List of counties in Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There are 67 counties in the U.S. state of Florida, which became a territory of the U.S. in 1821 with two counties complementing the provincial divisions retained as a Spanish territory, Escambia to the west and St. Johns to the east. The two counties were divided by the Suwannee River. All of the other counties were created later from these two original counties. Florida became the 27th U.S. state in 1845, and its last county was created in 1925 with the formation of Gilchrist County from a segment of Alachua County.[1] Florida's counties are subdivisions of the state government. Florida's most populous county is Miami-Dade County, the seventh most populous county in the nation, with a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census.[2]
LocationState of Florida
Number67
Populations7,955 (Liberty) – 2,838,461 (Miami-Dade)
Areas240 square miles (620 km2) (Union) –
2,034 square miles (5,270 km2) (Palm Beach)
2,034 square miles (5,270 km2) (Palm Beach)
| Counties of Florida | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | State of Florida |
| Number | 67 |
| Populations | 7,955 (Liberty) – 2,838,461 (Miami-Dade) |
| Areas | 240 square miles (620 km2) (Union) – 2,034 square miles (5,270 km2) (Palm Beach) |
| Government | |
| Subdivisions |
|
0–49,999
50,000–99,999
100,000–199,999
200,000–299,999
300,000–499,999
500,000–749,999
750,000–999,999
1,000,000–1,499,999
1,500,000–1,999,999
2,000,000+
In 1968, counties gained the power to develop their own charters.[3] All but two of Florida's county seats are incorporated municipalities: the exceptions are Crawfordville, county seat of rural Wakulla County,[4] and East Naples, located outside Naples city limits in Collier County.
The names of Florida's counties reflect its cultural heritage. Some are named for Confederate political leaders and Spanish explorers, marking the influence of Spanish sovereignty, while others are named for Christian saints, Native American sites, as well as political leaders of the United States. Natural features of the region, including rivers, lakes and flora, are also commonly used for county names. Florida has counties named for participants on both sides of the Second Seminole War: Miami-Dade County is partially named for Francis L. Dade, a major in the U.S. Army at the time; Osceola County is named for the war's native Muscogee-Seminole resistance leader Osceola.[5]
Population figures are based on the 2024 vintage Census population estimates. The population of Florida is 23,372,215, an increase of 8.5% from 2020. The average population of Florida's counties is 348,839; Miami-Dade County is the most populous (2,838,461) and Liberty County is the least (7,955). The average land area is 805 sq mi (2,085 km2). The largest county is Collier County as per 2020 Census bureau of 1,998.32 sq mi.
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) is used by the U.S. government to uniquely identify counties and is provided for each entry. These codes link to the United States Census Bureau's "quick facts" for each county. Florida's FIPS code of 12 is used to distinguish from counties in other states. For example, Orange County's unique nationwide identifier is 12095.[6]
Under the Florida Constitution the state government has the power to create and abolish counties. Each county in Florida is required to have a county seat under the state constitution.[7]
Counties
| County |
FIPS code[6] | County seat[8] | Est.[5] | Formed from[9] | Etymology[5] | Density |
Population[10] | Area[11][8] | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua County | 001 | Gainesville | 1824 | Duval and St. Johns | From a Seminole-Creek word meaning "jug", apparently in reference to the sinkholes common in the area[12] | 333.85 | 291,782 | 874 sq mi (2,264 km2) |  |
| Baker County | 003 | Macclenny | 1861 | New River | James McNair Baker (1821–1892), a Confederate senator and later a judge in the fourth judicial district | 50.13 | 29,325 | 585 sq mi (1,515 km2) |  |
