Leon County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

Panhandle A salient (also known as a panhandle or bootheel) is an elongated protrusion of a geopolitical entity, such as a subnational entity or a sovereign state. While similar to a peninsula in shape, a salient is most often not surrounded by water on ...

of the U.S. state of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

. It was named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. As of the 2020 census, the population was 292,198. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Tallahassee, which is also the state capital and home to many politicians, lobbyists, jurists, and attorneys. Leon County is included in the Tallahassee metropolitan area. Tallahassee is home to two of Florida's major public universities,

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...

and Florida A&M University, as well as

Tallahassee Community College Tallahassee Community College (TCC) is a public community college in Tallahassee, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. As of fall 2017, TCC reported 24,639 ...

. Together these institutions have a combined enrollment of more than 70,000 students annually, creating both economic and social effects.

History

Originally part of Escambia and later

Gadsden County Gadsden County is a county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,826. Its county seat is Quincy. Gadsden County is included in the Tallahassee, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...

, Leon County was created in 1824. It was named after Juan Ponce de León, the Spanish explorer who was the first

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an to reach Florida. The United States finally acquired this territory in the 19th century. In the 1830s, it attempted to conduct Indian Removal of the Seminole and

Creek people The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsSeminole Wars, planters developed cotton plantations based on enslaved labor. By the 1850s and 1860s, Leon County had become part of the Deep South's "cotton kingdom". It ranked fifth of all

and Georgia counties in cotton production from the 20 major plantations. Uniquely among Confederate capitals east of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...

, in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

Tallahassee was never captured by Union forces. No Union soldiers set foot in Leon County until the

Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has an area of , of which are land and (5.0%) are water. Unlike much of Florida, most of Leon County has rolling hills, as part of Florida's Red Hills Region. The highest point is , in the northern part of the county.

Geology

Leon County encompasses basement rock composed of

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...

s of the

Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest per ...

and

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

from ~251 to 145 million years ago interlayered with

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretace ...

sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...

s. The layers above the basement are carbonate rock created from dying

foraminifera Foraminifera (; Latin for "hole bearers"; informally called "forams") are single-celled organisms, members of a phylum or class of amoeboid protists characterized by streaming granular ectoplasm for catching food and other uses; and commonly ...

bryozoa Bryozoa (also known as the Polyzoa, Ectoprocta or commonly as moss animals) are a phylum of simple, aquatic invertebrate animals, nearly all living in sedentary colonies. Typically about long, they have a special feeding structure called a ...

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

s, and

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and se ...

s from as early as the

Paleocene The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name is a combination of the Ancient Greek ''pala ...

, a period of ~66—55.8 Ma. During the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', ...

(~55.8—33.9 Ma) and

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but t ...

(~33.9—23 Ma), the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. The ...

began to uplift and the erosion rate increased enough to fill the

Gulf Trough The Gulf Trough, also known as the Suwanee Straits, is an ancient geologic feature of Florida present during the Paleogene period, a period of roughly that started after the end of the Mesozoic Era (65.5 Mya). A strong marine current, similar to ...

with

quartz sand Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica ( silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical f ...

silt Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension with water. Silt usually has a floury feel ...

s, and

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay pa ...

s via rivers and streams. The first sedimentation layer in Leon County is the Oligocene Suwannee Limestone in the southeastern part of the county as stated by the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

and Florida Geological Survey. The Early Miocene (~23.03—15.7 Ma) sedimentation in Leon County is Hawthorn Group,

Torreya Formation The Torreya Formation is a Miocene geologic formation with an outcrop in North Florida. It is within the Hawthorn Group. Age Period: Neogene Epoch: Early Miocene Faunal stage: Aquitanian through early Messinian ~19–15.3 mya, calculat ...

and St. Marks Formation and found in the northern two-thirds of the county. The

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

epoch (~2.588 million—12 000 years ago) through

Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togeth ...

epoch (~12,000—present) and are designated Beach ridge and trail and undifferentiated sediments.

