Holmes County, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Holmes County
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Holmes County Courthouse
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Location within the U.S. state of Florida
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 Florida's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| Founded | January 8, 1848 |
| Seat | Bonifay |
| Largest city | Bonifay |
| Area | |
| • Total | 489 sq mi (1,270 km2) |
| • Land | 479 sq mi (1,240 km2) |
| • Water | 10 sq mi (30 km2) 2.1%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 19,653 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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19,944  |
| • Density | 40.19/sq mi (15.518/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
Holmes County is a place in the northwestern part of Florida, a state in the United States. It's located in the area known as the Florida Panhandle. A "county" is like a smaller section of a state, with its own local government. In 2020, about 19,653 people lived here. The main town and "county seat" (where the county government offices are) is Bonifay.
Contents
History
Holmes County was officially created in 1848.
People aren't completely sure how Holmes County got its name. The Holmes Creek, which is on the county's eastern side, had this name before the county was formed. But it was first called Weekaywehatchee, a name from the Creek Indian language meaning "spring creek."
One idea is that the county was named after Thomas J. Holmes. He moved to the area from North Carolina around 1830. Another idea is that it was named after a Native American chief named Holmes. He settled in the area with his group of Red Stick Creek Indians after 1814. Sadly, he was killed in 1818 during a conflict called the First Seminole War.
Holmes County has had four different county seats over time. The first was Hewett's Bluff, which was later called Cerro Gordo. Then came Pittman's Ferry, followed by Westville. Finally, Bonifay became the county seat in 1905 and has been ever since.
Historic places to visit
Some interesting historic places in Holmes County include:
- Keith Cabin in Pittman
- Waits Mansion in Bonifay
- Vortex Spring, located north of Ponce de Leon
- Ponce de Leon Springs State Park, in Ponce de Leon
Geography
Holmes County covers about 489 square miles. Most of this area, about 479 square miles, is land. The rest, about 10 square miles, is water. This makes it the fifth-smallest county in Florida by total area.
Neighboring counties
Holmes County shares borders with these other counties:
- Geneva County, Alabama – to the north
- Jackson County, Florida – to the east
- Washington County, Florida – to the south
- Walton County, Florida – to the west
People and population
The number of people living in Holmes County has changed a lot over the years. In 1850, there were only 1,205 people. By 2020, the population had grown to 19,653.
The county is home to people from many different backgrounds. In 2020, most residents were White. There were also many Black or African American residents, as well as Native American, Asian, and people of mixed races. A smaller group of residents were of Hispanic or Latino background.
In 2020, there were 7,137 households in the county. A household is a group of people living together in one home. About 4,939 of these households were families. The average age of people in Holmes County was 38 years old.
Media
The local newspaper in Holmes County is called the Holmes County Times-Advertiser. It comes out every Wednesday.
Holmes County also had its first FM radio station, WTBB, which started broadcasting in 1984. It played soft rock and classic oldies music. The station was later sold and its studios moved away, but the radio frequency still belongs to Holmes County.
Education
The Holmes District School Board is in charge of the public schools in the county. There are two public high schools: Holmes County High School and Ponce de Leon High School. There are also two K-12 schools (meaning they teach all grades from kindergarten to 12th grade): Poplar Springs High School and Bethlehem High School.
The Holmes County Public Library is the main library for the county. It's located in Bonifay. The library offers computers with internet, free Wi-Fi, and programs for all ages. You can also find e-books and other online resources there. Holmes County's library is also part of a larger system called the Panhandle Public Library Cooperative System, which includes libraries in Calhoun and Jackson counties.
Communities
Holmes County has several towns and communities:
City
Towns
Unincorporated communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially part of a city or town:
- Bethlehem
- Cerrogordo
- Gritney
- Miller’s Crossroads
- Pittman
- Prosperity
- Poplar Springs
- Hamp Berry's Crossroads
- Leonia
- Sweet Gum Head
Transportation
Airports
- Tri-County Airport is located in Holmes County.
Major highways
Several important roads run through Holmes County:
I-10 (Interstate 10) is a major highway that goes from west to east across the southern part of the county.
US 90 (U.S. Highway 90) was once the main west-to-east road before I-10 was built.
SR 2 is a west-to-east road that runs close to the Alabama border.
SR 79 is a road that goes from south to north through the eastern part of Holmes County, passing through Bonifay and Esto. It continues into Alabama as AL 167.
SR 81 is another south-to-north road, running through the western part of the county. It passes through Ponce De Leon and continues into Alabama as AL 87.
Railroads
Holmes County has one main railroad line, the CSX P&A Subdivision. This line was once used by a passenger train called the Sunset Limited. There was also another railroad line in the northeastern part of the county that ran through Esto.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Holmes (Florida) para niños
