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Florida Quick Facts

Facts About Florida

Florida was admitted to United States as a State on March 3, 1845 (27th State)

Governor — Rick Scott

Capital — Tallahassee

Nickname — Sunshine State

State Flower — Orange Blossom

(Click Here) for Florida symbols

Number of Counties in Florida — 67

Form of Government — Governor and independent cabinet consisting of Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Agriculture. (Click Here) for additional information on Florida's cabinet process.

Legislature — 120 House Districts, 40 Senate Districts, 23 Congressional Districts


More Information


Economy, State Spending & Taxes | Geography | History | Population | Taxes | Weather & Seasons | Other Interesting Facts


Florida Economy, State Spending & Taxes

Gross State Domestic Product (in millions):

  • $680,277 — 2005
  • $730,191 — 2006
  • $759,572 — 2007
  • $747,770 — 2008
  • $732,782 — 2009
  • $747,735 — 2010
  • $754,255 — 2011

Economy Strengths:

  • International Trade (40% of all U.S. exports to Latin and South America pass through Florida)
  • Tourism — with 87.3 million visitors in 2011 (a record number), Florida is the top travel destination in the world. The tourism industry has an economic impact of $67 billion on Florida's economy. Click here for additional tourism facts and statistics.
  • Space Industry — The space industry represents $4.1 billion of the state's economy. The average annual wage of aerospace workers is approximately $67,000. The number employed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) alone is 13,000 and Florida ranks 4th among the states in overall aerospace employment with 33,000 jobs.
  • Agriculture — Florida leads the southeast in farm income. Florida produces about 67% of the U.S. oranges and accounts for about 40% of the world's orange juice supply.
  • Construction — This industry's strength results from the steady stream of new residents and visitors who are welcomed to Florida each year.
  • Services — growth in high tech, financial & back office operations
  • Software — many small, entrepreneurial companies
  • Health Technology (medical, biotech, laboratories)
  • University Research — more than $500 million per year in sponsored research at Florida universities
  • (Click Here) for more information on Florida's economy

State Budget Information | Governor's e-Budget Page

  • $69,975,817,005 (2012-2013)

State Spending Per Capita 2007 — Florida Ranks 49th ($4,009)

Florida Taxes — Florida ranks low in terms of the tax burden placed on residents. Based on income, property and other state and local tax collections, the Tax Foundation research organization ranks Florida among the lowest tax states (Florida ranks #5 among the 50 states in 2013; only four states have a lower tax burden).

State Sales Tax — 6%

Corporate Tax — 5.5%

State Income Tax — None

Additional Tax Information — Florida Tax Guide (Click Here)

Additional Business & Economy Information:
Doing Business in Florida (State of Florida.com)

Florida Geography

Total Area — 58,560 Square Miles

Land Area — 54,252 Square Miles

Total Water Area — 4,308 Square Miles

Rank Among States in Total Area — 22nd

Length North to South — 447 Miles

Width East to West — 361 Miles

Distance from Pensacola to Key West — 792 Miles by Road

Highest Natural Point — 345 Feet near Lakewood in Walton County

Geographic Center — 12 miles northwest of Brooksville, Hernando County

Coastline — 1,197 Statute Miles

Tidal Shoreline — 2,276 Statute Miles

Beaches — 663 Miles

Florida has more than 11,000 miles of rivers, streams & waterways

Longest River — St. Johns at 273 miles

Largest Lake — Lake Okeechobee at 700 square miles
(the 2nd largest freshwater lake in the United States)

Largest County — Palm Beach at 2,578 square miles

Smallest County — Union at 245 square miles

Number of Lakes greater than 10 acres — Aprox. 7,700

Number of First Magnitude Springs — 27
(Florida has more first magnitude springs than any other state.)

Number of Islands Greater than 10 Acres — Aprox. 4,500
(Florida ranks 2nd in the nation by this measure and only Alaska ranks higher.)

More Florida water information: (Click Here)

Florida History

Juan Ponce de Leon discovers Florida in 1513 when he lands in NE Florida, possibly near present-day St. Augustine, to claim Florida for Spain. This is when written records about life in Florida began.

First permanent European settlement is established in 1565 in St. Augustine by Spain.

Florida becomes a U.S. Territory in 1821. General Andrew Jackson serves as military governor until Congress ratifies a territorial constitution.

William P. Duval, Florida's first civil governor, calls the first Legislative Council into session in Pensacola on June 19, 1823.

