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Downtown Tallahassee.

Tallahassee, Florida is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2022, the population was 201,731, and its metropolitan area had 385,145 people.

With a student population exceeding 70,000, Tallahassee is a college town, home to Florida State University, ranked the nation's 19th-best public university by U.S. News & World Report; Florida A&M University, ranked the nation's best public historically black university by U.S. News & World Report; and Tallahassee Community College, a large state college that serves mainly as a feeder school to Florida State and Florida A&M.

As the capital, Tallahassee is the site of the Florida State Capitol, Supreme Court of Florida, Florida Governor's Mansion, and nearly 30 state agency headquarters. The city is also known for its large number of law firms, lobbying organizations, trade associations and professional associations, including the Florida Bar and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. It is a recognized regional center for scientific research, and home to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. In 2015, Tallahassee was awarded the All-American City Award by the National Civic League for the second time.

History

The Mission San Luis de Apalachee as it may have appeared in the 17th century

Indigenous peoples occupied this area for thousands of years before European encounter. Around 1200 CE, the large and complex Mississippian culture had built earthwork mounds near Lake Jackson which survive today; they are preserved in the Lake Jackson Archaeological State Park.

The Spanish Empire established their first colonial settlement at St. Augustine. During the 17th century they established several missions in Apalachee territory to procure food and labor to support their settlement, as well as to convert the natives to Roman Catholicism. The largest, Mission San Luis de Apalachee in Tallahassee, has been partially reconstructed by the state of Florida.Template:Fact

The expedition of Pánfilo de Narváez encountered the Apalachee people, although it did not reach the site of Tallahassee. Hernando de Soto and his mid-16th century expedition occupied the Apalachee town of Anhaica (at what is now Tallahassee) in the winter of 1538–39. Based on archaeological excavations, this Anhaica site is now known to have been about 0.5 mi (804.67 m) east of the present Florida State Capitol. The De Soto encampment is believed to be the first place Christmas was celebrated in the continental United States, although there is no historical documentation to back this claim.

The name Tallahassee is a Muskogean language word often translated as "old fields" or "old town". It was likely an expression of the Creek people who migrated from Georgia and Alabama to this region in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, under pressure from European-American encroachment on their territory. They found large areas of cleared land previously occupied by the Apalachee tribe. (The Creek and later refugees who joined them developed as the Seminole Indians of Florida. The Talimali Band of Apalachee Indians in Louisiana identify as present-day descendants of the Apalachee Indians.)Template:Fact

During the First Seminole War, General Andrew Jackson fought two separate skirmishes in and around Tallahassee, which was then Spanish territory. The first battle took place on November 12, 1817. After Chief Neamathla, of the village of Fowltown just west of present-day Tallahassee, refused Jackson's orders to relocate, Jackson entered the village, burnt it to the ground, and drove off its occupants. The Indians retaliated, killing 50 soldiers and civilians. Jackson reentered Florida in March 1818. According to Jackson's adjutant, Colonel Robert Butler, they "advanced on the Indian village called Tallahasse (sic) [where] two of the enemy were made prisoner."

2000–present

Tallahassee was the center of world attention for six weeks during the 2000 United States Presidential election recount, which involved numerous rulings by the Florida Secretary of State and the Florida Supreme Court.

In 2016, the city suffered a direct hit by Hurricane Hermine, causing about 80% of the city proper to lose power, including Florida State University, and knocking down many trees.

In 2018, the city suffered another natural disaster when Hurricane Michael hit the panhandle.

Geography

Tallahassee's terrain is hilly by Florida standards, being at the southern end of the Red Hills Region, just above the Cody Scarp. The elevation varies from near sea level to just over 200 ft (60.96 m), with the state capitol on one of the highest hills in the city. The city includes two large lake basins, Lake Jackson and Lake Lafayette, and borders the northern end of the Apalachicola National Forest.

The flora and fauna are similar to those found in the mid-south and low country regions of South Carolina and Georgia. The palm trees are the more cold-hardy varieties like the state tree, the Sabal palmetto. Pines, magnolias, hickories, and a variety of oaks are the dominant trees. The Southern Live Oak is perhaps the most emblematic of the city.

