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Leon County, Florida
Seal of Leon County, Florida
Seal
Map of Florida highlighting Leon County
Location in the state of Florida
Map of the U.S
Florida's location in the U.S.
Founded December 29 1824
Named for Juan Ponce de León
Seat Tallahassee
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

702 sq mi (1,818 km²)
667 sq mi (1,728 km²)
35 sq mi (91 km²), 4.99%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

292,198
360/sq mi (139/km²)

Leon County is a county located in the state of Florida. In 2020, its population was 292,198. The principal place in Leon County is Tallahassee, the county seat and state capital. The county is home to two of Florida's major public universities, Florida A&M University and Florida State University. Leon County residents hold the distinction as having the highest level of education of those in any of Florida's 67 counties.

History[]

Originally part of Escambia and later Gadsden County, Leon County was created in 1824. It was named for Juan Ponce de León, the Spanish explorer who was the first European to reach Florida. During the 1850s - 1860s, Leon County was a "cotton kingdom" and ranked 5th out of all of Florida and Georgia counties in the production of cotton from the 20 major plantations.

Also see Plantations of Leon County.

Geography[]

Physical[]

Unlike much of Florida, Leon County has rolling hills. The highest point is 280 feet located in the north part of the county. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,818 km² (702 sq mi). 1,727 km² (667 sq mi) of it is land and 91 km² (35 sq mi) of it (4.99%) is water.

Leon County is part of the Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Major highways[]

Demographics[]

Race[]

As of the census² of 2000, there were 239,452 people, 96,521 households, and 54,341 families residing in the county. The population density was 139/km² (359/sq mi). There were 103,974 housing units at an average density of 60/km² (156/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 66.36% White, 29.11% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.91% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. 3.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Age[]

There were 96,521 households out of which 27.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.80% were married couples living together, 13.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.70% were non-families. 29.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county the population was spread out with 21.30% under the age of 18, 21.40% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 20.00% from 45 to 64, and 8.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 91.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.90 males.

Education[]

The adult citizens of Leon County enjoy the highest level of education in the state of Florida followed by Alachua County with a total of 67.8%.

Level of Education
Level Leon Co. Florida U.S.

College/Associate Degree 28.5% 28.8% 27.4%
Bachelor's Degree 24.0% 14.3% 15.5%
Master's or Ph. D. 17.7% 8.1% 8.9%
Total 70.2% 51.2% 51.8%

Income[]

The median income for a household in the county was $37,517, and the median income for a family was $52,962. Males had a median income of $35,235 versus $28,110 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,024. About 9.40% of families and 18.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.20% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.

Accolades[]

Law, government, and politics[]

Politics[]

LeonCoCrtHs2-16Sep2007

Leon County courthouse in Tallahassee; 2007

Following Reconstruction, white Democrats regained power in Leon County and voters have historically voted for Democratic candidates at the national level. Tallahassee is one of the few cities in the South known for progressive activism.

The county has voted Democratic in 24 of the past 29 presidential elections since 1904. (Until the late 1960s, blacks were essentially disenfranchised in Florida and other Southern states.) Since the civil rights era, Tallahassee has elected black mayors and black state representatives.[1] Its political affiliations likely draw from the high number of students, staff, and faculty associated with Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, as well as the concentration of government employees.

Leon County has had the highest voter turnout of any Florida county. In the 2008 general election, it had a record-setting voter turnout of 85%, including early voting and voting by mail.[2]

As of October 6, 2020, there were 116,294 Democrats, 57,791 Republicans, and 43,369 voters with other affiliations in Leon County.[3]

United States presidential election results for Leon County, Florida[4]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 57,453 35.14% 103,517 63.32% 2,506 1.53%
2016 53,821 34.98% 92,068 59.83% 7,992 5.19%
2012 55,805 37.54% 90,881 61.13% 1,985 1.34%
2008 55,705 37.40% 91,747 61.60% 1,483 1.00%
2004 51,615 37.85% 83,873 61.50% 891 0.65%
2000 39,073 37.88% 61,444 59.57% 2,637 2.56%
1996 33,930 36.99% 50,072 54.59% 7,715 8.41%
1992 31,983 32.87% 47,791 49.12% 17,520 18.01%
1988 36,055 51.39% 33,472 47.71% 631 0.90%
1984 36,325 55.00% 29,683 44.94% 38 0.06%
1980 24,919 43.47% 28,450 49.63% 3,957 6.90%
1976 23,739 44.42% 28,729 53.76% 975 1.82%
1972 27,479 63.72% 15,555 36.07% 92 0.21%
1968 9,288 28.49% 10,440 32.02% 12,878 39.50%
1964 15,181 58.15% 10,927 41.85% 0 0.00%
1960 9,079 46.53% 10,433 53.47% 0 0.00%
1956 6,828 49.30% 7,022 50.70% 0 0.00%
1952 5,604 41.19% 8,000 58.81% 0 0.00%
1948 1,149 18.65% 3,607 58.55% 1,405 22.80%
1944 835 15.64% 4,505 84.36% 0 0.00%
1940 583 9.65% 5,459 90.35% 0 0.00%
1936 277 6.84% 3,770 93.16% 0 0.00%
1932 252 7.87% 2,950 92.13% 0 0.00%
1928 630 24.72% 1,888 74.07% 31 1.22%
1924 92 8.29% 947 85.32% 71 6.40%
1920 452 22.97% 1,412 71.75% 104 5.28%
1916 191 16.32% 875 74.79% 104 8.89%
1912 56 8.41% 546 81.98% 64 9.61%
1908 143 14.93% 698 72.86% 117 12.21%
1904 84 11.37% 649 87.82% 6 0.81%
1900 162 13.95% 932 80.28% 67 5.77%
1896 247 15.52% 1,298 81.53% 47 2.95%
1892 0 0.00% 634 100.00% 0 0.00%



