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List of counties in Florida

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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]

Counties of Florida
A map of Florida's counties with counties labeled. Florida is shaped liked an "L" rotated 180 degrees. Many of the county borders follow the winding courses of river, some are straight. Some of larger counties tend to be in the center of the State.Escambia CountySanta Rosa CountyOkaloosa CountyWalton CountyHolmes CountyWashington CountyJackson CountyBay CountyCalhoun CountyGulf CountyFranklin CountyFranklin CountyLiberty CountyGadsden CountyLeon CountyWakulla CountyJefferson CountyTaylor CountyMadison CountyHamilton CountyNassau CountyColumbia CountyBaker CountySuwannee CountyLafayette CountyDuval CountyUnion CountyBradford CountyGilchrist CountyDixie CountyClay CountySt. Johns CountyAlachua CountyPutnam CountyFlagler CountyLevy CountyMarion CountyVolusia CountyBrevard CountyCitrus CountySumter CountyLake CountySeminole CountyOrange CountyHernando CountyPasco CountyPinellas CountyHillsborough CountyPolk CountyOsceola CountyIndian River CountyManatee CountyHardee CountyDeSoto CountySarasota CountyHighlands CountyOkeechobee CountySt. Lucie CountyMartin CountyGlades CountyCharlotte CountyLee CountyHendry CountyPalm Beach CountyCollier CountyBroward CountyMiami-Dade CountyMiami-Dade CountyMonroe CountyMonroe CountyMonroe CountyMonroe County
Florida counties (clickable map)
LocationState of Florida
Number67
Populations7,706 (Liberty) – 2,686,867 (Miami-Dade)
Areas240 square miles (620 km2) (Union) –
2,034 square miles (5,270 km2) (Palm Beach)
Government
Subdivisions
  • Communities
Population by county:
  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 2023 vintage Census population estimates. The population of Florida is 22,610,726, an increase of 5.0% from 2020. The average population of Florida's counties is 337,474; Miami-Dade County is the most populous (2,686,867) and Liberty County is the least (7,706). 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.[1]

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, Alachua County's unique nationwide identifier is 12001.[6]

