Hernando County, Florida

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Hernando County
U.S. county
Hernando County Courthouse
Hernando County Courthouse
Official seal of Hernando County
Seal
Map of Florida highlighting Hernando County
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 28°33′N 82°28′W / 28.55°N 82.47°W / 28.55; -82.47
Country United States
State Florida
FoundedFebruary 24, 1843
Named forHernando de Soto
SeatBrooksville
Largest communitySpring Hill
Area
 • Total589 sq mi (1,530 km2)
 • Land473 sq mi (1,230 km2)
 • Water116 sq mi (300 km2)  19.8%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2019)
193,920
 • Density410/sq mi (160/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district11th
Websitewww.co.hernando.fl.us

Hernando County is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 172,778.[1] Its county seat is Brooksville,[2] and its largest community is Spring Hill.

Hernando County is included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2005, Hernando was the 35th fastest-growing county in the country.[3]

History[]

Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto

Around 1840, Fort DeSoto was established in present-day Hernando County in the northeast edge of present-day Brooksville to protect settlers in the area from Native Americans. Fort DeSoto became a small community center, trading post, and way station on the route to Tampa. Settlements started to grow near the fort beginning around 1845; two towns developed, Melendez and Pierceville, which would later merge to create Brooksville in 1856.[4]

Then encompassing a significantly larger area of west central Florida than it does today, Hernando County was officially established on February 27, 1843, two years prior to Florida's admission into the Union. It was created from portions of Alachua, Hillsborough and Orange Counties and included all of present-day Citrus and Pasco Counties. Named for Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto,[5] whose name has also been honored in DeSoto County, Hernando County was briefly renamed Benton County in 1844 for Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton, a strong supporter of territorial expansion who aided in the county's creation. However, Benton fell out of favor with the county's residents later in the decade due to his decision to support the Missouri Compromise and the overall reversal of his stance on slavery, and the county's name reverted in 1850.

In December 1854, the legislature designated the small port town of Bayport the county seat. Residents living in the eastern section of the county instead desired a more central place for the county government, and by 1855, voters had selected an inland site within five miles (8 km) of the center of the county at the town of Melendez. In 1856, the citizens of Hernando County chose to rename the town, their new County Seat, Brooksville in honor of South Carolina Representative Preston Brooks, who in the same year beat fierce abolitionist Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner with a cane in the Senate chambers, winning the Congressman great renown in the South.

In 1855, town founder Joseph Hale donated land for a county courthouse in the center of present-day Brooksville. Soon thereafter, the structure was completed.

During the Civil War, Hernando County primarily contributed foodstuffs, cotton, and lumber to the Confederacy. Although Union ships imposed a blockade on the port of Bayport, runners enjoyed a great deal of success—enough to lead the Union in June 1864 to order some 150–250 troops to destroy Confederate stockpiles in the county. In early July, the expedition marched northward from Anclote River to Brooksville, meeting some resistance from assembled Confederate troops hastily organized to protect the city. The Federal troops won this engagement (known locally as the Brooksville Raid[6] and marched to Bayport, where they and an auxiliary force landing from gunboats sacked Rebel operations. The skirmish between Union raiders and local Confederates is reenacted annually in the county.[7]

Arthur St. Clair, a minister, was lynched in Hernando County, Florida, in 1877 for performing the wedding of a black man and white woman.[8]

The county courthouse was destroyed by a fire on September 29, 1877. On June 2, 1887, the Florida State Legislature divided Hernando County into three independent counties: Pasco County to the south, Citrus County to the north, and Hernando County in the middle. Since then, Hernando County's borders have remained unchanged.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 589 square miles (1,530 km2), of which 473 square miles (1,230 km2) is land and 116 square miles (300 km2) (19.8%) is water.[9] According to the World Atlas USA, Hernando County is the geographic center of Florida. Elevation in the county ranges from mean sea level along the Gulf coast to its highest natural point of 269 feet at Chinsegut Hill.[10]

Adjacent counties[]

  • Citrus County, Florida - north
  • Sumter County, Florida - east
  • Pasco County, Florida - south

National protected area[]

State protected areas[]

Weeki Wachee Springs

Withlacoochee State Forest

Other points of interest[]

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850926—
18601,20029.6%
18702,938144.8%
18804,24844.6%
18902,476−41.7%
19003,63846.9%
19104,99737.4%
19204,548−9.0%
19304,9488.8%
19405,64114.0%
19506,69318.6%
196011,20567.4%
197017,00451.8%
198044,469161.5%
1990101,115127.4%
2000130,80229.4%
2010172,77832.1%
2019 (est.)193,92012.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010-2015[1] 2019[15]

As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 130,802 people, 55,425 households, and 40,016 families residing in the county. The population density was 106/sq mi (274/km2). There were 62,727 housing units at an average density of 51/sq mi (131/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.85% White, 4.07% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.98% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. 5.04% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. 91.1% spoke English, 4.5% Spanish, 1.1% German and 1.1% Italian as their first language.

