Flagler County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the northeastern portion of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 115,378. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Bunnell, and the largest city is Palm Coast. Created in 1917 from portions of Saint Johns and Volusia Counties, it was named for

Henry Flagler Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil, which was first based in Ohio. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder ...

, who built the

Florida East Coast Railway The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida, currently owned by Grupo México. Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a p ...

. Flagler County is included in the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, FL metropolitan statistical area, and is also included in the Orlando–Deltona–Daytona Beach, FL Combined Statistical Area.

History

In 1974, Marco Polo Park, a

theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

off

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

opened. It was never profitable and closed soon after. In 1998, when two brush fires threatened to become one huge brush fire in Flagler County, a mandatory evacuation was ordered for the entire county. This was the first and so far the only time a whole county was evacuated in Florida for a wildfire.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (15.0%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* St. Johns County, Florida – north * Volusia County, Florida – south * Putnam County, Florida – west

Parks and gardens

Belle Terre Park

Betty Steflik Preserve

Bings Landing

Bird of Paradise Nature Reserve

Bull Creek Campground
* Bulow Creek State Park * Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park
Central Park in Town Center

Children's Memorial Garden
* Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area
Graham Swamp Preserve

Haw Creek Preserve / Russell Landing

Heroes Memorial Park

Herschel King Park

Hidden Trails Park

James F. Holland Memorial Park

Jungle Hut Park

Lehigh Trail

Longs Landing Estuary

Malacompra Park

Moody Homestead Park

Old Dixie Park

Old Salt Park

Palm Coast Community Center & Park

Palm Coast Linear Park

Princess Place Preserve

Ralph Carter Park

River to Sea Preserve

Seminole Woods Neighborhood Park

Shell Bluff Park

St. Joe Walkway

Varn Park

Wadsworth Park
* Washington Oaks State Gardens
Waterfront Park

Rivers and waterways

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

Dead Lake
* Crescent Lake *

Intracoastal Waterway The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a Navigability, inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, the ...

* Matanzas River
Pellicer Creek

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 115,378 people, 48,450 households, and 34,022 families in Flagler County, Florida. The population density was 237.3 per square mile (91.6/km). There were 55,565 housing units at an average density of 114.3 per square mile (44.1/km). The racial makeup was 75.98% (87,661)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(73.06%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 9.48% (10,935)

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, 0.33% (385) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 2.18% (2,512) Asian, 0.06% (65)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

, 2.98% (3,436) from other races, and 9.0% (10,384) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 10.66% (12,299) of the population. Of the 48,450 households, 21.8% had children under the age of 18; 54.8% were married couples living together; 24.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 24.0% of households consisted of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 2.9. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 19.7% of the population. 16.5% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 17.4% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 32.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 111.6 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $57,536 (with a margin of error of +/- $2,337). The median family income was $66,778 (+/- $2,998). Males had a median income of $34,295 (+/- $3,092) versus $26,810 (+/- $1,300) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $30,465 (+/- $1,204). Approximately, 7.8% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 16.4% of those under the age of 18 and 6.9% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 95,696 people, 39,186 households, and 27,843 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 197.1 people per square mile. There were 48,595 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 82.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 11.4%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

. 8.6% of the population were

or Latino of any race. In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.9% under the age of 18, and 24.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median income for a household in the county was $51,049, and the median income for a family was $58,327. Flagler county was ranked the fastest-growing county in the nation by the US Census Bureau from 2000 to 2005, boasting a 53.3% change, with a July 1, 2005, population estimate at 76,410. As of 2016 the largest ancestry group in the county was English-American at 18.1% of the county, followed by

German-American German Americans (, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. According to the United States Census Bureau's figures from 2022, German Americans make up roughly 41 million people in the US, which is approximately 12% of the pop ...

at 12.7% and

Irish-American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...

also at 12.7%.

Transportation

Airports

* Flagler County Airport is the primary airport within the county. It does not provide commercial air services but does serve private, student and business aviation.

Major roads

* (Interstate 95) * * * * *

Other

* The

provides rail freight services in the county. * The Intracoastal Waterway runs just in from the coast in eastern Flagler County and provides for freight shipping and recreational boating.

Politics

Local elected leadership

Flagler County's foremost elected body is the Board of County Commissioners, a five-seat board elected in partisan races with four-year terms. The County Commission has the following members: * District 1 - Andy Dance (Chair) * District 2 - Greg Hansen * District 3 - David Sullivan * District 4 - LeAnn Pennington (Vice Chair) * District 5 - Donald O'Brien Commissioners O'Brien and Sullivan are set to leave office following the 2024 general election, having both opted not to seek another term. Pennington and Hansen are in office until 2026, having each been elected in 2022. Dance's term expires in 2028, having been re-elected in the 2024 primary election. The county is also served by the Flagler School Board, who are elected in non-partisan races to four-year terms in office. The seat has only had four of five seats occupied since member Sally Hunt resigned in September 2024. The members are as follows: * District 1 - Vacant * District 2 - Will Furry (Chair) * District 3 - Colleen Conklin * District 4 - Christy Chong (Vice Chair) * District 5 - Cheryl Massaro Furry and Chong are in office until 2026, having both been elected in 2022. Conklin and Massaro are leaving office in 2024, having both opted not to seek additional terms. The county elected Janie Ruddy to the District 3 seat and Lauren Ramirez to the District 5 seat, respectively. The District 1 seat will remain vacant until an appointment is made by the Governor of Florida. The county is also served by five elected constitutional officers: Sheriff Rick Staly, Property Appraiser Jay Gardner, Clerk of Courts Tom Bexley, Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston, and Elections Supervisor Kaiti Lenhart.

