Florida Map

Explore the map of Florida, located in the southeastern United States, is known for its warm climate and long coastline, touching both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It's home to famous theme parks, including Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. With a diverse population, it's the third most populous state. Florida's landscapes range from bustling cities like Miami and Orlando to natural areas like the Everglades National Park. Its beaches and resorts make it a popular vacation destination, and it also has a unique mix of cultural influences from various communities.

About Florida Map

Expore map of Florida showing state boundary, interstate highways, US highwasy, other principle highways, railroads, rivers, state capital, cities, airports, beaches, forests, national parks, and waterbodies.

List of Counties in Florida

County	FIPS code	County seat	Established	Formed from	Density	Population	Area (sq mi)	Area (km2)	Per capita income (USD)
Alachua County	001	Gainesville	1824	Duval and St. Johns	285.31	249,365	874	2,264	24,741
Baker County	003	Macclenny	1861	New River	46.42	27,154	585	1,515	19,593
Bay County	005	Panama City	1913	Calhoun and Washington	222.32	169,856	764	1,979	25,033
Bradford County	007	Starke	1858	Columbia named New River until 1861	96.43	28,255	293	759	16,997
Brevard County	009	Titusville	1844	Hillsborough and Mosquito named St. Lucie until 1855	533.95	543,566	1,018	2,637	27,606
Broward County	011	Fort Lauderdale	1915	Dade and Palm Beach	1472.43	1,780,172	1,209	3,131	28,631
Calhoun County	013	Blountstown	1838	Franklin, Jackson, and Washington	26.01	14,750	567	1,469	15,091
Charlotte County	015	Punta Gorda	1921	DeSoto	231.28	160,511	694	1,797	26,938
Citrus County	017	Inverness	1887	Hernando	239.78	140,031	584	1,513	22,551
Clay County	019	Green Cove Springs	1858	Duval	320.08	192,370	601	1,557	26,872
Collier County	021	East Naples	1923	Lee	161.96	328,134	2,026	5,247	37,046
Columbia County	023	Lake City	1832	Alachua	84.67	67,485	797	2,064	19,366
DeSoto County	027	Arcadia	1887	Manatee	54.78	34,894	637	1,650	15,989
Dixie County	029	Cross City	1921	Lafayette	23.42	16,486	704	1,823	17,066
Duval County	031	Jacksonville	1822	St. Johns	1124.95	937,934	774	2,005	25,854
Escambia County	033	Pensacola	1821	One of the two original counties	450.47	299,114	664	1,720	23,474
Flagler County	035	Bunnell	1917	St. Johns and Volusia	200.78	97,376	485	1,256	24,939
Franklin County	037	Apalachicola	1832	Gadsden and Washington	21.72	11,596	534	1,383	21,005
Gadsden County	039	Quincy	1823	Jackson	89.44	46,151	516	1,336	16,843
Gilchrist County	041	Trenton	1925	Alachua	48.72	17,004	349	904	18,309
Glades County	043	Moore Haven	1921	DeSoto	16.32	12,635	774	2,005	17,872
Gulf County	045	Port St. Joe	1925	Calhoun	28.04	15,844	565	1,463	17,968
Hamilton County	047	Jasper	1827	Jefferson	28.49	14,671	515	1,334	15,794
Hardee County	049	Wauchula	1921	DeSoto	43.78	27,887	637	1,650	14,668
Hendry County	051	LaBelle	1923	Lee	33.9	39,089	1,153	2,986	14,734
Hernando County	053	Brooksville	1843	Alachua and Hillsborough named Benton from 1844 to 1850	362.12	173,094	478	1,238	22,775
Highlands County	055	Sebring	1921	DeSoto	95.94	98,630	1,028	2,663	19,579
Hillsborough County	057	Tampa	1834	Alachua	1206.26	1,267,775	1,051	2,722	27,062
Holmes County	059	Bonifay	1848	Jackson and Walton	41.23	19,873	482	1,248	15,285
Indian River County	061	Vero Beach	1925	St. Lucie	276.13	138,894	503	1,303	31,918
Jackson County	063	Marianna	1822	Escambia	53.81	49,292	916	2,372	17,177
Jefferson County	065	Monticello	1827	Leon	24.51	14,658	598	1,549	19,647
Lafayette County	067	Mayo	1856	Madison	16.47	8,942	543	1,406	18,069
