Monticello, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Monticello, Florida
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| City of Monticello | |
Monticello City Hall
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Location in Jefferson County and the state of Florida
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | Jefferson |
| Settled | 1827 |
| Incorporated | 1859 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Commission-Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.01 sq mi (10.39 km2) |
| • Land | 4.01 sq mi (10.39 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 233 ft (71 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,589 |
| • Density | 645.31/sq mi (249.17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
32344-32345
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| Area code(s) | 850 |
| FIPS code | 12-46500 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0287080 |
Monticello is the only city in Jefferson County, Florida, United States. It is also the county seat, which means it's where the main government offices for the county are located.
The city got its name from Monticello, the famous home of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson County itself is also named after him. The Jefferson County Courthouse in Monticello was even designed to look like Jefferson's estate. In 2020, about 2,589 people lived in Monticello. It is part of the larger Tallahassee area.
Monticello is known for its old Indian mounds and many historic buildings. These include the Perkins Opera House and the Monticello Old Jail Museum.
Contents
History and Culture in Monticello
Monticello has a rich history and many interesting cultural spots.
Historic Buildings and Places
The Perkins Opera House is a beautiful old building from the 1800s. It used to be a store but was changed into a theater. Today, you can still enjoy music shows and plays there. The main floor also has a large room used for parties and events.
Howard Academy was a school built in 1936 for African American students. It is located on Mamie B. Scott Drive, named after an important person, Mamie B. Scott. Another school for African American students was built in 1960 and was also named Howard Academy. In 1967, schools in Monticello became integrated, meaning students of all races could attend together. The original Old Howard Academy was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.
Many other historic places in Monticello are worth seeing. They include:
- Bethel School
- Christ Episcopal Church
- Denham-Lacy House
- Jefferson County Courthouse (Florida)
- Letchworth Mounds
- Lyndhurst Plantation
- Monticello High School (Florida)
- Monticello Historic District
- Monticello Old Jail Museum
- Palmer House
- Palmer-Perkins House
- Perkins Opera House
- Wirick-Simmons House
Where is Monticello Located?
Monticello is in the northern part of Jefferson County, Florida. Its exact location is 30.544612 degrees North and 83.867321 degrees West.
Two main roads, U.S. Route 90 and U.S. Route 19, go through the city center. U.S. Route 90 is also called Washington Street. It goes east to Greenville (about 16 miles) and west to Tallahassee (about 26 miles). U.S. Route 19 is known as Jefferson Street. It goes south to Capps (about 10 miles) and north to Thomasville, Georgia (about 22 miles).
These two highways meet in the middle of Monticello at Courthouse Circle. This circle goes around the Jefferson County Courthouse. From the courthouse, U.S. Route 19 also leads south for about 5 miles to Interstate 10. Interstate 10 can take you west to Tallahassee (about 25 miles) or east to Lake City (about 82 miles).
The city of Monticello covers a total area of about 4.01 square miles (10.3 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
What's the Weather Like in Monticello?
Monticello has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and winters that are usually mild. The city once recorded the highest temperature ever in Florida. On June 29, 1931, the temperature reached a very hot 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius).
| Climate data for Monticello 5 SE, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1904–2017 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 85 (29) |
88 (31) |
92 (33) |
95 (35) |
106 (41) |
109 (43) |
107 (42) |
104 (40) |
103 (39) |
99 (37) |
91 (33) |
84 (29) |
109 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 62.7 (17.1) |
67.1 (19.5) |
73.3 (22.9) |
79.1 (26.2) |
85.7 (29.8) |
89.6 (32.0) |
90.7 (32.6) |
90.1 (32.3) |
87.2 (30.7) |
80.3 (26.8) |
71.4 (21.9) |
65.1 (18.4) |
78.5 (25.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 51.5 (10.8) |
54.8 (12.7) |
60.7 (15.9) |
66.5 (19.2) |
73.4 (23.0) |
79.1 (26.2) |
80.9 (27.2) |
80.5 (26.9) |
77.2 (25.1) |
68.6 (20.3) |
59.4 (15.2) |
53.7 (12.1) |
67.2 (19.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 40.3 (4.6) |
42.5 (5.8) |
48.1 (8.9) |
53.9 (12.2) |
61.1 (16.2) |
68.6 (20.3) |
71.0 (21.7) |
70.9 (21.6) |
67.2 (19.6) |
56.9 (13.8) |
47.5 (8.6) |
42.4 (5.8) |
55.9 (13.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 3 (−16) |
14 (−10) |
18 (−8) |
31 (−1) |
38 (3) |
44 (7) |
54 (12) |
58 (14) |
36 (2) |
28 (−2) |
13 (−11) |
7 (−14) |
3 (−16) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.81 (122) |
4.01 (102) |
5.29 (134) |
4.12 (105) |
3.82 (97) |
7.62 (194) |
7.49 (190) |
7.53 (191) |
5.46 (139) |
3.31 (84) |
2.79 (71) |
3.68 (93) |
59.93 (1,522) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.1 | 7.4 | 9.2 | 6.4 | 5.8 | 11.7 | 15.0 | 13.2 | 8.7 | 5.0 | 5.8 | 7.7 | 105.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: WRCC (extremes) | |||||||||||||
People Who Live in Monticello
Monticello has been home to people for a long time. The population has changed over the years. In 2020, there were 2,589 people living in the city. There were 1,120 households and 711 families.
The median household income in 2020 was $43,780. This is the middle income for all households. About 27.3% of adults aged 25 and older had a college degree or higher. The employment rate was 49.2%. There were 1,323 housing units in the city.
Population Changes Over Time
The number of people living in Monticello has changed over the years. Here's a quick look at the population from different census years:
- 1850: 329 people
- 1860: 1,083 people
- 1870: 1,052 people
- 1890: 1,218 people
- 1900: 1,076 people
- 1910: 1,829 people
- 1920: 1,704 people
- 1930: 1,901 people
- 1940: 2,042 people
- 1950: 2,264 people
- 1960: 2,490 people
- 1970: 2,473 people
- 1980: 2,994 people
- 1990: 2,573 people
- 2000: 2,533 people
- 2010: 2,506 people
- 2020: 2,589 people
Famous People From Monticello
Some well-known people have lived in or are from Monticello:
- James Patton Anderson: A military leader during the American Civil War.
- Allen Boyd: A politician.
- Bobby Thigpen: A professional baseball pitcher. He set a record for saves in 1990.
- Willie "Chicken" Thompson: A famous clubhouse manager and chef for the Chicago White Sox baseball team.
- Jack Youngblood: A professional football player.
Schools in Monticello
Public schools in Monticello are managed by Jefferson County Schools. One of the schools is Jefferson County Middle / High School.
See also
In Spanish: Monticello (Florida) para niños
