Citrus County, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Citrus County
|
||
|---|---|---|
Old Citrus County Courthouse
|
||
|
||
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
|
||
 Florida's location within the U.S. |
||
| Country |  United States |
|
| State |  Florida |
|
| Founded | June 2, 1887 | |
| Named for | Citrus trees (previously a major industry in the county) | |
| Seat | Inverness | |
| Largest community | Homosassa Springs | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 773 sq mi (2,000 km2) | |
| • Land | 582 sq mi (1,510 km2) | |
| • Water | 192 sq mi (500 km2) 24.8%% | |
| Population
(2020)
|
||
| • Total | 153,843 | |
| • Density | 264/sq mi (102/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP Codes |
34446, 34442, 34465 and 34461
|
|
| Area code | 352 | |
| Congressional district | 12th | |
Citrus County is a county located on the central west coast of Florida, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 153,843 people lived there. The main government center, called the county seat, is Inverness. The biggest community in the county is Homosassa Springs.
Citrus County is part of the Homosassa Springs, Florida area, which is a group of towns and cities that are connected.
Contents
A Look Back: Citrus County's History
People first lived in the area that is now Citrus County a very long time ago, possibly as far back as 10,000 years. Around 2,500 years ago, Native Americans who built large mounds settled here. They created the amazing structures you can still see today at the Crystal River Archaeological State Park. This site was used for about 2,000 years, but we don't know why it was eventually left empty.
Citrus County was officially created in 1887. Before that, it was part of Hernando County. It got its name from the many citrus groves, like orange and grapefruit trees, that grew there. However, a very cold period called the "Big Freeze" in 1894-1895 caused most of the citrus trees to die. Today, there's only one large citrus farm left, called Bellamy Grove. Some people still have a few citrus trees in their own yards.
After the Big Freeze, the next big business was mining for phosphate, a mineral used in fertilizers. This continued until World War I. There were plans to build a large shipping canal called the Cross Florida Barge Canal, but it was never finished because people worried about its impact on nature. Later, there was an idea to turn a part of the unfinished canal into a port called Port Citrus. But this project didn't make much progress, and in 2015, the county decided to stop it.
The first county seat of Citrus County was a town called Mannfield. Today, only a street and a pond remain from that old town. The county seat was later moved to Inverness, which is still the main government center.
The first library in Citrus County opened in Inverness in 1917. More libraries were added over time in places like Floral City and Hernando. In 1961, these libraries joined together to form the Central Florida Library System. Later, in 1987, the Citrus County Library System was created, allowing the local residents to manage their own libraries.
In September 2024, a big storm called Hurricane Helene brought a lot of water, about ten feet high, into the area. More than 100 people and 50 pets had to be rescued from the floodwaters.
Where is Citrus County?
The U.S. Census Bureau says that Citrus County covers about 773 square miles. Out of this, 582 square miles are land, and 192 square miles (about 24.8%) are water. The county is known as part of Florida's "Nature Coast" because of its beautiful natural areas.
Along the coast, there are many islands that are not lived on or have very few people. You can reach these islands by boat. Some of them are state lands, meaning anyone can visit them for fun activities. However, many other islands in Citrus County are private property.
Neighboring Counties
Citrus County shares its borders with these other counties:
- Levy County to the northwest
- Marion County to the northeast
- Sumter County to the east
- Hernando County to the south
Special Nature Spots
The county is home to parts of two important national wildlife refuges:
- Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge
- Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge
Amazing Animals of Citrus County
Citrus County is famous for its manatees! These gentle giants are marine mammals. During the coldest months of the year, as many as 400 manatees can be found in the county's warm waters.
You can also see manatees up close at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. Most of the animals at the park are injured and are being cared for. Some will be released back into the wild, while others will live at the park permanently if they can't survive on their own. A special resident at the park is Lucifer, an African hippopotamus who was in movies! He became an "honorary citizen" of Florida so he could stay at the park.
Who Lives in Citrus County?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 2,394 | — | |
| 1900 | 5,391 | 125.2% | |
| 1910 | 6,731 | 24.9% | |
| 1920 | 5,220 | −22.4% | |
| 1930 | 5,516 | 5.7% | |
| 1940 | 5,846 | 6.0% | |
| 1950 | 6,111 | 4.5% | |
| 1960 | 9,268 | 51.7% | |
| 1970 | 19,196 | 107.1% | |
| 1980 | 54,703 | 185.0% | |
| 1990 | 93,515 | 71.0% | |
| 2000 | 118,085 | 26.3% | |
| 2010 | 141,236 | 19.6% | |
| 2020 | 153,843 | 8.9% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 166,696 | 18.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2015 |
|||
As of 2020, there were 153,843 people living in Citrus County. These people lived in 64,621 households, which are groups of people living together in one home. About 40,063 of these households were families.
In 2000, about 17.2% of the people were under 18 years old. About 32.2% of the people were 65 years old or older. The average age in the county was 53 years.
How People Live and Work
In 2014, more than one-third of the people living in Citrus County were senior citizens. Because of this, a lot of jobs in the county are in healthcare.
Getting Around Citrus County
Citrus County has different ways for people to travel.
Airports in the County
There are two local airports in Citrus County:
- Crystal River Airport
- Inverness Airport
Train Tracks
Only one train line is still used in the county. It's a freight line that goes to the Crystal River Energy Complex in the northern part of Citrus County. Other old train lines have been turned into walking and biking trails, like the Cross Town Trail in Crystal River and the Withlacoochee State Trail.
Main Roads and Highways
Here are some of the important roads in Citrus County:
SR 589 (Suncoast Parkway) runs north and south. It's still being built and will eventually go further north into Citrus County.
US 19 (SR 55/Suncoast Boulevard) is a main road that goes through the western part of the county from south to north.
US 41 (SR 45/Florida Avenue) is a main road that goes through the eastern part of the county from south to north.
US 98 (SR 700/Ponce de Leon Boulevard) enters the county from the south and joins US 19 in Chassahowitzka.
SR 44 (Gulf-to-Lake Highway) goes east and west through the northern part of the county, connecting Crystal River to Sumter County.
Towns and Communities
Citrus County has several cities and many smaller communities.
Cities
Census-designated places
Other unincorporated communities
Former towns
- Mannfield (the first county seat, now an empty town)
- Orleans
- Stage Pond (only a cemetery remains)
- Arlington
- Fairmount (now an industrial park)
News and Entertainment
The main newspaper in Citrus County is the Citrus County Chronicle, which comes out every day. There are also several online news sources. The local TV station is WYKE-CD.
Images for kids
-
Sign on the Withlacoochee State Trail marking the site of the "Great Train Wreck of 1956" at Pineola, Florida.
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Citrus para niños
