Florida Counties

Click on the county name to search for all materials pertaining to this county. To link to the county listing in the Florida Electronic Federal Depository Library, click on FEFDL. Counties can also be searched by using the above search box.

Alachua
Established 1824.
Alachua is either a Muskogee or Timucua word for "sinkhole".
Major cities include: Alachua, Gainesville, Hawthorne, High Springs, Waldo
FEFDL link to Alachua County

Baker
Established 1861.
Named after James McNair Baker, Fourth Municipal District, Confederate Senator.
Major cities include: MacClenny, Glen Saint Mary
FEFDL link to Baker County

Bay
Established 1913.
Named after St. Andrews Bay.
Major cities include: Callaway, Mexico Beach, Panama City, Panama City Beach
FEFDL link to Bay County

Benton
see, Hernando
Established 1844 through 1850. It was subsequently renamed Hernando.

Bradford
Established 1861. (was New River, 1858 -1861)
Named after Captain Richard Bradford, killed at Battle of Santa Rosa Island during Civil War.
Major cities include: Lawtey, Starke
FEFDL link to Bradford County

Brevard
Established 1855. (was St. Lucia 1844 -1855)
Named after either Doctor Ephriam Brevard, writer of the so-called Mecklenberg (N.C.) Declaration of Independence, or Theodore Washington Brevard, state comptroller, 1854, 1855 -1860.
Major cities include: Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Titusville
FEFDL link to Brevard County

Broward
Established 1915.
Named after Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, governor 1905 -1909.
Major cities include: Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pompano Beach
FEFDL link to Broward County

Calhoun
Established 1838.
Named after John C., U.S. Senator from South Carolina.
Major cities include: Altha, Blountstown
FEFDL link to Calhoun County

Charlotte
Established 1921.
Named after the Bay of Charlotte Harbor.
Major cities include: Boca Grande, Punta Gorda
FEFDL link to Charlotte County

Citrus
Established 1887.
Named for the county's citrus trees and citrus industry.
Major cities include: Crystal River, Inverness
FEFDL link to Citrus County

Clay
Established 1858.
Named after Henry Clay, U.S. Senator from Kentucky.
Major cities include: Green Cove Springs, Keystone Heights, Orange Park, Penney Farms
FEFDL link to Clay County

Collier
Established 1923.
Named after Barron Collier, landowner and developer.
Major cities include: Everglades City, Marco Island, Naples
See the Big Cypress National Preserve and Reclaiming the Everglades collections.
FEFDL link to Collier County

Columbia
Established 1832.
Named after Christopher Columbus.
Major cities include: Fort White, Lake City
FEFDL link to Columbia County

Dade
see, Miami-Dade

DeSoto
Established 1887.
Named after Hernando de Soto, Spanish explorer.
Major cities include: Arcadia
FEFDL link to De Soto County

Dixie
Established 1921.
Lyric term for the South.
Major cities include: Cross City, Horseshoe Beach
FEFDL link to Dixie County

Duval
Established 1822.
Named after William P. DuVal, Territorial Governor, 1822-1834.
Major cities include: Atlantic Beach, Baldwin, Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach
FEFDL link to Duval County

Escambia
Established 1821.
Named after Escambia River, from the Spanish for "barter" or "exchange".
Major cities include: Century, Pensacola
FEFDL link to Escambia County

Flagler
Established 1917.
Named after Henry M. Flagler, East Coast railroad builder.
Major cities include: Bunnell, Flagler Beach, Marineland
FEFDL link to Flagler County

Franklin
Established 1832.
Named after Benjamin Franklin, scientist and author.
Major cities include: Apalachicola, Carraabelle
FEFDL link to Franklin County

Gadsden
Established 1823.
Named after James Gadsden of South Carolina, aide-de-camp of Jackson in Florida campaign of 1818.
Major cities include: Chattachoochee, Greensboro, Gretna, Midway, Quincy
FEFDL link to Gadsden County

Gilchrist
Established 1925.
Named after Albert W. Gilchrist, governor, 1909-1913.
Major cities include: Bell, Fanning Springs
FEFDL link to Gilchrist County

Glades
Established 1921.
Named after the Florida Everglades.
Major cities include: Moore Haven
FEFDL link to Glades County

Gulf
Established 1925.
Named after the Gulf of Mexico.
Major cities include: Port St. Joe, Wewahitchka
FEFDL link to Gulf County

Hamilton
Established 1827.
Named after Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of U.S. Treasury.
Major cities include: Jasper, Jenning, White Springs
FEFDL link to Hamilton County

