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Gadsden County, Florida facts for kids

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Gadsden County
U.S. county
Gadsden County Courthouse
Gadsden County Courthouse
Official seal of Gadsden County
Seal
Map of Florida highlighting Gadsden County
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Florida
Founded June 24, 1823
Named for James Gadsden
Seat Quincy
Largest city Quincy
Area
 • Total 529 sq mi (1,370 km2)
 • Land 516 sq mi (1,340 km2)
 • Water 12 sq mi (30 km2)  2.3%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 43,826 Decrease
 • Density 83/sq mi (32/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 2nd

Gadsden County is a county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,826. Its county seat is Quincy. Gadsden County is included in the Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area. Gadsden County is the only majority African-American county in Florida.

History

Gadsden County was created in 1823. It was named for James Gadsden of South Carolina, who served as Andrew Jackson's aide-de-camp in Florida in 1818. Gadsden County is historically known for its tobacco crop which is obsolete today.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 529 square miles (1,370 km2), of which 516 square miles (1,340 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (2.3%) is water.

Gadsden County is part of the Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area. Gadsden County is in the Eastern Time Zone. Its western border with Jackson County forms the boundary in this area between the Eastern and Central Time Zones.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1830 4,895 —
1840 5,992 22.4%
1850 8,784 46.6%
1860 9,396 7.0%
1870 9,802 4.3%
1880 12,169 24.1%
1890 11,894 −2.3%
1900 15,294 28.6%
1910 22,198 45.1%
1920 23,539 6.0%
1930 29,890 27.0%
1940 31,450 5.2%
1950 36,457 15.9%
1960 41,989 15.2%
1970 39,184 −6.7%
1980 41,565 6.1%
1990 41,105 −1.1%
2000 45,087 9.7%
2010 46,389 2.9%
2020 43,826 −5.5%
2023 (est.) 43,833 −5.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

2020 census

Gadsden County, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 16,174 15,335 14,093 35.87% 33.06% 32.16%
Black or African American alone (NH) 25,632 25,881 23,326 56.85% 55.79% 53.22%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 87 93 71 0.19% 0.20% 0.16%
Asian alone (NH) 105 221 147 0.23% 0.48% 0.34%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 9 7 4 0.02% 0.02% 0.01%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 24 39 120 0.05% 0.08% 0.27%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 274 394 972 0.61% 0.85% 2.22%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2,782 4,419 5,093 6.17% 9.53% 11.62%
Total 45,087 46,389 43,826 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

Gadsden County is unique in Florida in that it is the state's only county with an African American majority population.

2010 Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 46,389 people living in the county. 56.0% were Black or African American, 35.9% White, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 5.9% of some other race and 1.3% of two or more races. 9.5% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

As of the census of 2000, there were 45,087 people, 15,867 households, and 11,424 families living in the county. The population density was 87 inhabitants per square mile (34/km2). There were 17,703 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile (13/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 57.14% Black or African American, 38.70% White, 0.23% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.76% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. 6.17% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,867 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.50% were married couples living together, 22.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 23.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.40% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,248, and the median income for a family was $36,238. Males had a median income of $27,159 versus $21,721 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,499. About 16.40% of families and 19.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.50% of those under age 18 and 16.90% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Max D. Walker School Administration Building
Max D. Walker School Administration Building, the Gadsden County School District headquarters

Rosenwald schools were established in Gadsden County.

The Gadsden County School District, the only school district, operates public schools.

Gadsden County is home to one public high school, Gadsden County High School (formerly East Gadsden High School), formed in 2017 by the merger of East Gadsden High and the high school portion of West Gadsden High School; the West Gadsden High building was converted to West Gadsden Middle. West Gadsden was formed by the merger of the former Chattahoochee High and Greensboro High and was located on the western outskirts of Quincy near Greensboro. East Gadsden, formed by the merger of James A. Shanks High and Havana Northside High, was located on Hwy. 90 east of Quincy.

Robert F. Munroe Day School and Tallavanna Christian School are private schools in the county that were founded as segregation academies.

Libraries

The Gadsden County Public Library System has 3 branches.

  • William A. McGill Library
  • Havana Branch
  • Chattahoochee Branch

Transportation

Airports

  • Quincy Municipal Airport

Major roads

See also: List of county roads in Gadsden County, Florida
Gadsden County FL sign entering from Georgia
The sign for Gadsden County while entering Florida from Georgia
  • I-10.svg Interstate 10 is the main west-to-east interstate highway in the county, and serves as the unofficial dividing line between northern and southern Gadsden County. It contains four interchanges within the county; CR 270A (Exit 166), SR 12 (Exit 174), SR 267 (Exit 181), and US 90 (Exit 192).
  • US 90.svg US 90 was the main west-to-east highway in the county prior to the construction of I-10 in the late 1960s. It runs from the Victory Bridge in Chattahoochee in the northwest, and then southeast through Gretna, Douglas City, and Quincy before finally leaving the county east of Midway into Leon County.
  • US 27.svg US 27 is the sole south-to-north U.S. highway running through the northeastern part of the county.
  • Florida 12.svg State Road 12 is a west-to-east state highway running from Liberty County in the southwest to Havana in the northeast. It also contains a county extension into Leon County.
  • Florida 65.svg State Road 65
  • Florida 159.svg State Road 159 is a short south to north road connecting US 27 to SR 12 in Havana, with a county extension northwest to Georgia State Route 309 at the Georgia State Line.
  • Florida 267.svg State Road 267

Railroads

Gadsden County has at least four existing railroad lines, three of which are owned by CSX. The first two CSX lines being P&A Subdivision, a line formerly owned by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and the other is the Tallahassee Subdivision, a former Seaboard Air Line Railroad line. These two lines meet in Chatahoochee and served Amtrak's Sunset Limited until it was truncated to New Orleans in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. A third line is the Apalachicola Northern Railroad, a line that spans as far south as Port St. Joe. The line enters from Liberty County, then crosses SR 12 in Greensboro, runs under I-10, follows CR 268 in Hardaway, and then turns west into Chatahoochee. The fourth line is the third CSX Line, the Bainbridge Subdivision, which runs along the west side of US 27 from Leon County by way of a bridge over the Ochlockonee River to the Georgia State Line. While some spurs still exist, other lines within the county were abandoned.

Public transportation

Public Transportation is provided by Big Bend Transit, which operates 3 bus routes in the county.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated areas

St. John Elementary School
The former St. John Elementary School

Gallery

  • Gadsden County Board of Commissioners

    Gadsden County Board of Commissioners

  • Gadsden County Sheriff's Office

    Gadsden County Sheriff's Office

  • Gadsden County Emergency Medical Services, Gadsden County Fire Services

    Gadsden County Emergency Medical Services and Gadsden County Fire Services

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Gadsden para niños

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