Leon County, Florida | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Leon County Courthouse | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofFlorida | |
 Florida's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:30°28′N84°17′W / 30.46°N 84.28°W /30.46; -84.28 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| Founded | December 29, 1824 |
| Named after | Juan Ponce de León |
| Seat | Tallahassee |
| Largest city | Tallahassee |
| Area | |
• Total | 702 sq mi (1,820 km2) |
| • Land | 667 sq mi (1,730 km2) |
| • Water | 35 sq mi (91 km2) 5.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 292,198 |
• Estimate (2023) | 296,913 |
| • Density | 438/sq mi (169/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
Leon County is acounty in thePanhandle of theU.S. state ofFlorida. It was named after the Spanish explorerJuan Ponce de León. As of the2020 census, the population was 292,198.[1][2] Thecounty seat isTallahassee,[3] which is also thestate capital and home to many politicians, lobbyists, jurists, and attorneys. Leon County is included in theTallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Tallahassee is home to two of Florida's major public universities,Florida State University andFlorida A&M University, as well asTallahassee State College. Together these institutions have a combined enrollment of more than 70,000 students. It was an area of cotton cultivation. About 30 percent of Leon County is African American. The area includesred rolling hills.
Originally part ofEscambia and laterGadsden County, Leon County was created in 1824.[4] It was named afterJuan Ponce de León, theSpanishexplorer who was the firstEuropean to reach Florida.[5]The United States finally acquired this territory in the 19th century. In the 1830s, it attempted to conductIndian Removal of theSeminole andCreek peoples, who had migrated south to escape European-American encroachment in Georgia and Alabama. After many Seminole were forcibly removed from the area or moved south to the Everglades during theSeminole Wars, planters developed cotton plantations based on enslaved labor.
By the 1850s and 1860s, Leon County had become part of the Deep South's "cotton kingdom". It ranked fifth of allFlorida andGeorgia counties in cotton production from the 20 major plantations. Uniquely among Confederate capitals east of theMississippi River, in theAmerican Civil War Tallahassee was never captured by Union forces. No Union soldiers set foot in Leon County until theReconstruction Era.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 702 square miles (1,820 km2), of which 667 square miles (1,730 km2) are land and 35 square miles (91 km2) (5.0%) are water.[6] Unlike much of Florida, most of Leon County has rolling hills, as part of Florida'sRed Hills Region. The highest point is 280 feet (85 m), in the northern part of the county.
Leon County encompassesbasement rock composed ofbasalts of theTriassic andJurassic from ~251 to 145 million years ago interlayered withMesozoicsedimentary rocks. The layers above the basement arecarbonate rock created from dyingforaminifera,bryozoa,mollusks, andcorals from as early as thePaleocene, a period of ~66—55.8 Ma.[7]
During theEocene (~55.8—33.9 Ma) andOligocene (~33.9—23 Ma), theAppalachian Mountains began to uplift and the erosion rate increased enough to fill theGulf Trough withquartz sands,silts, andclays via rivers and streams. The first sedimentation layer in Leon County is the OligoceneSuwannee Limestone in the southeastern part of the county as stated by theUnited States Geological Survey and Florida Geological Survey.[8]
TheEarly Miocene (~23.03—15.7 Ma) sedimentation in Leon County isHawthorn Group,Torreya Formation andSt. Marks Formation and is found in the northern two-thirds of the county.
ThePliocene (~5.332—2.588 Ma) is represented by the Miccosukee Formation scattered within the Torreya Formation.
Sediments were laid down from thePleistocene epoch (~2.588 million—12 000 years ago) through theHolocene epoch (~12,000—present) and are designated Beach ridge and trail and undifferentiated sediments.
During the Pleistocene, what would be Leon County emerged and submerged with each glacial andinterglacial period. Interglacials created the county's topography.
