Washington County, Florida

Washington County Education, Geography, and History

Washington County is a county located in the state of Florida. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 24,935.  Washington County was created on December 9, 1825 from Jackson County and Walton County.   The county seat is Chipley, Florida. This county is named for George Washington (1732-1799) first President of the United States.

Etymology - Origin of Washington County Name

This county is named for George Washington (1732-1799) first President of the United States.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Washington County History

Washington County, Florida was created in 1825, and was nearly twice the size of the State of Delaware, stretching all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. After a century of boundary shifts, the county, with over 382,000 acres (1,546 km²) of rolling hills covered in thick, stately pines and mixed hardwood forests, now covers a large portion of the central Florida Panhandle.

Over a span of more than 150 years, Washington County has seen Native American, Spanish and English cultural influences. The County's historical lore is rich with stories of the exploits of Andrew Jackson. There are numerous Native American Mounds and evidence of strong settlements still being discovered.

Named after George Washington, first President of the United States of America, the area was first settled by those seeking both economic and political freedoms in this frontier land of vast timber and mineral resources. Inland waterway transportation brought about heavy river settlements. The arrival of railroads in the late 1800s boosted economic, social and political developments.

Vernon, the geographical center of the county derives is named for George Washington's Virginia home, Mt. Vernon. The pioneer town was also the site of a major Indian settlement.

The county courthouse was located in Vernon during the early part of this century until a railroad town in northeastern Washington County, Chipley, became the new and present county seat in 1927.

Washington County is a prohibition or entirely dry county, meaning that the sale of alcoholic beverages is banned in the county.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 616 square miles (1,595 km²), of which, 580 square miles (1,502 km²) of it is land and 36 square miles (93 km²) of it (5.82%) is water.

Washington county is located in northwest Florida. A great deal of Washington County is uninhabited, with most of the population living in or around Chipley, Caryville, Ebro, Sunny Hills Vernon, Wausau, and other developments around the county's many lakes.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Northeast: Jackson County
• South: Bay County
• West: Walton County
• Northwest: Holmes County

Education

The Washington County School District includes:

• Kate Smith Elementary School
• Vernon Elementary School
• Roulhac Middle School
• Vernon Middle School
• Chipley High School
• Vernon High School (Vernon, Florida)

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