Leon 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 ...

in the Panhandle 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 ...

. It was named after the Spanish explorer

Juan Ponce de León Juan Ponce de León ( – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and ''conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508 and Florida in 1513. He was born in Santervás de Campos, Valladolid, Spain, in ...

. 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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Tallahassee, which is also the

state capital Below is an index of pages containing lists of capital city, capital cities. National capitals *List of national capitals *List of national capitals by latitude *List of national capitals by population *List of national capitals by area *List of ...

and home to many politicians, lobbyists, jurists, and attorneys. Leon County is included in the Tallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Tallahassee is home to two of Florida's major public universities,

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

and

Florida A&M University Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), commonly known as Florida A&M, is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. ...

, as well as Tallahassee State College. Together these institutions have a combined enrollment of more than 70,000 students. It was an area of cotton cultivation. About 30 percent of Leon County is African American. The area includes red rolling hills.

History

Originally part of Escambia and later Gadsden County, Leon County was created in 1824. It was named after

, the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

explorer Exploration is the process of exploring, an activity which has some Expectation (epistemic), expectation of Discovery (observation), discovery. Organised exploration is largely a human activity, but exploratory activity is common to most organis ...

who was the first

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

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 The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

and

Creek people The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsSeminole Wars The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were a series of three military conflicts between the United States and the Seminoles that took place in Florida between about 1816 and 1858. The Seminoles are a Native American nation which co ...

, 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 Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

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

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, in the

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

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 History of the United States, US history that followed the American Civil War (1861-65) and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the Abolitionism in the United States, abol ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, 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 Red Hills or Tallahassee Hills is a region of gently rolling hills in the southeastern United States. It is a geomorphic region and an ecoregion. Location The Red Hills physiographic region of northern Florida was defined in 1914 as most o ...

. The highest point is , in the northern part of the county.

Geology

Leon County encompasses basement rock composed of

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, 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 planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

s of the

Triassic The Triassic ( ; sometimes symbolized 🝈) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.5 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.4 Mya. The Triassic is t ...

and

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...

from ~251 to 145 million years ago interlayered with

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era is the Era (geology), era of Earth's Geologic time scale, geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Period (geology), Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian r ...

sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock (geology), rock formed by the cementation (geology), cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or de ...

s. The layers above the basement are

carbonate rock Carbonate rocks are a class of sedimentary rocks composed primarily of carbonate minerals. The two major types are limestone, which is composed of calcite or aragonite (different crystal forms of CaCO3), and Dolomite (rock), dolomite rock (also kn ...

created from dying

foraminifera Foraminifera ( ; Latin for "hole bearers"; informally called "forams") are unicellular organism, single-celled organisms, members of a phylum or class (biology), class of Rhizarian protists characterized by streaming granular Ectoplasm (cell bio ...

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

mollusk Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...

s, and

coral Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...

s from as early as the

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

, a period of ~66—55.8 Ma. During the

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

(~55.8—33.9 Ma) and

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

(~33.9—23 Ma), the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

began to uplift and the erosion rate increased enough to fill the Gulf Trough with quartz sands,

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 (chemistry), suspension with water. Silt usually ...

s, and

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

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), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

and Florida Geological Survey. The

Early Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages: the Aquitanian age, Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 annum, Ma to ...

(~23.03—15.7 Ma) sedimentation in Leon County is Hawthorn Group, Torreya Formation and St. Marks Formation and is found in the northern two-thirds of the county. The

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...

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

Holocene The Holocene () is the current geologic time scale, geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene to ...

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 An interglacial period (or alternatively interglacial, interglaciation) is a geological interval of warmer global average temperature lasting thousands of years that separates consecutive glacial periods within an ice age. The current Holocene i ...

period. Interglacials created the county's topography. ''Also See Leon County Pleistocene coastal terraces'' ''Also see: Florida Platform and

Lithostratigraphy Lithostratigraphy is a sub-discipline of stratigraphy, the geological science associated with the study of strata or rock layers. Major focuses include geochronology, comparative geology, and petrology. In general, strata are primarily igneous ...

Geologic formations

(North) * Cody Scarp (central) * Woodville Karst Plain (South)

Paleontology

Three sites in Leon County have yielded fossil remnants of the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), 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 mea ...

epoch.

National protected area

Apalachicola National Forest The Apalachicola National Forest is the largest U.S. National Forest in the state of Florida. It encompasses and is the only national forest located in the Florida Panhandle. The National Forest provides water and land-based outdoors activiti ...