| Bay County | 005 | Panama City | 1913 | Calhoun and Washington | St. Andrew's Bay, the central geographic feature of the county | 261.41 | 199,718 | 764 sq mi (1,979 km2) |  |
| Bradford County | 007 | Starke | 1858 | Columbia named New River until 1861 | Richard Bradford, the first officer from Florida to die in the Civil War; he was killed during the Battle of Santa Rosa Island | 95.82 | 28,075 | 293 sq mi (759 km2) |  |
| Brevard County | 009 | Titusville | 1844 | Hillsborough and Mosquito named St. Lucie until 1855[13] | Theodore Washington Brevard, early settler and later state comptroller from 1853 to 1861[13] | 646.80 | 658,447 | 1,018 sq mi (2,637 km2) |  |
| Broward County | 011 | Fort Lauderdale | 1915 | Miami-Dade and Palm Beach | Napoleon Bonaparte Broward (1857–1910), 19th governor of Florida from 1905 to 1909 | 1685.25 | 2,037,472 | 1,209 sq mi (3,131 km2) |  |
| Calhoun County | 013 | Blountstown | 1838 | Franklin, Jackson, and Washington | John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) leading Southern politician from South Carolina | 23.42 | 13,278 | 567 sq mi (1,469 km2) |  |
| Charlotte County | 015 | Punta Gorda | 1921 | DeSoto | Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III | 305.65 | 212,122 | 694 sq mi (1,797 km2) |  |
| Citrus County | 017 | Inverness | 1887 | Hernando | The county's citrus trees | 291.39 | 170,174 | 584 sq mi (1,513 km2) |  |
| Clay County | 019 | Green Cove Springs | 1858 | Duval | Henry Clay (1777–1852), Secretary of State from 1825 to 1829 under John Quincy Adams | 393.94 | 236,760 | 601 sq mi (1,557 km2) |  |
| Collier County | 021 | East Naples | 1923 | Lee | Barron Collier (1873–1939), an advertising entrepreneur who developed much of the land in southern Florida | 205.45 | 416,233 | 2,026 sq mi (5,247 km2) |  |
| Columbia County | 023 | Lake City | 1832 | Alachua | Christopher Columbus (c. 1451–1506), explorer of the Americas | 92.82 | 73,977 | 797 sq mi (2,064 km2) |  |
| DeSoto County | 027 | Arcadia | 1887 | Manatee | Hernando de Soto (c. 1496/1497–1542), a Spanish explorer and conquistador | 57.68 | 36,744 | 637 sq mi (1,650 km2) |  |
| Dixie County | 029 | Cross City | 1921 | Lafayette | Dixie, the common nickname for the Southern United States | 25.02 | 17,614 | 704 sq mi (1,823 km2) |  |
| Duval County | 031 | Jacksonville | 1822 | St. Johns | William Pope Duval (1784–1854), the first governor of the Florida Territory | 1363.25 | 1,055,159 | 774 sq mi (2,005 km2) |  |
| Escambia County | 033 | Pensacola | 1821 | One of the two original counties | Disputed origin; possibly from the Creek or Choctawword Shambia, meaning "clear water", or from Spanish word "cambiar", meaning to barter | 498.91 | 331,275 | 664 sq mi (1,720 km2) |  |
| Flagler County | 035 | Bunnell | 1917 | St. Johns and Volusia | Henry Morrison Flagler (1830–1913), founder of the Florida East Coast Railway | 281.95 | 136,744 | 485 sq mi (1,256 km2) |  |
| Franklin County | 037 | Apalachicola | 1832 | Gadsden and Washington | Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America | 24.31 | 12,979 | 534 sq mi (1,383 km2) |  |
| Gadsden County | 039 | Quincy | 1823 | Jackson | James Gadsden (1788–1858), American diplomat and namesake of the Gadsden Purchase | 85.56 | 44,151 | 516 sq mi (1,336 km2) |  |
| Gilchrist County | 041 | Trenton | 1925 | Alachua | Albert W. Gilchrist (1858–1926), the 20th governor of Florida | 57.97 | 20,233 | 349 sq mi (904 km2) |  |
| Glades County | 043 | Moore Haven | 1921 | DeSoto | The Florida Everglades | 16.97 | 13,132 | 774 sq mi (2,005 km2) |  |
| Gulf County | 045 | Port St. Joe | 1925 | Calhoun | The Gulf of Mexico | 28.10 | 15,876 | 565 sq mi (1,463 km2) |  |
| Hamilton County | 047 | Jasper | 1827 | Jefferson | Alexander Hamilton (1757–1804), the first United States Secretary of the Treasury and a Founding Father | 27.83 | 14,334 | 515 sq mi (1,334 km2) |  |
| Hardee County | 049 | Wauchula | 1921 | DeSoto | Cary A. Hardee (1876–1957), governor of Florida at the time of creation of Hardee County | 40.92 | 26,068 | 637 sq mi (1,650 km2) |  |
