Highlands

Formed April 23, 1921 (58^th county)

Highlands County (101,238), Sebring (10,966)

The masonry Classical Revival style county courthouse was built in 1926.  It is located on Commerce Street between Orange and Eucalyptus streets.  Florida State Highway 17 is 3 blocks west of the site.  Fred A. Bishop is the architect.  An addition was added in recent years.  In 1997 a County Government Center was built.   Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  The county is named for the local terrain.  The county seat is named for settler George E. Sebring.  Highlands County was established on April 23, 1921 from De Soto County as the 58^th county.  Sebring has been the only county seat. 

Highlands County government consists of a manager, sheriff, and appraiser (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twenty-eight Circuit Court Judges serve Highlands, Hardee, and Polk counties and a County Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve Highlands County (judicial.) The county is in south central Florida.  Orlando, Florida is north of the county.  The Kissimmee River is the eastern border.  The center of the county is 20 miles South-Southeast of Sebring nearer Sylvan Shores.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Osceola, Okeechobee, Glades, Charlotte, De Soto, Hardee, and Polk counties. 

The area of the county is 1028 square miles.  It is 14 out of 67 counties in the state.  It ranks 36 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 98.5 persons per square mile making it 38 out of 67 in the state.  Highlands County has 22.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 27 crosses north to south from Polk County to Glades County.  The county looks like a fat small letter q with the eastern border wandering with the river.  Sebring is in the northwest quarter of the county.  Sebring is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 10.8% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced SEE-BRING.  This county is in the Sebring Micropolitan Statistical Area.