Jefferson County, Florida Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Jefferson County

U.S. county

Jefferson County Courthouse in Monticello

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Florida

Florida's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Florida

Founded

January 20, 1827

Largest city

Monticello

Area

• Total

637 sq mi (1,650 km²)

• Land

598 sq mi (1,550 km²)

• Water

38 sq mi (100 km²) 6.0%%

Population

(2020)

• Total

14,510

• Estimate

(2023)

15,450

• Density

22.779/sq mi (8.795/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

2nd

Jefferson County is a county in the Big Bend area of northern Florida. In 2020, about 14,510 people lived there. Its main town, or county seat, is Monticello. Jefferson County is part of the Tallahassee area. It is also one of the most rural counties in Florida. You won't find any traffic signals in the whole county!

History

In the 1700s, a group of Native Americans called the Chiaha settled in this area. They later became part of the Mikasuki-speaking Seminole people.

Jefferson County was created in 1827. It was named after Thomas Jefferson, who was the third president of the United States. He had passed away the year before the county was formed.

Forts of Jefferson County

During early times, several forts were built in Jefferson County:

Fort Roger Jones (1839), near Aucilla
Fort Noel (1839–1842), south of Lamont
Camp Carter (1838), near Waukeenah
Fort Welaunee (1838), a settlers' fort near Wacissa. Fort Gamble was built here later.
Fort Aucilla (1843), southwest of Lamont
Fort Wacissa (1838), a settlers' fort south of Wacissa

Life During the American Civil War

Before the American Civil War, cotton was the main crop grown in Jefferson County. About 17% of all Florida's cotton came from here. Many large farms, called plantations, were in the county. In 1860, 64% of the people living in Jefferson County were Black.

After slavery ended, the Black population in Jefferson County continued to grow. By 1870, 72% of the people were Black. To help the large Black community, the Freedmen's Bureau opened an office in Monticello around 1866.

Geography

Entering Jefferson County on US 19 from Thomas County, Georgia

Jefferson County covers about 637 square miles. Most of this is land (598 square miles), and 38 square miles (6%) is water.

It is the only county in Florida that touches both the state of Georgia and the Gulf of Mexico.

Neighboring Counties

Jefferson County shares borders with these counties:

Thomas County, Georgia - to the north
Brooks County, Georgia - to the northeast
Madison County - to the east
Taylor County - to the southeast
Wakulla County - to the southwest
Leon County - to the west

Protected Areas

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (part of it is in Jefferson County)

Water Bodies

Important rivers and bodies of water in the county include:

Population Information

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	3,312	—
1840	5,713	72.5%
1850	7,718	35.1%
1860	9,876	28.0%
1870	13,398	35.7%
1880	16,065	19.9%
1890	15,757	−1.9%
1900	16,195	2.8%
1910	17,210	6.3%
1920	14,502	−15.7%
1930	13,408	−7.5%
1940	12,032	−10.3%
1950	10,413	−13.5%
1960	9,543	−8.4%
1970	8,778	−8.0%
1980	10,703	21.9%
1990	11,296	5.5%
2000	12,902	14.2%
2010	14,761	14.4%
2020	14,510	−1.7%
2023 (est.)	15,450	4.7%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2019

2020 Census

In 2020, Jefferson County had 14,510 people. There were 5,770 households and 3,761 families living in the county. About 60% of the population was White, and about 31.7% was Black or African American. Around 4.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

2010 Census

In 2010, the county had 14,761 people. There were 5,646 households and 3,798 families. The population density was about 25 people per square mile. About 60.4% of the people were White, and 36.2% were Black or African American. About 3.7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average household had 2.38 people, and the average family had 2.89 people. About 18.6% of the population was under 18 years old.

Education

Former Jefferson County Middle / High School

The Jefferson County Schools district runs the public schools. This includes Jefferson County Middle / High School. There is also a private school called Aucilla Christian Academy.

Library

The public library in Jefferson County is called the R.J. Bailar Public Library. It is part of the Wilderness Coast Public Libraries Cooperative. The library is located in the building that used to be the old Jefferson High School library.

Transportation

Railroads

A CSX railroad line runs through the county. This line was once used by Amtrak's Sunset Limited train until 2005. No Amtrak trains stop in Jefferson County anymore.

Main Highways

Many important roads cross Jefferson County:

I-10 (Interstate 10) is the main highway going from west to east. It has three exits in the county.
US 19 is a major road going north and south. It passes through Monticello and has a traffic circle with US 90 around the historic courthouse.
US 27 is another north-south highway. It splits off from US 19 in Capps and heads west towards Tallahassee.
SR 59 connects US 90 to US 98.
US 90 used to be the main west-to-east highway before I-10. It goes through Monticello and crosses the Aucilla River.
US 98 is the southernmost east-west road. It runs through conservation areas near the Gulf of Mexico.
US 221 is the easternmost US highway. It runs through the northeastern part of the county, including Ashville.
CR 259 is a two-lane road called Waukeenah Highway. It runs from the Leon County line through Wacissa.