| Hendry County | 051 | LaBelle | 1923 | Lee | Francis A. Hendry (1833–1917), early Floridian pioneer and politician | 40.01 | 46,130 | 1,153 sq mi (2,986 km2) |  |
| Hernando County | 053 | Brooksville | 1843 | Alachua and Hillsborough named Benton from 1844 to 1850 | Hernando de Soto (c. 1496/1497–1542), a Spanish explorer and conquistador | 456.38 | 218,150 | 478 sq mi (1,238 km2) |  |
| Highlands County | 055 | Sebring | 1921 | DeSoto | Named for the county's hilly terrain | 106.79 | 109,778 | 1,028 sq mi (2,663 km2) |  |
| Hillsborough County | 057 | Tampa | 1834 | Alachua | Wills Hill, Earl of Hillsborough (1718–1793), former Secretary of State for the Colonies | 1504.69 | 1,581,426 | 1,051 sq mi (2,722 km2) |  |
| Holmes County | 059 | Bonifay | 1848 | Jackson and Walton | Holmes Creek, which forms the eastern boundary of the county | 41.24 | 19,876 | 482 sq mi (1,248 km2) |  |
| Indian River County | 061 | Vero Beach | 1925 | St. Lucie | The Indian River Lagoon, which flows through the county | 342.22 | 172,139 | 503 sq mi (1,303 km2) |  |
| Jackson County | 063 | Marianna | 1822 | Escambia | Andrew Jackson (1767–1845), the seventh President of the United States | 54.56 | 49,980 | 916 sq mi (2,372 km2) |  |
| Jefferson County | 065 | Monticello | 1827 | Leon | Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), the third President of the United States and principal author of the Declaration of Independence | 26.62 | 15,921 | 598 sq mi (1,549 km2) |  |
| Lafayette County | 067 | Mayo | 1856 | Madison | Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette (1757–1834), French aristocrat and general in the American Revolutionary War | 15.91 | 8,640 | 543 sq mi (1,406 km2) |  |
| Lake County | 069 | Tavares | 1887 | Orange and Sumter | Named for the many lakes in the region | 466.11 | 444,204 | 953 sq mi (2,468 km2) |  |
| Lee County | 071 | Fort Myers | 1887 | Monroe | Robert E. Lee (1807–1870), commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War | 1070.84 | 860,959 | 804 sq mi (2,082 km2) |  |
| Leon County | 073 | Tallahassee | 1824 | Gadsden | Juan Ponce de León (1474–1521), Spanish explorer who named Florida | 450.51 | 300,488 | 667 sq mi (1,728 km2) |  |
| Levy County | 075 | Bronson | 1845 | Alachua | David Levy Yulee (1810–1886), one of the state's original United States Senators | 42.72 | 47,765 | 1,118 sq mi (2,896 km2) |  |
| Liberty County | 077 | Bristol | 1855 | Gadsden | The patriotic ideal of liberty | 9.52 | 7,955 | 836 sq mi (2,165 km2) |  |
| Madison County | 079 | Madison | 1827 | Jefferson | James Madison (1751–1836), fourth President of the United States | 26.54 | 18,364 | 692 sq mi (1,792 km2) |  |
| Manatee County | 081 | Bradenton | 1855 | Hillsborough | The manatee, or sea cow, is native to Florida waters. | 618.56 | 458,352 | 741 sq mi (1,919 km2) |  |
| Marion County | 083 | Ocala | 1844 | Alachua, Hillsborough, and Mosquito | Francis Marion (c. 1732–1795), military officer during the American Revolution | 271.63 | 428,905 | 1,579 sq mi (4,090 km2) |  |
| Martin County | 085 | Stuart | 1925 | Palm Beach | John W. Martin (1884–1958), governor of Florida at time of creation of the county | 297.96 | 165,666 | 556 sq mi (1,440 km2) |  |
| Miami-Dade County | 086 | Miami | 1836 | Monroe named Dade until 1997 | City of Miami and Francis L. Dade (c. 1793–1835), Major in the United States Army during the Second Seminole War | 1458.61 | 2,838,461 | 1,946 sq mi (5,040 km2) |  |
| Monroe County | 087 | Key West | 1823 | St. Johns | James Monroe (1758–1831), fifth President of the United States | 81.15 | 80,908 | 997 sq mi (2,582 km2) |  |
| Nassau County | 089 | Fernandina Beach | 1824 | Duval | Duchy of Nassau in Germany | 160.09 | 104,376 | 652 sq mi (1,689 km2) |  |
| Okaloosa County | 091 | Crestview | 1915 | Santa Rosa and Walton | A Choctaw word meaning "a pleasant place", "black water", or "beautiful place" | 235.56 | 220,483 | 936 sq mi (2,424 km2) |  |
| Okeechobee County | 093 | Okeechobee | 1917 | Osceola and St. Lucie | Lake Okeechobee, which was in turn is from the Hitchiti words for "big water" | 54.74 | 42,369 | 774 sq mi (2,005 km2) |  |