Lake County	069	Tavares	1887	Orange and Sumter	315.86	301,019	953	2,468	25,323
Lee County	071	Fort Myers	1887	Monroe	785.24	631,330	804	2,082	29,445
Leon County	073	Tallahassee	1824	Gadsden	416.75	277,971	667	1,728	25,803
Levy County	075	Bronson	1845	Alachua	35.92	40,156	1,118	2,896	18,703
Liberty County	077	Bristol	1855	Gadsden	9.94	8,314	836	2,165	17,003
Madison County	079	Madison	1827	Jefferson	27.62	19,115	692	1,792	16,346
Manatee County	081	Bradenton	1855	Hillsborough	441.49	327,142	741	1,919	28,072
Marion County	083	Ocala	1844	Alachua, Hillsborough, and Mosquito	210.59	332,529	1,579	4,090	22,384
Martin County	085	Stuart	1925	Palm Beach	265.28	147,495	556	1,440	35,772
Miami-Dade County	086	Miami	1836	Monroe named Dade until 1997	1313.5	2,662,874	1,946	5,040	22,957
Monroe County	087	Key West	1823	St. Johns	74.1	73,873	997	2,582	35,516
Nassau County	089	Fernandina Beach	1824	Duval	113.8	74,195	652	1,689	29,089
Okaloosa County	091	Crestview	1915	Santa Rosa and Walton	196.03	183,482	936	2,424	28,621
Okeechobee County	093	Okeechobee	1917	Osceola and St. Lucie	51.86	40,140	774	2,005	19,664
Orange County	095	Orlando	1824	St. Johns named Mosquito until 1845	1287.56	1,169,107	908	2,352	25,490
Osceola County	097	Kissimmee	1887	Brevard and Orange	208.9	276,163	1,322	3,424	20,536
Palm Beach County	099	West Palm Beach	1909	Dade	656.43	1,335,187	2,034	5,268	33,610
Pasco County	101	Dade City	1887	Hernando	626.12	466,457	745	1,930	24,164
Pinellas County	103	Clearwater	1912	Hillsborough	3276.42	917,398	280	725	28,742
Polk County	105	Bartow	1861	Brevard and Hillsborough	325.06	609,492	1,875	4,856	21,881
Putnam County	107	Palatka	1849	Alachua and St. Johns	102.55	74,041	722	1,870	18,402
St. Johns County	109	St. Augustine	1821	One of the two original counties	321.55	195,823	609	1,577	36,027
St. Lucie County	111	Fort Pierce	1905	Brevard	490.17	280,379	572	1,481	23,296
Santa Rosa County	113	Milton	1842	Escambia	151.68	154,104	1,016	2,631	25,384
Sarasota County	115	Sarasota	1921	Manatee	668.2	382,213	572	1,481	33,045
Seminole County	117	Sanford	1913	Orange	1380.1	425,071	308	798	29,795
Sumter County	119	Bushnell	1853	Marion	179.04	97,756	546	1,414	24,180
Suwannee County	121	Live Oak	1858	Columbia	61.01	41,972	688	1,782	18,782
Taylor County	123	Perry	1856	Madison	21.78	22,691	1,042	2,699	18,649
Union County	125	Lake Butler	1921	Bradford	64.12	15,388	240	622	13,657
Volusia County	127	DeLand	1854	Orange	447.38	494,804	1,106	2,865	24,768
Wakulla County	129	Crawfordville	1843	Leon	51.03	30,978	607	1,572	21,892
Walton County	131	DeFuniak Springs	1824	Escambia and Jackson	52.73	55,793	1,058	2,740	27,746
Washington County	133	Chipley	1825	Jackson and Walton	42.99	24,935	580	1,502	18,470

About Florida

Florida, a southeastern state in the United States, has a unique geographical location bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama and Georgia to the northwest and north, and the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean to the east. It's the only U.S. state that touches both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2020, Florida's population exceeded 21 million, ranking it as the third most populous state in the nation and eighth in terms of population density. The state covers an area of 65,758 square miles, making it the 22nd largest state in the U.S. Its largest metropolitan area is centered around Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, which collectively house a population of over 6 million. Jacksonville, with a population of 949,611, stands as Florida's most populous city. Other significant population centers include Tampa Bay, Orlando, Cape Coral, and the state capital, Tallahassee.

