Formed May 19, 1887 (42nd county)
DeSoto County (33,975), Arcadia (7,422)
The Classical Revival style red brick courthouse of DeSoto County is a very traditional look. This 1913 structure is located on a square on Oak, Volusia, Hickory, and Brevard streets. United States Highway 17 is two blocks west of the location. Pine Level (1887) and Arcadia (1888) have both served as county seat. Bonfoey and Elliott are the courthouse designers. An Administration Center has recently been added across the street. The building features columns and veteran memorials are on the grounds. The county is named after explorer Hernando De Soto, also the source of Hernando County. A settler’s daughter, Arcadia Albritton, is the county seat’s namesake. The county was established on May 19, 1887 from Manatee County as the 42nd county. Charlotte, Glades, Hardee, and Highlands counties were later created from DeSoto County.
DeSoto County government consists of a manager, sheriff, and appraiser (executive). It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.) Thirty-one Circuit Court Judges serve DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties and a County Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve DeSoto County (judicial.) It is located in southwest Florida. Tampa, Florida is northwest of the county. The center of the county is in Arcadia 2.7 miles East of the city center. The county is surrounded clockwise by Hardee, Highlands, Glades, Charlotte, Sarasota, and Manatee counties. The Peace River flows through the county.
The area of the county is 637 square miles. It is 40 out of 67 counties in the state. It ranks 48 out of 67 in population in the state. It has a density of 53.3 persons per square mile making it 47 out of 67 in the state. DeSoto County has 21.9% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 75 cut the southwest tip of the county from Sarasota to Charlotte counties. United States Highway 17 crosses north to south in the county from Hardee County to Charlotte County. The county is a rectangle. Arcadia is in the northwest quarter of the county. Arcadia is the county seat and the largest and only incorporated city. It is 21.9% of the county population. The county is pronounced DI SOE-TOE. The county seat is pronounced R-CAE-DEE-A. This county is in the Arcadia Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Arcadia
