Jackson County, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jackson County
County
Jackson County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Florida
Founded	August 12, 1822
Named for	Andrew Jackson
Seat	Marianna
Largest city	Marianna
Area
• Total	955 sq mi (2,470 km2)
• Land	918 sq mi (2,380 km2)
• Water	37 sq mi (100 km2)  3.9%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	47,319
• Estimate  (2023)	48,622
• Density	49.549/sq mi (19.131/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida, on its northwestern border with Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 47,319. Its county seat is Marianna.

History

Jackson County was created by the Florida Territorial Council in 1822 out of Escambia County, along with Duval County out of St. Johns County, making them the third and fourth counties in the Territory. The county was named for Andrew Jackson, who had served as Florida's first military governor for six months in 1821. Jackson County originally extended from the Choctawhatchee River on the west to the Suwannee River on the east. The county had been reduced close to its present boundaries by 1840 through the creation of new counties from its original territory. Minor adjustments to the county boundaries continued through most of the 19th century, however.

There were no towns in Jackson County when it was formed. The first county court met at what was called "Robinson's Big Spring" (later called Blue Springs) in 1822 and then at the "Big Spring of the Choctawhatchee" in 1823. The following year the county court met at "Chipola Settlement" which is also known as Waddell's Mill Pond.

Marianna became the county seat, but not without controversy. It was founded by Robert Beveridge, a native of Scotland, in September 1821. The first town established in Jackson County was Webbville in January 1821. Webbville, a community of land squatters, was located 9 miles (14 km) northwest of present-day Marianna and was designated as the county seat. Webbville thrived until 1828 when Beveridge and other Marianna settlers went to Tallahassee and enticed the Florida Legislature with free land, construction of a courthouse, a public square and $500 to purchase a quarter section of land to be sold at public auction as a way to finance the new government, if the county seat was moved to Marianna.

Beveridge and his supporters succeeded and Marianna became the county seat of the county justice and civil authority, even though it was never officially proclaimed the county seat. Marianna began to grow and prosper when the county government moved into the new courthouse in 1829. Webbville's prominent citizens moved to Marianna and the L&N Railroad decided to bypass the town. Webbville does not exist today.

From 1869-71, Jackson County was the center of a low-level guerrilla war known as the Jackson County War. Members of the Ku Klux Klan consisting of Confederate Army veterans assassinated over 150 Republican Party officials and prominent African-Americans as part of a successful campaign to retain white Democratic power.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 955 square miles (2,470 km²), of which 918 square miles (2,380 km²) is land and 37 square miles (96 km²) (3.9%) is water. Jackson County is the only county in Florida that borders both Georgia and Alabama. Jackson County is in the Central Standard Time Zone. Its eastern border with Gadsden County forms the boundary in this area between the Central Standard and Eastern Standard Time Zones.

Adjacent Counties

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 47,319 people, 17,149 households, and 11,152 families residing in the county.

Education

The Jackson County School Board, the sole school district of the county, operates public schools.

Jackson County is also home to Baptist College of Florida, an institution of higher education in Graceville affiliated with the Florida Baptist Convention, and Chipola College, a state college in Marianna.

Libraries

The Jackson County Public Library System has three branches. Jackson County is also a part of the Panhandle Public Library Cooperative System. The PPLCS also includes Holmes, and Calhoun counties.

• Marianna
• Graceville
• Greenwood

Transportation

Airports

Jackson County's main airport is Marianna Municipal Airport, originally known as the Graham Air Base. Local and private airports also exist throughout the county.

Major highways

The sign for Jackson County on U.S. Route 90.

• I-10 (Interstate 10) is the main west-to-east interstate highway in the county, and runs along southern Jackson County for a length of 33 miles. It contains five interchanges within the county; US 231 (Exit 130), SR 276 (Exit 136), SR 71 (Exit 142), SR 69 (Exit 152), and CR 268 (Exit 158).
• US 90 (U.S. Highway 90) was the main west-to-east highway in the county, until it was surpassed by I-10.
• US 231 (U.S. Highway 231) is the sole south-to-north U.S. highway running through the western part of the county.
• SR 2 is the west to east route that's closest to the Alabama border.
• SR 69 is a south-to-north state highway that enters from Calhoun County north of Ocheesee. North of the interchange with I-10, it passes through Grand Ridge, Dellwood, Two Egg, and finally terminates at SR 71 in Greenwood, across from the eastern terminus of Jackson County Road 162.
• SR 71 is a south-to-north highway that enters the county from Altha in Calhoun County. North of the interchange with I-10, it has a westbound overlap with US 90 for approximately 1.7 miles, then branches off in a northeasterly direction. Curving north, it passes the Marianne Municipal Airport, then runs through Malone, only to curve to the northwest on its way to the Alabama State Line where it becomes AL 53.
• SR 73 is a south-to-north highway that enters the county from Willis in Calhoun County. In Marianna, Florida it has a westbound overlap with US 90 which begins at the southern terminus of SR 166. then branches off in a northwesterly direction for 9 miles until finally terminating at US 231.
• SR 77 is a south-to-north highway running through northwestern Jackson County from Chipley, Florida in Washington County. The road has an overlap with SR 2 in Graceville and terminates at the Alabama State Line where it becomes AL 109.
• SR 166 is a short south to north state highway running through Marianna and a portion of rural Jackson County northeast of the city limits.
• SR 273 is a south to north state highway running through northwestern Jackson County.
• SR 276 exists primarily in Marianna, but has county extensions in both Washington and Jackson Counties.

Railroads

Jackson County has two railroad lines. The primary one is the CSX P&A Subdivision, a line formerly owned by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad that served Amtrak's Sunset Limited. This service formerly went to New Orleans, but in 2005 service was truncated by the extensive damage in the Gulf area due to Hurricane Katrina. Another is the Bay Line Railroad: originally the Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railway main line, this railway runs from Panama City through Campbellton. US 231 was constructed parallel to the railroad. The lines have a junction in Cottondale. Other lines within the county were abandoned after restructuring of the railroad industry in the mid to late 20th century. Passenger traffic declined after affordable automobiles became widely available.

Communities

Cities

• Graceville
• Jacob City
• Marianna

Towns

Unincorporated communities

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Jackson (Florida) para niños