Counties

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County
 FIPS code[6] County seat[7] Est.[5] Formed from[8] Etymology[5] Density
 Population[9] Area[10][7] 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[11] 327.22 285,994 874 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 48.49 28,368 585 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 249.70 190,769 764 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 95.08 27,858 293 sq mi
(759 km2)		  
Brevard County 009 Titusville 1844 Hillsborough and Mosquito
named St. Lucie until 1855[12]		 Theodore Washington Brevard, early settler and later state comptroller from 1853 to 1861[12] 632.59 643,979 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 1623.27 1,962,531 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 23.76 13,470 567 sq mi
(1,469 km2)		  
Charlotte County 015 Punta Gorda 1921 DeSoto Probably a corruption of the name of the Calusa, a group of Native Americans from the area 297.02 206,134 694 sq mi
(1,797 km2)		  
Citrus County 017 Inverness 1887 Hernando The county's citrus trees 285.44 166,696 584 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 386.75 232,439 601 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 199.56 404,310 2,026 sq mi
(5,247 km2)		  
Columbia County 023 Lake City 1832 Alachua Christopher Columbus (c. 1451–1506), explorer of the Americas 91.67 73,063 797 sq mi
(2,064 km2)		  
DeSoto County 027 Arcadia 1887 Manatee Hernando de Soto (c. 1496/1497–1542), a Spanish explorer and conquistador 56.48 35,979 637 sq mi
(1,650 km2)		  
Dixie County 029 Cross City 1921 Lafayette Dixie, the common nickname for the Southern United States 24.81 17,465 704 sq mi
(1,823 km2)		  
Duval County 031 Jacksonville 1822 St. Johns William Pope Duval (1784–1854), the first governor of the Florida Territory 1331.81 1,030,822 774 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 492.36 326,928 664 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 271.01 131,439 485 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 23.58 12,594 534 sq mi
(1,383 km2)		  
Gadsden County 039 Quincy 1823 Jackson James Gadsden (1788–1858), American diplomat and namesake of the Gadsden Purchase 84.95 43,833 516 sq mi
(1,336 km2)		  
Gilchrist County 041 Trenton 1925 Alachua Albert W. Gilchrist (1858–1926), the 20th governor of Florida 56.12 19,587 349 sq mi
(904 km2)		  
Glades County 043 Moore Haven 1921 DeSoto The Florida Everglades 16.52 12,786 774 sq mi
(2,005 km2)		  
Gulf County 045 Port St. Joe 1925 Calhoun The Gulf of Mexico 27.78 15,693 565 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 26.16 13,471 515 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 40.44 25,760 637 sq mi
(1,650 km2)		  
Hendry County 051 LaBelle 1923 Lee Francis A. Hendry (1833–1917), early Floridian pioneer and politician 37.58 43,333 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 445.20 212,807 478 sq mi
(1,238 km2)		  
Highlands County 055 Sebring 1921 DeSoto Named for the county's hilly terrain 104.68 107,614 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 1461.05 1,535,564 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 41.38 19,944 482 sq mi
(1,248 km2)		  
Indian River County 061 Vero Beach 1925 St. Lucie The Indian River Lagoon, which flows through the county 337.56 169,795 503 sq mi
(1,303 km2)		  
Jackson County 063 Marianna 1822 Escambia Andrew Jackson (1767–1845), the seventh President of the United States 53.08 48,622 916 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 25.84 15,450 598 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 14.88 8,078 543 sq mi
(1,406 km2)		  
Lake County 069 Tavares 1887 Orange and Sumter Named for the many lakes in the region 445.40 424,462 953 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 1038.03 834,573 804 sq mi
(2,082 km2)		  
Leon County 073 Tallahassee 1824 Gadsden Juan Ponce de León (1474–1521), Spanish explorer who named Florida 445.15 296,913 667 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 41.63 46,545 1,118 sq mi
(2,896 km2)		  
Liberty County 077 Bristol 1855 Gadsden The patriotic ideal of liberty 9.22 7,706 836 sq mi
(2,165 km2)		  
Madison County 079 Madison 1827 Jefferson James Madison (1751–1836), fourth President of the United States 26.76 18,519 692 sq mi
(1,792 km2)		  
Manatee County 081 Bradenton 1855 Hillsborough The manatee, or sea cow, is native to Florida waters. 595.27 441,095 741 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 259.63 409,959 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 293.73 163,315 556 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 1380.71 2,686,867 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 80.86 80,614 997 sq mi
(2,582 km2)		  
Nassau County 089 Fernandina Beach 1824 Duval Duchy of Nassau in Germany 155.68 101,501 652 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" 233.40 218,464 936 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" 53.52 41,427 774 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 1620.50 1,471,416 908 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 331.15 437,784 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 754.08 1,533,801 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 849.66 632,996 745 sq mi
(1,930 km2)		  
Pinellas County 103 Clearwater 1912 Hillsborough From the Spanish Punta Piñal, or "Point of Pines" 3434.27 961,596 280 sq mi
(725 km2)		  
Polk County 105 Bartow 1861 Brevard and Hillsborough James K. Polk (1795–1849), the 11th President of the United States 436.44 818,330 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 105.20 75,955 722 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 525.63 320,110 609 sq mi
(1,577 km2)		  
St. Lucie County 111 Fort Pierce 1905 Brevard Saint Lucy (283–304), the Christian martyr 653.12 373,586 572 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 199.96 203,162 1,016 sq mi
(2,631 km2)		  
Sarasota County 115 Sarasota 1921 Manatee Native American word, of uncertain meaning, for the area 819.95 469,013 572 sq mi
(1,481 km2)		  
Seminole County 117 Sanford 1913 Orange The Seminole Native American tribe 1572.31 484,271 308 sq mi
(798 km2)		  
Sumter County 119 Bushnell 1853 Marion Thomas Sumter (1734–1832), general in the American Revolution 277.59 151,565 546 sq mi
(1,414 km2)		  
Suwannee County 121 Live Oak 1858 Columbia The Suwannee River, a 266-mile long river in northern Florida 67.05 46,130 688 sq mi
(1,782 km2)		  
Taylor County 123 Perry 1856 Madison Zachary Taylor (1784–1850), 12th President of the United States 20.71 21,582 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 64.72 15,532 240 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 533.78 590,357 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 60.05 36,449 607 sq mi
(1,572 km2)		  
Walton County 131 DeFuniak Springs 1824 Escambia and Jackson George Walton, first Secretary of Florida Territory 81.62 86,354 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 44.14 25,602 580 sq mi
(1,502 km2)		  

