High Springs is a city in
Alachua County,
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 ...
, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in
Alachua County and seventh-largest in
North Central Florida. The population was 6,215 at the 2020 census, up from 5,350 at the 2010 census. It is part of the
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the most populous city in North Central Florida, with a population of 145,212 in 2022. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gainesv ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The present-day area of High Springs was first settled on a permanent basis by English-speaking people during the late 1830s. One of the earliest settlements in the vicinity was at Crockett Springs, located about three miles east of present-day High Springs. Settlers who were living there during the 1840s included Fernando Underwood and Marshal Blanton.
A discernible town began to develop in the early 1880s after the Savannah, Florida & Western Railway was constructed and several phosphate mines were established. A railroad station and a post office called Santaffey were established in 1884. The post office was renamed Santa Fe a few months later, then Orion the next year, and in 1888 it became High Springs, and the town was officially incorporated in 1892. The town, now a city, had a population over 1,500 at the end of the 1890s and was the second largest by population in the county.
Geography
High Springs is located at (29.8245, –82.5953).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.36%) is water.
Climate
High Springs has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(Cfa).
Demographics
2010 and 2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 6,215 people, 1,829 households, and 1,424 families residing in the city.
As of the
2010 United States census, there were 5,350 people, 1,781 households, and 1,502 families residing in the city.
2000 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 2000, there were 3,863 people, 1,539 households, and 1,063 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,668 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 76.42%
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 ...
, 21.18%
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 ...
, 0.39%
Native American, 0.34%
Asian, 0.31% from
other races, and 1.37% 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.
In 2000, there were 1,539 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.98.
In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $34,354, and the median income for a family was $43,779. Males had a median income of $32,959 versus $22,109 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $15,919. About 9.5% of families and 12.0% 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 17.8% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over. On many days during the week, hundreds of cars are lined up in the city's downtown for a free food distribution.
Education
The
School Board of Alachua County operates a
kindergarten through eighth grade school, the
High Springs Community School, in High Springs. Ninth through twelfth grade students attend
Santa Fe High School in the adjoining city of
Alachua.
Library
The
Alachua County Library District operates a branch library on NW 1st Avenue in downtown, High Springs. The library is open 7 days a week, provides regular programming for all ages, and circulates print books, audiobooks, music CDs, and DVDs. Free computer and internet access is available to all patrons.
In 1958, the North Florida Telephone Company offered the loan of its vacant building to the High Springs Parent-Teacher Association for the creation of the first Alachua County branch library located outside of Gainesville. The High Springs Library opened at this location the following year. After years of community fund raising, ground was broken in 1976 for a new 3,000 sq. ft. library building. The second and current library location opened its doors on January 3, 1977. Children from High Springs formed a block-long human chain to move the book collection from the old library to the new one.
Notable People
*
Wes Skiles, cave diving explorer and cinematographer
*
Charlie Huggins, former President of the
Alaska State Senate
*
Ellis Amburn, book editor and biographer
*
Myril Hoag, former
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
All-Star
References
External links
City of High Springs official websiteHigh Springs Chamber of CommerceHigh Springs Blog– The Official Site of Commissioner Eric May
High Springs Branch Library
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Cities in Alachua County, Florida
Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida
Populated places established in the 1880s
Cities in Florida
1892 establishments in Florida