Terraces and shorelines

During the Pleistocene, what would be Leon County emerged and submerged with each glacial and interglacial period. Interglacials created the county's topography. ''Also See Leon County Pleistocene coastal terraces'' ''Also see: Florida Platform and Lithostratigraphy''

Geologic formations

* Red Hills Region (North) * Cody Scarp (central) *

Woodville Karst Plain The Woodville Karst Plain is a karst area that runs from Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico separated by the Cody Scarp. This karst plain includes numerous first magnitude springs, including Wakulla- Leon Sinks Cave System, the lo ...

(South)

Paleontology

Three sites in Leon County have yielded fossil remnants of the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

epoch.

National protected area

* Apalachicola National Forest (part)

Bodies of water

* Lake Miccosukee * Black Creek * Lake Bradford *

Lake Ella Lake Ella is a lake in central Tallahassee, Florida on US 27 just south of Tharpe Street, and just north of Downtown. Lake Ella has an area of 12 acres (49,000 m2). Once used for cattle, it now has three fountains and is used for recreation, flo ...

Lake Hall Lake Hall is a small lake located in central Leon County, Florida, United States. It is located just north of Interstate 10 and slightly west of U.S. Highway 319 and within Tallahassee city limits. Lake Hall forms the south, western, and pa ...

Lake Iamonia Lake Iamonia is a large, subtropical prairie lake in northern Leon County, Florida, United States, created during the Pleistocene epoch. History Forming Iamonia Lake Iamonia's base was established during the Early Pleistocene through submergenc ...

* Lake Jackson *

Lake Lafayette Lake Lafayette is a prairie lake located in the coastal lowland in eastern Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida with US 27 / State Road 20 running close on its south side. History Prehistoric Originally known as Prairie Lake, Lake Lafayette ...

Lake Talquin Lake Talquin is a reservoir located on the Ochlockonee River between Leon County and Gadsden County in north Florida. The lake, located about 10 miles (15 km) west of Tallahassee, is south of Interstate 10 and bordered by State Road 20 on ...

* Ochlockonee River *

Lake Munson Lake Munson is a shallow reservoir on the southeast side of Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida. Historically known as Munson's Mill Pond as early as the 1840s, in 1950 a permanent dam was constructed. From 1934 to 1984, Lake Munson received out ...

Adjacent counties

Grady County, Georgia Grady County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 25,011. The county seat is Cairo. History Grady County was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on August 17, 1905, from ...

- north *

Thomas County, Georgia Thomas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census the population was 44,720. The county seat is Thomasville. Thomas County comprises the Thomasville, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Thomas Cou ...

- northeast * Jefferson County - east * Wakulla County - south *

- west * Liberty County - west

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 292,198 people, 116,530 households, and 61,961 families residing in the county.

2010 census

Race

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 275,487 people, and 108,592 households residing in the county. The population density was . There were 123,423 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 63.0%

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

, 30.3%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.3% Native American, 2.9% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, and 2.2% from two or more races. 5.6% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race.

Age

There were 108,592 households, out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.8% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.92. In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.0% under the age of 18, 26.3% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.57 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.03 males.

Education

At 70.2%, Leon County enjoys the highest level of post-secondary education in the state of Florida, followed by

Alachua County Alachua County ( ) is a county in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 278,468. The county seat is Gainesville, the home of the University of Florida since 1906, when the campus o ...

with a total of 67.8%. ''Source of above:''

Income

The median income for a household in the county was $37,517, and the median income for a family was $52,962. Males had a median income of $35,235 versus $28,110 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $21,024. About 9.40% of families and 18.20% 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 16.20% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.

Accolades

* 200
National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials
Environmental and Conservation Award for exceptional effort to reclaim, restore, preserve, acquire or develop unique and natural areas. Leon County has of open space,

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

and

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

s between the Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway and J.R. Alford Greenway.