Former counties

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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).[13][14] In 1834, it was merged back into Jackson County.[15]

Renamed counties

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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

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County[5] Proposal date[5] Etymology[5] Notes
Bloxham County 1915[16] William D. Bloxham (1835–1911), 13th and 17th governor of Florida county seat at Williston
Leigh Read County 1842 Leigh Read, legislator proposed renaming of Mosquito County
Miami County[17] 1947 City of Miami consolidated city-county
Ocean County 1991 Atlantic Ocean included Jacksonville Beaches, proposed due to neglect from Jacksonville, but was abandoned[citation needed]
Springs County[18] 2020 City of High Springs proposal to split Alachua County along 34th Street in Gainesville[19]

See also

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Further reading

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  • Utley, Geo. B. (1908). "Origin of the County Names in Florida". Florida Historical Society Quarterly. 1 (3): 29–35. Retrieved May 25, 2018.

References

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Specific
  1. ^ "A Guide to Alachua County's History". Alachua County Florida. Archived from the original on October 6, 2006. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  2. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  3. ^ "About Florida's Counties". Florida Association of Counties. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  4. ^ "Demographics". Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Florida County Maps". Florida Center for Instructional Technology – University of South Florida. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
  6. ^ a b "United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) County FIPS Code Listing". United States Environmental Protection Agency. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2008.
  7. ^ a b "NACo – Find a county". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on October 25, 2007. Retrieved April 24, 2008.
  8. ^ Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries: Florida, accessed May 2014
  9. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Florida". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  10. ^ "Florida QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2008. (2008 Census estimates)
  11. ^ Morris, Allen, Florida Place Names
  12. ^ a b Eriksen, John M., Brevard County, Florida...A Short History to 1955
  13. ^ An Act to organise a county to be called the County of Fayette (53). 1832.
  14. ^ An Act, more accurately to define the boundaries of Fayette County, and for other purposes (31 (Chapter 688)). 1833.
  15. ^ An Act to repeal certain acts organizing the County of Fayette (26 (Chapter 765)). 1834.
  16. ^ An Act Providing for the Creation of Bloxham County in the State of Florida, and for the Organization and the Government Thereof (130 (Chapter 6936)). 1915.
  17. ^ An Act Providing the Manner, Method and Means of the Election and Creation of a Charter Board in the Territory now Comprising Dade County; Providing for the Drafting and Adopting of the Charter Prepared by Said Board for Said Territory; Providing for the Election of Commissioners of a New Political Subdivision in the Territory now Comprising Dade County to be Known as the County of Miami; Providing the Effective Date of Said Charter and the Time the Board of Commissioners Shall Take Office; and Providing that This Act Shall not Become Effective Until the Joint Resolution No. 407 has Been Approved by the Qualified Electors of Dade County and of the State of Florida as a Whole (853 (Chapter 24467)). 1947.
  18. ^ "Why Springs County? | Springs County". springscounty.com. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  19. ^ "Springs County: Is there a feasible way to redraw county lines?". www.mainstreetdailynews.com. 2020-06-16. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
General
  • Atlas of Florida, revised edition. Edward A. Fernald & Elizabeth D. Purdum, editors (University Press of Florida, 1996). "Evolution of Counties", pp. 98–99.

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