(part)

Bodies of water

* Lake Miccosukee * Black Creek * Lake Bradford * Lake Ella * Lake Hall * Lake Iamonia * Lake Jackson * Lake Lafayette * Lake Talquin * Ochlockonee River * Lake Munson

Adjacent counties

* Grady County, Georgia - north *

Thomas County, Georgia Thomas County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 45,798. The county seat is Thomasville, Georgia, Thomasville. Thom ...

- northeast * Jefferson County - east * Wakulla County - south * Gadsden County - west * Liberty County - west

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, 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 (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 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 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 ...

, 30.3%

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 ...

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

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 ...

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

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.

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 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, 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 Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational school ...

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. History Prehistory and ear ...

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 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 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.

Parks and preserves

Leon County has of open space,

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

and

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), 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 sunli ...

s between the Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway and J.R. Alford Greenway. In 2007 th
National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials
recognized the county with its Environmental and Conservation Award for exceptional effort to reclaim, restore, preserve, acquire or develop unique and natural areas.

Law, government, and politics

Politics

Leon County is governed by an elected seven-member board of

county commission A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States. A county usually has three to fiv ...

ers. 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 South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

known for progressive

activism Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make Social change, changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from ...

. The county has voted Democratic in 24 of the past 29 presidential elections since 1904. Its political affiliations likely draw from the high number of students, staff, and faculty associated with

, and Tallahassee State College 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 Early voting, also called advance polling or pre-poll voting, is a convenience voting process by which voters in a public election can vote before a scheduled Election Day (politics), election day. Early voting can take place remotely, such as v ...

and voting by mail. As of March 31, 2024, there were 98,612 Democrats, 54,464 Republicans, and 43,600 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. Gallop Franklin ( D), District 8, represents a west-central portion of the county.

State senator

All of Leon County is represented by Corey Simon ( R), District 3, in the Florida Senate.

U.S. Congressional representation

Leon County is located in the 2nd congressional district after the 2020 census redistricting process was completed. It is currently 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

Law enforcement

* 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. * The Tallahassee Police Department provides policing for residents within the city limits of Tallahassee. Established in 1826, TPD is the country's third-longest-accredited law enforcement agency.

Fire & emergency protection

* The Tallahassee Fire Department provides

fire protection Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of potentially Conflagration, destructive fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, Compartmentalization (fire protection), compartmentalisation, suppression and inve ...

and emergency response for Tallahassee, as well as all unincorporated areas of Leon County. Six volunteer fire departments within unincorporated areas of Leon County supplement the response of Leon County EMS and the TFD and exist to provide more timely responses. * Leon County Emergency Medical Services provides emergency response and transport using

Advanced life support Advanced Life Support (ALS) is a set of life-saving protocols and skills that extend basic life support to further support the circulation and provide an open airway and adequate ventilation (breathing). Components Key aspects of ALS level care ...

for all areas of Leon County including Tallahassee.

Disasters

* The Leon County Emergency Operations Center is located in the Public Safety Complex. They prepare for and coordinate response to disasters.

Public health

The Florida Department of Health operates county health departments in all 67 of the state's counties.

Social services

The

Florida Department of Children and Families The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is a state agency of Florida. Its headquarters are at 2415 North Monroe St., Ste. 400 in Tallahassee, Florida. The department provides social services in Florida to children, adults, refugees ...

provides

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. Also available amachine-converted HTML They may be provided by individuals, private and i ...

in all 67 of the state's counties.

Leon County Public Works department

* Operations: drainage systems along county rights-of-way and easements, Maintaining road shoulders, Traffic Signal and Lighting Maintenance, Mosquito Control * Transportation Maintenance: Asphalt repairs, Maintenance of Private Roads & dirt roads, Street signs, pavement markings * Right of Way: Litter control and roadside mowing * Fleet management: Vehicle Repair & Preventative Maintenance Note: Road construction and resurfacing is handled by private contractors

Water, sewer and stormwater

The City of Tallahassee Utilities department is responsible for water delivery, wastewater treatment, and stormwater management within the city limits. In unincorporated areas of Leon County, residents utilize private wells and septic systems.

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 The National Sea Grant College Program is a program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. It is a national network of 34 university-based Sea Grant programs involved in scientific re ...

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 key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...

. 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 Sy ...

. 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 The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (CFAT) is a U.S.-based education policy and research center. It was founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of the United States Congress. Among its most not ...

. It comprises 16 separate

colleges A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary education, tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding academic degree, degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further educatio ...

and more than 110 centers, facilities, labs and institutes that offer more than 360 programs of study, including professional school programs. In 2022-23 the university had an operating budget of $2.36 billion set by the Florida State University Board of Trustees. Florida State is home to Florida's only National Laboratory, the

National High Magnetic Field Laboratory The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (MagLab) is a facility at Florida State University, the University of Florida, and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, that performs magnetic field research in physics, biology, bioengineeri ...