Hardee
Established 1921.
Named after Cary A. Hardee, Governor, 1921-1925.
Major cities include: Bowling Green, Wauchula, Zolfo Springs
FEFDL link to Hardee County

Hendry
Established 1923.
Named after Captain Francis A. Hendry, one of the first settlers.
Major cities include: Clewiston, La Belle
FEFDL link to Hendry County

Hernando
Established 1843. (was Benton, 1844 -1850)
Named after Hernando de Soto, Spanish explorer.
Major cities include: Brooksville, Weeki Wachee
FEFDL link to Hernando County

Highlands
Established 1921.
Named for the county's Highland terrain.
Major cities include: Avon Park, Lake Placid, Sebring
FEFDL link to Highlands County

Hillsborough
Established 1834.
Named after Wills Hill, Viscount Hillsborough of England.
Major cities include: Plant City, Tampa, Temple Terrace
FEFDL link to Hillsborough County

Holmes
Established 1848.
Named after Thomas J. Holmes of North Carolina who settled in the area about 1830.
Major cities include: Bonifay, Esto, Noma, Ponce de Leon, Westville
FEFDL link to Holmes County

Indian River
Established 1925.
Named after the Indian River
Major cities include: Fellsmere Indian River Shores, Orchid, Sebastian, Vero Beach
FEFDL link to Indian River County

Jackson
Established 1822.
Named after Andrew Jackson, President, U.S., 1829-1837.
Major cities include: Marianna
FEFDL link to Jackson County

Jefferson
Established 1827.
Named after Thomas Jefferson, President, U.S., 1801-1809.
Major cities include: Monticello
FEFDL link to Jefferson County

Lafayette
Established 1856.
Named after Marquis de Lafayette, French officer who served with Washington in the American Revolution.
Major cities include: Mayo
FEFDL link to Lafayette County

Lake
Established 1887.
Named for the large number of lakes in the area.
Major cities include: Eustis, Lady Lake, Leesburg, Mount Dora, Tavares
FEFDL link to Lake County

Lee
Established 1887.
Named after General Robert E. Lee.
Major cities include: Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel
See the Koreshan State Historical Site, Sanibel Island History, and Southwest Florida Environmental Documents collections.
FEFDL link to Lee County

Leon
Established 1824.
Named after Juan Ponce de Leon, first European to reach Florida.
Major cities include: Tallahassee
FEFDL link to Leon County

Levy
Established 1845.
Named after David Levy (Yulee), U.S. Senator, 1845-1851, 1855-1861.
Major cities include: Cedar Key, Williston
FEFDL link to Levy County

Liberty
Established 1855.
Name applied to a common objective of American people.
Major cities include: Bristol
FEFDL link to Liberty County

Madison

Established 1827.
Named after James Madison, President, U.S., 1809-1817.
Major cities include: Greenville, Lee, Madison
FEFDL link to Madison County

Manatee
Established 1855.
Named for the sea cow, or manatee.
Major cities include: Anna Marie Island, Longboat Key
FEFDL link to Manatee County

Marion
Established 1844.
Named after General Francis Marion, Revolutionary War Hero.
Major cities include: Belleview, Dunnellon, McIntosh, Ocala, Silver Springs
FEFDL link to Marion County

Martin
Established 1925.
Named after John W. Martin, Governor, 1925-1929.
Major cities include: Jupiter Island, Ocean Breeze Park, Stuart, Sewall's Point
FEFDL link to Martin County

Miami-Dade
Established 1836.
Named after Major Francis L. Dade, killed at the Dade Battlefield, 1835.
Major cities include: Coral Gables, Hialeah, Key Biscayne, Miami, Miami Beach, North Miami Beach
See the Miami Metropolitan Archive and Reclaiming the Everglades collections.
FEFDL link to Miami-Dade County

Monroe
Established 1823.
Named after James Monroe, President, U.S., 1817-1825.
Major cities include: Islamorda, Key Largo, Key West, Marathon, North Key Largo Beach
See the Big Cypress National Preserve and Mile Markers collections.
FEFDL link to Monroe County

Mosquito
see, Orange
Established 1824 through 1845. It was subsequently renamed Orange.

Nassau
Established 1824.
Named after the Duchy of Nassau, Germany.
Major cities include: Callahan, Fernandina Beach, Hillard
FEFDL link to Nassau County

New River
see, Bradford
Established 1858 through 1861. It was subsequently renamed Bradford.

