Calhoun County, Florida

Calhoun County
County
Calhoun County Courthouse in Blountstown
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°25′N85°12′W / 30.41°N 85.2°W / 30.41; -85.2
Country	United States
State	Florida
Founded	January 26, 1838
Named for	John C. Calhoun
Seat	Blountstown
Largest city	Blountstown
Area
• Total	574 sq mi (1,490 km2)
• Land	567 sq mi (1,470 km2)
• Water	7.0 sq mi (18 km2)  1.22 %
Population  (2020)
• Total	13,648 [1]
• Density	25.5/sq mi (9.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	calhouncountygov.com

Calhoun County is a rural county located in the northern panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,648, ^[2] making it the fifth-least populous county in Florida. Its county seat is Blountstown. ^[3]

History

Map of Calhoun County, Florida, in 1842

Calhoun County was created in 1838. It was named for John C. Calhoun, member of the United States Senate from South Carolina and the seventh U.S. vice president, serving under John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. ^[4] The county was originally located between St. Joseph Bay and the Apalachicola River, with the county seat at St. Joseph (which was abandoned by 1844 due to a yellow fever epidemic and hurricanes). ^[5]

In the late 1850s, there was a violent feud between the local Durden family and another anti-Durden group. This feud escalated and there was a breakdown of the law, with roaming gangs and a "pitched battle" at the courthouse square in Blountstown. The violence got so bad that the county judge had to call in aid from the Fifth Florida Militia Regiment, which deployed 150 militiamen to breakup the outlaw bands. ^[6]

The relative lawlessness continued during the American Civil War when armed gangs gathered in the country side and avoided conscription by the Confederacy. These groups were in contact with and armed by the Federal blockade and even concocted a plan to kidnap the Confederate Governor Milton. Milton caught word of the plot and avoided capture. ^[7]

The county was later expanded to the north with territory from Jackson and Washington counties. In 1913, part of Calhoun County was transferred to the new Bay County. In 1925, the southern part of Calhoun County was separated as the new Gulf County, which included the territory that had formed the original Calhoun County. ^[8]

In 1930, a federal employee shot the County Sheriff over a dispute of unknown origin. ^[9]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 574 square miles (1,490 km²), of which 567 square miles (1,470 km²) is land and 7.0 square miles (18 km²) (1.2%) is water. ^[10] The county is bounded on the east by the Apalachicola River and is bisected by the Chipola River, site of Look and Tremble.

Unincorporated areas

Among the unincorporated settlements are Broad Branch, Chipola, Clarksville, Chason, Durham, Fisher Corner, Flowers Still, Henderson Mill, Kinard, Leonards, New Hope, Rollins Corner, Selman, Sharptown, Summerville, and Willis. ^{[11] [12]}

Adjacent counties

• Jackson County, Florida – north
• Gadsden County, Florida – northeast (EST)
• Liberty County, Florida – east (EST)
• Gulf County, Florida – south (southern part of the county is in the EST)
• Bay County, Florida – west

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	1,142		—
1850	1,377		20.6%
1860	1,446		5.0%
1870	998		−31.0%
1880	1,580		58.3%
1890	1,681		6.4%
1900	5,132		205.3%
1910	7,465		45.5%
1920	8,775		17.5%
1930	7,298		−16.8%
1940	8,218		12.6%
1950	7,922		−3.6%
1960	7,422		−6.3%
1970	7,624		2.7%
1980	9,294		21.9%
1990	11,011		18.5%
2000	13,017		18.2%
2010	14,625		12.4%
2020	13,648		−6.7%
2023 (est.)	13,470	[13]	−1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [14] 1790–1960 [15] 1900–1990 [16] 1990–2000 [17] 2010–2015 [18] 2020 [2]

Calhoun County racial composition as of 2020
(NH = Non-Hispanic) ^[a]

Race	Pop 2010 [20]	Pop 2020 [21]	% 2010	% 2020
White (NH)	11,357	10,490	77.65%	76.86%
Black or African American (NH)	1,991	1,668	13.61%	12.22%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	144	93	0.98%	0.68%
Asian (NH)	71	46	0.49%	0.34%
Pacific Islander (NH)	8	0	0.05%	0.0%
Some Other Race (NH)	6	10	0.04%	0.07%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	293	719	2.0%	5.27%
Hispanic or Latino	755	622	5.16%	4.56%
Total	14,625	13,648	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,648 people, 4,510 households, and 2,753 families residing in the county.

