Flagler County, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Flagler County
U.S. county
Flagler County Courthouse in Bunnell
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Florida
Founded	April 28, 1917
Named for	Henry Flagler
Seat	Bunnell
Largest city	Palm Coast
Area
• Total	571 sq mi (1,480 km2)
• Land	485 sq mi (1,260 km2)
• Water	85 sq mi (220 km2)  15.0%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	115,378
• Density	238/sq mi (92/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	6th

Flagler County is a cool place in the U.S. state of Florida, located in the northeastern part of the state. In 2020, about 115,378 people lived there. The main town, called the county seat, is Bunnell. The biggest city in the county is Palm Coast.

Flagler County was created in 1917. It was formed from parts of Saint Johns and Volusia Counties. The county is named after Henry Flagler. He was a very important person who built the Florida East Coast Railway. This railway helped Florida grow a lot!

Flagler County is part of a larger group of cities. These include the areas around Deltona, Daytona Beach, and Ormond Beach. It's also part of the even bigger Orlando area.

History of Flagler County

Flagler County has some interesting history!

Theme Park Fun and Closure

In 1974, a theme park called Marco Polo Park opened. It was located right off Interstate 95. Sadly, the park didn't make enough money. It closed down soon after it opened.

Big Wildfires and Evacuation

In 1998, Flagler County faced a big challenge. Two large brush fires were burning. They threatened to join together and become one huge fire. Because of this danger, everyone in the county was told to leave their homes. This is called a mandatory evacuation. It was the first time an entire county in Florida had to evacuate because of a wildfire. It's still the only time it has happened!

Geography of Flagler County

Flagler County covers a total area of about 571 square miles. Most of this area, about 485 square miles, is land. The rest, about 85 square miles, is water. This means about 15% of the county is covered by water.

Neighboring Counties

Flagler County shares its borders with three other counties:

• St. Johns County, Florida – to the north
• Volusia County, Florida – to the south
• Putnam County, Florida – to the west

Parks and Gardens to Explore

Flagler County has many amazing parks and gardens where you can enjoy nature. Here are some of them:

Rivers and Waterways

Flagler County is also home to several important rivers and waterways:

• Atlantic Ocean
• Dead Lake]
• Crescent Lake
• Intracoastal Waterway
• Matanzas River
• Pellicer Creek]

People of Flagler County (Demographics)

Flagler County has grown a lot over the years! In 1920, only 2,442 people lived there. By 2020, the population had grown to 115,378 people. Experts estimate that by 2023, the population was around 131,439.

In 2020, there were 115,378 people living in Flagler County. These people lived in over 44,000 households. Many of these households were families, about 31,591 of them.

Back in 2010, the county had 95,696 people. About 82.3% of the people were White. About 11.4% were Black or African American. Also, about 8.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

The population is spread out in terms of age. About 19.9% of the people were under 18 years old. A larger group, about 24.5%, were 65 years old or older.

Flagler County was one of the fastest-growing counties in the entire nation between 2000 and 2005. Its population increased by 53.3% during that time! Many people living in Flagler County have English, German, or Irish backgrounds.

Getting Around (Transportation)

There are several ways to travel in and around Flagler County.

Airports

• Flagler County Airport is the main airport in the county. It's used for private planes, student pilots, and business flights. It does not have flights for regular passengers.

Main Roads

Here are some of the major roads that go through Flagler County:

• Interstate 95
• U.S. 1
• SR A1A
• SR 11
• SR 20
• SR 100

Other Ways to Travel

• The Florida East Coast Railway offers train services for moving goods in the county.
• The Intracoastal Waterway is a water route that runs near the coast. It's used for shipping goods and for fun activities like boating.

Learning in Flagler County (Education)

Flagler County Public Schools teaches about 13,000 students. The school system has two public high schools: Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas High School. There are also five elementary schools and two middle schools. All elementary schools teach students from Pre-Kindergarten to 5th grade. Middle schools teach 6th to 8th grade.

Here are some of the schools in Flagler County:

• Belle Terre Elementary (K–5th grade)
• Bunnell Elementary (K–5th grade)
• Rymfire Elementary (K–5th grade)
• Old Kings Elementary (K–5th grade)
• Wadsworth Elementary (K–5th grade)
• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School (Pre-K–8th grade)
• Buddy Taylor Middle School (6th–8th grade)
• Indian Trails Middle School (6th–8th grade)
• Matanzas High School (9th–12th grade)
• Flagler Palm Coast High School (9th–12th grade)
• Pathways Academy (an alternative school)
• iFlagler Virtual School (K–12th grade, online learning)
• Imagine School at Town Center (a charter school)

In addition to these schools, Daytona State College has a campus in Palm Coast. This college offers higher education for students. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando also runs Catholic schools in the area. Father Lopez Catholic High School, a private high school, is nearby in Daytona Beach.

Flagler County Libraries

The Flagler County Library System has two locations. They serve over 57,000 people who borrow books and other materials. The main library is in Palm Coast. The other branch is in Bunnell. The library system has 18 staff members who help everyone.

The Flagler County Public Library was officially created in 1987. But even as far back as 1937, there was a small library in the County Courthouse in Bunnell. It was supported by a group called the Colony Club.

The libraries offer many services beyond just books! You can borrow e-books through apps like Overdrive and Axis360. The library staff can even help people with things like filing taxes or applying for government programs. They also help with passport applications. Both libraries offer fax services, and the main branch can scan documents for you.

In 2001, the Flagler County Library System started a special project. It's called the "Flagler County Memories Project." They record stories from local residents. These stories are saved on compact discs. The goal is to collect common themes and unique stories from people who live there.

Communities in Flagler County

Flagler County has several different types of communities.

Cities

• Bunnell
• Flagler Beach
• Palm Coast

Towns

• Beverly Beach
• Marineland (partly in St. John's County)

Unincorporated Communities

These are areas that are not officially part of a city or town.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Flagler para niños