Gadsden

Formed June 24, 1823 (5^th county)

Gadsden County (43,820), Quincy (7,958)                

The dark clock tower for the tan brick and masonry structure is unique.  The Classical Revival courthouse in Quincy was built in 1913 on a square surrounded by Jefferson, Adams, Washington, and Madison Streets.  Jefferson Street is United States Highway 90 passing through the city.  The building was renovated in 1997 and a Justice Center was added recently.  Hal F. Heinz provided the designs.  The building features columns and veteran memorials are on the grounds.  There was an 1851 courthouse in Quincy, the only county seat.  Andrew Jackson’s aide-de-camp, James Gadsden is the county name source.  Quincy is named for President John Quincy Adams.  The county was created on June 24, 1823 from Jackson County as the 5^th county. 

Gadsden County government consists of a manager, sheriff, and appraiser (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Thirteen Circuit Court Judges serve Gadsden, Franklin, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, and Wakulla counties and a County Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve Gadsden County (judicial.) The county is in northwest Florida, northwest of Tallahassee, Florida on the border with Georgia.  The center of the county is 2.7 miles Northwest of Quincy.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Georgia and Leon, Liberty, Calhoun, and Jackson counties. 

The area of the county is 516 square miles.  It is 57 out of 67 counties in the state.  It ranks 43 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 84.9 persons per square mile making it 41 out of 67 in the state.  Gadsden County has 41.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 10 crosses the county east to west from Leon County to Jackson County.  United States Highway 27 enters from Georgia and exits southeast in Leon County.  United States Highway 90 parallels Interstate Highway 10 from Leon County to Jackson County.  The Chattahoochee River is the western border and the Ochlockonee River is the eastern border.  The county is shaped like a capital V with a straight line northern border with Georgia.  Quincy is slightly east of center in the county.  Quincy is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 18.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area.