There were 55,425 households, which 21.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.80% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.70.

In the county 18.90% of the population was under the age of 18, 5.40% was between the ages of 18 to 24, 20.40% between 25 to 44, 24.40% between 45 and 64, and 30.90% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 90.50 males. For every 100 females, age 18 and over, there were 87.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,572, and the median income for a family was $37,509. Males had a median income of $30,295 versus $21,661 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,321. About 7.10% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.90% of those under age 18 and 6.20% of those ages 65 or over.

Economy[]

Hernando County is home to the largest (truck-to-truck) Wal-Mart Distribution Center in the U.S. approximately 1,600,000 square feet (150,000 m2) in size and located in Ridge Manor. The industrial park Airport Industrial Park is a 155-acre (0.63 km2) located near the Hernando County Airport. Over one hundred aviation, manufacturing and distribution businesses are located in this area.

Top employers[]

The top employers of Hernando County are as follows:[17]
1. Hernando County School Board (3,002)
2. Walmart (1,350)
3. Hernando County Government
4. (1,561)
5. Publix (1,050)
6. Walmart Hernando Distribution center (1,020)

Transportation[]

Airports[]

Mass transit[]

Hernando THE Bus provides bus service in Brooksville and Spring Hill.

Railroads[]

CSX operates two rail lines within the county. Amtrak formerly provided passenger rail service along the old Atlantic Coast Line Railroad line east of US 301 in Ridge Manor, but had no stops in the county, and the service was terminated in late 2004.[18] The other line is the Brooksville Subdivision, which runs close to US 41, and was previously owned by the Seaboard Air Line.

Notable abandoned railroad lines include a former branch of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad spanning from southeast of Ridge Manor through Istachatta that became part of the Withlacoochee State Trail, and a spur of this line from Croom west into Brooksville, part of which is being replaced by a new rail trail called the Good Neighbor Trail. Though originally the Good Neighbor Trail only existed within Brooksville itself, the extension to the Withlacoohee State Trail has existed since 2018.

Major highways[]

See also: List of county roads in Hernando County, Florida
  • US 19.svg US 19 (Commercial Way) is a major commercial highway running parallel to the Gulf of Mexico on the western edge of the county, and used as a primary connecting route to cities on the west coast of Florida, including Hudson, New Port Richey, Tarpon Springs, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg, as well as Homosassa and Crystal River to the north.
  • US 41.svg US 41 (Broad Street) runs parallel to US 19 through points in the center of the county, including downtown Brooksville, where it intersects with SR 50 and US 98. It is still a primary connecting route with Tampa. Between Brooksville and Garden Grove, US 41 is a six-lane highway, and between Garden Grove and Masaryktown it is a four-lane highway. To the northeast, US 41 runs through part of the Withlacoochee State Forest. Plans are currently under way to widen US 41 throughout Hernando County.
  • US 98.svg US 98 (Ponce de Leon Boulevard) runs diagonally across the county from the northwest to the southeast, where it exits into Pasco County, and runs concurrent with SR 50 in the eastern part of the county, intersects I-75 in Ridge Manor West and meets the Suncoast Parkway at the parkway's current end near World Woods Golf Course north of Brooksville.
  • US 301.svg US 301 (Treiman Boulevard) is a north–south highway that crosses into the county briefly at its tapered eastern end, running parallel to I-75, and intersecting with SR 50 at Ridge Manor.
  • I-75.svg Interstate 75 runs north and south across the eastern part of the county, with one exit (Exit 301) at its intersection with US 98/SR 50. Once a major connecting point with Tampa, I-75 has been made obsolete for western residents of the county by the Suncoast Parkway.
  • Toll Florida 589.svg Suncoast Parkway (SR 589) enters the county in the south slightly to the west of US 41, and ends in the far northern part of the county at US 98. (N.B. the Suncoast Parkway is considered incomplete; there are plans for it to extend through northern Hernando County and through adjacent Citrus County and head into Crystal River.) The Suncoast Parkway is a toll road that connects Hernando County with Hillsborough County, where it becomes the Veterans Expressway and heads directly into Tampa International Airport before reaching Interstate 275. SR 589 has four Hernando County exits: (Exit 37), (Exit 41), SR 50 (Exit 46), and US 98 (Future Exit 54).
  • Florida 50.svg SR 50 (Cortez Boulevard) begins at US 19 in Weeki Wachee, runs through Brooksville, and exits into Sumter County at the eastern tip of the county. Along the way, it interchanges with the Suncoast Parkway, intersects with US 41 in Brooksville, runs concurrently with US 98, and intersects with I-75 in Ridge Manor West(Hernando County's only interchange with I-75) and US 301 in Ridge Manor. A significant, well-developed highway in the county, SR 50 originally extended from US 19 to the Gulf Coast at Bayport. This section was given back to the county and is currently . Currently, S.R. 50 is used as a beeline route from the county to Orlando in the east.
  • Alt plate.svg
    Florida 50.svg SR 50 Alternate (Jefferson Street) is a spur of SR 50 that runs through downtown Brooksville, running concurrently with both US 41 and US 98 at points.
  • Hernando County Road 574 FL.svg (CR 574) is a major county road running roughly parallel to both SR 50 and the border with Pasco County beginning by US 19, intersects the Suncoast Parkway, and ends at US 41.
  • Hernando County Road 578 FL.svg (CR 578) is a major county road running entirely along the border with Pasco County beginning at US 19, intersects the Suncoast Parkway, and ends at US 41. Due to increased congestion, it is planned to be upgraded from two to four lanes, and possibly upgraded from a county road to a state road.