Okaloosa
Established 1915.
Choctaw Indian words oka (water) and lusa (black).
Major cities include: Destin, Fort Walton Beach
FEFDL link to Okaloosa County

Okeechobee
Established 1917.
Hitchiti words oki (water) and chobi (big).
Major cities include: Okeechobee City
FEFDL link to Okeechobee County

Orange
Established 1845. (was Mosquito, 1824 -1845)
Named for the county's oranges and orange industry.
Major cities include: Apoka, Orlando
FEFDL link to Orange County

Osceola
Established 1887.
The Indian leader Osceola, whose name means "Singer of the Black Drink".
Major cities include: Celebration, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Walt Disney World
FEFDL link to Osceola County

Palm Beach
Established 1909.
Named for the county's palms and beaches.
Major cities include: Boca Raton , Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Jupiter, Juno Beach, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach
FEFDL link to Palm Beach County

Pasco
Established 1887.
Named after Samuel Pasco, U.S. Senator, 1887 -1899.
Major cities include:Dade City, New Port Richey, Port Richey, Saint Leo, San Antonio, Zephyrhills
FEFDL link to Pasco County

Pinellas
Established 1911.
From the Spanish "Pinta Pinal", meaning "Point of Pines".
Major cities include:Clearwater Beach, Dunedin, Largo, Oldsmar, Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs
FEFDL link to Pinellas County

Polk
Established 1861.
Named after James K. Polk, President, U.S., 1845 -1849.
Major cities include: Auburndale, Bartow, Lakeland, Lake Wales, Winter Haven
FEFDL link to Polk County

Putnam
Established 1849.
Named after either for Israel Putnam, Revolutionary hero, or Benjamin A. Putnam, officer in Seminole War and unsuccessful candidate, U.S. House of Representatives, 1815.
Major cities include:Crescent City, Interlachen, Palatka, Pomona Park, Welaka
FEFDL link to Putnam County

St. Johns
Established 1821.
Named after St. John the Baptist.
Major cities include: Hastings, Marineland, St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach
FEFDL link to St. Johns County

St. Lucia
see, Brevard
Established 1844 - 1855.
St. Lucie
Established 1844.
Named after St. Lucie of Syracuse, Roman Catholic Saint. Lucie was Born in Sicily and was executed in 304 AD for being a Christian.
Major cities include: Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie
FEFDL link to St. Lucie County

Santa Rosa
Established 1842.
Named after Rosa de Viterbo, Roman Catholic Saint.
Major cities include: Gulf Breeze, Jay, Milton, Navarre, Pace
FEFDL link to Santa Rosa County

Sarasota
Established 1921.
From Calusa Indian language, meaning "not known", but perhaps "Point of Rocks".
Major cities include: Longboat Key, North Port, Sarasota, Venice
FEFDL link to Sarasota County

Seminole
Established 1913.
Named after the Seminole Indians. "Seminole" is thought to be derived from Spanish word "cimarron", meaning "wild" or "runaway."
Major cities include: Lake Mary, Oviedo, Sanford
FEFDL link to Seminole County

Sumter
Established 1853.
Named after General Thomas Sumter, Revolutionary War hero.
Major cities include: Bushnell, Center Hill, Coleman, Webster, Wildwood
FEFDL link to Sumter County

Suwannee
Established 1858.
Either Cherokee "sawani", meaning "echo river", or corruption of Spanish San Juan.
Major cities include: Branford, Live Oak
FEFDL link to Suwannee County

Taylor
Established 1856.
Named after Zachary Taylor, President, U.S., 1849-1851.
Major cities include: Perry
FEFDL link to Taylor County

Union
Established 1921.
Unity.
Major cities include: Lake Butler, Raiford, Worthington Springs
FEFDL link to Union County

Volusia
Established 1854.
Named after Volus, an English settler.
Major cities include: Daytona Beach, Deland, Halifax, Orange City, Ormond Beach
FEFDL link to Volusia County

Wakulla
Established 1843.
Probably Timucuan Indian word for "spring of water".
Major cities include: Crawfordville, St. Marks, Sopchoppy
FEFDL link to Wakulla County

Walton
Established 1824.
Named after George Walton, Secretary, Territorial Florida, 1821- 1826.
Major cities include: DeFuniak Springs, Freeport, Paxton
FEFDL link to Walton County

Washington
Established 1825.
Named after George Washington, President, U.S., 1789-1797.
Major cities include: Caryville, Chipley, Ebro, Sunnyville, Vernon, Wausau
FEFDL link to Washington County

Florida Counties

Click on the county name to search for all materials pertaining to this county. To link to the county listing in the Florida Electronic Federal Depository Library, click on FEFDL. Counties can also be searched by using the above search box.

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