The history of human habitation in Florida dates back at least 14,000 years with various American Indian tribes. The region's European history began with Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, who, in 1513, was the first known European to land here, naming it La Florida, which translates to "land of flowers," inspired by its lush landscape and the Easter season. St. Augustine, founded by the Spanish in 1565, is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the continental U.S. Florida's ownership alternated between Spain and Great Britain before finally being ceded to the United States in 1819, and it was admitted as the 27th state on March 3, 1845. The state played a central role in the Seminole Wars, the longest and most extensive of the Indian Wars in U.S. history. Florida seceded from the Union in 1861, joining the Confederacy during the Civil War, and was readmitted to the Union in 1868.

Florida has seen substantial growth in population and economy since the mid-20th century. Its economy is significant, with a gross state product of $1.4 trillion, ranking fourth-largest in the U.S. and 16th-largest globally. The main drivers of Florida’s economy include tourism, hospitality, agriculture, real estate, and transportation. The state is famous worldwide for its beach resorts, amusement parks, sunny climate, and nautical recreation. Major attractions like Walt Disney World, the Kennedy Space Center, and Miami Beach bring in tens of millions of visitors each year. Florida is a favorite destination for retirees, vacationers, and migrants, both domestic and international, and is home to nine of the ten fastest-growing communities in the U.S. The state's culture, identity, and daily life are heavily influenced by its proximity to the ocean, along with its colonial history and diverse waves of migration, leading to a rich blend of African, European, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian influences. Florida has inspired numerous renowned American writers, such as Ernest Hemingway, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Tennessee Williams, and continues to be a magnet for celebrities and athletes, especially in sports like golf, tennis, auto racing, and water sports. Politically, Florida is known as a battleground state in U.S. presidential elections, playing pivotal roles in the 2000, 2016, and 2020 elections.

Geographically, Florida occupies a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean and boasts the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, approximately 1,350 miles long, not counting its numerous barrier islands. It has over 4,500 islands that are ten acres or larger, the second most of any state in the U.S. after Alaska. Much of the state is at or near sea level and is characterized by its sedimentary soil. Florida is the flattest state in the nation, with the lowest high point of any U.S. state, at just 345 feet.

The climate in Florida ranges from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. It is the only state, apart from Hawaii, to have a tropical climate and is the only continental U.S. state with both a tropical climate and a coral reef. Florida is home to several unique ecosystems, including the Everglades National Park, the largest tropical wilderness in the U.S. and one of the largest in the Americas. The state is also known for its diverse wildlife, including the American alligator, American crocodile, American flamingo, Roseate spoonbill, Florida panther, bottlenose dolphin, and manatee. The Florida Reef, part of this unique natural heritage, is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental U.S. and the third-largest coral barrier reef system in the world, following the Great Barrier Reef and the Belize Barrier Reef.

History of Florida

People known as Paleo-Indians first entered Florida over 14,000 years ago. By the 16th century, the region was home to various indigenous groups including the Apalachee in the Panhandle, the Timucua in northern and central Florida, the Ais along the central Atlantic coast, and the Calusa in southwest Florida.

The first European to arrive in Florida was the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León in 1513, who named it La Florida due to its lush greenery and because it was the Easter season, known in Spanish as Pascua Florida. He landed on the peninsula on April 2, 1513, seeking information and taking possession of the land. The myth that he was searching for the Fountain of Youth emerged long after his death.

In May 1539, Hernando de Soto, another Spanish explorer, skirted Florida's coast seeking a deep harbor. He described the landscape dominated by red mangroves, making landing difficult. The Spanish introduced various aspects to Florida including Christianity, livestock, and the Castilian language. Spain established settlements, the first being in Pensacola by Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano in 1559, which was mostly abandoned by 1561.

The French established a settlement at Fort Caroline in what is now Duval County in 1564–1565, which was later destroyed by the Spanish. Today, a reconstructed version of the fort stands in Jacksonville. In 1565, St. Augustine was founded by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, becoming one of the oldest European settlements in the U.S. Spain converted local tribes to Christianity and controlled the region strategically. The first recorded Christian marriage in the continental U.S. occurred in St. Augustine in 1565.

