| County: | Baker County |
| State: | Florida |
| Seal: | Seal of Baker County, Florida.png |
| Founded Date: | February 8 |
| Founded Year: | 1861 |
| Seat Wl: | Macclenny |
| Largest City Wl: | Macclenny |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 588.97 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 585.23 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 3.74 |
| Pop: | 28259 |
| Census Yr: | 2020 |
| Density Sq Mi: | 48.29 |
| Web: | www.bakercountyfl.org |
| Ex Image: | Baker County (Macclenny).jpg |
| Ex Image Cap: | Baker County Courthouse in Macclenny |
| District: | 3rd |
| Time Zone: | Eastern |
Baker County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,259.[1] Its county seat is Macclenny.[2] The county was founded in 1861 and is named for James McNair Baker, a judge and Confederate Senator.
Baker County is included in the Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
In 1864, the Battle of Olustee, which was the only major American Civil War battle in Florida, was fought near Lake City in Baker County.
Baker County was founded in 1861. It was named for James McNair Baker (1821–1892), a judge and Confederate senator.[3] In 1864 the Battle of Olustee was fought near Lake City in Baker County. This was the only major American Civil War battle in Florida.[4]
Much of the area was originally covered with pine flatwoods and cypress swamps, as was Columbia County to the west. Parts of both counties are included in Osceola National Forest. A lumber industry developed here, with sawmills constructed along rivers and waterways, where lumber was brought out by water. Turpentine was also produced. These industries employed many African American laborers.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (0.6%) is water.[5] The extreme northern part of the county lies within the Okefenokee Swamp and its federally protected areas.
The St. Mary's River passes through Baker and numerous other counties. The St. Marys River is a remote blackwater river, rising in southeastern Georgia and flowing into northeastern Florida, where it forms the easternmost border between the two states.[6] [7]
See also: List of county roads in Baker County, Florida.
The main railroad line through Baker County is the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad which acquired the former CSX lines from Pensacola to Baldwin on June 1, 2019. CSX retained trackage rights on that route. No passenger trains stop anywhere in Baker County, but Amtrak's Sunset Limited served the Tallahassee Subdivision until Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005.
The other major railroad line in the county is Norfolk Southern Railway's Valdosta District, which spans northwest to southeast from the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge at the Georgia State Line, north of the Columbia-Baker County Line, through Baxter at a bridge over the Saint Mary's River which cuts through the "Georgia Bend" and eventually leads to the Jacksonville Terminal.
Additionally, the Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad was a former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad line running through the southeast portion of the county that was abandoned by CSX in 1992. The line has been converted to a rail trail between Baldwin and Jacksonville in Duval County, and in Raiford in Union County, but no known plans exist to connect the two segments.
| White (NH) | 22,353 | 22,185 | 82.44% | 78.51% | |
| Black or African American (NH) | 3,651 | 3,825 | 13.46% | 13.54% | |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 72 | 109 | 0.27% | 0.39% | |
| Asian (NH) | 129 | 157 | 0.48% | 0.56% | |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 5 | 14 | 0.02% | 0.05% | |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 13 | 84 | 0.05% | 0.3% | |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 372 | 912 | 1.37% | 3.23% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 520 | 973 | 1.92% | 3.44% | |
| Total | 27,115 | 28,259 |
As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 22,259 people, 7,043 households, and 5,599 families residing in the county. The population density was 38sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 7,592 housing units at an average density of 13/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 84.04% White, 13.92% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. 1.88% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 34.5% were of American, 9.9% Irish, 8.6% English and 6.6% German ancestry according to Census 2000. Those claiming "American" ancestry are of predominantly English ancestry but most people in Baker County who are Anglo-European tend to identify simply as American.[11] [12] [13] [14] 97.2% spoke English and 2.5% Spanish as their first language.
There were 7,043 households, out of which 41.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.70% were married couples living together, 13.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.50% were non-families. 17.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.50% under the age of 18, 9.90% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 9.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 119.79 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,035, and the median income for a family was $43,503. Males had a median income of $30,240 versus $21,279 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,164. About 11.40% of families and 14.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.20% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.
The Baker County School District serves public school students in the county.
The main library serving Baker County is the Emily Taber Public Library. The building used to be the Old Baker County Courthouse, built in 1908. The library director is April Teel.[15]
The Baker County Sheriff's Office is headquartered in Macclenny, Florida. Sheriff Scotty Rhoden was first elected in 2016.[16]
As of September 1, 2020, Baker County has a Republican majority, with a Democratic minority.[17]
| Name | Number of voters | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 4,446 | 27.2% | ||
| Republican | 9,910 | 60.7% | ||
| Others | 1,963 | 12.1% | ||
| Total | 16,319 | |||
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third parties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 89.45% 9,594 | 10.18% 1,092 | 0.37% 41 | |
| 2018 | 82.37% 8,687 | 16.69% 1,760 | 0.94% 99 | |
| 2014 | 70.54% 5,956 | 24.87% 2,100 | 4.59% 388 | |
| 2010 | 62.34% 4,940 | 34.46% 2,731 | 3.20% 253 | |
| 2006 | 69.39% 4,335 | 27.82% 1,738 | 2.79% 174 | |
| 2002 | 69.22% 4,515 | 30.06% 1,961 | 0.72% 47 | |
| 1998 | 71.14% 3,268 | 28.86% 1,326 | ||
| 1994 | 68.52% 3,600 | 31.48% 1,654 |
Baker County is home to a Walmart distribution center,[18] [19] several small manufacturing businesses, and Acreage Holdings, a cannabis cultivation facility. There are also several local,[20] regional, state (the Baker Correctional Institution),[21] and federal[22] prisons in the western part of the county, bordering several more such facilities[23] in Columbia County.