Hardee

Formed April 23, 1921 (57^th county)

Hardee County (25,326), Wauchula (4,897)

The large columns for the 1927 Classical Revival county courthouse stand out.  It is located on Main Street between 9^th and 10^th avenues.  United States Highway 17 is three blocks east of the courthouse.  H. G. Little and William M. Bradford are the architects for this tan brick and concrete courthouse.  An annex was added in 1975.  An eagle guards the front of the courthouse.  Wauchula has been the only county seat.  Governor Cary A. Hardee provided the inspiration for the county name.  Wauchula is the Native American name for the “sandhill crane.”  Hardee County was the birthplace of 1 Florida Governor, Doyle E. Carlton.  Hardee County was carved from De Soto County on April 23, 1921 as the 57^th county. 

Hardee County government consists of a manager, sheriff, and appraiser (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twenty-five Circuit Court Judges serve Hardee, Highlands, and Polk counties and a County Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve Alachua County (judicial.) The county is in southwest Florida.  Tampa, Florida is northwest of the county.  The Peace River flows through the county.  The center of the county is 6.3 miles South-Southwest of Wauchula nearer Zolfo Springs.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Polk, Highlands, De Soto, Manatee, and Hillsborough counties. 

The area of the county is 637 square miles.  It is 41 out of 67 counties in the state.  It ranks 52 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 39.8 persons per square mile making it 54 out of 67 in the state.  Hardee County has 35.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 17 goes north to south through the county from Polk County to De Soto County.  The county is a rectangle with Wauchula located north of the county center.  Wauchula is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 19.3% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced WA-CHUE-LA.  This county is in the Wauchula Micropolitan Statistical Area.