Politics[]

Hernando County has been trending towards the Republican party in the 21st century.

Presidential Elections[]

Presidential elections results

Local Government[]

Board of County Commissioners[]

Hernando County's chief legislative body is the Board of County Commissioners. The county is divided into five Districts, each with their own commissioner. Commissioners are elected by the voters at large, to four-year terms.[20] Specific duties of the county Commissioners are outlined in Chapter 125, Florida Statutes.

Map of the five county commission districts
District 1[]
District 1 Elected Officials
Year Commissioner Party Term
2018 John Mitten REP June 2018 - 2020[21]
2016 Nick Nicholson REP 2016 - June 2018[21]
2012 Nick Nicholson REP 2012 - 2016
2008 Jeff Stabins REP 2008 - 2012
District 1 Elections Results
District 2[]
District 2 Elected Officials
Year Commissioner Party Term
2018 Wayne Dukes REP 2018-2022
2014 Wayne Dukes REP 2014-2018
2010 Wayne Dukes REP 2010-2014
2006 Rose Rocco DEM 2006-2010
2002 Hannah M. "Nancy" Robinson DEM 2002-2006
District 2 Elections Results
District 3[]
District 3 Elected Officials
Year Commissioner Party Term
2016 John Allocco REP 2016-2020
2012 Diane Rowden DEM 2012-2016
2008 John Druzbick REP 2008-2012
District 3 Elections Results
District 4[]
District 4 Elected Officials
Year Commissioner Party Term
2018 Jeff Holcomb REP 2018-2022
2014 Jeff Holcomb REP 2014-2018
2010 David Russell REP 2010-2014
2006 David Russell REP 2006-2010
District 4 Elections Results
District 5[]
District 5 Elected Officials
Year Commissioner Party Term
2016 Steve Champion REP 2016-2020
2012 James E Adkins REP 2012-2016
2008 James E Adkins REP 2008-2012
District 5 Elections Results

Constitutional Officers[]

Clerk of Court and Comptroller[]
Year Officer Party Term
2020 Doug Chorvat REP 2020-2022
2018 Doug Chorvat REP 2018-2020
2016 Donald C. Barbee, Jr. REP 2016-2018
Supervisor Of Elections[]
Year Officer Party Term
2020 Shirley Anderson REP 2020-2024
2016[22] Shirley Anderson REP 2016-2020
2012[23] Shirley Anderson REP 2012-2016
2008[24] Annie D Williams DEM 2008-2012
Property Appraiser[]
Year Officer Party Term
2016 John Emerson REP 2016-2020
2012 John Emerson REP 2012-2016
Sheriff[]
Year Officer Party Term
2020 Alvin "Al" Nienhuis REP 2020-2024
2016 Alvin "Al" Nienhuis REP 2016-2020
2012 Alvin "Al" Nienhuis REP 2012-2016
2010[27] Alvin "Al" Nienhuis REP 2010-2012
2008 Richard B Nugent REP 2008-2010