Also SeeLeon County Pleistocene coastal terraces
Also see:Florida Platform andLithostratigraphy
Three sites in Leon County have yielded fossil remnants of theMiocene epoch.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 6,494 | — | |
| 1840 | 10,713 | 65.0% | |
| 1850 | 11,442 | 6.8% | |
| 1860 | 12,343 | 7.9% | |
| 1870 | 15,236 | 23.4% | |
| 1880 | 19,662 | 29.0% | |
| 1890 | 17,752 | −9.7% | |
| 1900 | 19,887 | 12.0% | |
| 1910 | 19,427 | −2.3% | |
| 1920 | 18,059 | −7.0% | |
| 1930 | 23,476 | 30.0% | |
| 1940 | 31,646 | 34.8% | |
| 1950 | 51,590 | 63.0% | |
| 1960 | 74,225 | 43.9% | |
| 1970 | 103,047 | 38.8% | |
| 1980 | 148,655 | 44.3% | |
| 1990 | 192,493 | 29.5% | |
| 2000 | 239,452 | 24.4% | |
| 2010 | 275,487 | 15.0% | |
| 2020 | 292,198 | 6.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 296,913 | [9] | 1.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12] 1990-2000[13] 2010-2019[1] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[14] | Pop 1990[15] | Pop 2000[16] | Pop 2010[17] | Pop 2020[18] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 108,104 | 138,396 | 153,474 | 163,483 | 157,458 | 72.72% | 71.90% | 64.09% | 59.34% | 53.89% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 36,327 | 46,191 | 69,049 | 82,386 | 87,503 | 24.44% | 24.00% | 28.84% | 29.91% | 29.95% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 264 | 471 | 634 | 681 | 631 | 0.18% | 0.24% | 0.26% | 0.25% | 0.22% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 985 | 2,625 | 4,507 | 7,950 | 10,465 | 0.66% | 1.36% | 1.88% | 2.89% | 3.58% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[19] | x[20] | 98 | 121 | 155 | x | x | 0.04% | 0.04% | 0.05% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 546 | 95 | 322 | 511 | 1,261 | 0.37% | 0.05% | 0.13% | 0.19% | 0.43% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[21] | x[22] | 2,961 | 4,994 | 11,811 | x | x | 1.24% | 1.81% | 4.04% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,429 | 4,715 | 8,407 | 15,361 | 22,914 | 1.63% | 2.45% | 3.51% | 5.58% | 7.84% |
| Total | 148,655 | 192,493 | 239,452 | 275,487 | 292,198 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 292,198 people, 116,530 households, and 61,961 families residing in the county.
As of thecensus[23] of 2010, there were 275,487 people, and 108,592 households residing in the county. The population density was 413.2 inhabitants per square mile (159.5/km2). There were 123,423 housing units at an average density of 185 per square mile (71/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 63.0%White, 30.3%Black orAfrican American, 0.3%Native American, 2.9%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, and 2.2% from two or more races. 5.6% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 108,592 households, out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% weremarried couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.8% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.0% under the age of 18, 26.3% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.57 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.03 males.
At 70.2%, Leon County enjoys the highest level ofpost-secondary education in the state of Florida, followed byAlachua County with a total of 67.8%.
| Level of Education | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Leon Co. | Florida | U.S. | |
| Some college or associate degree | 28.5% | 28.8% | 27.4% | |
| Bachelor's Degree | 24.0% | 14.3% | 15.5% | |
| Master's or Ph.D. | 17.7% | 8.1% | 8.9% | |
| Total | 70.2% | 51.2% | 51.8% | |
Source of above:[24]
The median income for a household in the county was $37,517, and the median income for a family was $52,962. Males had a median income of $35,235 versus $28,110 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $21,024. About 9.40% of families and 18.20% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 16.20% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.
Leon County has 1,300 acres (5.3 km2) of open space,forest andwoodlands between the Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway and J.R. Alford Greenway. In 2007 theNational Association of County Park and Recreation Officials recognized the county with its Environmental and Conservation Award for exceptional effort to reclaim, restore, preserve, acquire or develop unique and natural areas.
Leon County is governed by an elected seven-member board ofcounty commissioners.
Following Reconstruction, white Democrats regained power in Leon County and voters have historically voted forDemocratic candidates at the national level. Tallahassee is one of the few cities in theSouth known forprogressiveactivism.
The county has voted Democratic in 24 of the past 29 presidential elections since 1904.[25] Its political affiliations likely draw from the high number of students, staff, and faculty associated withFlorida State University,Florida A&M University, andTallahassee State College in Tallahassee, as well as the concentration of government employees.
