Putnam County, Florida

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]

Putnam County
County
Putnam County Courthouse
Putnam County Courthouse
Official seal of Putnam County
Seal
Map of Florida highlighting Putnam County
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 29°37′N 81°44′W
Country United States
State Florida
FoundedJanuary 18, 1849
Named forBenjamin A. Putnam
SeatPalatka
Largest cityPalatka
Area
 • Total827 sq mi (2,140 km2)
 • Land728 sq mi (1,890 km2)
 • Water99 sq mi (260 km2)  12.0%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total73,321[1]
 • Density101/sq mi (39/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district3rd
Websitemain.putnam-fl.com

Putnam County comprises the Palatka, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Jacksonville-St. Marys-Palatka, FL-GA 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%±
1850687—
18602,712294.8%
18703,82140.9%
18806,26163.9%
189011,18678.7%
190011,6414.1%
191013,09612.5%
192014,56811.2%
193018,09624.2%
194018,6983.3%
195023,61526.3%
196032,21236.4%
197036,29012.7%
198050,54939.3%
199065,07028.7%
200070,4238.2%
201074,3645.6%
202073,321−1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010–2019[2]
Putnam County racial composition as of 2020
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[lower-alpha 1]
Race Pop 2010[14] Pop 2020[15] % 2010 % 2020
White (NH) 53,981 50,541 72.59% 68.93%
Black or African American (NH) 11,842 11,274 15.92% 15.38%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 271 280 0.36% 0.38%
Asian (NH) 444 469 0.6% 0.64%
Pacific Islander (NH) 36 37 0.05% 0.05%
Some Other Race (NH) 80 248 0.11% 0.34%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 1,004 2,656 1.35% 3.62%
Hispanic or Latino 6,706 7,816 9.02% 10.66%
Total 74,364 73,321 100.00% 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[16] 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:[17]

Largest ancestries (2017)Percent
English20.0%
German9.5%
Irish8.2%
"American"8.0%
Polish2.2%
Scottish2.0%
Spaniard1.7%
Scots-Irish1.3%
Dutch1.0%
Scottish2.9%
Swedish0.8%

[17]

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.[18] 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.[19]

Libraries

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

  • Palatka (main)
  • Bostwick
  • Crescent City
  • Interlachen
  • Melrose

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

Politics
United States presidential election results for Putnam County, Florida[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 25,514 70.05% 10,527 28.90% 381 1.05%
2016 22,138 66.48% 10,094 30.31% 1,069 3.21%
2012 19,326 61.50% 11,667 37.13% 431 1.37%
2008 19,637 59.01% 13,236 39.77% 406 1.22%
2004 18,311 59.12% 12,412 40.07% 250 0.81%
2000 13,457 51.29% 12,107 46.14% 675 2.57%
1996 9,786 38.91% 12,010 47.75% 3,356 13.34%
1992 8,910 34.72% 10,709 41.73% 6,042 23.55%
1988 11,624 57.24% 8,575 42.23% 108 0.53%
1984 11,435 59.37% 7,823 40.61% 4 0.02%
1980 8,273 46.67% 8,906 50.24% 548 3.09%
1976 5,040 34.03% 9,597 64.81% 172 1.16%
1972 8,741 74.61% 2,901 24.76% 74 0.63%
1968 2,955 26.80% 2,920 26.49% 5,150 46.71%
1964 5,072 50.38% 4,995 49.62% 0 0.00%
1960 4,236 48.72% 4,459 51.28% 0 0.00%
1956 4,212 56.58% 3,232 43.42% 0 0.00%
1952 3,766 51.65% 3,525 48.35% 0 0.00%
1948 1,435 29.68% 1,947 40.27% 1,453 30.05%
1944 1,163 28.44% 2,926 71.56% 0 0.00%
1940 1,008 22.47% 3,477 77.53% 0 0.00%
1936 975 26.47% 2,709 73.53% 0 0.00%
1932 911 28.29% 2,309 71.71% 0 0.00%
1928 2,105 63.01% 1,156 34.60% 80 2.39%
1924 574 35.13% 889 54.41% 171 10.47%
1920 1,181 40.51% 1,557 53.41% 177 6.07%
1916 418 28.67% 879 60.29% 161 11.04%
1912 229 19.51% 774 65.93% 171 14.57%
1908 454 30.88% 797 54.22% 219 14.90%
1904 210 25.83% 562 69.13% 41 5.04%

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[21]
Political Party Total Voters Percentage
Republican 24,092 47.92%
Democratic 15,516 30.86%
No party affiliation 9,990 19.87%
Minor parties 673 1.34%
Total 50,271 100.00%

Transportation

Airports

Highways
See also: List of county roads in Putnam County, Florida
  • US 17 is the main local road through eastern Putnam County, running south to north.
  • SR 15 is the hidden route for US 17 within the county and the vicinity.
  • SR 19 is a mostly scenic north and south road that enters the county from Ocala National Forest and terminates with US 17 in Palatka.
  • SR 20 runs west to east through the panhandle into Putnam County east from Hawthorne in Alachua County, and joins US 17/SR 100 in Palatka.
  • SR 21 runs south to north from SR 20 in McMeekin through Melrose before entering Clay County.
  • SR 26 runs west to east through Gilcrhist and Alachua Counties before entering Putnam County in Melrose and terminating at SR 100 in Putnam Hall.
  • SR 100 runs northwest to southeast from Clay County southeast of Keystone Heights, passing through Putnam Hall, Florahome, and Palatka where it joins US 17, and later SR 20 in a concurrency into San Mateo where SR 100 (and hidden SR 20) runs southeast towards the Flagler County Line
  • SR 207 is a west to east route that runs northeast from US 17/SRs 20/100 through Orange Mills and then the St. Johns County Line..

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
  • Peter Monroe Hagan (1871–1930), law enforcement officer and served as Putnam County Sheriff.
  • A. Philip Randolph(1889-1979), black rights activist. Born in the city of Crescent City in South Putnam.

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.[12][13]

References
  1. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Putnam County, Florida". Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  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. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  12. https://www.census.gov/
  13. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  14. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  15. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  16. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  17. "American FactFinder - Results". Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  18. Rachel Tucker (November 30, 2022). "Florida school resource deputy asked student to dress like young child, call him 'daddy': deputies". WKRG.
  19. "Former school resource officer charged with sexual battery of student in Putnam County". First Coast News. November 28, 2022.
  20. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  21. "Voter Registration - By County and Party". www.dos.myflorida.com. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
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29.61°N 81.74°W / 29.61; -81.74

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