There are 67 counties in the state of Florida. It became a territory of the U.S. in 1821 with two counties complementing the provincial divisions retained as a Spanish territory: Escambia to the west and St. Johns to the east, divided by the Suwannee River. All of the other counties were apportioned from these two original counties. Florida became the 27th U.S. state in 1845, and its last county was created in 1925 with the formation of Gilchrist County from a segment of Alachua County. Each county has a county seat. In Florida, county seats typically have a courthouse at a town square. Of the current 67 counties and one historic county, 31 counties have changed their county seat at least once.

History When counties were established some counties already had towns, which were soon named county seats. Several counties upon establishment lacked population centers and did not have a county seat for a year or more. Typically during those periods without a definite county seat, county courts and other local government business was held at the residences of community leaders or at churches.

A common cause for a county seat changing is the center of population changing after a new county is created. Railroads bypassing the current county seat is another common cause for a county changing its seat. A hurricane devastating the county seat has led to three counties to change their county seats. The hurricane that made landfall in September 1843 in the Big Bend area devastated Port Leon the county seat of Wakulla County, Florida and St. Joseph the county seat of Calhoun County, Florida. The destruction left in Everglades City by Hurricane Donna in 1960 led to Collier County changing its county seat in 1962. Gulf County is the county to change its seat most recently. In 1965, it changed its county seat from Wewahitchka to Port St. Joe.

Two county seats have lost their status as a county seat and later regained it: Newnansville was the county seat of Alachua County from 1828 to 1832. In 1832, it became the county seat of Columbia County. In 1839, it became once again the county seat of Alachua County. Miami was the county seat of Dade County from 1844 to 1866, and then regained its status as county seat in 1899.

Five county seats have later become the county seats of other counties: Newnansville was the county seat of Alachua County from 1828 to 1832. In 1832, it became the county seat of Columbia County. Susannah at Fort Pierce was the county seat of St. Lucie County (renamed Brevard County in 1855) from 1844 to 1864. When a new county named St. Lucie County was established in 1905, Fort Pierce was named the county seat. Lake Butler was the county seat of Bradford County, Florida from 1860 until a referendum changed the county seat to Starke, Florida on August 17, 1887. Lake Butler later became the county seat of Union County, Florida when it was established in 1921. Pine Level was the county seat of Manatee County from 1866 to 1887. When DeSoto County was created in 1887, it was named the county seat of the newly created county. It remained the county seat of DeSoto County until 1889. Enterprise was the county seat of Orange County from 1843 to 1846. It later became the county seat of Volusia upon its creation in 1854, until it was replaced in 1888.

