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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”

Florida Facts and Figures

 

Gleaned from the Historical Marker Database

 

on April 26, 2024

 
1876 artwork by Henry Mitchell, via Wikipedia Commons

 Florida ranks tenth among states and provinces with markers in this database. Florida is a state in the United States of America located in the American South. It is also in the South Atlantic region. Florida is some 66 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 21.5 million people. The state is divided into 67 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Florida we have discovered historical markers in 511 cities and towns lying in 640 different ZIP Codes.

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There are at least 5,635 historical markers in Florida, by our count. We have cataloged 5,628 historical markers and 1,226 war memorials—each individually presented on 6,569 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. Pages for historical markers from this state make up 2.7% of our total. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another seven historical markers in Florida that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.

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The first Florida marker in the database, Asa Philip Randolph, was added April 27, 2007. It was photographed in Crescent City in Putnam County and was erected in 2005. The last one added was submitted on April 25, 2024, and titled Hillside Cemetery. It is in Panama City in Bay County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, the earliest historical marker we know of in Florida was erected in 1866. It was this one: Navy Club of Key West Monument, and one of our correspondents found it in Key West in Monroe County on July 12, 2015.

Florida Historical Topics
1,258 • Settlements and Settlers
890 • Industry and Commerce
684 • African Americans
600 • Waterways and Vessels
571 • Military
533 • Parks and Recreational Areas
497 • Architecture
458 • Education
455 • Churches and Religion
422 • Native Americans
    ... and others ...

Floridians don’t want to forget their Settlements and Settlers history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Florida about Settlements and Settlers—1,258 of them—than about any other historical topic. It is followed by Industry and Commerce with 890 markers.

The first marker added to the database with the Settlements and Settlers topic was Mc Neil Homestead 1882, added January 10, 2008. It had been erected near New Port Richey in Pasco County. The last one submitted was submitted on April 22, 2024, and titled 941 Grace Avenue. It had been erected in Panama City in Bay County. The earliest marker erected with the Settlements and Settlers topic that we have listed was erected in 1924. It is Ribault Monument, found in Jacksonville in Duval County on August 27, 2011.

What is the most interesting historical marker in Florida? What we know is that The Segui-Kirby Smith House is the most viewed entry in the database from Florida since it was added in 2017. It is located in St. Augustine in St. Johns County. It is also the most viewed entry so far this year.

Counties, Cities and Towns

The Florida county with the most historical markers listed in this database is St. Johns County, with 485 of them. It is followed closely by Volusia County with 442 markers. The St. Augustine area of St. Johns County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 432. In Volusia County the area with the most markers, 202, is Daytona Beach.

Historical Markers in These
Florida Counties
485 • St. Johns County
442 • Volusia County
366 • Hillsborough County
350 • Monroe County
344 • Brevard County
290 • Sarasota County
279 • Duval County
269 • Orange County
266 • Leon County
214 • Alachua County
    ... and others ...

Checking the database for the city or town in Florida with the most markers we again find St. Augustine at the top of the list with 432 markers in or near it. It is followed by Key West in Monroe County with 306 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 32084 at the top of the list with 380 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 32084 is assigned to Saint Augustine FL including the Saint Augustine Beach delivery area.) It is followed by ZIP Code 33040 with 299 markers. (33040 is assigned to Key West FL including the , East Rockland Key, Fort Jefferson National Mon, Key West Nas, Key West Naval Air Station, Munson Island, Raccoon Key, and Stock Island delivery areas.)

Historical Markers Near These
Florida Cities and Towns
432 • St. Augustine
306 • Key West
292 • Tampa
263 • Tallahassee
255 • Jacksonville
232 • Sarasota
202 • Daytona Beach
188 • Ocala
143 • Pensacola
138 • Gainesville
    ... and others ...

Getting back to St. Johns County, the first marker added to the database from there, The Great Cross, was added January 9, 2008. in St. Augustine. The last one submitted was uploaded on February 9, 2024, and is titled History of McCullough Creek, in Elkton. The earliest marker erected in St. Johns County that we have listed was erected in 1872. It was St. Augustine Confederate Memorial, found in St. Augustine on September 3, 2011.

Latest entry from Florida. Click to go there
By Brandon D Cross
Latest Entry from Florida
“Hillside Cemetery”

And finally the first, last, and oldest markers from Key West. The first: Southernmost Point, was added January 17, 2008. The last: Indian Block added on April 22, 2024. The earliest marker erected was erected in 1866: Navy Club of Key West Monument, added on July 12, 2015.

Who Puts Up Historical Markers?

The Florida Division of Historical Resources is currently in charge of the familiar dark blue and white and the older green and gold official historical markers found all over the state. You will also find official markers erected by the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials, a predecessor. We have 1,022 of their markers in the database. Also, a number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.

Latest entry from Florida. Click to go there
By Tim Fillmon, December 24, 2016
A Florida Division of Historical Resources Historical Marker

Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.

Off the Beaten Path

You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Florida have been marked with history. Check out Hardee County, Liberty County and Lafayette County. We've only found, respectively, 4, 2, and 2 historical markers there. Visiting one or more of these parts of Florida might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!

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Apr. 26, 2024