Hampton, Florida

Hampton, Florida
City
City of Hampton
A street view of Hampton's main street, Navarre Avenue.
Seal
Location in Bradford County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 29°51′51″N82°8′12″W / 29.86417°N 82.13667°W / 29.86417; -82.13667
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Bradford
Settled	1859 [1]
Incorporated	1870 [2]
Reincorporated	1925 [1]
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
•  Mayor	Dale Wiseman
•  Council Chair	William “Bill” Goodge
•  Council Members	Frank Bryant, Lillian Sams, Dorothy Shealey, and Vice-Chair Douglas Williamson
•  City Clerk and City Administrator	Mary Lou Hildreth
•  City Attorney	Will Sexton
Area [3]
• Total	1.05 sq mi (2.73 km2)
• Land	1.05 sq mi (2.73 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	151 ft (46 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	432
• Density	409.87/sq mi (158.32/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	32044
Area code	352
FIPS code	12-28575 [4]
GNIS feature ID	0283671 [5]
Website	hamptonfl.com

Hampton is a city in Bradford County, Florida, United States. It is located in North Florida. The population was 432 at the 2020 census.

History

Early history

Map of Hampton, showing narrow neck of land in the west, annexed in the 1990s, which connects to the former speed trap

Hampton was first settled in 1859, officially incorporated as the "Town of Hampton" in 1870, and officially reincorporated as the "City of Hampton" in 1925. ^{[1] [2]} At the time, it was at the junction of the Georgia Southern and Florida Railway and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad with stations for both. ^[6]

In the mid-1990s, Hampton annexed a short stretch of U.S. Highway 301 west of the city in order to obtain revenue from traffic tickets issued to motorists driving on that highway. At the peak of this time before the dismantling of the police department, it had 1 officer per 25 residents. ^[7]

2013–2014 controversies

In November 2013, the city's mayor Barry Layne Moore was arrested for selling Oxycodone. ^[7]

On February 10, 2014, auditors from the Florida Joint Legislative Auditing Committee presented 31 violations of state law, city charter and federal tax requirements to state legislators. ^[8] The city made $211,328 ticketing people driving its 1,260 feet (380 m) of U.S. Highway 301 during 2012, ^[9] giving the city an unenviable reputation as a "speed trap". ^[10] The committee asked State Attorney Bill Cervone to investigate any potential criminal activity and a number of state representatives and senators pursued the dissolution of Hampton. ^[11] In the wake of the controversy, many city officials resigned. ^[12] State legislators visited Hampton on March 28, 2014, to see if the issues had been solved. ^[13] They agreed to let Hampton stay incorporated, because the city retracted the annexation of U.S. Highway 301 and decommissioned its police force. Hampton also accounted for budget shortfalls, and reformed its city council proceedings. ^[14] In May 2022, the justification for the speed trap was deemed invalid from its inception by Reason magazine, which reported that, "Many speed-trap towns defend their aggressive traffic enforcement on ostensible public safety grounds. But Hampton could not even make that sort of claim, since the highway was a mile away." ^[15]

Geography

The approximate coordinates for the City of Hampton is located in southern Bradford County at 29°51′51″N82°8′12″W / 29.86417°N 82.13667°W / 29.86417; -82.13667 (29.864261, –82.136761). ^[16]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.12 square miles (2.9 km²), all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, the City of Hampton has a humid subtropical climate zone (Cfa).

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	198		—
1910	265		33.8%
1920	286		7.9%
1930	311		8.7%
1940	478		53.7%
1950	386		−19.2%
1960	340		−11.9%
1970	386		13.5%
1980	466		20.7%
1990	296		−36.5%
2000	431		45.6%
2010	500		16.0%
2020	432		−13.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [17]

2010 and 2020 census

Hampton racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

Race	Pop 2010 [18]	Pop 2020 [19]	% 2010	% 2020
White (NH)	434	380	86.80%	87.96%
Black or African American (NH)	45	25	9.00%	5.79%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Asian (NH)	0	1	0.00%	0.23%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Some other race (NH)	3	2	0.60%	0.46%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)	9	8	1.80%	1.85%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	9	16	1.80%	3.70%
Total	500	432

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 432 people, 220 households, and 128 families residing in the city. ^[20]

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 500 people, 182 households, and 118 families residing in the city. ^[21]

2000 census

As of the census ^[4] of 2000, there were 431 people, 160 households, and 110 families residing in the city. The population density was 417.0 inhabitants per square mile (161.0/km²). There were 190 housing units at an average density of 183.8 units per square mile (71.0 units/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.01% White, 11.14% African American, 0.23% Native American, and 1.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population.

In 2000, there were 160 households, out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% 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 3.07.

In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $24,091, and the median income for a family was $29,375. Males had a median income of $23,250 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,620. About 20.4% of families and 26.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.8% of those under age 18 and 38.3% of those age 65 or over.

See also

• Speed traps:
  • Hacienda Village, Florida - a former village that was disincorporated because it was infamous for having speed traps and an unscrupulous government
  • Ludowici, Georgia – another Deep South municipality that was notorious for speed traps and merchant fraud in the 1950s and 1960s
  • New Rome, Ohio – a village that was dissolved in 2004 for speed traps and corrupt government
  • Patton Village, Texas - a city known for its speed trap and government corruption
  • Waldo, Florida – another Florida "speed trap" town, that disbanded its police force in 2014

References

1. "About Hampton". hamptonfl.com.
2. "FLORIDA CITIES BY INCORPORATION YEAR WITH INCORPORATION & DISSOLUTION INFO" (PDF). www.flcities.com.
3. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
6. Official Guide of the Railways, June 1921, p. 1308
7. Berman, Mike (March 11, 2014). "Welcome to Hampton, the small Florida town that could get erased". Washington Post . Retrieved March 13, 2014.
8. Deslatte, Aaron (February 10, 2014). "Lawmakers want tiny town of Hampton abolished over 'cash register justice'". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved March 9, 2014.
9. Alvarez, Lizette (March 10, 2014). "A Dot on the Map, After Scandal, Could Be Wiped Off". New York Times . Retrieved March 13, 2014.
10. O'Neill, Ann (March 9, 2014). "Speed trap city accused of corruption, threatened with extinction". CNN.com . Retrieved March 9, 2014.
11. Dixon, Matt (February 10, 2014). "Gestapo in Hampton". Florida Times-Union. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
12. O'Neil, Ann (March 11, 2014). "Barry Layne Moore, mayor of corrupt Hampton, Florida, resigns – from jail". CNN.com. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
13. O'Neil, Ann (March 28, 2014). "Has Hampton been scared straight?". CNN.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
14. O'Neil, Ann (March 29, 2014). "City too corrupt for Florida is spared". CNN.com. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
15. CIARAMELLA, C.J. "11 Insanely Corrupt Speed-Trap Towns". reason.com. Reason. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
16. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
17. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
18. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Hampton city, Florida". United States Census Bureau .
19. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Hampton city, Florida". United States Census Bureau .
20. "S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2020: Hampton city, Florida". United States Census Bureau .
21. "S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2010: Hampton city, Florida". United States Census Bureau .

External links

• Official Website for the City of Hampton