Admitted to U.S. as a State on March 3, 1845 (27th State)

See our front page for more "Historic" information links: (Click Here)

Florida Population

Population Rank — 4th in U.S. behind California, Texas & New York

Florida population estimates:

Florida's Population (2011) — 19,057,542

Florida's Population (2003) — 17,019,068
Florida's Population (2002) — 16,713,149
Florida's Population (2001) — 16,396,515
Florida's Population (2000) — 15,982,378
Population (1990) — 12,937,926
Population (1980) — 9,746,961
Population Growth Rate (1990-2000) — 23.5%

City Population Rank (2011):

1. Jacksonville 827,908
2. Miami 408,750
3. Tampa 346,037
4. St. Petersburg 244,997
5. Orlando 243,195
6. Hialeah 229,969
7. Tallahassee 182,965
8. Fort Lauderdale 168,528
9. Port St. Lucie 166,149
10. Pembroke Pines 157,594
11. Cape Coral 157,476
12. Hollywood 143,357
13. Gainesville 125,326
14. Miramar 124,302
15. Coral Springs 123,338
17. Miami Gardens (Carol City-Norland) 109,680
16. Clearwater 107,784
18. Brandon 103,483
19. Palm Bay 103,227
21. Pompano Beach 101,617
20. West Palm Beach 101,043
22. Spring Hill 98,621
23. Lakeland 98,589
24. Davie 93,674
25. Miami Beach 89,840

Most Populous Metro Areas (2011):

1. Miami Fort Lauderdale Pompano Beach  (South Florida) 5,670,125
2. Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater 2,824,724
3. Orlando/Kissimmee 2,171,360
4. Jacksonville 1,360,251
5. North Port/Bradenton/Sarasota 709,355
6. Cape Coral/Fort Myers 631,330
7. Lakeland/Winter Haven 609,492
8. Palm Bay/Melbourne/Titusville 543,566
9. Deltona/Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach 494,804
10. Pensacola/Ferry Pass/Brent 453,218
11. Port St. Lucie 427,874
12. Naples /Marco Island 328,134
13. Tallahassee 369,758
14. Ocala 332,529
15. Gainesville 266,369
16. Fort Walton Beach/Crestview/Destin 183,482
17. Panama City 169,856
18. Punta Gorda 160,511
19. Sebastian/Vero Beach 138,894
20. Palm Coast 97,376

County Population (2011):

(Counties Listed in Alphabetical Order) | County Population Map

Alachua County 249,365
Baker County 27,154
Bay County 169,856
Bradford County 28,255
Brevard County 543,566
Broward County 1,780,172
Calhoun County 14,750
Charlotte County 160,511
Citrus County 140,031
Clay County 192,370
Collier County 328,134
Columbia County 67,485
DeSoto County 34,894
Dixie County 16,486
Duval County 870,709
Escambia County 299,114
Flagler County 97,376
Franklin County 11,596
Gadsden County 46,151
Gilchrist County 17,004
Glades County 12,635
Gulf County 15,844
Hamilton County 14,671
Hardee County 27,887
Hendry County 39,089
Hernando County 173,094
Highlands County 98,630
Hillsborough County 1,267,775
Holmes County 19,873
Indian River County 138,894
Jackson County 49,292
Jefferson County 14,658
Lafayette County 8,942
Lake County 301,019
Lee County 631,330
Leon County 277,971
Levy County 40,156
Liberty County 8,314
Madison County 19,115
Manatee County 327,142
Marion County 332,529
Martin County 147,495
Miami-Dade County 2,554,766
Monroe County 73,873
Nassau County 74,195
Okaloosa County 183,482
Okeechobee County 40,140
Orange County 1,169,107
Osceola County 276,163
Palm Beach County 1,335,187
Pasco County 466,457
Pinellas County 917,398
Polk County 609,492
Putnam County 74,041
Saint Johns County 195,823
Saint Lucie County 280,379
Santa Rosa County 154,104
Sarasota County 382,213
Seminole County 425,071
Sumter County 97,756
Suwannee County 41,972
Taylor County 22,691
Union County 15,388
Volusia County 494,804
Wakulla County 30,978
Walton County 55,793
Washington County 24,935

Total State Population: 18,801,310 (2010)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census

More Florida Census Data

Go Directly to Florida Counties (Click Here)

Florida Weather & Seasons

Florida is known around the world for its balmy weather. The state's mild winters have made it a haven for retirees. Summers can be long and hot with showers providing much appreciated relief during the rainy season. Coastal areas also experience gentle breezes during the summer.

Average Annual Temperatures:

Summer:
80.5 (F) degrees (26.9 C) (North Florida)
82.7 (F) degrees (28.2 C) (South Florida)

Winter:
53.0 (F) degrees (11.7 C) (North Florida)
68.5 (F) degrees (20.3 C) (South Florida)

Get Current Weather Info.

The six-month hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30 and Floridians have learned to be ready when a storm threatens the area. More Information: National Hurricane Center

Tree planting season in Florida (December–February)

Other Interesting Florida Facts

Number of people who move to Florida each day — 1,000

Number of major commercial airports — 19

Number of international airports — 12

Number of deepwater ports — 14

Miles of sand beaches — 1,200

Miles of coastline — 1,800

Number of golf courses — more than 1,250

  • Florida has more golf courses than any other state
  • Palm Beach County has more golf courses than any other county in the country

Number of hotel rooms in Florida — more than 370,000

Number of campgrounds — 700 (100,000 campsites)

Number of people who camp in Florida each year — 6 million

There is no official designation of a "State Motto". The motto "In God We Trust" is widely used but has never been formally adopted by the Florida Legislature.

Sources: Florida Dept. of State; Visit Florida; U.S. Census Bureau; Bureau of Economic & Business Research (University of Florida); State of Florida.com research.