Monticello, Florida
City in Florida, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Monticello (/ˌmɒntɪˈsɛloʊ/ ⓘ MON-tiss-EL-oh) is the only city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Monticello, the estate of the county's namesake, Thomas Jefferson, on which the Jefferson County Courthouse was modeled.[5] The population was 2,589 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Tallahassee metropolitan area.
Monticello, Florida | |
|---|---|
Monticello City Hall | |
 Location in Jefferson County and the state of Florida | |
| Coordinates: 30°32′41″N 83°52′2″W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | Jefferson |
| Settled | 1827[1] |
| Incorporated | 1859[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Commission-Manager |
| • Mayor | Julie Conley |
| • Commissioners |
|
| • City Manager | Seth Lawless |
| • City Clerk | Emily Anderson |
| • City Attorney | Bruce Leinback |
| Area | |
• Total | 4.01 sq mi (10.39 km2) |
| • Land | 4.01 sq mi (10.39 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 233 ft (71 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 2,589 |
| • Density | 645.3/sq mi (249.17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 32344-32345 |
| Area code | 850 |
| FIPS code | 12-46500[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0287080[3] |
| Website | www |
Monticello is home to Indian mounds and many historic buildings, including the Perkins Opera House and Monticello Old Jail Museum.
History and culture
The Perkins Opera House is a 19th-century mercantile building adapted for use as a theater. It regularly hosts musical performances and theater productions. The first-floor ballroom also holds receptions.
The Old Howard Academy was built in 1936, and served African American students, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.[6][7] The former building is located on Mamie B. Scott Drive, named for Mamie B. Scott, the former supervisor of the Jeanes Fund for the county. In 1960 a school named Howard Academy for African American students was built in southeastern Monticello.[8] Schools in Monticello integrated in 1967.
Historic sites
Geography
Monticello is located in northern Jefferson County at 30°32′41″N 83°52′02″W.[9]
U.S. Route 90 runs through the center of the city as Washington Street, leading east 16 miles (26 km) to Greenville and west 26 miles (42 km) to Tallahassee. U.S. Route 19 passes through the city center on Jefferson Street, leading south 10 miles (16 km) to Capps and north 22 miles (35 km) to Thomasville, Georgia. The two highways meet in the center of Monticello at Courthouse Circle, which surrounds the Jefferson County Courthouse. US-19 leads south from the courthouse 5 miles (8 km) to Interstate 10 at Exit 225. I-10 leads west 25 miles (40 km) to Tallahassee and east 82 miles (132 km) to Lake City.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.3 km2), all land.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, the City of Monticello has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). Monticello is the site of the highest temperature recorded in Florida, 109 °F (43 °C) on June 29, 1931.
| Climate data for Monticello 5 SE, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1904–2017 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 85 (29) |
88 (31) |
92 (33) |
95 (35) |
106 (41) |
109 (43) |
107 (42) |
104 (40) |
103 (39) |
99 (37) |
91 (33) |
84 (29) |
109 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 62.7 (17.1) |
67.1 (19.5) |
73.3 (22.9) |
79.1 (26.2) |
85.7 (29.8) |
89.6 (32.0) |
90.7 (32.6) |
90.1 (32.3) |
87.2 (30.7) |
80.3 (26.8) |
71.4 (21.9) |
65.1 (18.4) |
78.5 (25.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 51.5 (10.8) |
54.8 (12.7) |
60.7 (15.9) |
66.5 (19.2) |
73.4 (23.0) |
79.1 (26.2) |
80.9 (27.2) |
80.5 (26.9) |
77.2 (25.1) |
68.6 (20.3) |
59.4 (15.2) |
53.7 (12.1) |
67.2 (19.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 40.3 (4.6) |
42.5 (5.8) |
48.1 (8.9) |
53.9 (12.2) |
61.1 (16.2) |
68.6 (20.3) |
71.0 (21.7) |
70.9 (21.6) |
67.2 (19.6) |
56.9 (13.8) |
47.5 (8.6) |
42.4 (5.8) |
55.9 (13.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 3 (−16) |
14 (−10) |
18 (−8) |
31 (−1) |
38 (3) |
44 (7) |
54 (12) |
58 (14) |
36 (2) |
28 (−2) |
13 (−11) |
7 (−14) |
3 (−16) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.81 (122) |
4.01 (102) |
5.29 (134) |
4.12 (105) |
3.82 (97) |
7.62 (194) |
7.49 (190) |
7.53 (191) |
5.46 (139) |
3.31 (84) |
2.79 (71) |
3.68 (93) |
59.93 (1,522) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.1 | 7.4 | 9.2 | 6.4 | 5.8 | 11.7 | 15.0 | 13.2 | 8.7 | 5.0 | 5.8 | 7.7 | 105.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA[10] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: WRCC (extremes)[11] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[13] | Pop 2010[14] | Pop 2020[15] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 1,175 | 1,058 | 1,208 | 46.39% | 42.22% | 46.66% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,285 | 1,349 | 1,242 | 50.73% | 53.83% | 47.97% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0.12% | 0.00% | 0.19% |
| Asian (NH) | 15 | 17 | 7 | 0.59% | 0.68% | 0.27% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0.08% | 0.00% | 0.12% |
| Other race (NH) | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.19% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 20 | 29 | 70 | 0.79% | 1.16% | 2.70% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 33 | 53 | 49 | 1.30% | 2.11% | 1.89% |
| Total | 2,533 | 2,506 | 2,589 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Monticello had a population of 2,589.[16] The median age was 48.5 years. 19.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 25.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 86.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 81.2 males age 18 and over.[17]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[18]
There were 1,114 households in Monticello, of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 33.7% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 41.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[17]
There were 1,323 housing units, of which 15.8% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.5%.[17]
Demographic estimates
In 2020, the median household income was $43,780. 27.3% of the population 25 years and older had a bachelor's degree or higher. There was a 49.2% employment rate.[19]
In the 2020 ACS, there were 711 families residing in the city.[20]
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 2,506 people, 770 households, and 559 families residing in the city.[21]
Notable people
- James Patton Anderson, commander of the 1st Florida Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War, lived in Monticello.[22]
- Allen Boyd, politician
- Ryal Long, state legislator during the Reconstruction era
- Bobby Thigpen, Major League Baseball relief pitcher, set record for most saves in a season (57) in 1990, a record which stood for 18 years
- Willie "Chicken" Thompson, celebrated mid-late 20th century Chicago White Sox clubhouse manager and chef[23][24]
- Jack Youngblood, professional football player
- Tarlos Thomas, former Florida State Seminoles and NFL player
- Sam Madison, former Miami Dolphins player[25]
- Zach Norton, Cincinnati Bearcats/Baltimore Ravens player
- Robert Wilson, NFL player
- Clemon Johnson, NBA player
- Tony Robinson, NFL player
Education
Jefferson County Schools operates public schools, including Jefferson County Middle / High School.