| Orange County | 095 | Orlando | 1824 | St. Johns named Mosquito until 1845 | The fruit that was the county's main product | 1689.04 | 1,533,646 | 908 sq mi (2,352 km2) |  |
| Osceola County | 097 | Kissimmee | 1887 | Brevard and Orange | Osceola (1804–1838), a leader of the Seminole during the Second Seminole War | 354.05 | 468,058 | 1,322 sq mi (3,424 km2) |  |
| Palm Beach County | 099 | West Palm Beach | 1909 | Miami Dade County | The county's large amounts of palm trees | 777.80 | 1,582,055 | 2,034 sq mi (5,268 km2) |  |
| Pasco County | 101 | Dade City | 1887 | Hernando | Samuel Pasco (1834–1917), United States Senator at the time of creation of the county | 884.72 | 659,114 | 745 sq mi (1,930 km2) |  |
| Pinellas County | 103 | Clearwater | 1912 | Hillsborough | From the Spanish Punta Piñal, or "Point of Pines" | 3449.54 | 965,870 | 280 sq mi (725 km2) |  |
| Polk County | 105 | Bartow | 1861 | Brevard and Hillsborough | James K. Polk (1795–1849), the 11th President of the United States | 454.87 | 852,878 | 1,875 sq mi (4,856 km2) |  |
| Putnam County | 107 | Palatka | 1849 | Alachua and St. Johns | Benjamin A. Putnam (1801–1869), soldier during the Second Seminole War and Floridian legislator | 107.07 | 77,301 | 722 sq mi (1,870 km2) |  |
| St. Johns County | 109 | St. Augustine | 1821 | One of the two original counties | Name derived from the St. Johns River, which in turn derives its name from San Juan del Puerto | 549.96 | 334,928 | 609 sq mi (1,577 km2) |  |
| St. Lucie County | 111 | Fort Pierce | 1905 | Brevard | Saint Lucy (283–304), the Christian martyr | 682.99 | 390,670 | 572 sq mi (1,481 km2) |  |
| Santa Rosa County | 113 | Milton | 1842 | Escambia | Santa Rosa Island, which is in turn named for Saint Rosa de Viterbo (1235–1252), a saint born in Viterbo, Italy | 204.38 | 207,653 | 1,016 sq mi (2,631 km2) |  |
| Sarasota County | 115 | Sarasota | 1921 | Manatee | Native American word, of uncertain meaning, for the area | 833.22 | 476,604 | 572 sq mi (1,481 km2) |  |
| Seminole County | 117 | Sanford | 1913 | Orange | The Seminole Native American tribe | 1605.86 | 494,605 | 308 sq mi (798 km2) |  |
| Sumter County | 119 | Bushnell | 1853 | Marion | Thomas Sumter (1734–1832), general in the American Revolution | 283.32 | 154,693 | 546 sq mi (1,414 km2) |  |
| Suwannee County | 121 | Live Oak | 1858 | Columbia | The Suwannee River, a 266-mile long river in northern Florida | 69.09 | 47,536 | 688 sq mi (1,782 km2) |  |
| Taylor County | 123 | Perry | 1856 | Madison | Zachary Taylor (1784–1850), 12th President of the United States | 20.96 | 21,843 | 1,042 sq mi (2,699 km2) |  |
| Union County | 125 | Lake Butler | 1921 | Bradford | Named for the area's residents united desire to split into a separate county | 65.58 | 15,738 | 240 sq mi (622 km2) |  |
| Volusia County | 127 | DeLand | 1854 | Orange | The port of Volusia, whose etymology is uncertain; possibly derived from the Native American word for "Land of the Euchees", the term for the area's native inhabitants | 545.00 | 602,772 | 1,106 sq mi (2,865 km2) |  |
| Wakulla County | 129 | Crawfordville | 1843 | Leon | The Wakulla River, itself named for a Spanish corruption of a Timucuan word used to describe the body of water, but that is of uncertain meaning | 61.14 | 37,115 | 607 sq mi (1,572 km2) |  |
| Walton County | 131 | DeFuniak Springs | 1824 | Escambia and Jackson | George Walton, first Secretary of Florida Territory | 84.75 | 89,666 | 1,058 sq mi (2,740 km2) |  |
| Washington County | 133 | Chipley | 1825 | Jackson and Walton | George Washington (1732–1799), first President of the United States | 45.69 | 26,503 | 580 sq mi (1,502 km2) |  |
Former counties
Fayette County was created in 1832 from the portion of Jackson County east of the Chipola River, with its county seat at Ochesee (now in Calhoun County east of Altha).[14][15] In 1834, it was merged back into Jackson County.[16]
Renamed counties
Five counties in Florida have been renamed. Most renamings occurred between 1845 and 1861, during the first sixteen years of Florida's statehood. One occurred in 1997, when Dade County changed its name to Miami-Dade County.