Leon County has had the highest voter turnout of any Florida county. In the2008 general election, it had a record-setting voter turnout of 85%, includingearly voting andvoting by mail.[26]
As of March 31, 2024, there were 98,612 Democrats, 54,464 Republicans, and 43,600 voters with other affiliations in Leon County.[27]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 0 | 0.00% | 634 | 100.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1896 | 247 | 15.52% | 1,298 | 81.53% | 47 | 2.95% |
| 1900 | 162 | 13.95% | 932 | 80.28% | 67 | 5.77% |
| 1904 | 84 | 11.37% | 649 | 87.82% | 6 | 0.81% |
| 1908 | 143 | 14.93% | 698 | 72.86% | 117 | 12.21% |
| 1912 | 56 | 8.41% | 546 | 81.98% | 64 | 9.61% |
| 1916 | 191 | 16.32% | 875 | 74.79% | 104 | 8.89% |
| 1920 | 452 | 22.97% | 1,412 | 71.75% | 104 | 5.28% |
| 1924 | 92 | 8.29% | 947 | 85.32% | 71 | 6.40% |
| 1928 | 630 | 24.72% | 1,888 | 74.07% | 31 | 1.22% |
| 1932 | 252 | 7.87% | 2,950 | 92.13% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 277 | 6.84% | 3,770 | 93.16% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 583 | 9.65% | 5,459 | 90.35% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 835 | 15.64% | 4,505 | 84.36% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 1,149 | 18.65% | 3,607 | 58.55% | 1,405 | 22.80% |
| 1952 | 5,604 | 41.19% | 8,000 | 58.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 6,828 | 49.30% | 7,022 | 50.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 9,079 | 46.53% | 10,433 | 53.47% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 15,181 | 58.15% | 10,927 | 41.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 9,288 | 28.49% | 10,440 | 32.02% | 12,878 | 39.50% |
| 1972 | 27,479 | 63.72% | 15,555 | 36.07% | 92 | 0.21% |
| 1976 | 23,739 | 44.42% | 28,729 | 53.76% | 975 | 1.82% |
| 1980 | 24,919 | 43.47% | 28,450 | 49.63% | 3,957 | 6.90% |
| 1984 | 36,325 | 55.00% | 29,683 | 44.94% | 38 | 0.06% |
| 1988 | 36,055 | 51.39% | 33,472 | 47.71% | 631 | 0.90% |
| 1992 | 31,983 | 32.87% | 47,791 | 49.12% | 17,520 | 18.01% |
| 1996 | 33,930 | 36.99% | 50,072 | 54.59% | 7,715 | 8.41% |
| 2000 | 39,073 | 37.88% | 61,444 | 59.57% | 2,637 | 2.56% |
| 2004 | 51,615 | 37.85% | 83,873 | 61.50% | 891 | 0.65% |
| 2008 | 55,705 | 37.40% | 91,747 | 61.60% | 1,483 | 1.00% |
| 2012 | 55,805 | 37.54% | 90,881 | 61.13% | 1,985 | 1.34% |
| 2016 | 53,821 | 34.98% | 92,068 | 59.83% | 7,992 | 5.19% |
| 2020 | 57,453 | 35.14% | 103,517 | 63.32% | 2,506 | 1.53% |
| 2024 | 60,397 | 38.29% | 94,520 | 59.93% | 2,810 | 1.78% |
| Leon County Government | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Name | Party | |
| Commissioner, At-Large | Nicholas J. Maddox | Democratic | |
| Commissioner, At-Large | Carolyn D. Cummings | Democratic | |
| Commissioner, Dist. 1 | William C. Proctor | Democratic | |
| Commissioner, Dist. 2 | Christian Caban | Democratic | |
| Commissioner, Dist. 3 | W. Richard Minor | Democratic | |
| Commissioner, Dist. 4 | G. Brian Welch | Democratic | |
| Commissioner, Dist. 5 | David O'Keefe | Democratic | |
| Supervisor of Elections | Mark Earley | NPA | |
| Tax Collector | Doris Maloy | Democratic | |
| Property Appraiser | Akin Akinyemi | Democratic | |
| Clerk of the Circuit Court | Gwendolyn M. Marshall | Democratic | |
| Sheriff | Walt McNeil | Democratic | |
| School Superintendent | James P. "Rocky" Hanna | Democratic | |
Allison Tant (D), District 9, represents Leon County's northern half, including most of Tallahassee.Jason Shoaf (R), District 7, represents the county's southern portion. He won office in a special election.[29]Gallop Franklin (D), District 8, represents a west-central portion of the county.