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a plurality of registered voters in Flagler County. The last Democrat to win the county was

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

in 2008, and since then it has seen a gradual increase in Republican support in every election. In 2024,

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

performed better in the county than any Republican since Nixon's 1972 landslide.

Statewide elections

Education

Flagler County Public Schools Flagler may refer to: Places * Flagler, Colorado * Flagler County, Florida, named for Henry Morrison Flagler * Flagler Beach, Florida * Cape John Flagler, Greenland People with the surname * Adam Flagler (born 1999), American basketball playe ...

enroll approximately 13,000 students. The system includes two public high schools, Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas High School. The county also has five elementary schools and two middle schools. All elementary schools will be Pre-K to 5th grade and middle schools 6th and 8th. Flagler County schools are: * Belle Terre Elementary K–5th * Bunnell Elementary K–5th * Rymfire Elementary K–5th * Old Kings Elementary K–5th * Wadsworth Elementary K–5th * St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School Pre-K–8th * Buddy Taylor Middle School 6th–8th * Indian Trails Middle School 6th–8th * Matanzas High School 9th–12th * Flagler Palm Coast High School 9th–12th * Pathways Academy (alternative school) * iFlagler Virtual School K–12th * Imagine School at Town Center (charter) * Academies of Excellence's Heritage Academy (charter) (closed after the 2011–2012 school year) In addition, Daytona State College maintains a branch campus in Palm Coast. Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando operates area Catholic schools. Father Lopez Catholic High School, a private high school, is in nearby Daytona Beach.

Libraries

Flagler County Library System consists of two branches with over 57,000 borrowers. The Main Branch is located at 2500 Palm Coast Pkwy NW, Palm Coast and the Bunnell Branch is located at 103 E Moody Blvd, Bunnell. The Flagler County Library system currently employees eighteen staff, with fourteen full-time employees and four part-time employees with an annual operating budget of $1 million. The Flagler County Public Library was created by the County Commission in 1987, but as early as 1937, a room of the County Courthouse in Bunnell was set aside for a small library, which was sponsored by the Colony Club. The current library director is Holly Albanese. The Flagler County Library System offers a wide variety of services beyond traditional library services. They have an e-book collection through Overdrive and Axis360. The library system will assist patrons in filing taxes, and applying for some government programs, as well as with passport applications. Both libraries offer fax services, and the Main Branch also offers scanning services. In 2001, the Flagler County Library System began a local oral history project called the "Flagler County Memories Project". This project is currently being recorded and then preserved on compact discs. The project mission states, "This collection of oral life histories seeks to sample the common themes and unique stories of selected local residents."

Communities

Cities

* Bunnell * Flagler Beach * Palm Coast

Towns

* Beverly Beach * Marineland (partly in St. John's County)

Unincorporated communities

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

* Bimini * Cody's Corner * Daytona North *

Dupont Dupont, DuPont, Du Pont, duPont, or du Pont may refer to: People * Dupont (surname) Dupont, also spelled as DuPont, duPont, Du Pont, or du Pont is a French surname meaning "of the bridge", historically indicating that the holder of the surname re ...

* Espanola * Favoretta * Flagler Estates (also in St. Johns County) *

Hammock A hammock, from Spanish , borrowed from Taíno language, Taíno and Arawak language, Arawak , is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two or more points, used for swing (seat), swinging, sleeping, or Human relaxation, res ...

* Korona * Orange Hammock * Painters Hill *

Relay A relay Electromechanical relay schematic showing a control coil, four pairs of normally open and one pair of normally closed contacts An automotive-style miniature relay with the dust cover taken off A relay is an electrically operated switc ...

* St. Johns Park

Notes

References

External links

Government links/Constitutional offices

Flagler County Board of County Commissioners
official website
Flagler County Supervisor of Elections

Flagler County Property Appraiser

Flagler County Sheriff's Office

Flagler County Tax Collector

Special districts

Flagler County Public Schools

St. Johns River Water Management District

Judicial branch

Flagler County Clerk of Courts

serving Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia counties
Office of the State Attorney, 7th Judicial Circuit of Florida

Circuit and County Court for the 7th Judicial Circuit of Florida

Tourism links

Flagler County Tourist Development Council
{{authority control 1917 establishments in Florida Populated places established in 1917 Florida counties Counties in Greater Orlando North Florida