Emergency Management[]

Fire Departments[]

The Hernando Beach Volunteer Fire Department was decommissioned on 2/15/17 and taken over by the Hernando County Fire Department.[28]

Law Enforcement Agencies[]

  • (Defunct) Brooksville Police Department (Disbanded 6/1/18)[29]
  • Hernando County Sheriff's Office
  • Florida Department of Law Enforcement
  • FWC Division of Law Enforcement (State Game Wardens)
  • Florida Highway Patrol

Hospitals[]

  • Brooksville Regional Hospital
  • HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Spring Hill
  • Oak Hill Hospital
  • Spring Hill Regional Hospital
  • Springbrook Hospital

Library[]

Hernando County Public Library is located in Hernando County, Florida, which is about an hour north of Tampa. This is a public library system with one central library located in Brooksville and four other branches in Brooksville and Spring Hill. There are no bookmobiles associated with this library system. As of 2013, the staff totaled 42 people, including 11 librarians and 31 other staff members, only ten of which were full-time employees. The Florida Library Association chose the Hernando system as its 2013 Library of the Year. This library system serves a legal population of 136,484 people. The annual number of library visits is 480,706. There are 49 Internet terminals for use by the general public. The annual service hours for all service outlets is 12,215.

For more information, please visit Hernando County Library System For Hernando County Public Library website please click here : [1]

  • Main Library/Brooksville Branch

238 Howell Ave Brooksville, FL 34601

  • East Hernando Branch

6457 Windmere Road Brooksville, FL 34602

  • West Hernando Branch

6335 Blackbird Avenue Brooksville, FL 34613

  • Spring Hill Branch

9220 Spring Hill Drive Spring Hill, FL 34608

All branches can be reached by calling (352) 754-4043

Hours:

West Hernando & Main Branches

Monday - Friday: 10 am to 6 pm

East Hernando & Spring Hill Branches

Tuesday - Friday: 10 am to 6 pm

Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm

Communities[]

Cities[]

  • Brooksville

Census-designated places[]

Other unincorporated communities[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Christie, Les (March 15, 2006). "100 Fastest Growing Counties". CNN.
  4. ^ "About". City of Brooksville. City of Brooksville. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  5. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 155.
  6. ^ Cannon, Jeff (December 11, 2009). "The Brooksville-Bayport Raid and The Civil War in Hernando County". Archived from the original on March 13, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  7. ^ "Brooksville raid re-enactment to be held today". St. Petersburg Times. www.tampabay.com. January 15, 2011. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  8. ^ Cotter, Holland (June 1, 2018). "A Memorial to the Lingering Horror of Lynching". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  9. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  10. ^ Chinsegut Hill, Florida (Mountain Peaks.net) Archived 2012-02-23 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  12. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  13. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  14. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  15. ^ "QuickFacts. Florida counties". Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  16. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  17. ^ http://hernandochamber.com/pages/demographics Her Chamber
  18. ^ "St. Petersburg Times". Loss of Amtrak service shouldn't derail Dade City. Retrieved October 29, 2004.
  19. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  20. ^ "Board of County Commissioners | Hernando County, FL". www.hernandocounty.us. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b "Woman who says she exchanged sex for rent with Hernando commissioner describes political alliances". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "ElectionSummaryReport" (PDF). Hernando County Supervisor of Elections. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  23. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "GEMS ELECTION SUMMARY REPORT" (PDF). Hernando County Supervisor of Elections. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "GEMS ELECTION SUMMARY REPORT" (PDF). Hernando County Supervisor of Elections. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b "Official Election Summary Report" (PDF). Hernando County Supervisor of Elections. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b "GEMS ELECTION SUMMARY REPORT" (PDF). Hernando County Supervisor of Elections. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  27. ^ "Governor appoints Alvin Nienhuis as Hernando County Sheriff". wtsp.com. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  28. ^ "County pulls plug on Hernando Beach Volunteer Fire Department". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  29. ^ "City Council disbands Brooksville Police Department". May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2018.

External links[]

Coordinates: 28°33′N 82°28′W / 28.55°N 82.47°W / 28.55; -82.47

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