Formed December 26, 1827 (13th county)
Jefferson County (14,507), Monticello (2,587)
There is a text book white brick courthouse serving Jefferson County. The courthouse was built in 1910 in Classical Revival style. It is located in the middle of the square at Jefferson and Washington streets. Washington Street is United States Highway 90 passing through the city. Edward Columbus Hosford is the architect. The building features a dome with a working clock and columns. There was an 1841 version of the courthouse also in Monticello, the only county seat. President Thomas Jefferson is the inspiration for the county name. Jefferson’s home in Virginia is the source for the county seat’s name. The county was formed on December 26, 1827 from Leon County as the 13th county.
Jefferson County government consists of a manager, sheriff, and appraiser (executive). It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.) Thirteen Circuit Court Judges serve Jefferson, Franklin, Gadsden, Leon, Liberty, and Wakulla counties and a County Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve Jefferson County (judicial.) Jefferson County is located in North Florida on the border with Georgia and also touching the Gulf of Mexico. Tallahassee, Florida is directly west of the county. The center of the county is 10 miles South of Monticello nearer Capps. The county is surrounded clockwise by Georgia and Madison and Taylor counties and the Gulf of Mexico and Wakulla and Leon counties.
The area of the county is 598 square miles. It is 45 out of 67 counties in the state. It ranks 60 out of 67 in population in the state. It has a density of 24.3 persons per square mile making it 60 out of 67 in the state. Jefferson County has 17.8% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 10 crosses the county east to west from Madison County to Leon County. United States Highway 19 goes north to south in the county from Georgia to Madison County. United States Highway 27 is joined with United States Highway 19 from Madison County, splits, and heads west into Leon County. United States Highway 90 parallels Interstate Highway 10 from Madison County to Leon County. A bent nail shape best describes the county. Monticello is in the northern third of the county. Monticello is the county seat and the largest city and only incorporated city. It is 17.8% of the county population. This county is in the Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Monticello