. 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 The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...

(SACS). It is home to nationally ranked programs in many academic areas, including

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for ...

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

social policy Some professionals and universities consider social policy a subset of public policy, while other practitioners characterize social policy and public policy to be two separate, competing approaches for the same public interest (similar to MD a ...

, film, music,

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

, dance,

visual art The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and texti ...

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

, and the sciences. For 2019, '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Florida State the country's 26th-best public university. 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 The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

, compete in

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA) Division I and the

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...

(ACC).

Florida A&M University

Founded on October 3, 1887,

(FAMU) is a public, Historically black colleges and universities, 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, Florida, Orlando site, and its pharmacy program has sites in Miami, 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 Doctor of Philosophy, 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 State College

Tallahassee Community College entrance and administration building

The Florida Legislature founded Tallahassee Junior College in 1966, renamed Tallahassee Community College in 1970, then Tallahassee State College in 2024. TSC is a member of the Florida College System. It is accredited by the Florida Department of Education and the

. Its primary site is a 270-acre (1.092 km2) campus in Tallahassee. TSC offers Bachelor's of Science, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate's degree, Associate of Applied Sciences degrees. In 2013, it was 1st in the nation in graduating students with A.A. degrees. TSC is also the nation's #1 transfer school to

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

, TSC offers the ''TSC2FSU'' program. This program provides guaranteed admission to FSU for TSC Associate in Arts degree graduates.

List of other colleges

* Barry University School of Adult and Continuing Education – Tallahassee Campus * Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University * Flagler College – Tallahassee Campus * Keiser University, Keiser University – Tallahassee Campus * Lively Technical Center, 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 *

* Birdsong Nature Center * Bradley's Country Store Complex * Florida State Capitol * Florida Supreme Court * Florida State Archives * 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 * Museum of Florida History * Old Fort Park * Tall Timbers Research Station * Tallahassee Antique Car Museum * Tallahassee Museum * Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail State Park

Transportation

Airports

* Tallahassee Commercial Airport * Tallahassee International Airport

Major highways

* Interstate 10 in Florida, Interstate 10 * U.S. Route 27 in Florida, U.S. Highway 27 * U.S. Route 90 in Florida, U.S. Highway 90 * U.S. Route 319 in Florida, U.S. Highway 319 * Florida State Road 20, State Road 20 * Florida State Road 61, State Road 61 * Florida State Road 155, State Road 155 * Florida State Road 263, State Road 263 * Florida State Road 267, State Road 267 * Florida State Road 363, State Road 363

Communities

City

* Tallahassee

Census-designated places

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

Other unincorporated communities

* Baum, Florida, Baum * Belair, Leon County, Florida, Belair * Black Creek, Florida, Black Creek * Bloxham, Florida, Bloxham * Centerville, Florida, Centerville * Chaires Crossroads, Florida, Chaires Crossroads * Felkel, Florida, Felkel * Gardner, Leon County, Florida, Gardner * Iamonia, Florida, Iamonia * Ivan, Florida, Ivan * Lafayette, Florida, Lafayette * Lutterloh, Florida, Lutterloh * Meridian, Florida, Meridian * Ochlockonee, Florida, Ochlockonee * Rose, Florida, Rose * Wadesboro, Florida, Wadesboro

Defunct entity

* Bond-South City, Florida, Bond-South City, a former census-designated place enumerated by the United States Census Bureau in 1950 and 1960.

Notable people

* Wally Amos – founder of the "Famous Amos" Chocolate-chip cookie, chocolate chip cookie brand; actor * Tony Hale – actor, played Byron "Buster" Bluth on ''Arrested Development (TV series), Arrested Development'' *Isaac Jenkins (1846-1911), politician who served in the Florida House of Representatives in the 1880s *Jerrie Mock – aviator and first woman to fly around the world solo *T-Pain, T-Pain (born Faheem Najm) – hip hop and R&B singer *Ernest Ivy Thomas, Jr., 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 County, Florida, Franklin, Gadsden County, Florida, Gadsden, Jefferson County, Florida, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty County, Florida, Liberty, and Wakulla County, Florida, Wakulla counties
Office of the State Attorney, 2nd Judicial Circuit of Florida

Circuit and County Court, 2nd Judicial Circuit of Florida

Tourism links

Info, Events & Things to do in Tallahassee
{{authority control Leon County, Florida, 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

Parks and preserves

Law, government, and politics

Politics

County representation

State representation

State senator

U.S. Congressional representation

Consolidation

Public services

Law enforcement

Fire & emergency protection

Disasters

Public health

Social services

Leon County Public Works department

Water, sewer and stormwater

Education

Higher education

Florida State University

Florida A&M University

Tallahassee State 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