Jefferson County is a county in Florida, United States, in the Big Bend region and the only Florida county that touches both Georgia and the Gulf of Mexico. It had a population of 14,510 at the 2020 census and covers 598 square miles (1,550 km2) of land centred near 30°25′N 83°54′W.
Monticello is the county seat, and its postal code is 32344. The county has one incorporated city, five census-designated places and several unincorporated communities; it does not use civil townships. Jefferson County sits in the Eastern time zone and, unlike almost every other Florida county, has no traffic signals anywhere within its borders.
Towns & Villages in Jefferson County
Jefferson County has one incorporated city (Monticello, the seat) and five census-designated places. The rest of the historic place names below are small unincorporated communities, rural crossroads or now-vanished settlements carried over from older gazetteers; a Pop. of — means no separate census figure exists for that place.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello | City · seat | 2,589 | 32344 |
| Lloyd | CDP | — | 32337 |
| Wacissa | CDP | — | 32361 |
| Lamont | CDP | — | 32336 |
| Waukeenah | CDP | — | — |
| Aucilla | CDP | — | — |
| Capps | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cody | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Drifton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fanlew | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ashville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jarrett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Limestone | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lois | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nash | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Thomas City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Montivilla | Unincorp. | — | — |
Fourth Street Trailer Park and Gulf Atlantic Trailer Park, both listed in older gazetteers, are small mobile-home communities near Monticello rather than separate settlements, so they are not carried forward as standalone entries here.
ZIP Codes
- 32344 — Monticello (covers about 88% of the county’s population, including most unincorporated land)
- 32337 — Lloyd
- 32361 — Wacissa
- 32336 — Lamont
Waukeenah and Aucilla share ZIP codes with neighboring post offices rather than carrying their own.
Geography
Jefferson County spans the Cody Scarp, where the rolling red-clay hills of the Tallahassee Hills give way south of Monticello to the flat, karst-pocked Woodville Karst Plain running down to the Gulf of Mexico. The Aucilla River forms most of the county’s eastern boundary with Madison County, and Wacissa Springs feeds the spring-run Wacissa River in the county’s southeast. Roughly 38 square miles (98 km2) of the county’s area is water, including numerous sinkhole lakes.
Jefferson County borders Thomas County, Georgia and Brooks County, Georgia to the north, Madison County to the east, Taylor County to the southeast, Wakulla County to the southwest, and Leon County to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census recorded 14,510 residents in Jefferson County. Monticello, the county seat, and Lloyd are the two largest communities. Census-era estimates put the county’s median household income below the Florida median of $73,311, reflecting its largely rural, agricultural economy. Population density works out to roughly 24 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture and forestry anchor Jefferson County’s economy, with timber, cattle, and row crops on the rolling land north of Monticello. The county’s proximity to the Tallahassee, Florida metropolitan area means many residents commute west for work. Monticello’s historic downtown, built around the 1909 Jefferson County Courthouse, draws visitors for its antebellum and Victorian-era architecture, and the annual Watermelon Festival is the county’s best-known local event.
History
Jefferson County was created on January 20, 1827, from part of Leon County, and takes its name from Thomas Jefferson. Cotton plantations built on enslaved labor dominated the antebellum economy, and the county’s wealth at the time is still visible in Monticello’s surviving plantation-era homes. Jefferson County was, for a time, the wealthiest county in territorial Florida on a per-capita basis, a status tied directly to that plantation economy.
Getting There
Interstate 10 crosses the county just south of Monticello, and US Routes 19, 27, 90, 98 and 221 all pass through the county.
- Tallahassee, Florida — 28 miles west
- Valdosta, Georgia — 45 miles northeast
- Perry, Florida — 35 miles south
- Madison, Florida — 20 miles east
Tallahassee International Airport, the nearest commercial airport, sits about 30 miles to the west.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Jefferson County, Florida?
It is in the Big Bend region of north Florida, on the Georgia state line, between Tallahassee and Madison.
What is the population of Jefferson County?
14,510 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Jefferson County?
598 square miles (1,550 km2) of land plus 38 square miles (98 km2) of water.
What is the Jefferson County seat?
Monticello is the county seat.
How many towns are in Jefferson County?
One incorporated city, Monticello, plus five census-designated places: Aucilla, Lamont, Lloyd, Wacissa and Waukeenah.
What ZIP codes are in Jefferson County?
32344 (Monticello), 32337 (Lloyd), 32361 (Wacissa) and 32336 (Lamont).
Which other counties border Jefferson County?
Thomas and Brooks counties in Georgia to the north, Madison County to the east, Taylor County to the southeast, Wakulla County to the southwest, and Leon County to the west.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Florida.