As of the census ^[22] of 2000, there were 13,017 people, 4,468 households, and 3,132 families residing in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile (8.9 people/km²). There were 5,250 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (3.5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.87% White, 15.79% Black or African American, 1.26% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.04% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. 3.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,468 households, out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.30% were married couples living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.20% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 31.50% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 117.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,575, and the median income for a family was $32,848. Males had a median income of $26,681 versus $21,176 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,379. About 14.80% of families and 20.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.60% of those under age 18 and 20.40% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Major roads

The sign for Calhoun County on FL 20

Calhoun County is not served by any Interstate or U.S. Highways; the nearest access to the Interstate Highway System is Interstate 10 in Sneads in neighboring Jackson County and to the U.S. Highway System is U.S. Route 231 in northeastern Bay County.

See also: List of county roads in Calhoun County, Florida

• FL 20 is major east–west state highway linking Niceville to the state capital Tallahassee.
• FL 69 begins at FL 71 in Blountstown.
• FL 71 is major north–south state highway linking Port St. Joe to Alabama.
• FL 73 begins at FL 71 in southern Calhoun County.

Airport

• Calhoun County Airport (Florida)

Politics

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans hold a narrow majority among registered voters in Calhoun County as of 2022. However, Democrats held a sizable majority of registered voters as recently as 2017.

Calhoun County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of March 31, 2022 [23]
Political Party		Total Voters	Percentage
	Republican	3,655	44.79%
	Democratic	3,500	42.89%
	Independent	955	11.70%
	Third Parties	50	0.61%
Total		8,160	100%

Statewide elections

Like most of the Florida Panhandle, Calhoun County votes heavily Republican in presidential and congressional races yet still occasionally supports conservative Democrats in local and state contests.

United States presidential election results for Calhoun County, Florida ^[24]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	5,367	83.29%	1,021	15.84%	56	0.87%
2020	5,274	80.68%	1,209	18.49%	54	0.83%
2016	4,655	75.96%	1,241	20.25%	232	3.79%
2012	4,366	70.61%	1,664	26.91%	153	2.47%
2008	4,345	69.36%	1,821	29.07%	98	1.56%
2004	3,782	63.42%	2,116	35.49%	65	1.09%
2000	2,873	55.52%	2,156	41.66%	146	2.82%
1996	1,717	41.29%	1,794	43.15%	647	15.56%
1992	1,721	37.58%	1,665	36.36%	1,193	26.05%
1988	2,422	64.01%	1,329	35.12%	33	0.87%
1984	2,493	65.48%	1,312	34.46%	2	0.05%
1980	1,504	38.72%	2,300	59.22%	80	2.06%
1976	1,153	31.26%	2,487	67.42%	49	1.33%
1972	2,069	81.68%	461	18.20%	3	0.12%
1968	356	11.38%	398	12.72%	2,375	75.90%
1964	1,793	64.66%	980	35.34%	0	0.00%
1960	634	28.46%	1,594	71.54%	0	0.00%
1956	554	24.57%	1,701	75.43%	0	0.00%
1952	590	24.41%	1,827	75.59%	0	0.00%
1948	128	7.13%	1,404	78.26%	262	14.60%
1944	207	12.10%	1,504	87.90%	0	0.00%
1940	171	9.03%	1,722	90.97%	0	0.00%
1936	181	14.79%	1,043	85.21%	0	0.00%
1932	129	8.84%	1,331	91.16%	0	0.00%
1928	409	35.02%	727	62.24%	32	2.74%
1924	56	10.79%	406	78.23%	57	10.98%
1920	99	9.02%	861	78.42%	138	12.57%
1916	209	24.85%	539	64.09%	93	11.06%
1912	67	10.15%	332	50.30%	261	39.55%
1908	339	49.56%	241	35.23%	104	15.20%
1904	160	40.30%	162	40.81%	75	18.89%