Law, government, and politics

Politics

Following Reconstruction, white Democrats regained power in Leon County and voters have historically voted for Democratic candidates at the national level. Tallahassee is one of the few cities in the South known for progressive activism. The county has voted Democratic in 24 of the past 29 presidential elections since 1904. (Until the late 1960s, blacks were essentially disenfranchised in Florida and other Southern states.) Since the civil rights era, Tallahassee has elected black mayors and black state representatives. Its political affiliations likely draw from the high number of students, staff, and faculty associated with

, Florida A&M University, and

in Tallahassee, as well as the concentration of government employees. Leon County has had the highest voter turnout of any Florida county. In the 2008 general election, it had a record-setting voter turnout of 85%, including early voting and

voting by mail Postal voting is voting in an election where ballot papers are distributed to electors (and typically returned) by post, in contrast to electors voting in person at a polling station or electronically via an electronic voting system. In an ele ...

. As of October 6, 2020, there were 116,294 Democrats, 57,791 Republicans, and 43,369 voters with other affiliations in Leon County.

County representation

Map of County Commission Districts

State representation

Allison Tant ( D), District 9, represents Leon County's northern half, including most of Tallahassee. Jason Shoaf ( R), District 7, represents the county's southern portion. He won office in a special election. Ramon Alexander ( D), District 8, represents a west-central portion of the county.

State Senator

All of Leon County is represented by

Loranne Ausley Loranne Ausley (born October 16, 1963) is an American attorney and Democratic politician from Tallahassee, Florida. She served as a member of the Florida Senate from 2020 until her defeat in 2022, representing Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gul ...

( D), District 3, in the Florida Senate.

U.S. Congressional representation

Leon County is in two congressional districts. Its northern and eastern portion, including 61% of Tallahassee, is part of the 5th Congressional District, a

minority-majority district A majority-minority district is an electoral district, such as a United States congressional district, in which the majority of the constituents in the district are racial or ethnic minorities (as opposed to Non-Hispanic whites in the U.S.). Ra ...

that extends across northern Florida. It is represented by Al Lawson ( D). The remainder of the county (the southeastern corner and 39% of Tallahassee), is part of the 2nd Congressional District, represented by Neal Dunn ( R).

Consolidation

Leon County voters have gone to the polls four times to vote on consolidation of the Tallahassee and Leon County governments into one jurisdiction. This proposal would combine police and other city services with the already shared (consolidated) Tallahassee Fire Department, Tallahassee/Leon County Planning Department, and Leon County Emergency Medical Services. Tallahassee's city limits would (at current size) increase from to . Roughly 36 percent of Leon County's 250,000 residents live outside the Tallahassee city limits. Proponents of consolidation have claimed that the new jurisdiction would attract business by its very size. Merging of governments would cut government waste, duplication of services, etc. Professor Richard Feiock of Florida State University found in a 2007 study that he could not conclude that consolidation would benefit the local economy.

Public services

Leon County Sheriff

The Leon County Sheriff's Office provides police patrol and detective service for the unincorporated part of the county. The sheriff's office also provides court protection and operates the county jail. Fire and emergency medical services are provided by the

Tallahassee Fire Department The Tallahassee Fire Department provides fire protection and Advanced life support first-response emergency medical services to the city of Tallahassee, Florida and Leon County. The department dates back to 1902, when the first fire departmen ...

and

Leon County Emergency Medical Services Leon County Emergency Medical Services is located in Tallahassee, Florida, Tallahassee, Florida beginning service January 1, 2004. LCEMS provides emergency medical services to and all citizens and visitors of Leon County, Florida, Leon County reg ...

Tallahassee Police Department

Tallahassee is the only incorporated municipality in Leon County. The Tallahassee Police Department provides its policing. Established in 1826, TPD is the country's third-longest-accredited law enforcement agency.

Education

Higher education

Florida State University

(commonly called Florida State or FSU) is an American

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

space-grant and sea-grant

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kn ...

. It has a 1,391.54-acre (5.631-km²) campus in Tallahassee. In 2017, it had nearly 42,000 students. It is a senior member of the

State University System of Florida The State University System of Florida (SUSF or SUS) is a system of twelve public universities in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2018, over 341,000 students were enrolled in Florida's state universities. Together with the Florida College Syst ...

