Putnam County, Florida

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Putnam County
County
PutnamCCourtPalatka.JPG
Putnam County Courthouse
Seal of Putnam County, Florida.png
Seal
Map of Florida highlighting Putnam County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida in United States.svg
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 29°37′N81°44′W / 29.61°N 81.74°W / 29.61; -81.74
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Florida.svg  Florida
FoundedJanuary 18, 1849
Named for Benjamin A. Putnam
Seat Palatka
Largest cityPalatka
Area
 • Total
827 sq mi (2,140 km2)
 • Land728 sq mi (1,890 km2)
 • Water99 sq mi (260 km2)  12.0%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
73,321 [1]
 • Density101/sq mi (39/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 6th
Website main.putnam-fl.com

Putnam County is a county located in the northern part of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 73,321. [2] Its county seat is Palatka. [3]

Contents

Putnam County comprises the Palatka, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Jacksonville—Kingsland—Palatka, Florida—Georgia Combined Statistical Area. The county is centrally located between Jacksonville, Gainesville, St. Augustine, and Daytona Beach.

History

Putnam County was created in 1849. [4] It was Florida's 28th county created from parts of St. Johns, Alachua, Orange, Duval, and Marion counties. The county was named for Benjamin A. Putnam, who was an officer in the First Seminole War, a lawyer, Florida legislator, and the first president of the Florida Historical Society. The Putnam County Historical Society has determined that Benjamin A. Putnam is the grandson of Israel Putnam, for whom other counties and places in the United States are named. [5] Benjamin A. Putnam died in the county seat of Palatka in 1869.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 827 square miles (2,140 km2), of which 728 square miles (1,890 km2) is land and 99 square miles (260 km2) (12.0%) is water. [6]

The county contains various sinkhole lakes such as Lake Barco and Lake Suggs, where unconsolidated deposits on the surface have slumped into the highly soluble limestone of the upper Floridan aquifer. [7]

Adjacent counties

National protected area

State Park

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1850 687—
1860 2,712294.8%
1870 3,82140.9%
1880 6,26163.9%
1890 11,18678.7%
1900 11,6414.1%
1910 13,09612.5%
1920 14,56811.2%
1930 18,09624.2%
1940 18,6983.3%
1950 23,61526.3%
1960 32,21236.4%
1970 36,29012.7%
1980 50,54939.3%
1990 65,07028.7%
2000 70,4238.2%
2010 74,3645.6%
2020 73,321−1.4%
2023 (est.)75,955 [8] 3.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]
1790–1960 [10] 1900–1990 [11]
1990–2000 [12] 2010–2019 [2]
Putnam County racial composition as of 2020
(NH = Non-Hispanic) [a]
RacePop 2010 [15] Pop 2020 [16] % 2010% 2020
White (NH)53,98150,54172.59%68.93%
Black or African American (NH)11,84211,27415.92%15.38%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)2712800.36%0.38%
Asian (NH)4444690.6%0.64%
Pacific Islander (NH)36370.05%0.05%
Some Other Race (NH)802480.11%0.34%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)1,0042,6561.35%3.62%
Hispanic or Latino 6,7067,8169.02%10.66%
Total74,36473,321100.00%100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 73,321 people, 29,822 households, and 18,179 families residing in the county.

As of the 2000 United States Census [17] there were 70,423 people, 27,839 households, and 19,459 families residing in the county. The population density was 98 people per square mile (38 people/km2). There were 33,870 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile (18/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 77.91% White, 17.04% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.94% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. 5.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 27,839 households, out of which 28.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.80% were married couples living together, 12.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 24.60% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 24.20% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 18.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,180, and the median income for a family was $34,499. Males had a median income of $29,975 versus $20,955 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,603. About 15.80% of families and 20.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.60% of those under age 18 and 13.10% of those age 65 or over.

Ancestry/ethnicity

As of 2017 the largest self-reported ethnic/ancestry groups in Putnam County, Florida are: [18]

Largest ancestries (2017)Percent
English 20.0%
German 9.5%
Irish 8.2%
"American" 8.0%
Polish 2.2%
Scottish 2.0%
Spaniard 1.7%
Scots-Irish 1.3%
Dutch 1.0%
Scottish 2.9%
Swedish 0.8%

[18]

Education

The main campus of St. Johns River State College is located in Palatka (the county seat). First Coast Technical College is public, post secondary vocational school with a campus in Palatka.