Previous gubernatorial elections results

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third parties
2018	77.59%3,576	20.03% 923	2.39% 110
2014	63.91%2,676	28.71% 1,202	7.38% 309
2010	51.23%2,201	43.18% 1,855	5.59% 240
2006	50.79%1,737	45.70% 1,563	3.51% 120
2002	45.10% 1,917	53.49%2,274	1.41% 60
1998	60.13%1,796	39.87% 1,191
1994	49.50% 1,775	50.50%1,811

County commissioners

• Lee Lee Brown (District 1)
• Aaron Carter (District 2)
• Darryl O'Bryan (District 3)
• Scott Monlyn (District 4)
• Gene Bailey (District 5)

Local elected officials

• Clerk of Court: Carla Hand
• County Sherriff: Glenn Kimbrel
• Supervisor of Elections: Sharon Chason
• Property Appraiser: Carla Peacock
• Tax Collector: Becky Smith ^[25]

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Calhoun County School District operates public schools. Its two senior high schools are Blountstown High School and Altha Public School.

Library

Along with the six branches within the Calhoun County Public Library System, Calhoun County is also a part of the Panhandle Public Library Cooperative System. PPLCS also includes Holmes and Jackson counties. Branches are located in the following communities and offer public computers with internet access, free wi-fi, programming for all ages, downloadable e-books and e-audiobooks, and numerous online databases and resources.

• Blountstown Public Library
• Altha Public Library
• Hugh Creek Public Library
• Kinard Public Library
• Mossy Pond Public Library
• Shelton Public Library

Communities

Towns

• Blountstown
• Altha

Unincorporated communities

• Abe Springs
• Broad Branch
• Carr Community
• Chason
• Chipola
• Chipola Park
• Clarksville
• Cox
• Eufala
• Frink
• Gaskins
• Kinard
• Leonards
• Marysville
• McNeal
• New Hope
• Ocheesee Landing
• Ocheeseulga
• Pine Island
• Rollins Corner
• Scotts Ferry
• Selman
• Willis

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Calhoun County, Florida

Notes

1. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. ^[19]

References

1. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Calhoun County, Florida". Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. Publications of the Florida Historical Society. Florida Historical Society. 1908. p. 30.
5. Jones, Herman (September 8, 2016). "Death's Angel: The 'Great Tide' of 1844". The (Port St. Joe) Star. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
6. Bittle, George C. (October 1972). "Florida Prepares for War, 1860-1861". The Florida Historical Quarterly. 51 (2): 143. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
7. Williams, David. "Southern Unionism". www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com. Virginia Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
8. Long, John H., ed. (2007). "Florida: Consolidated Chronology of State and County Boundaries". The Newberry Library. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
9. "Federal Man Kills Sheriff". The Evening Independent. Vol. 23, no. 144. April 21, 1930. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
10. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
11. "Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), Florida, Conversion of Two F-15 Fighter Squadrons to F-22 Fighter Squadrons: Environmental Impact Statement". September 23, 2000 – via Google Books.
12. "Florida Geographic Names". U.S.G.S. Topographic Division, Office of Research & Technical Standards, National Center. September 23, 1981 – via Google Books.
13. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
14. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
15. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
16. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
17. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
18. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
19. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
20. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
21. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
22. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
23. "Voter Registration - Current by County - Division of Elections - Florida Department of State". Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
24. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
25. "Government".

External links

Government links/Constitutional offices

• Calhoun County Board of County Commissioners
• Calhoun County Supervisor of Elections
• Calhoun County Property Appraiser
• Calhoun County Sheriff's Office
• Calhoun County Tax Collector

Special districts

• Calhoun County School District
• Northwest Florida Water Management District

Judicial branch

• Calhoun County Clerk of Courts
• Circuit and County Court for the 14th Judicial Circuit of Florida serving Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties

Tourism links

• Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce

30°25′N85°12′W / 30.41°N 85.20°W / 30.41; -85.20