Calhoun 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 ...

located in 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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,648, making it the fifth-least populous county in Florida. Its

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 Blountstown.

History

Calhoun County was created in 1838. It was named for

John C. Calhoun John Caldwell Calhoun (; March 18, 1782March 31, 1850) was an American statesman and political theorist from South Carolina who held many important positions including being the seventh vice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832. He ...

, member of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

from

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

and the seventh U.S. vice president, serving under

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States ...

and

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

. The County originally was located between St. Joseph Bay and the

Apalachicola River The Apalachicola River is a river, approximately 160 mi (180 km) long in the state of Florida. The river's large watershed, known as the ACF River Basin, drains an area of approximately into the Gulf of Mexico. The distance to its far ...

, with the county seat at St. Joseph (which was abandoned by 1844). The county was later expanded to the north with territory from

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

counties. In 1913, part of Calhoun County was transferred to the new Bay County. In 1925, the southern part of Calhoun County was separated as the new Gulf County, which included the territory that had formed the original Calhoun County. In 1930, a federal employee shot the County Sheriff over a dispute of unknown origin.

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 a total area of , of which is land and (1.2%) is water. The county is bounded on the east by the

and is bisected by the Chipola River, site of

Look and Tremble Look and Tremble, sometimes known as Look and Tremble Shoals, or Look and Tremble Falls, is a shoal or rapids and swimming hole on the Chipola River in the United States state of Florida. It lies south of the County Road 274 crossing of the Chi ...

Unincorporated areas

Among the unincorporated settlements are Broad Branch, Chipola, Clarksville, Chason, Durham, Fisher Corner, Flowers Still, Henderson Mill, Kinard, Leonards, New Hope, Rollins Corner, Selman, Sharptown, Summerville, and Willis.

Adjacent counties

Jackson County, Florida Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida, on its northwestern border with Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 47,319. Its county seat is Marianna. History Jackson County was created by the Florida Terri ...

– north *

Gadsden County, Florida 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. Ga ...

– northeast (EST) *

Liberty County, Florida Liberty County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,974, making it the least populous county in Florida. Its county seat is Bristol. Liberty County is one of only two dry counties in Florida ...

– east (EST) *

Gulf County, Florida Gulf County is a county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,192. Its county seat is Port St. Joe. Gulf County is included in the Panama City, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...

– south (southern part of the county is in the EST) * Bay County, Florida – west

Demographics

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 13,648 people, 4,510 households, and 2,753 families residing in the county. 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 2000, there were 13,017 people, 4,468 households, and 3,132 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 23 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 5,250 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.87%

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 ...

, 15.79%

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 ...

, 1.26% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.05%

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 ...

, 1.04% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. 3.78% 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. There were 4,468 households, out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.30% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.02. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.20% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 31.50% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 117.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $26,575, and the median income for a family was $32,848. Males had a median income of $26,681 versus $21,176 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 $12,379. About 14.80% of families and 20.00% 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 23.60% of those under age 18 and 20.40% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Major roads

Calhoun County is not served by any Interstate or

U.S. Highways The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...

; the nearest access to the Interstate Highway System is

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally p ...

in Sneads in neighboring Jackson County and to the U.S. Highway System is

U.S. Route 231 U.S. Route 231 (US 231) is a north-south U.S highway that is a parallel route of US 31. It runs for from St. John, Indiana, at US 41 to south of US 98 in downtown Panama City, Florida. One of its most notable landmarks i ...

in northeastern Bay County. * FL 20 is major east–west state highway linking Niceville to the state capital

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...

. * FL 69 begins at FL 71 in Blountstown. * FL 71 is major north–south state highway linking Port St. Joe to Alabama. * FL 73 begins at FL 71 in southern Calhoun County.

Airport

* Calhoun County Airport (Florida)

Politics

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans hold a narrow majority among registered voters in Calhoun County as of 2022. However, Democrats held a sizable majority of registered voters as recently as 2017.

Statewide elections

Like most of the Florida Panhandle, Calhoun County votes heavily Republican in presidential and congressional races yet still occasionally supports

conservative Democrat In American politics, a conservative Democrat is a member of the Democratic Party with conservative political views, or with views that are conservative compared to the positions taken by other members of the Democratic Party. Traditionally, c ...

s in local and state contests.

County commissioners

*Lee Lee Brown (District 1) *Aaron Carter (District 2) *Darryl O'Bryan (District 3) *Scott Monlyn (District 4) *Gene Bailey (District 5)

Local elected officials

*Clerk of Court: Carla Hand *County Sherriff: Glenn Kimbrel * Supervisor of Elections: Sharon Chason * Property Appraiser: Carla Peacock * Tax Collector: Becky Smith

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Calhoun County School District operates public schools. Its two senior high schools are

Blountstown High School Blountstown High School is a high school located in Blountstown, Florida, the county seat of Calhoun County, Florida. A part of the Calhoun County School District, is a small public school with an average of one hundred (100) students per grade. ...

and

Altha Public School Altha Public School is a K–12 public school in Altha, Florida Altha is a small town in Calhoun County, Florida, United States. The population was 536 at the 2010 census. This is an increase from 506 . Altha was founded in 1902. Geography A ...

Library

Along with the six branches within th
Calhoun County Public Library System
Calhoun County is also a part of th
Panhandle Public Library Cooperative System
PPLCS also includes

Holmes Holmes may refer to: Name * Holmes (surname) * Holmes (given name) * Baron Holmes, noble title created twice in the Peerage of Ireland * Chris Holmes, Baron Holmes of Richmond (born 1971), British former swimmer and life peer Places In the Uni ...

and

counties. Branches are located in the following communities and offer public computers with internet access, free wi-fi, programming for all ages, downloadable e-books and e-audiobooks, and numerous online databases and resources. * Blountstown Public Library * Altha Public Library * Hugh Creek Public Library * Kinard Public Library * Mossy Pond Public Library * Shelton Public Library

Communities

Towns

* Blountstown * Altha

Unincorporated communities

* Abe Springs * Broad Branch * Carr Community * Chason * Chipola * Chipola Park * Clarksville * Cox * Eufala * Frink * Gaskins * Iolee * Kinard * Leonards * Marysville *

McNeal McNeal is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: People * Bobby McNeal (1891–1956), English association football player * Brianna Rollins-McNeal (born 1991), American track and field athlete * Bryant McNeal (born 1979), American ...

* New Hope * Ocheesee Landing * Ocheeseulga * Pine Island * Rollins Corner * Scotts Ferry * Selman * Willis

Notes

References

External links

Government links/Constitutional offices

Calhoun County Board of County Commissioners

Calhoun County Supervisor of Elections

Calhoun County Property Appraiser

Calhoun County Sheriff's Office

Calhoun County Tax Collector

Special districts

Calhoun County School District

Northwest Florida Water Management District

Judicial branch

Calhoun County Clerk of Courts

Circuit and County Court for the 14th Judicial Circuit of Florida
serving

Bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a na ...

, Calhoun,

Gulf A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodie ...

and

counties

Tourism links

Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control 1838 establishments in Florida Territory Populated places established in 1838 Florida counties North Florida