|
Florida State...
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Florida Counties
|
|
Click Image to Enlarge
Florida Counties
In 1821, there were only two counties in Florida: Escambia to the west and St. Johns to the
east. From these two counties were formed 67 today. In 1968, the electors
of Florida granted local voters the power to adopt charters to govern their counties. Charters are formal
written documents that confer powers, duties, or privileges on the county.
To date, there are 19 charter counties in Florida. Collectively these
counties are home to more than 75 percent of Florida's residents.
|
|
| |
|
|
Duval County, Florida
Duval County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Jacksonville
Year Organized: 1822
Square Miles: 774
|
Court House: 330 East Bay Street
County Courthouse
Jacksonville, FL 32202-2921
|
Etymology - Origin of County Name
William P. DuVal, territorial governor, 1822-1834
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
History
Duval County was created in 1822 from St. Johns County. It was named for William Pope DuVal, Territorial Governor of
Florida from 1822 to 1834. When Duval County was created it covered a massive area, from the Suwannee River on the west
to the Atlantic Ocean on the east, north of a line from the mouth of the Suwannee River to Jacksonville on the St. Johns
River. Alachua and Nassau Counties were created out of parts of Duval County in 1824. Clay County was created from part
of Duval County in 1858. Part of St. Johns County south and east of the lower reaches of the St. Johns River was
transferred to Duval County in the 1840s
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 918 square miles (2,378 kmē), of which, 774
square miles (2,004 kmē) of it is land and 145 square miles (374 kmē) of it is water, much of it in the Atlantic
Ocean. The total area is 15.74% water. The topography is coastal plain; however there are some rolling hills.
Neighboring Counties:
- North: Nassau County
- East: North Atlantic Ocean
- South: St. Johns County; Clay County
- West: Baker County
Cities and Towns:
|
- Atlantic Beach |
city |
Incorporated Area |
|
- Baldwin |
town |
Incorporated Area |
|
- Jacksonville
(County
Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
|
- Jacksonville Beach |
city |
Incorporated Area |
|
- Neptune Beach |
city |
Incorporated Area |
County Resources:
Enter County Resources and Information Here
|
|
County Resource Guide
|
|
|
The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic
features of our country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.
Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally,
act locally." |
|
|
| |
|
