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Florida State...
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Florida Counties
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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.
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Escambia County, Florida
Escambia County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Pensacola
Year Organized: 1822
Square Miles: 664
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Court House: P.O. Box 1591
County Courthouse
Pensacola, FL 32591-1591
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Etymology - Origin of County Name
Escambia River and Spanish for "barter" or "exchange."
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
History
Escambia County was created in 1821. Escambia County was created by the Territorial Legislature on July 22, 1821 to
be Florida’s first county, a distinction it shares with St. John’s County. It was named for the Escambia River, whose
name in turn comes from a Spanish word for "barter" or "exchange." Escambia County and St. Johns County were Florida's
original two counties with the Suwannee River being the boundary between the two
America’s history begins right here. A half-century before the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, the original
residents of Escambia County—the Creek and Poarch Indians—were on hand for the first landing of Europeans anywhere
on the American mainland. Over the course of the next 400 years, the flags of five nations flew over this area on
one or more occasions.
More at
History of Escambia County
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 876 square miles (2,268 kmē).662 square miles
(1,715 kmē) of it is land and 213 square miles (552 kmē) of it (24.35%) is water.
The county includes the island of Santa Rosa, which is separate from Santa Rosa County proper.
Neighboring Counties:
- North: Escambia County, Ala.
- East: Santa Rosa County
- South: Gulf of Mexico
- West: Baldwin County, Ala.
Cities and Towns:
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- Century |
town |
Incorporated Area |
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- Pensacola
(County
Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
County Resources:
Enter County Resources and Information Here
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County Resource Guide
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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." |
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