All of Leon County is represented byCorey Simon (R), District 3, in the Florida Senate.
Leon County is located in the 2nd congressional district after the 2020 census redistricting process was completed. It is currently represented byNeal Dunn (R).
Leon County voters have gone to thepolls four times to vote onconsolidation of theTallahassee and Leon County governments into one jurisdiction.[30] This proposal would combine police and other city services with the already shared (consolidated)Tallahassee Fire Department, Tallahassee/Leon County Planning Department, andLeon County Emergency Medical Services. Tallahassee's city limits would (at current size) increase from 98.2 square miles (254 km2) to 702 square miles (1,820 km2). Roughly 36 percent of Leon County's 250,000 residents live outside the Tallahassee city limits.
| Leon County Voting On Consolidation | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | For | Against | |||||
| 1971 | 10,381 (41.32%) | 14,740 (58.68%) | |||||
| 1973 | 11,056 (46.23%) | 12,859 (53.77%) | |||||
| 1976 | 20,336 (45.01%) | 24,855 (54.99%) | |||||
| 1992 | 37,062 (39.8%) | 56,070 (60.2%) | |||||
Proponents of consolidation have claimed that the new jurisdiction would attract business by its very size. Merging of governments would cut government waste, duplication of services, etc. ProfessorRichard Feiock of Florida State University found in a 2007 study that he could not conclude that consolidation would benefit the local economy.[31]
TheFlorida Department of Health[35] operates county health departments in all 67 of the state's counties.
TheFlorida Department of Children and Families providessocial services in all 67 of the state's counties.
Note: Road construction and resurfacing is handled by private contractors
The City of Tallahassee Utilities department is responsible for water delivery, wastewater treatment, and stormwater management within the city limits. In unincorporated areas of Leon County, residents utilize private wells and septic systems.
Florida State University (commonly calledFlorida State orFSU) is an Americanpublicspace-grant andsea-grantresearch university. It has a 1,391.54-acre (5.631-km2) campus in Tallahassee. In 2017, it had nearly 42,000 students. It is a senior member of theState University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is on Florida's oldest continuous site of higher education.[36][37]
The university is classified as aResearch University with Very High Research by theCarnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.[38] It comprises 16 separatecolleges and more than 110 centers, facilities, labs and institutes that offer more than 360 programs of study, including professional school programs.[39] In 2022-23 the university had an operating budget of $2.36 billion[40] set by theFlorida State University Board of Trustees. Florida State is home to Florida's only National Laboratory, theNational High Magnetic Field Laboratory. FSU also operates theJohn & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the State Art Museum of Florida and one of the nation's largest museum/university complexes.[41]
FSU is accredited by theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). It is home to nationally ranked programs in many academic areas, includinglaw,business,engineering,medicine,social policy, film, music,theater, dance,visual art,political science,psychology,social work, and the sciences.[42]
For 2019,U.S. News & World Report ranked Florida State the country's 26th-best public university.[43]
Florida Governor Rick Scott and the state legislature designated FSU one of two "preeminent" state universities in the spring of 2013 among the 12 universities of the State University System of Florida.[44][45][46]
FSU's intercollegiate sports teams, commonly called theSeminoles, compete inNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)Division I and theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC).[47]
Founded on October 3, 1887,Florida A&M University (FAMU) is a public,historically black university that is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. FAMU's main campus comprises 156 buildings spread over 422 acres (1.7 km2) on top of Tallahassee's highest geographic hill. In 2016 it had more than 9,600 students. FAMU also has several satellite campuses. Its College of Law is at itsOrlando site, and its pharmacy program has sites inMiami,Jacksonville andTampa. FAMU offers 54 bachelor's degrees and 29 master's degrees. It has 12 schools and colleges and one institute.
FAMU has 11 doctoral programs, including tenPh.D. programs: chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, biomedical engineering, physics, pharmaceutical sciences, educational leadership, and environmental sciences. Top undergraduate programs are architecture, journalism, computer information sciences, and psychology. FAMU's top graduate programs include pharmaceutical sciences, public health, physical therapy, engineering, physics, master's of applied social sciences (especially history and public administration), business, and sociology.
TheFlorida Legislature foundedTallahassee Junior College in 1966,[49] renamedTallahassee Community College in 1970, thenTallahassee State College in 2024.[50]
TSC is a member of theFlorida College System. It is accredited by theFlorida Department of Education and theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools. Its primary site is a 270-acre (1.092 km2) campus in Tallahassee.