When in November 2022 a former Putnam County school resource deputy was accused of sneaking into a student's home to sexually batter her while her mom was at work or asleep, and asking her to dress up as a younger child and call him “daddy”, starting when she was 15 years of age, it was announced that the Florida Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission would review the case. [19] The case was sent to the commission by the Putnam County Sheriff, who was seeking to have the deputy's certification as a law enforcement officer permanently revoked. [20] In September 2024, the deputy was sentenced with life in prison plus 235 years for his crimes. [21]

Libraries

Putnam County is served by the Putnam County Library System which has five branches:

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

Politics

Up until the Civil Rights Act, Putnam County typically followed the Solid South pattern of voting Democratic, making exceptions for Herbert Hoover in 1928 (though a lot of White Southerners were against Democrat Al Smith due to his Northern Catholic background) and Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s. The county also backed Independent segregationist George Wallace in 1968 and Democrat Jimmy Carter in both of his bids. Today a staunchly Republican county, the last Democratic presidential candidate to win Putnam was Bill Clinton, the last to come within single digits of doing so was Al Gore in 2000, and the last to garner 40% of the county vote was John Kerry in 2004.

United States presidential election results for Putnam County, Florida [22]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2024 26,70073.41%9,35425.72%3160.87%
2020 25,51470.05%10,52728.90%3811.05%
2016 22,13866.48%10,09430.31%1,0693.21%
2012 19,32661.50%11,66737.13%4311.37%
2008 19,63759.01%13,23639.77%4061.22%
2004 18,31159.12%12,41240.07%2500.81%
2000 13,45751.29%12,10746.14%6752.57%
1996 9,78638.91%12,01047.75%3,35613.34%
1992 8,91034.72%10,70941.73%6,04223.55%
1988 11,62457.24%8,57542.23%1080.53%
1984 11,43559.37%7,82340.61%40.02%
1980 8,27346.67%8,90650.24%5483.09%
1976 5,04034.03%9,59764.81%1721.16%
1972 8,74174.61%2,90124.76%740.63%
1968 2,95526.80%2,92026.49%5,15046.71%
1964 5,07250.38%4,99549.62%00.00%
1960 4,23648.72%4,45951.28%00.00%
1956 4,21256.58%3,23243.42%00.00%
1952 3,76651.65%3,52548.35%00.00%
1948 1,43529.68%1,94740.27%1,45330.05%
1944 1,16328.44%2,92671.56%00.00%
1940 1,00822.47%3,47777.53%00.00%
1936 97526.47%2,70973.53%00.00%
1932 91128.29%2,30971.71%00.00%
1928 2,10563.01%1,15634.60%802.39%
1924 57435.13%88954.41%17110.47%
1920 1,18140.51%1,55753.41%1776.07%
1916 41828.67%87960.29%16111.04%
1912 22919.51%77465.93%17114.57%
1908 45430.88%79754.22%21914.90%
1904 21025.83%56269.13%415.04%

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a plurality of registered voters in Putnam County.

Putnam County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of July 31, 2022 [23]
Political PartyTotal VotersPercentage
Republican 24,09247.92%
Democratic 15,51630.86%
No party affiliation9,99019.87%
Minor parties6731.34%
Total50,271100.00%

Transportation

Airports

Highways

Rail transport

The historic Old Atlantic Coast Line Union Depot is the current Amtrak station in Palatka for Putnam County along the CSX Sanford Subdivision. Originally the station not only served the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad but also served the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, the Southern Railway, Florida East Coast Railroad, and the Ocklawaha Valley Railroad. Additionally, the Edgar Spur of the CSX Wildwood Subdivision enters the western edge of the county from Alachua County.

Notable people

See also

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. [13] [14]

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References

  1. ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Putnam County, Florida". Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 14, 2014.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ Publications of the Florida Historical Society. Florida Historical Society. 1908. p. 33.
  5. ↑ "The Naming of Our Putnam County". Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2009. Family researcher Bill Putman appears to have made the link between Israel and Benjamin Alexander Putnam. One of Israel's sons was Benjamin Farley Putnam who was born in Danvers (Salem Village), Massachusetts on August 26, 1751. He served as a surgeon in the Revolutionary War and settled in Savannah before 1787. He was married to Ann Sophia Malcolm who was from Washington, D.C. They had two children who died young: John (1794) and Helen (1792). Their other children were Augustus H. (1792–1817), John Gustavus (1796–1864 in Madison, Florida), Charles E. (1797–1847), Caroline (1800–1839 in New Jersey), and our Benjamin Alexander Putnam.
  6. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  7. ↑ Mueller, David K.; Helsel, Dennis R. (1996). "Field Studies of Karst Terrain". Circular. The Survey. p. 52. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  9. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  13. ↑ https://www.census.gov/ [ not specific enough to verify ]
  14. ↑ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  17. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  18. 1 2 "American FactFinder - Results". Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  19. ↑ Rachel Tucker (November 30, 2022). "Florida school resource deputy asked student to dress like young child, call him 'daddy': deputies". WKRG. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Former school resource officer charged with sexual battery of student in Putnam County". First Coast News. November 28, 2022.
  21. ↑ Andrew Willis (September 23, 2024). "Former Putnam County school resource officer sentenced to life in prison for child sex crimes". First Coast News.
  22. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Voter Registration - By County and Party". www.dos.myflorida.com. Retrieved August 22, 2022.

Government links/Constitutional offices

Special districts

Judicial branch

29°37′N81°44′W / 29.61°N 81.74°W / 29.61; -81.74

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