The Spanish also encouraged slaves from the Thirteen Colonies to come to Florida, offering freedom in exchange for conversion to Catholicism. By 1683, St. Augustine had an all-black militia unit. The area of Spanish Florida diminished with English and French colonization efforts. St. Augustine was frequently attacked by English colonists and buccaneers. The Spanish built the Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas for defense.

In 1738, Fort Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose was established near St. Augustine for escaped slaves, becoming North America's first legally sanctioned free black settlement. In 1763, as part of the Treaty of Paris, Spain traded Florida to Great Britain in exchange for Havana, Cuba. The British divided Florida into East and West Florida. They encouraged settlement by offering land grants, leading to an influx of settlers, mainly from South Carolina, Georgia, and England.

During the American Revolutionary War, Florida was a base for attacks against the United States. After the war, Spain regained control of Florida. In the early 1800s, American settlers began moving into northern Florida, leading to tensions with the Spanish authorities. The U.S. annexed parts of West Florida in 1810 and 1812. In 1819, the Adams-Onís Treaty transferred Florida to the United States, which took possession in 1821.

Florida was a site of conflict during the Seminole Wars, the longest Indian Wars in U.S. history. The U.S. government's Indian Removal Act led to the relocation of the Seminole people. Despite resistance, most Seminoles were removed to Indian Territory, although some remained in the Everglades.

Florida became the 27th U.S. state in 1845, admitted as a slave state. During the Civil War, it was part of the Confederacy. Post-war, during Reconstruction, Florida faced economic challenges and racial tensions. Railroads played a key role in the state's development, connecting various regions and stimulating growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Florida's economy initially relied on agriculture, including citrus, sugarcane, and cattle farming. The state's population remained relatively low until the mid-20th century. After World War II, air conditioning and the state's climate attracted a significant influx of residents and tourists. Florida became a hub for retirees and seasonal vacationers.

In the 21st century, Florida has experienced several high-profile events. These include the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012, leading to national discussions on stand-your-ground laws and the Black Lives Matter movement. After Hurricane Maria in 2017, many Puerto Ricans relocated to Florida. Mass shootings in Orlando and Parkland in 2016 and 2018, respectively, brought attention to issues of gun control and safety. In 2021, the Surfside condominium collapse was one of the deadliest structural failures in U.S. history.

Geography of Florida

Florida, a state in the United States, is primarily situated on a peninsula that lies between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Straits of Florida. This unique geographical positioning allows Florida to stretch across two time zones and extend northwest into a region known as the panhandle, which runs along the northern Gulf of Mexico. It shares its northern borders with the states of Georgia and Alabama, and at the western end of the panhandle, it is also bordered by Alabama. Notably, Florida is the only U.S. state that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

In terms of latitude, Florida is the southernmost of the 48 contiguous states in the United States, with only Hawaii positioned further south among all fifty states. Geographically, Florida is located west of the Bahamas and is just 90 miles north of Cuba. It stands out as one of the largest states east of the Mississippi River. In terms of water area, only Alaska and Michigan surpass Florida. The state's water boundaries extend 3 nautical miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean and 9 nautical miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

One of Florida's most distinctive features is its topography. Britton Hill, with an elevation of 345 feet above mean sea level, is the highest point in Florida. Not only is this the lowest highpoint of any U.S. state, but it also signifies the generally low-lying nature of the state's landscape. Much of Florida, especially the area south of Orlando, is at or near sea level and is quite flat. However, there are exceptions, such as Clearwater and other areas with promontories rising 50 to 100 feet above the water level.

Central and Northern Florida, typically situated more than 25 miles from the coastline, feature rolling hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 feet. Sugarloaf Mountain, located in Lake County, stands as the highest point in peninsular Florida (east and south of the Suwannee River) with a peak of 312 feet. Overall, Florida is recognized as the flattest state in the United States.

Florida is home to several significant natural features. Lake Okeechobee, the largest lake in the state, ranks as the tenth largest natural freshwater lake in the United States and the second-largest such lake contained entirely within the contiguous 48 states, following Lake Michigan. Furthermore, the St. Johns River, Florida's longest river, extends 310 miles. The river's elevation drops less than 30 feet from its headwaters in South Florida to its mouth in Jacksonville, highlighting the state's predominantly flat terrain.