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Here are snapshots of all of Florida’s 67 counties. Listed are the name of the county, the year it was incorporated, a brief description and the county’s population in the 2000 Census.
Alachua (1824) – Alachua, in north central Florida, is probably an old Indian word for sinkhole. Gainesville is the county seat and is home to the University of Florida. 2000 population: 217,955.
Baker (1861) – Baker, on the border with Georgia, is named for James McNair Baker, a Confederate senator. Macclenny is the county seat. The Battle of Olustee during the Civil War was fought here. 2000 population: 22,259.
Bay (1913) – Bay, in the middle of the Florida Panhandle, was named for St. Andrews Bay. Panama City is the county seat and a popular tourist center. 2000 population: 148,217.
Bradford (1861) – Bradford, in northeast Florida, was named for Captain Richard Bradford, killed in the Battle of Santa Rosa Island during the Civil War. Starke is the county seat and is home to the state prison. 2000 population: 26,088.
Brevard (1855) – Brevard, on the central Atlantic coast, was named for Dr. Ephriam Brevard, writer of the so-called Mecklenberg (N.C.) Declaration of Independence, or Theodore Washington Brevard, the state comptroller from 1854-1860. Titusville is the county seat and the county is home to Melbourne, Cocoa Beach and Kennedy Space Center. 2000 population: 476,230.
Broward (1915) – Broward, in southeast Florida just north of Miami, was named for Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, the governor of Florida from 1905-1909. Fort Lauderdale is the county seat and a major commercial and tourist center. Other cities are Hollywood, Pompano Beach and Plantation. 2000 population: 1,623,018.
Calhoun (1838) – Calhoun, in the Florida Panhandle, was named for John C. Calhoun, a U.S. senator from South Carolina. Blountstown is the county seat. 2000 population: 13,017.
Charlotte (1921) – Charlotte, on the southwest coast, was named for the Bay of Charlotte Harbor. Punta Gorda is the county seat and Charlotte Harbor is a city. 2000 population: 141,627.
Citrus (1887) – Citrus, on the Gulf coast north of the Tamp area, is named for Florida’s famous citrus trees. Major cities are Inverness, the county seat, and Crystal River. 2000 population: 118,085.
Clay (1858) – Clay, in northeast Florida, was named for Henry Clay, a U.S. senator from Kentucky. Green Cove Springs is the county seat. The U.S. Army’s Camp Blanding is here. 2000 population: 140,814.
Collier (1923) – Collier, on the southwest coast, was named for Barron Collier, an early landowner and developer. Naples is the county seat and the county includes large portions of the Everglades. 2000 population: 251,377.
Columbia (1832) – Columbia, which borders Georgia, was named for Christopher Columbus. The famous Suwannee River and Osceola National Forest are here. 2000 population: 56,513.
Dade – See Miami-Dade.
De Soto (1887) – De Soto, a rural inland county, was named for Hernando de Soto, the Spanish explorer. Arcadia is the county seat. 2000 population: 32,209.
Dixie (1921) – Dixie, a rural county on the Gulf coast, was named for the word used as a nickname for the South. Cross City is the county seat. 2000 population: 13,827.
Duval (1822) – Duval, in the extreme northeast corner of Florida, was named for William P. Duval, the territorial governor from 1822-1834. Jacksonville, the county seat, is a major commercial and tourist center. The county is also home to Jacksonville Beach and a large U.S. Navy port. 2000 population: 778,879.
Escambia (1821) – Escambia, the state’s westernmost county, is taken from a Spanish word for barter or exchange. Pensacola is the county seat and a major commercial center for the region. 2000 population: 294,410.
Flagler (1917) – Flagler, on the Atlantic coast, was named for Henry M. Flagler, the railroad builder who developed much of Florida’s East Coast. Bunnell is the county seat. 2000 population: 49,832.
Franklin (1832) – Franklin, in the area between the Gulf coast and the Florida Panhandle, was named for Benjamin Franklin. Apalachicola, the county seat, is a center for seafood and fishing. 2000 population: 11,057.
Gadsden (1823) – Gadsden, on the border with Georgia, was named for James Gadsden of South Carolina, an aide-de-camp of the Florida campaign of 1818. Quincy is the county seat. 2000 population: 45,087.
Gilchrist (1925) – Gilchrist, in north central Florida, was named for Albert W. Gilchrist, the Florida governor from 1909-1913. Trenton is the county seat. 2000 population: 14,437.
Glades (1921) – Glades, in south central Florida, was named for the famous Florida Everglades. Moore Haven is the county seat and Glades is home to large sugar cane farms and a Seminole Indian reservation. 2000 population: 10,576.
