Jackson

Formed August 12, 1822 (3^rd county)

Jackson County (47,309), Marianna (6,244)

A concrete Modern style courthouse was built in Marianna in the 1962 and remodeled in 2012.  It is located on Lafayette, Jefferson, Jackson, and Madison streets.  Lafayette is United States Highway 90 passing through the city.  Barrett Daffine Bishop is the courthouse designer.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  A 1988 Administrative annex supports the courthouse.  The county had a 1906 version of its courthouse also in Marianna.  Jackson County is named for President Andrew Jackson.  The county seat is named for settler Robert Beveridge’s daughters Mary and Anna.  The county was formed on August 12, 1822 from Escambia County as the 3^rd county.  Webbville was county seat until 1828 when Marianna took over. 

Jackson County government consists of a manager, sheriff, and appraiser (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Nine Circuit Court Judges serve Jackson, Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, and Washington counties and a County Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve Jackson County (judicial.) Alabama is on the northern border and Georgia is on the eastern border.  The Chattahoochee River forms the eastern border with Georgia.  Tallahassee, Florida is to the southeast of the county.  The center of the county is 3.4 miles Northwest of Marianna.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Alabama and Georgia and Gadsden, Liberty, Calhoun, Bay, Washington, and Holmes counties. 

The area of the county is 916 square miles.  It is 20 out of 67 counties in the state.  It ranks 42 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 51.6 persons per square mile making it 48 out of 67 in the state.  Jackson County has 32.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 10 crosses the county east to west from Gadsden County to Washington County.  United States Highway 90 parallels Interstate Highway 10 from Gadsden County to Washington County.  United States Highway 231 enters from Alabama on the north and exits to the south into Bay County.  The county is shaped like a fat tomahawk.  Marianna is slightly west of center in the county.  Marianna is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 13.2% of the county population.