Sumter

Formed January 8, 1853 (29^th county)

Sumter County (129,751), Bushnell (3,071), Wildwood (15,740)

A Spanish-Mediterranean style courthouse was built in 1914, enlarged in 1974, and under renovation in 2019.  It is situated on Florida Street between McCollum and Anderson streets.  United States Highway 301 is one block north of the site.  William Augustine Edwards designed the courthouse.  A similarly designed Judicial Center was built in 1997.  Various unspecified locations served as county seat until 1858 when Bushnell was designated.  Revolutionary General Thomas Sumter gave his name to the county.  The county seat was named for a railroad surveyor.  The county was created on January 8, 1853 from Marion County as the 29^th county. 

Sumter County government consists of a manager, sheriff, and appraiser (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twenty-eight Circuit Court Judges serve Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, Lake, and Marion counties and a County Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve Sumter County (judicial.) Sumter County is in west central Florida.  Tampa, Florida is south of the county.  The center of the county is 3.2 miles Northeast of Bushnell.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Marion, Lake, Polk, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus counties. 

The area of the county is 546 square miles.  It is 54 out of 67 counties in the state.  It ranks 34 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 237.6 persons per square mile making it 31 out of 67 in the state.  Sumter County has 16.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 75 goes north to south, Marion County to Hernando County.  United States Highway 301 parallels Interstate Highway 75 from Marion County to Hernando County.  The county is a hand with the first finger pointing down.  Bushnell is near the geographical center of the county.  Wildwood is in the northeast corner of the county.  Bushnell is the county seat and Wildwood is the largest city.  Bushnell is 2.4% of the county population while Wildwood is 12.1% of the county population.  This county is in The Villages Micropolitan Statistical Area.