. Founded in 1851, it is on Florida's oldest continuous site of higher education. The university is classified as a Research University with Very High Research by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. It comprises 16 separate colleges and more than 110 centers, facilities, labs and institutes that offer more than 360 programs of study, including professional school programs. The university has an annual budget of over $1.7 billion. Florida State is home to Florida's only National Laboratory, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, and is the birthplace of the commercially viable anti-cancer drug Taxol. FSU also operates the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the State Art Museum of Florida and one of the nation's largest museum/university complexes. FSU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). It is home to nationally ranked programs in many academic areas, including law, business,

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

, social policy, film, music,

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

, dance, visual art,

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...

psychology Psychology is the science, scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immens ...

, social work, and the sciences. FSU leads Florida in four of eight areas of external funding for the STEM disciplines. For 2019, '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Florida State the country's 26th-best public university.https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/florida-state-university-1489 Florida Governor Rick Scott and the state legislature designated FSU one of two "preeminent" state universities in the spring of 2013 among the 12 universities of the State University System of Florida. FSU's intercollegiate sports teams, commonly called the Seminoles, compete in

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

(NCAA) Division I and the

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...

(ACC). The athletics programs are favorites of passionate students, fans and alumni across the country, especially when led by the Marching Chiefs of the Florida State University College of Music. In their 113-year history, the Seminoles have won 20 national athletic championships and Seminole athletes have won 78 individual NCAA national championships.

Florida A&M University

Founded on October 3, 1887, Florida A&M University (FAMU) is a public, historically black university that is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. FAMU's main campus comprises 156 buildings spread over on top of Tallahassee's highest geographic hill. In 2016 it had more than 9,600 students. FAMU also has several satellite campuses. Its College of Law is at its Orlando site, and its pharmacy program has sites in

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, Jacksonville and Tampa. FAMU offers 54 bachelor's degrees and 29 master's degrees. It has 12 schools and colleges and one institute. FAMU has 11 doctoral programs, including ten Ph.D. programs: chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, biomedical engineering, physics, pharmaceutical sciences, educational leadership, and environmental sciences. Top undergraduate programs are architecture, journalism, computer information sciences, and psychology. FAMU's top graduate programs include pharmaceutical sciences, public health, physical therapy, engineering, physics, master's of applied social sciences (especially history and public administration), business, and sociology.

Tallahassee Community College

The Florida Legislature founded

in 1966. TCC is a member of the Florida College System. It is accredited by the Florida Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Its primary site is a 270-acre (1.092 km2) campus in Tallahassee. TCC offers Bachelor's of Science,

Associate of Arts An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The fi ...

, Associate of Science, and Associate of Applied Sciences degrees. In 2013, it was 1st in the nation in graduating students with A.A. degrees. TCC is also the nation's #1 transfer school to

. As of 2015, TCC had 38,017 students. In partnership with

, TCC offers the ''TCC2FSU'' program. This program provides guaranteed admission to FSU for TCC Associate in Arts degree graduates.

List of other colleges

* Barry University School of Adult and Continuing Education – Tallahassee Campus * Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University * Flagler College – Tallahassee Campus * Keiser University – Tallahassee Campus * Lewis M. Lively Area Vocational-Technical School * Saint Leo University – Tallahassee Campus

Primary and secondary education

The Leon County School District administers and operates Leon County's public schools. LCS is operated by a superintendent, 5 board members, and 1 student representative. There are 25 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, seven high schools, eight special/alternative schools, and two charter schools.

List of middle schools

List of high schools

Libraries

Leon County operates the Leroy Collins Leon County Public Library, with 7 branches serving the county: * Leroy Collins Main Library * Northeast Branch Library * Eastside Branch Library * Dr. B.L. Perry, Jr. Branch Library * Lake Jackson Branch Library * Woodville Branch Library * Jane G. Sauls Fort Braden Branch Library The Leon County Public Library was renamed in 1993 to honor LeRoy Collins, the 33rd governor of Florida.

