Levy

Formed March 10, 1845 (26^th county)

Levy County (42,912), Bronson (1,136), Williston (2,973)

The small tower and New England look describe the Colonial Revival style red brick facility.  Located at the corner of Court and Garner streets, this structure was built in 1937.  United States Highway 27 Alternate is one block southwest of the location.  Henry L. Taylor was the building designer.  The building was enlarged in 1963.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  A 1906 courthouse also was in Bronson.  Mount Pleasant (1845), Levyville (1851), and Bronson (1874) have all been the county seat.  Senator David Levy is the namesake of the county.  The source for the county seat’s name is presumably from a settler.  The county was created on March 10, 1845 from Alachua County as the 26^th county. 

Levy County government consists of a manager, sheriff, and appraiser (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twelve Circuit Court Judges serve Levy, Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, and Union counties and a County Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve Levy County (judicial.) The county is on the bend of Florida bordering the Gulf of Mexico.  The Suwannee River is the northwest border.  Gainesville, Florida is northeast and Tampa, Florida is south.  The center of the county is 10.4 miles Southwest of Bronson nearer Otter Creek.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Gilchrist, Alachua, Marion, and Citrus counties and the Gulf of Mexico and Dixie County. 

The area of the county is 1118 square miles.  It is 9 out of 67 counties in the state.  It ranks 45 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 38.4 persons per square mile making it 55 out of 67 in the state.  Levy County has 23.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 19 comes from the northwest, Dixie County, and goes south into Citrus County.  United States Highway 27 crosses the northeast tip of the county from Alachua County to Marion County.  United States Highway 27 Alternate enters with United States Highway 19 from Dixie County and terminates.  United States Highway 41 is joined with United States Highway 27 from Alachua County, splits, and heads south into Marion County.  United States Highway 98 is combined with United States Highway 19 from Dixie County to Citrus County.  The county looks like a torch lying on its side.  The county seat is in the top quarter of the county.  Williston is in the eastern quarter of the county.  Bronson is the county seat and Williston is the largest city.  Bronson is 2.7% of the county population while Williston is 6.9% of the county population.  The county is pronounced LEE-VEE.