewater, creating neighborhoods that blend with older waterfront stock. Today the city covers over 22 square miles with approximately 24,000 residents and 150+ acres of parks.