History of library services

The Carnegie Library of Tallahassee provided library services to the black community before desegregation. It was the first and only public library in Tallahassee until 1955. Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie offered Tallahassee money to build a public library in 1906. According to Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, the library was built on the FAMU campus because the city refused the donation because it would have to serve the black citizens. "The facility boasted modern amenities such as electricity, indoor plumbing and water supplied by the city. In later years, the Library served as an art gallery, religious center, and in 1976, became the founding home of the Black Archives Research Center and Museum. By functioning both as a repository for archival records and a museum for historical regalia, the center continues to render academic support to educational institutions, civic, political, religious and Museum. By functioning both as a repository for archival records and a museum for historical regalia, the center continues to render academic support to educational institutions, civic, political, religious and social groups, as well as, public and private businesses throughout Florida and the nation." The building was designed by noted architect William Augustus Edwards and was built in 1908. On November 17, 1978, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The Carnegie Library of Tallahassee, which served only the black community, became the only free public library in the city until 1955. According to the Leon County Public Library's website, the American Association of University Women formed the Friends of the Library organization in 1954. The formation of the Friends of the Library was in direct response to the fact that "Tallahassee was the only state capital in the United States not offering free public library service."Leon County. (2002-2016). Library History. Retrieved April 9, 2018, from Leon County Florida Government: http://cms.leoncountyfl.gov/Library/LibraryInformation/Library-History A year later, the library was established by legislative action and developed by citizens and civic groups. The first Leon County free public library opened on March 21, 1956. The first building to house the library was The Columns, one of the oldest remaining antebellum homes in the Leon County area, at Park Avenue and Adams Street (now the home of the James Madison Institute). In order to expand library services, the Junior League of Tallahassee donated a bookmobile to the library. The vehicle was later donated to the Leon County Sheriff's Office to be used as a paddywagon for its Road Prison. In 1962, the library moved to the old Elks Club building at 127 North Monroe Street. Public transit in the city of Tallahassee had been desegregated by 1958, but the public library system was only integrated several years later. In the early 1970s, Jefferson and Wakulla Counties joined the Leon County Public Library System, forming the Leon, Jefferson, and Wakulla County Public Library System. According to the library's website, "Leon County provided administrative and other services to the two smaller counties, while each supported the direct costs of their library services and their share of Leon's administrative costs." In 1975 the system started a branch library in Bond, a predominantly black community on the city's south side. Wakulla County left the library cooperative in 1975 to start its own library system and in 1978 the main library moved to Tallahassee's Northwood Mall. Jefferson County left the library cooperative in 1980 and the library reverted to the Leon County Public Library. In 1989, "ground breaking was held on March 4 for a new $8.5 million main library facility with 88,000 feet of space. The site was next door to the library's original home, The Columns, which had been moved in 1971 to 100 N. Duval." The new library had its grand opening in 1991 and was renamed in 1993 in honor of former Governor LeRoy Collins.

Points of interest

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park The Alfred B. Maclay State Gardens is a Florida State Park, botanical garden and historic site, located in Tallahassee, in northeastern Florida. The address is 3540 Thomasville Road. The gardens are also a U.S. historic district known as the K ...

* Apalachicola National Forest * Birdsong Nature Center * Bradley's Country Store Complex * Florida State Capitol * Florida Supreme Court *

Florida State Archives The State Library and Archives of Florida is the central repository for the archives of state government for the state of Florida. It is located at the R.A. Gray Building on 500 South Bronough Street in Tallahassee, Florida, Florida's capital. ...

* Florida Vietnam War Memorial * Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park * Leon County Fairgrounds * Leon County's five canopy roads * LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library *

Mission San Luis de Apalachee Mission San Luis de Apalachee (also known as San Luis de Talimali) was a Spanish Franciscan mission built in 1656 in the Florida Panhandle, two miles west of the present-day Florida Capitol Building in Tallahassee, Florida. It was located in the d ...

Museum of Florida History The Museum of Florida History is the U.S. state of Florida's history museum, housing exhibits and artifacts covering its history and prehistory. It is located in the state capital, Tallahassee, Florida, at the R. A. Gray Building, 500 South Bro ...

* Old Fort Park * Tall Timbers Research Station * Tallahassee Antique Car Museum *

Tallahassee Museum The Tallahassee Museum is a privately funded, non-profit corporation in Tallahassee, Florida. The stated purpose of the Tallahassee Museum is "to educate the residents of and visitors to the Big Bend area about the region's natural and cultural hi ...

* Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail State Park

Transportation

Airports

Tallahassee Commercial Airport Tallahassee Commercial Airport is a closed, privately owned airport located on US 27, 8 miles (13 km) northwest of the central business district (CBD) of Tallahassee, the county seat of Leon County, Florida, United States. As of Januar ...

* Tallahassee International Airport

Major highways

* Interstate 10 *

U.S. Highway 27 U.S. Route 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 (I-69) in Fort Wayne, Indiana ...

U.S. Highway 90 U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. With the exception of a short-lived ...

* U.S. Highway 319 * State Road 20 * State Road 61 * State Road 155 * State Road 263 * State Road 267 * State Road 363

Communities

City

* Tallahassee

Census-designated places

* Bradfordville * Capitola * Chaires * Fort Braden * Miccosukee * Woodville

Other unincorporated communities

Baum Baum is a German surname meaning "tree" (not to be confused with the French surname Baume). Notable people with this surname include: * Bernie Baum (1929–1993), American songwriter * Carol Baum, American film producer * Christina Baum (b ...

* Belair * Black Creek * Bloxham * Centerville * Chaires Crossroads * Felkel * Gardner * Iamonia * Ivan * Lafayette * Lutterloh * Meridian * Ochlockonee *

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

* Wadesboro

Defunct entity

* Bond-South City, a former

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

enumerated by the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

in 1950 and 1960.

Notable people

* Wally Amos – founder of the " Famous Amos" chocolate chip cookie brand; actor * Tony Hale – actor, played Byron "Buster" Bluth on '' Arrested Development'' * Isaac Jenkins (1846-1911), politician who served in the Florida House of Representatives in the 1880s *

Jerrie Mock Geraldine "Jerrie" Fredritz Mock (November 22, 1925 – September 30, 2014) was an American pilot and the first woman to fly solo around the world. She flew a single engine Cessna 180 (registered N1538C) christened the '' Spirit of Columbus'' a ...

– aviator and first woman to fly around the world solo *

Bill Proctor Bill Proctor is the Leon County, Florida District 1 County Commissioner, a role in which he has served since 1996. Since 2000 he has also been an instructor in political science at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida since 2000. ...

- Leon County Commissioner * T-Pain (born Faheem Najm) – hip hop and R&B singer * Ernest I. Thomas – raiser of the original flag at Iwo Jima

References

External links

Government links/Constitutional offices

Leon County Government / Board of County Commissioners

Leon County Clerk of Courts

Leon County Property Appraiser

Leon County Sheriff's Office

Leon County Supervisor of Elections

Leon County Tax Collector

Special districts

Leon County Public Schools

The Ochlockonee River Soil and Water Conservation District

Northwest Florida Water Management District

Judicial branch

Leon County Clerk of Courts

Public Defender, 2nd Judicial Circuit of Florida
serving Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon,

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

, and Wakulla counties
Office of the State Attorney, 2nd Judicial Circuit of Florida

Circuit and County Court, 2nd Judicial Circuit of Florida

Tourism links

* http://www.VisitTallahassee.com {{authority control Charter counties in Florida 1824 establishments in Florida Territory Populated places established in 1824 Tallahassee metropolitan area North Florida

History

Geography

Geology

Terraces and shorelines

Geologic formations

Paleontology

National protected area

Bodies of water

Adjacent counties

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

Race

Age

Education

Income

Accolades

Law, government, and politics

Politics

County representation

State representation

State Senator

U.S. Congressional representation

Consolidation

Public services

Leon County Sheriff

Tallahassee Police Department

Education

Higher education

Florida State University

Florida A&M University

Tallahassee Community College

List of other colleges

Primary and secondary education

List of middle schools

List of high schools

Libraries

History of library services

Points of interest

Transportation

Airports

Major highways

Communities

City

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Defunct entity

Notable people

See also

References

External links

Government links/Constitutional offices

Special districts

Judicial branch

Tourism links