Gulf (1925) – Gulf, in Florida’s Panhandle, was named for the Gulf of Mexico and was the site of Florida’s first constitutional convention. Port St. Joe is the county seat. 2000 population: 13,332.
Hamilton (827) – Hamilton, on the border with Georiga, was named for Alexander Hamilton. Jasper is the county seat. 2000 population: 13,327.
Hardee (1921) – Hardee, a rural county in south central Florida, was named for Cary A. Hardee, the Florida governor from 1921-1925.Wauchula is the county seat. 2000 population: 26,938.
Hendry (1923) – Hendry, in south central Florida, was named for Francis A. Hendry, one of the area’s first settlers. LaBelle is the seat of this sugar cane-producing county. 2000 population: 36,210.
Hernando (1843) – Hernando, on the west shore north of Tampa, was named for Hernando de Soto, the Spanish explorer. Brooksville is the county seat. 2000 population: 130,802.
Highlands (1921) – Highlands, in south central Florida, was named for its rolling terrain. Sebring is the county seat. 2000 population: 87,366.
Hillsborough (1834) – Hillsborough, on Tampa Bay, was named for Wills Hill, Viscount Hillsborough of England. Tampa, the county seat, is a major commercial and tourist center. The county is home to Busch Gardens and the University of South Florida. 2000 population: 998,948.
Holmes (1848) – Holmes, on the border with Alabama, was named for Thomas J. Holmes of North Carolina, who settled in the area about 1830. Bonifay is the county seat. 2000 population: 18,564.
Indian River (1925) -- Indian River, on the central Atlantic coast, was named for the Indian River Lagoon. Vero Beach is the county seat. 2000 population: 112,947.
Jackson (1822) – Jackson, bordering Alabama and Georgia, was named for President Andrew Jackson. Marianna is the county seat. 2000 population: 46,755.
Jefferson (1827) – Jefferson, which extends from Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico, was named for President Thomas Jefferson. Monticello is the county seat. 2000 population: 12,902.
Lafayette (1856) – Lafayette, in north central Florida, was named for Marquis de Lafayette, the French officer who served with Washington in the American Revolution. Mayo is the county seat. 2000 population: 7,022.
Lake (1887) – Lake, on the north side of the Orlando area, takes its name from the large number of lakes in the area. Tavares is the county seat. 2000 population: 210,528.
Lee (1887) – Lee, on the Gulf coast, was named for Gen. Robert E. Lee. Fort Myers, the county seat, is famous for its beaches and offshore islands. 2000 population: 440,888.
Leon (1824) – Leon, at the east end of the Florida Panhandle, was named for Juan Ponce de Leon, the first European to reach Florida. Tallahassee, the county seat, is the state capitol and home of Florida State University and Florida A&M University. 2000 population: 239,452.
Levy (1845) – Levy, in north central Florida, was named for David Levy, a U.S. senator from 1845-1851 and 1855-1861. Bronson is the county seat. 2000 population: 34,450.
Liberty (1855) – Liberty, a rural county in the Panhandle, was named for the American pursuit of liberty. Bristol is the county seat. 2000 population: 7,021.
Madison (1827) – Madison, on the border with Georiga, was named for President James Madison. Madison is the county seat. 2000 population: 18,733.
Manatee (1855) – Manatee, on the Gulf coast near Tampa, is named for the endangered sea cow that lives in Florida waters. Bradenton is the county seat. 2000 population: 264,002.
Marion (1844) – Marion, in north central Florida, is named for Gen Francis Marion, a Revolutionary War hero. Ocala is the county seat and the county is home to numerous race horse farms and trainers. 2000 population: 258,916.
Martin (1925) – Martin, on the Atlantic coast just north of West Palm Beach, is named for John W. Martin, the governor of Florida from 1925-1929. Stuart is the county seat. 2000 population: 126,731.
Miami-Dade (1836) – On the southeast coast, Dade was named for Major Francis L. Dade, killed at the Dade Battlefield in western Florida in 1835. The county and the city of Miami officially merged as one government entity in the 1990s. Miami and Miami Beach are world-famous commercial and tourist centers. 2000 population: 2,253,362.
Monroe (1823) – Monroe, which includes all of the Florida Keys and a large section of the Everglades, was named for President James Monroe. Key West, the southernmost city in the continental U.S., is the county seat. The Keys are a major tourist destination. 2000 population: 79,589.
Nassau (1824) – Nassau, in the extreme northeast corner, is named for the Duchy of Nassau, Germany. Fernandina Beach is the county seat. 2000 population: 57,663.
Okaloosa (1915) – Okaloosa, on the Panhandle coast, is named from the Choctaw Indian words of oka (water) and lusa (black). Crestview is the county seat and the county is home to Eglin Air Force Base. 2000 population: 170,498.
