Union

Formed May 20, 1921 (61^st county)

Union County (16,138), Lake Butler (1,979)

A red brick building built in 1936 was designed by John Pearson.  The facility is located Florida State Highway 100 (Main Street) between 1^st and Lake avenues.  The courthouse was enlarged in 1967 and renovated in 2000.  The county is named for the ideal of unity.  The county seat is named for statesman Colonel Robert Butler.  Union County was originally part of Bradford County before its May 20, 1921 creation as the 61^st county.  Lake Butler has always been the county seat. 

Union County government consists of a manager, sheriff, and appraiser (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twelve Circuit Court Judges serve Union, Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, and Levy counties and a County Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve Union County (judicial.) The county is situated in northern Florida.  Jacksonville, Florida is east and Tallahassee, Florida is west.  The center of the county is 1.4 miles Northwest of Lake Butler.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Baker, Bradford, Alachua, and Columbia counties. 

The area of the county is 240 square miles.  It is 67 out of 67 counties in the state.  It ranks 59 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 67.2 persons per square mile making it 44 out of 67 in the state.  Union County has 15.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The Santa Fe River forms its western and southern border.  The county looks like a fat pistol.  Lake Butler is in the southeast quarter of the county.  Lake Butler is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 12.3% of the county population.