| County[5] | Dates[5] | Etymology[5] | Fate[5] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County | 1844–1850 | Thomas Benton (1782–1858), U.S. Senator from Missouri who supported the Armed Occupation Act of 1842 that many Floridians wanted in order to evict Native Americans | Original name of county was Hernando County, and the name was changed back to that in 1850 |
| Dade County | 1836–1997 | Francis L. Dade (c. 1793–1835), Major in the United States Army during the Second Seminole War | Changed to Miami-Dade County in 1997, in order to benefit from the City of Miami's internationally recognizable name |
| Mosquito County | 1824–1845 | Taken from the name the Spanish had given the entire coast, "Los Mosquitos" | Mosquito had already repeatedly ceded land to other counties by 1845, when it was renamed Orange County |
| New River County | 1858–1861 | The New River | Renamed to Bradford County in 1861 |
| St. Lucie County | 1844–1855 | Saint Lucy (283–304), the Christian martyr | Renamed Brevard County in 1855 |
Proposed counties
| County | Proposal date | Etymology | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leigh Read County | 1842 | Leigh Read (1809–1841), Florida legislator | Proposed renaming of Mosquito County |
| Ward County | 1870 | George Taliaferro Ward (1810–1862), Colonel in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War and Floridian legislator | Proposal to split Hillsborough County roughly along modern Hillsborough-Pinellas boundaries[17] |
| Gulf County | 1887 | Gulf of Mexico | Proposal to split Hillsborough County roughly along modern Hillsborough-Pinellas boundaries[18] |
| Kirby County | 1897 | Edmund Kirby Smith (1824-1893), General in the Confederate Army who oversaw the Trans-Mississippi Department | Proposal to combine parts of Calhoun County, Holmes County, Jackson County, and Washington County.[19] |
| Plant County | 1911 | Henry B. Plant (1819–1899), businessman, industrialist, and railroad magnate | Proposal to split Hillsborough County east of Valrico, with its county seat at Plant City[20] |
| Santa Fe County | 1915 | Santa Fe River | Proposal to combine parts of Putnam County, Alachua County, Clay County, and Bradford County, with its county seat at Melrose[21] |
| Sumatra County | 1913 | Sumatra tobacco in the area | Proposal to split Gadsden County along Attapulgus Creek (a tributary of the Little and Ochlockonee rivers), with its county seat at Havana[22] |
| Bloxham County | 1915 | William D. Bloxham (1835–1911), 13th and 17th governor of Florida | Proposal to combine parts of Levy County and Marion County, with its county seat at Williston[23] |
| Wilson County | 1917 | Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924), 28th president of the United States | Proposal to combine parts of Pinellas County north of Dunedin and the western half of Pasco County, with its county seat at Tarpon Springs[24] |
| Prosperity County | 1919 | The idea of prosperity | Proposal to combine parts of Lee County, DeSoto County, and Palm Beach County, with its county seat at Moore Haven[25] |
| Miami County | 1947 | City of Miami | Consolidated city-county[26] |
| Ocean County | 1981 | Atlantic Ocean | Proposal for barrier island beach communities from Cape Canaveral to Sebastian Inlet to secede from Brevard County[27] |
| Ocean County | 1993 | Atlantic Ocean | Proposal for the Jacksonville Beaches communities to secede from Duval County[28][29] |
| Springs County | 2020 | City of High Springs | Proposal to split Alachua County along 34th Street in Gainesville[30][31] |
See also
Further reading
- Utley, Geo. B. (1908). "Origin of the County Names in Florida". Florida Historical Society Quarterly. 1 (3): 29–35. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- "FLORIDA COUNTY GOVERNMENT OVERVIEW" (PDF). ce.naco.org. National Association of Counties (NACo). 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2025.