County seat listing

+List of County Seats of FloridaCountyCounty SeatDateNotesCoordinatesAlachuaCreated 1824Wanton's1824 Newnansville1828Transferred to Columbia County in 1832.Unknown1830s Newnansville1839Changed by an act of the state legislature on February 10, 1839, back to Alachua County Gainesville1853The Florida Railroad bypassed Newnansville and Gainesville was established along the route of the rail line.BakerCreated 1861Sanderson1861 Macclenny1877Originally called Darbyville. County seat moved from Sanderson after a courthouse fire in 1877.BayCreated 1913Panama City1913Established in 1888 as Park Resort on St. Andrews Bay (Florida). BradfordCreated 1858Lake Butler1860 Starke1887Changed by referendum on August 17, 1887. BrevardCreated 1844Susannah1844Community located outside Fort Pierce.Bassville1864 Eau Gallie1874 Lake View1875 Titusville1879Changed by referendum in 1879.BrowardCreated 1915Fort Lauderdale1915Began to grow as a community once the Florida East Coast Railway reached the area in the 1890s. CalhounCreated 1838St. Joseph1838Established 1835 on St. Joseph Bay and soon became the most populous town in the territory of Florida Suffered a yellow fever outbreak in 1841. Remains of the abandoned town destroyed by the storm surge of a hurricane that stuck the Gulf Coast in September 1843.Abe Springs1850s Blountstown1880Established on the Apalachicola River as a river port prior to the American Civil War Changed by referendum on April 1, 1880. CharlotteCreated 1921Punta Gorda1921Began to grow as a community as the terminus of the Florida Southern Railway on Charlotte Harbor when the line reached the area in the 1886. CitrusCreated 1887Mannfield1887 Inverness1891Established as a sawmill town by the late 1860s. ClayCreated 1858Middleburg1858 Whitesville1859Changed by referendum on October 3, 1859. Whitesvilles was renamed Webster.Green Cove Springs1872 CollierCreated 1923Everglades1923Began to grow as a community as the terminus of the Florida Southern Railway on Charlotte Harbor when the line reached the area in the 1886. Everglades suffered damage during Hurricane Donna in 1960.East Naples1962 ColumbiaCreated 1832Newnansville1832Previously the county seat of Alachua County from 1828 to 1832. Transferred to Alachua County by the state legislature on February 10, 1839. Alligator1839Alligator was renamed Lake City in 1859.DeSotoCreated 1887Pine Level1887Formerly the county seat of Manatee County Arcadia1889 DixieCreated 1921Cross City1921 DuvalCreated 1822Jacksonville1822 EscambiaCreated 1821Pensacola1821Capital of West Florida from 1763 to 1821. Fayette CountyCreated 1832Merged with Jackson 1834Ochesee1832 FlaglerCreated 1917Bunnell1917 FranklinCreated 1832Apalachicola1832 GadsdenCreated 1823Quincy1823 GilchristCreated 1925Trenton1925 GladesCreated 1921Moore Haven1921 GulfCreated 1925Wewahitchka1925 Port St. Joe1965 HamiltonCreated 1827Micco Town1827Previously a Seminole town.Jasper1835 HardeeCreated 1921Wauchula1921 HendryCreated 1923LaBelle1923 HernandoCreated 1843De Soto1843Previously a fort during the Seminole Wars.Bayport1860Bombed during the American Civil War by the United States NavyBrooksville1863Established in 1856 Became county seat in response to the bombing of Bayport HighlandsCreated 1921Sebring1921 HillsboroughCreated 1834Tampa1834 HolmesCreated 1848Cerrogordo1848 Pittman's Ferry18?? Westville187? Bonifay1904 Indian RiverCreated 1925Vero Beach1925 JacksonCreated 1822Webbville1822 Marianna1828 JeffersonCreated 1827Monticello1828 LafayetteCreated 1853New Troy1858 Mayo1892County seat changed after the courthouse at New Troy was destroyed by fire.LakeCreated 1887Bloomfield1887 Tavares1888 LeeCreated 1887Fort Myers1887 LeonCreated 1824Tallahassee1824Capital of Florida from its founding, replacing former capitals St. Augustine (East Florida) and Pensacola (West Florida). LevyCreated 1845Sodom1852Renamed Mount Pleasant in 1854. Renamed Levyville in 1856.Bronson1869 LibertyCreated 1855Riddleysville185?Bristol18?? MadisonCreated 1827San Pedro1835Madison1836 ManateeCreated 1855Manatee1855Pine Level1866Later the county seat of DeSoto County Bradenton1887 MarionCreated 1844Ocala1846The community grew up around Fort King.MartinCreated 1925Stuart1925 Miami-DadeCreated 1836Indian Key1836 Miami1844 Juno 1866 Miami1899 MonroeCreated 1823Key West1823 NassauCreated 1824Fernandina Beach1824 OkaloosaCreated 1915Milligan1915 Damaged when the Yellow River flooded in 1917.Crestview1917 OkeechobeeCreated 1917Okeechobee1917 OrangeCreated 1824John Bunch's1824County seat of then Mosquito County New Smyrna1835 Enterprise1843Northern half of Mosquito County renamed Orange County in 1845. Southern half established as St. Lucie County in 1844.Mellonville1846Orlando1856 OsceolaCreated 1887Kissimmee1887 Palm BeachCreated 1909West Palm Beach1909Established along the route of the Florida East Coast Railway in 1894.Pasco BeachCreated 1887Dade City1887 PinellasCreated 1912Clearwater1912Clearwater's status as county seat was legally contentious for a number of years after the establishment of Pinellas County. PolkCreated 1861Jefferson1862 Bartow1867 PutnamCreated 1849Palatka1849 St. JohnsCreated 1821St. Augustine1821Capital of Spanish Florida from 1565 to 1763. Capital of East Florida from 1763 to 1821. Capital of Florida Territory from 1822 to 1824. St. LucieCreated 1905Fort Pierce1905Former county seat of Brevard County from 1844 to 1864.Santa RosaCreated 1842Milton1842 SarasotaCreated 1921Sarasota1921 SeminoleCreated 1913Sanford1913 SumterCreated 1853Adamsville1853 Leesburg185? Sumterville1881Changed by referendum on October 15, 1881. Courthouse destroyed by fire on January 30, 1909. Bushnell1912Changed by referendum in 1912 after political fighting arose after the courthouse fire at Sumterville. SuwanneeCreated 1858Houston1858 Live Oak186?Located at the junction of the Florida spur of the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad and the Florida, Atlantic and Gulf Central Railroad. TaylorCreated 1856Perry1856 UnionCreated 1921Lake Butler1921Formerly the county seat of Bradford County from 1860 until 1887.VolusiaCreated 1854Enterprise1856Formerly the county seat of Orange County from 1843 to 1846. Deland1888Courthouse rebuilt in 2001. WakullaCreated 1843Port Leon1843Declared county seat on March 11, 1843 Devastated by a hurricane on September 13, 1843. Newport1843Residents of Port Leon moved to Newport following the devastation of the hurricane. Crawfordville1865/6 WaltonCreated 1824Alaqua182? Eucheanna184?Courthouse destroyed by fire in 1885. DeFuniak Springs1886Changed by referendum on February 16, 1886. WashingtonCreated 1825Vernon1825 Chipley1927

See also List of counties in Florida

References