| Sumter County, Florida | |
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| Map | |
 Location in the state of Florida |
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 Florida's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 8 January 1853 |
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| Seat | Bushnell |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
580 sq mi (1,502 km²) 35 sq mi (91 km²), 5.96% |
| PopulationEst. - (2006) - Density |
68,768 98/sq mi (38/km²) |
| Website: www.sumtercountyfl.gov/ | |
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Sumter County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 53,345. The 2006 Census estimate puts its population at 68,768 [1]. Its county seat is Bushnell, Florida[1][page needed] and the largest incorporated municipality is Wildwood, Florida. The Villages, an unincorporated community, is its most populous location. Sumter County was affected by the massive Florida tornado outbreak of February 2, 2007, and declared a state of emergency.
The Villages Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sumter County.
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History
Sumter County was created in 1853. It was named for General Thomas Sumter, a hero of the American Revolutionary War. The county in the past, and to this day by some, is nicknamed "Hog County" most likely because it is home to a large population of wild hogs. Hog hunting is still a favorite pastime of locals in the more rural portions of the county.
Although extremely rural, in recent years Sumter County has sustained an exceptionally large increase in population, almost solely due to the expansion of The Villages retirement complex, a significant portion of which is in the county. This has dramatically changed the demographics of the county and has brought in significant income.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 580 square miles (1,503 km²), of which, 546 square miles (1,413 km²) of it is land and 35 square miles (90 km²) of it (5.96%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Marion County, Florida - north
- Lake County, Florida - east
- Polk County, Florida - southeast
- Pasco County, Florida - southwest
- Citrus County, Florida - west
- Hernando County, Florida - west
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Marion County | |
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| Citrus County and Hernando County |  |
Lake County | ||
 Sumter County, Florida  |
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| Pasco County | Polk County |
Demographics
As of the census[4][page needed] of 2000, there were 53,345 people, 20,779 households, and 15,043 families residing in the county. The population density was 98 people per square mile (38/km²). There were 25,195 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile (18/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 82.60% White, 13.78% Black or African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.16% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. 6.29% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 20,779 households out of which 18.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.90% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.62.
In the county the population was spread out with 16.10% under the age of 18, 5.90% from 18 to 24, 23.30% from 25 to 44, 27.30% from 45 to 64, and 27.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 113.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,073, and the median income for a family was $36,999. Males had a median income of $27,346 versus $21,145 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,830. About 9.60% of families and 13.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.00% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over. According to WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA, Sumter County's unemployment rate as of March 2009 is 8.3 percent.
Municipalities
Incorporated
- City of Bushnell
- City of Center Hill
- City of Coleman
- City of Webster
- City of Wildwood
Unincorporated
- Lake Panasoffkee
- Linden
- Mabel
- The Villages
- St. Catherine
- Sumterville
- Tarrytown
- Wahoo
- Croom a Coochee
Transportation
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This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Railroads
CSX operates one rail line within the county. Amtrak formerly provided passenger rail service to Wildwood, but the stop was terminated in late 2004.[5] Other lines have existed in the past, most notably one from Coleman southeast towards Auburndale in Polk County, part of which includes the General James A. Van Fleet State Trail in Mabel.
Major roads
Interstate 75 runs north and south across the western and northern part of the county, with interchanges at County Roads 476B & 673(Exit 309), SR 48 (Exit 314) CR 470(Exit 321), Florida's Turnpike(Exit 328), and SR 44(Exit 329).
Florida's Turnpike runs north and south from Southeastern and Central Florida. Only two interechanges exist in the county; US 301(Exit 304) and at the northern terminus at I-75(unmarked Exit 309), in Wildwood. Plans are currently under way to reconstruct the interchange, by combining it with I-75 & SR 44.
U.S. Route 301 is the main local road through Sumter County, running southwest to northeast.
State Road 44 runs east and west through the northern part of the county from Rutland into Lake County.
County Road 470: runs east and west from SR 44 near the Sumter-Citrus County Line along the west side of Lake Panasoffkee, then briefly joins US 301 in Sumterville before heading east again towards Lake County.
State and County Road 48 runs mostly east and west through Central Sumter County. It spans from Floral City in Citrus County to Howey-in-the Hills in Lake County as a county road, while the segment in Bushnell between I-75(Exit 314) and US 301 remains a state road. Between the western terminus and US 301, it is also shared by the DeSoto Trail.
County Road 476: East-West Bi-County road running from Nobleton in Hernando County to Webster. The road spans as far west as US 19 along the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge.
State Road 50 runs east and west across the southern part of the county from Withlacoochee State Forest in Hernando County through Tarrytown and Mabel before entering Lake County.
State Road 471 runs north and south from Polk County north of US 98 into US 301 in Sumterville.
County Road 475- County Road 466-A
County Road 466
County Road 462
County Road 476-B
Education
Sumter District Schools operates district public schools in Sumter County.
The Villages Charter Schools is a K-12 charter school in unincorporated northern Sumter County in The Villages CDP.[6] Children are eligible to attend the charter school if one or both of their parents work for The Villages.[7]
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&_county=Sumter+County&_cityTown=Sumter+County&_state=05000US12119
- ^ http://www.mapzones.org/Sumter_County_Florida.html
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "St. Petersburg Times". Loss of Amtrak service shouldn't derail Dade City. http://www.sptimes.com/2004/10/29/Pasco/Loss_of_Amtrak_servic.shtml. Retrieved 2004-10-29.
- ^ "Welcome." The Villages Charter Schools. Retrieved on December 11, 2008.
- ^ "Charter-in-the-Workplace." The Villages Charter Schools. Retrieved on December 11, 2008.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sumter County, Florida |
Government links/Constitutional offices
- Sumter County Board of County Commissioners
- Sumter County Supervisor of Elections
- Sumter County Property Appraiser
- Sumter County Sheriff's Office
- Sumter County Tax Collector
Special districts
Judicial branch
- Public Defender, 5th Judicial Circuit of Florida serving Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter counties
- Office of the State Attorney, 5th Judicial Circuit of Florida
- Circuit and County Court for the 5th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Museum and Library Resources
- Photographs From the State Library & Archives of Florida.
- The Sumter County Times, the local newspaper for Sumter County, Florida fully and openly available in the Florida Digital Newspaper Library
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