TSC offersBachelor's of Science,Associate of Arts,Associate of Science, andAssociate of Applied Sciences degrees. In 2013, it was 1st in the nation in graduating students with A.A. degrees.[51] TSC is also the nation's #1 transfer school toFlorida State University. As of 2015, TSC had 38,017 students.[52]
In partnership withFlorida State University, TSC offers theTSC2FSU program. This program provides guaranteed admission to FSU for TSC Associate in Arts degree graduates.[53]
TheLeon County School District administers and operates Leon County's public schools.[54] LCS is operated by a superintendent, 5 board members, and 1 student representative. There are 25 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, seven high schools, eight special/alternative schools, and two charter schools.
Leon County operates the Leroy Collins Leon County Public Library, with 7 branches serving the county:[55]
The Leon County Public Library was renamed in 1993 to honorLeRoy Collins, the 33rd governor of Florida.[56]
The Carnegie Library of Tallahassee provided library services to the black community before desegregation. It was the first and only public library in Tallahassee until 1955. Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie offered Tallahassee money to build a public library in 1906. According to Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, the library was built on the FAMU campus because the city refused the donation because it would have to serve the black citizens. "The facility boasted modern amenities such as electricity, indoor plumbing and water supplied by the city. In later years, the Library served as an art gallery, religious center, and in 1976, became the founding home of the Black Archives Research Center and Museum. By functioning both as a repository for archival records and a museum for historical regalia, the center continues to render academic support to educational institutions, civic, political, religious and Museum. By functioning both as a repository for archival records and a museum for historical regalia, the center continues to render academic support to educational institutions, civic, political, religious and social groups, as well as, public and private businesses throughout Florida and the nation."[57] The building was designed by noted architect William Augustus Edwards and was built in 1908. On November 17, 1978, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The Carnegie Library of Tallahassee, which served only the black community, became the only free public library in the city until 1955. According to the Leon County Public Library's website, the American Association of University Women formed the Friends of the Library organization in 1954. The formation of the Friends of the Library was in direct response to the fact that "Tallahassee was the only state capital in the United States not offering free public library service."[58] A year later, the library was established by legislative action and developed by citizens and civic groups. The first Leon County free public library opened on March 21, 1956. The first building to house the library was The Columns, one of the oldest remaining antebellum homes in the Leon County area, at Park Avenue and Adams Street (now the home of the James Madison Institute).
In order to expand library services, the Junior League of Tallahassee donated abookmobile to the library. The vehicle was later donated to the Leon County Sheriff's Office to be used as a paddywagon for its Road Prison. In 1962, the library moved to the old Elks Club building at 127 North Monroe Street. Public transit in the city of Tallahassee had been desegregated by 1958, but the public library system was only integrated several years later.
In the early 1970s, Jefferson and Wakulla Counties joined the Leon County Public Library System, forming the Leon, Jefferson, and Wakulla County Public Library System. According to the library's website, "Leon County provided administrative and other services to the two smaller counties, while each supported the direct costs of their library services and their share of Leon's administrative costs."[58] In 1975 the system started a branch library in Bond, a predominantly black community on the city's south side. Wakulla County left the library cooperative in 1975 to start its own library system and in 1978 the main library moved to Tallahassee's Northwood Mall. Jefferson County left the library cooperative in 1980 and the library reverted to the Leon County Public Library. In 1989, "ground breaking was held on March 4 for a new $8.5 million main library facility with 88,000 feet of space. The site was next door to the library's original home, The Columns, which had been moved in 1971 to 100 N. Duval."[58] The new library had its grand opening in 1991 and was renamed in 1993 in honor of former Governor LeRoy Collins.
Interstate 10
U.S. Highway 27
U.S. Highway 90
U.S. Highway 319
State Road 20
State Road 61
State Road 155
State Road 263
State Road 267
State Road 363
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Places adjacent to Leon County, Florida | |
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| Topics |  Map of North Florida | |
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| Counties | ||
| Major cities | ||
| Cities and towns 50k–100k | ||
| Cities and towns 10k–40k | ||
| Metro areas | ||
| Regions | ||
30°28′N84°17′W / 30.46°N 84.28°W /30.46; -84.28
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| National | |
| Other | |
