| County: | Suwannee County |
| State: | Florida |
| Seal: | Seal of Suwannee County, Florida.svg |
| Founded Year: | 1858 |
| Founded Date: | December 21 |
| Seat Wl: | Live Oak |
| Largest City Wl: | Live Oak |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 692 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 689 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 3.7 |
| Area Percentage: | 0.5% |
| Census Yr: | 2020 |
| Pop: | 43474 |
| Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Web: | https://suwanneecountyfl.gov/ |
| Ex Image: | Suwannee County Courthouse01.jpg |
| Ex Image Cap: | The Suwannee County Courthouse in Live Oak |
| District: | 3rd |
| Time Zone: | Eastern |
| Named For: | Suwannee River |
Suwannee County is a county located in the north central portion of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,474,[1] up from 41,551 in 2010.[2] Its county seat is Live Oak.[3] Suwannee County was a dry county until August 2011, when the sale of alcoholic beverages became legal in the county.[4]
Suwannee County was created in 1858,[5] as railways were constructed through the area connecting it to Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and points north. It was named after the Suwannee River, which forms the county's northern, western, and much of its southern border. The word "Suwannee" may either be a corruption of the Spanish San Juan ("Saint John") or from the Cherokee sawani ("echo river").
During the American Civil War, Company K of the 3rd Florida Infantry Regiment was composed almost entirely of men from Suwannee County. In 1884, Florida's volunteer militia was reorganized and the Suwanee Rifles were established. The Rifles were among the twelve companies from Florida that were activated for service during the Spanish–American War.[6]
The rural areas supported numerous lumber and turpentine camps. In the 1930s, anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston did research in North Florida timber camps.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (0.5%) is water.[7]
| White (NH) | 32,300 | 31,664 | 77.74% | 72.83% | |
| Black or African American (NH) | 4,696 | 4,920 | 11.3% | 11.32% | |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 162 | 167 | 0.39% | 0.38% | |
| Asian (NH) | 223 | 270 | 0.54% | 0.62% | |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 11 | 16 | 0.03% | 0.04% | |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 37 | 143 | 0.09% | 0.33% | |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 526 | 1,509 | 1.27% | 3.47% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,596 | 4,785 | 8.65% | 11.01% | |
| Total | 41,551 | 43,474 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 34,844 people, 13,460 households, and 9,691 families residing in the county. The population density was 51/mi2. There were 15,679 housing units at an average density of 23/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 84.53% White, 12.11% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. 4.89% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 13,460 households, out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.50% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.00% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 25.10% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,963, and the median income for a family was $34,032. Males had a median income of $26,256 versus $21,136 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,678. About 14.80% of families and 18.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.90% of those under age 18 and 12.40% of those age 65 or over.
In March 2016, the county's unemployment rate was 4.8%.
Suwannee County is served by the Suwannee River Regional Library System, which contains eight branches and also serves Hamilton and Madison counties.
Suwannee River Regional Library was first formed by a contractual agreement between Suwannee and Lafayette counties, making it the first regional library in Florida.[11] In 1957, the local Library Board learned that they might get a grant for a new library if they joined with another county. The Suwannee Board convinced the Mayo Woman's Club in Lafayette County to have their county join with Suwannee County and organize the first library region in Florida. With the formation of the duo-county, Suwannee-Lafayette Library Region, it immediately received $28,224 in funds. A small library was established at Mayo in Lafayette County in October 1957. The library started as a 3,100 book collection but soon grew to some 10,000 titles, some loaned from the State Library. A bookmobile was also added and put on the road.
After being successful with its new library, the Suwannee River Regional Library System was approached by a number of nearby counties interested in the project, and in 1959 Columbia, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Madison and Taylor counties qualified for membership and became a part of the system. Greenville, Jasper, Lake City, Madison, and Perry had small libraries operated by a Woman's Club that were also absorbed into the organization. By 1960, the library system now had 23,500 books in its collection, 3,000 of which were a gift from the Miami Public Library. On August 2 of that year, Dixie County became the last one to be invited to join in. Later, the Cross City library observed its official opening December 1, 1960. In May 1990 Madison County expanded by establishing a small satellite branch library in the Town of Lee. The Suwannee County library in Live Oak is the headquarters of the organization, as it has been since the establishment of the Suwannee River Regional Library System.[12]
Suwannee County is accessed by air from Suwannee County Airport, located two miles west of Live Oak. It is a publicly operated airport run by the county government that has a paved runway in excess of 4,000 feet, major aircraft maintenance, training, car rental, as well as selling 100LL aviation fuel from a manned FBO. There are also many private airparks scattered throughout the county.
Suwannee County has one surviving railroad line. The primary one is a Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad line formerly owned by CSX, Seaboard System Railroad, Seaboard Coast Line Industries and Seaboard Air Line Railroad that served Amtrak's Sunset Limited until it was truncated to New Orleans in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. Union Depot and Atlantic Coast Line Freight Station was Suwannee County's premiere railroad station on the corner of US 129 & SR 136 in Live Oak, and served both the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Seaboard Air Line Railroad but has not been in use since 1971, with the termination of the Louisville and Nashville and Seaboard Coast Line's Gulf Wind (New Orleans - Jacksonville). The Seaboard Air Line operated two passenger trains a day in each direction until 1966 or 1967.[13] Various abandoned lines also exist within the county, one of which was converted into the Suwannee River Greenway Trail, along the southeastern part of the county.
See main article: List of county roads in Suwannee County, Florida.
Until 1964, Suwannee County, as part of the Solid South, voted with the Democratic presidential candidate every time. Since then, the only Democratic candidate to carry the county was southerner Jimmy Carter, although he carried it both times in 1976 and 1980 despite losing the state and nationally in the latter.