County representation[]

Leon County Government
Position Name Party

Commissioner, At-Large Nick Maddox Democratic
Commissioner, At-Large Carolyn Cummings Democratic
Commissioner, Dist. 1 Bill Proctor Democratic
Commissioner, Dist. 2 Jimbo Jackson Democratic
Commissioner, Dist. 3 Rick Minor Democratic
Commissioner, Dist. 4 Brian Welch Democratic
Commissioner, Dist. 5 Kristin Dozier Democratic
Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley NPA
Tax Collector Doris Maloy Democratic
Property Appraiser Akin Akinyemi Democratic
Court Clerk Gwen Marshall Democratic
Sheriff Walt McNeil Democratic
School Superintendent Rocky Hanna Democratic

State representation[]

Allison Tant (D), District 9, represents Leon County's northern half, including most of Tallahassee. Jason Shoaf (R), District 7, represents the county's southern portion. He won office in a special election.[5] Ramon Alexander (D), District 8, represents a west-central portion of the county.

State Senator[]

All of Leon County is represented by Loranne Ausley (D), District 3, in the Florida Senate.

U.S. Congressional representation[]

Leon County is in two congressional districts. Its northern and eastern portion, including 61% of Tallahassee, is part of the 5th Congressional District, a minority-majority district that extends across northern Florida. It is represented by Al Lawson (D). The remainder of the county (the southeastern corner and 39% of Tallahassee), is part of the 2nd Congressional District, represented by Neal Dunn (R).

Consolidation[]

Leon County voters have gone to the polls four times to vote on consolidation of the Tallahassee and Leon County governments into one jurisdiction.[6] This proposal would combine police and other city services with the already shared (consolidated) Tallahassee Fire Department, Tallahassee/Leon County Planning Department, and Leon County Emergency Medical Services. Tallahassee's city limits would (at current size) increase from 98.2 square miles (254 km2) to 702 square miles (1,820 km2). Roughly 36 percent of Leon County's 250,000 residents live outside the Tallahassee city limits.

Leon County Voting On Consolidation
Year FOR AGAINST

1971 10,381 (41.32%) 14,740 (58.68%)
1973 11,056 (46.23%) 12,859 (53.77%)
1976 20,336 (45.01%) 24,855 (54.99%)
1992 37,062 (39.8%) 56,070 (60.2%)

Proponents of consolidation have claimed that the new jurisdiction would attract business by its very size. Merging of governments would cut government waste, duplication of services, etc. Professor Richard Feiock of Florida State University found in a 2007 study that he could not conclude that consolidation would benefit the local economy.[7]

Municipalities[]

Incorporated[]

Unincorporated[]

  • Black Creek - Identified on USGS maps as a small enclave of 5 or 6 houses along Mahan Drive, just north of Black Creek, the waterway.
  • Baum - Identified on USGS maps as the structures in the immediate vicinity of the intersection of Mahan Drive and Baum Road.
  • Bradfordville
  • Capitola
  • Centerville
  • Chaires
  • Chaires Crossroads - Identified on USGS maps as the structures in the immediate vicinity of the intersection of Chaires Cross Road and Apalachee Parkway. Historically a part of the Joseph Chaires Plantation.
  • Gardner - Identified on USGS maps as the structures in the immediate vicinity of the intersection of Mahan Road and Crump Road, including Miles Johnson Road.
  • Felkel
  • Fort Braden
  • Iamonia
  • Meridian
  • Miccosukee
  • Ochlockonee
  • Rose - Identified on USGS maps as the intersection of several dirt roads and the Florida Gas Transmission pipeline just east of Old Plank Road, south of Tram Road, north of Natural Bridge Road. There are no structures or inhabitants in this area.
  • Wadesboro
  • Woodville

Public safety[]

The law enforcement agency charged with countywide policing is the Leon County Sheriff's Office. Fire and Emergency medical services provided by the Tallahassee Fire Department and Leon County Emergency Medical Services respectively.

Schools[]

Public schools in Leon County are administered and under the operation of the Leon County School District. LCS is operated by a superintendent, 5 board members, and 1 Student Representative. There are:

  • 24 Elementary Schools
  • 8 Middle Schools
  • 6 High Schools
  • 8 Special / Alternative Schools
  • 2 Charter Schools

High Schools[]

Newsweek Magazine's Top 1000 Schools for 2006 lists 4 of Leon County's 5 public high schools in the top 200 in the United States out of over 10,000 schools.

Points of Interest[]

Geology[]

Leon County Geological

Geological make-up of Leon County.

Leon County has 3 defining geologic periods. They are Neogene Period and Paleogene Period of the Cenozoic era and the Quaternary sub-era which includes the Pleistocene epoch and Holocene epoch.

Geologic formations[]

Bodies of water[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Community Logo

Government links/Constitutional offices[]

Special districts[]

Judicial branch[]

Tourism links[]

Coordinates: 30°28′N 84°17′W / 30.46, -84.28


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Leon County, Florida. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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