Hamilton

Formed December 26, 1827 (14^th county)

Hamilton County (14,006), Jasper (3,626)

The tan brick and concrete courthouse is at 1^st Avenue and 1^st Street.  It is situated one block north of United States Highway 41.  It was built in 1933 and remodeled in 1955.  Mark & Sheftall are the architects for this Modern style courthouse.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  There was an 1891 courthouse earlier. Micco (1828), Walburg (1836) and Jasper (1838) have all been the county seat.  Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, is the namesake for the county.  Revolutionary solider William Jasper provided the name for the county seat.  The county was created on December 26, 1827 from Jefferson County as the 14^th county. 

Hamilton County government consists of a manager, sheriff, and appraiser (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven Circuit Court Judges serve Hamilton, Columbia, Dixie, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor counties and a County Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve Hamilton County (judicial.) The county is in north central part of the state on the border with Georgia.  Tallahassee, Florida is to the southwest and Jacksonville, Florida is to the east.  The center of the county is 4.8 miles South of Jasper.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Georgia and Columbia, Suwannee, and Madison counties.  The Suwannee River is the eastern border. 

The area of the county is 515 square miles.  It is 58 out of 67 counties in the state.  It ranks 62 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 27.2 persons per square mile making it 57 out of 67 in the state.  Hamilton County has 36.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 75 crosses northwest to southeast from Georgia to Columbia County.  United States Highway 41 parallels Interstate Highway 75 from Georgia to Columbia County.  United States Highway 129 also enters from the north, Georgia, and exits to the south, Suwannee County.  The county is shaped like a pair of pants.  Jasper is near the center of the county.  Jasper is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 25.9% of the county population.