Okeechobee (1917) – Okeechobee, in south central Florida, is named from the Hitchiti words of oki (water) and chobi (big). Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in Florida and one of the largest in North America. Okeechobee is the county seat. 2000 population: 35,910.
Orange (1845) – Orange, the metropolitan area around Orlando, is named for the famous Florida citrus. Orlando, the county seat, is home to numerous theme parks and industries as well as the University of Central Florida. Winter Park is home to Rollins College. 2000 population: 896,344.
Osceola (1887) – Osceola, just south of Orlando, is named for the famous Indian leader. The twin cities of Kissimmee, the county seat, and St. Cloud are major tourist destinations because of their proximity to Walt Disney World. 2000 population: 172,493.
Palm Beach (1909) – Palm Beach, on the Atlantic coast just north of Fort Lauderdale, is named for the palm trees that make the local beaches famous. West Palm Beach, the county seat, is a major commercial and tourist center. Other cities include Palm Beach, the famous and wealthy oceanfront enclave, Boca Raton and Delray Beach, 2000 population: 1,131,184.
Pasco (1887) – Pasco, in west central Florida, was named for Samuel Pasco, a U.S. senator from 1887-1899. Dade City is the county seat. 2000 population: 344,795.
Pinellas (1911) – Pinellas, a peninsula into the Gulf of Mexico near Tampa, takes its name from Pinta Pinal or Point of Pines. St. Petersburg is a major commercial and retirement center. Other cities are Clearwater, the county seat, Largo and Tarpon Springs. 2000 population: 921,482.
Polk (1861) – Polk, in west Central Florida near Tampa, was named for President James K. Polk. Bartow is the county seat. Polk is home to Lakeland, Winter Haven and Lake Wales. 2000 population: 483,924.
Putnam (1849) – Putnam, in northeast Florida, was named for either Israel Putnam, a Revolutionary War hero, or Benjamin A. Putnam, an officer in the Seminole War and an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House in 1815. Palatka is the county seat of Putnam, known as the bass fishing capital of the world. 2000 population: 70,423.
St. Johns (1821) – St. Johns, on the northeast coast, was named for St. John the Baptist. St. Augustine, the county seat, is the oldest city in America and was first visited by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon in 1513. It is a major historic and tourist destination. 2000 population: 123,135.
St. Lucie (1844) -- St. Lucie, on the central Atlantic coast, was named for the Roman Catholic saint born in Sicily who was executed in 304 A.D. for being a Christian. Fort Pierce is the county seat. 2000 population: 192,695.
Santa Rosa (1842) – Santa Rosa, in the extreme northwest Panhandle, was named for Rosa de Viterbo, a Roman Catholic saint. Milton is the county seat. 2000 population: 117,743.
Sarasota (1921) – Sarasota, on the central Gulf coast, derives its name from the Calusa Indian language, perhaps meaning “point of rocks.” Sarasota, the county seat, is a popular tourist and retirement area. 2000 population: 325,957.
Seminole (1913) – Seminole, near Orlando, was named for the Seminole Indians. Sanford is the county seat. 2000 population: 365,196.
Sumter (1853) – Sumter, in north central Florida, was named for Gen. Thomas Sumter, a Revolutionary War hero. Bushnell is the county seat. 2000 population: 53,345.
Suwannee (1858) – Suwannee, in north central Florida, was named from the Cherokee word “sawani,” meaning echo river, or a corruption of the Spanish name San Juan. Live Oak is the county seat and the historic Suwannee River is here. 2000 population: 34,844.
Taylor (1856) – Taylor, on the upper Gulf coast, was named for President Zachary Taylor. Perry is the county seat. 2000 population: 19,256.
Union (1921) – Union, in north central Florida, is the smallest county in the state and was named for unity. Lake Butler is the county seat. 2000 population: 13,442.
Volusia (1854) – Volusia, on the central Atlantic coast, was named for an English settler, Volus. Daytona Beach, the county seat, is a major commercial and tourist center. The city is known as the birthplace of auto racing and today’s Daytona International Speedway. 2000 population: 443,343.
Wakulla (1843) – Wakulla, a rural county in the Panhandle, was probably named from the Timucuan Indian word for “spring of water.” Crawfordsville is the county seat. 2000 population: 22,863.
Walton (1824) – Walton, in the western Panhandle, was named for George Walton, the secretary of territorial Florida from 1821-1826. DeFuniak Springs is the county seat of Walton, the highest elevation in the state. 2000 population: 40,601.
Washington (1825) – Washington, in the Panhandle, was named for President George Washington. Chipley is the county seat. 2000 population: 20,973.
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