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Graceville, Florida facts for kids

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Graceville, Florida
City of Graceville
"Welcome to Graceville" sign located on SR 77
"Welcome to Graceville" sign located on SR 77
Motto(s): 
"Where The Living Is Easy"
Location in Jackson County, Holmes County and the state of Florida
Location in Jackson County, Holmes County and the state of Florida
Country  United States
State  Florida
County  Jackson
Incorporated 1902
Government
 • Type Commission–Manager
Area
 • Total 4.44 sq mi (11.49 km2)
 • Land 4.33 sq mi (11.21 km2)
 • Water 0.11 sq mi (0.28 km2)
Elevation
151 ft (46 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 2,153
 • Density 497.46/sq mi (192.05/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
32440
Area code(s) 850
FIPS code 12-27000
GNIS feature ID 0283260

Graceville is a friendly city located in Jackson County, Florida, in the United States. It's quite close to the border with Alabama. In 2020, about 2,153 people called Graceville home. The city's motto is "Where The Living Is Easy."

Graceville's Location and Roads

Graceville is found at a specific spot on the map: 30.959044 degrees North and -85.513280 degrees West. This means it's in the northern part of Florida.

Two main highways pass through Graceville. Florida State Road 2 goes from west to east. It connects Graceville to Campbellton (about 7 miles east) and Esto (about 10 miles west). Florida State Road 77 runs from south to north. It leads northeast to Dothan, Alabama (about 22 miles away), and south to Chipley (about 12 miles away).

Jackson County's Landscape

Jackson County, where Graceville is located, is mostly a rural area. This means it has more open land and fewer big cities. Businesses here often focus on farming, making things, and local shops. The land's height changes from about 50 feet to 330 feet above sea level.

The soil in the county is mostly sandy loam, which is a mix of sand and clay. There are also many lakes, like Lake Seminole and Merritt's Mill Pond. The Chattahoochee River-Apalachicola River forms the eastern border of the county. The Chipola River flows through the middle.

Graceville's Climate

Graceville has a warm and humid climate. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate. It means summers are hot and sticky, while winters are usually mild.

Here are some climate facts for the area:

  • Land area: 916 square miles
  • Region of the country: Southeast
  • Average temperature: 67.2°F
  • Average high temperature: 79.0°F
  • Average low temperature: 55.0°F
  • Annual rain: 66.0 inches
  • Annual snowfall: 0.0 inches (it rarely snows!)

Graceville's Population and People

Demographics is the study of a population, looking at things like how many people live somewhere and what groups they belong to.

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 734
1920 840 14.4%
1930 1,012 20.5%
1940 1,181 16.7%
1950 1,638 38.7%
1960 2,307 40.8%
1970 2,560 11.0%
1980 2,918 14.0%
1990 2,675 −8.3%
2000 2,402 −10.2%
2010 2,278 −5.2%
2020 2,153 −5.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population Changes in Graceville

Graceville's population has changed over the years. In 1910, there were 734 people. The population grew steadily for many decades, reaching its highest point in 1980 with 2,918 residents. Since then, the number of people living in Graceville has slowly decreased. In 2020, the population was 2,153.

The table below shows the different groups of people living in Graceville according to the 2010 and 2020 censuses.

Graceville racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White (NH) 1,572 1,370 69.01% 63.63%
Black or African American (NH) 551 582 24.19% 27.03%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 7 7 0.31% 0.33%
Asian (NH) 4 9 0.18% 0.42%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) 3 0 0.13% 0.00%
Some other race (NH) 0 9 0.42%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) 46 85 2.02% 3.95%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 95 91 4.17% 4.23%
Total 2,278 2,153

In 2020, there were 2,153 people living in Graceville. They lived in 814 households, and 451 of these were families.

Education in Graceville

The Jackson County School Board is in charge of all the public schools in the area.

Schools in and around Graceville include:

  • Graceville Elementary School
  • Graceville High School
  • Poplar Springs High School
  • Baptist College of Florida (a college for higher education)

Famous People from Graceville

Several notable people have connections to Graceville:

  • Neal Anderson: A former professional football player in the NFL.
  • John Wayne Mixson: He was a former Lieutenant Governor of Florida and also served as Governor of Florida.
  • Ricky Polston: He is a Chief Justice on the Florida Supreme Court.
  • Bob Snyder: A talented musician.
  • Colston Weatherington: Another former professional football player in the NFL.

Graceville's Transportation History

For many years, railroads were very important for travel and moving goods. Graceville was connected by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad starting in 1902. This line helped bring people and supplies to the town.

Later, other railroad companies like the Seaboard System and the Alabama and Florida Railroad used the tracks. However, passenger trains stopped running around the late 1950s. This was because roads improved and more people had cars.

The railroad companies found that very few people were riding the trains. For example, in 1950, the railroad said that sometimes there were more train workers than passengers! Because it cost a lot to run the trains with so few passengers, the railroad lines eventually closed down. The last train line connecting Graceville was abandoned by 1996. Today, you might only see a few old rails in the ground where the tracks used to be.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Graceville (Florida) para niños

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