Demographics

2020 census

Tallahassee city, Florida – Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	96,753	94,095	53.34%	47.97%
Black or African American alone (NH)	62,538	67,503	34.48%	34.41%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	381	398	0.21%	0.20%
Asian alone (NH)	6,566	8,665	3.62%	4.42%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	88	100	0.05%	0.05%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	373	924	0.21%	0.47%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	3,331	7,821	1.84%	3.99%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	11,346	16,663	6.26%	8.49%
Total	181,376	196,169	100.00%	100.00%

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.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, the population of Tallahassee was 181,376. There were 75,949 households, 16.7% of which had children under 18 living in them. 27.7% were married couples living together(based on 2010 data), 14.4% had a female householder with no husband, and 53.7% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals living alone and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.33. Children under the age of 5 were 4.9% of the population, persons under 18 were 16.7% and persons 65 years or older were 10.3%. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

56.2% of the population was White, 35.0% Black, 4.6% Asian, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 1.3% some other race, and 2.9% two or more races. 6.3% were Hispanic or Latino of any race, and 51.1% were non-Hispanic White. For 2009–2013, the estimated median household income was $39,524, and the per capita income was $23,778.

The percentage of persons below the poverty level was estimated at 30.2%.

Educationally, the population of Leon County is the most highly educated population in Florida with 54.4% of the residents over the age of 25 with a Bachelor's, Master's, professional or doctorate degree. The Florida average is 37.4% and the national average is 33.4%.

Languages

Template:As of, 92.0% of residents spoke English as their first language, while 4.1% spoke Spanish, 0.6% spoke French, and 0.6% spoke German as their mother tongue. In total, 8.0% of the total population spoke languages other than English.

Law, government and politics

The Florida Supreme Court building

Politics

Tallahassee has traditionally been a Democratic city, but the party has been supported by different ethnic groups over time, with a major shift in the late 20th century. Leon County has voted Democratic in 24 of the past 29 presidential elections since 1904. But until the late 1960s, most African Americans were disenfranchised from the political system, dating from a new constitution and other laws passed by Democrats in Florida (and in all other Southern states) at the turn of the century. At that time, most African Americans were affiliated with the Republican Party, and their disenfranchisement resulted in that party being non-competitive in the region for decades. Subsequently, these demographic groups traded party alignments.

Since passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and enforcement of constitutional rights for African Americans, voters in Tallahassee have elected black mayors and black state representatives.97 It has become a city in the Southern U.S. that is known for progressive activism.Template:Citation needed This is likely due to the large student population that attends Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and Tallahassee Community College. In addition, in the realignment of party politics since the late 20th century, most of the African-American population in the city now support Democratic Party candidates.

As of December 2, 2018, there were 112,572 Democrats, 58,083 Republicans, and 44,007 voters who were independent or had other affiliations among the 214,662 voters in Leon County.

Leon County's voter turnout percentage has consistently ranked among the highest of Florida's 67 counties, with a record-setting 86% turnout in the November 2008 general election. The county voted for Barack Obama in the presidential election.

Education

Primary and secondary

Public schools belonging to universities

• Florida State University School ("Florida High") (K–12)
• Florida A&M University Developmental Research School (K–12)

Higher education

Florida State University

Florida State University (commonly referred to as Florida State or FSU) is an American public space-grant and sea-grant research university. Florida State is on a 1,391.54-acre (5.631 km2) campus in the state capital of Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the state of Florida.

The university is classified as a Research University with Very High Research by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university comprises 16 separate colleges and more than 110 centers, facilities, labs and institutes that offer more than 360 programs of study, including professional school programs. The university has an annual budget of over $1.7 billion. Florida State is home to Florida's only National Laboratory – the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and is the birthplace of the commercially viable anti-cancer drug Taxol. Florida State University also operates The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the State Art Museum of Florida and one of the nation's largest museum/university complexes.

The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Florida State University is home to nationally ranked programs in many academic areas, including law, business, engineering, medicine, social policy, film, music, theater, dance, visual art, political science, psychology, social work, and the sciences. Florida State University leads Florida in four of eight areas of external funding for the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

For 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked Florida State as the 19th best public university in the United States and 55th among top national universities.

Florida A&M University

Florida A&M University's Lee Hall Auditorium

Founded on October 3, 1887, Florida A&M University (commonly referred to as FAMU) is a public, historically black university and land-grant university that is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. FAMU's main campus comprises 156 buildings spread over 422 acre ( km2) on top of the highest geographic hill of Tallahassee. The university also has several satellite campuses, including a site in Orlando where its College of Law is located and sites in Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa for its pharmacy program. Florida A&M University offers 54 bachelor's degrees and 29 master's degrees. The university has 12 schools and colleges and one institute.

FAMU has 11 doctoral programs which include 10 PhD programs: chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, biomedical engineering, physics, pharmaceutical sciences, educational leadership, and environmental sciences. Top undergraduate programs are architecture, journalism, computer information sciences, and psychology. FAMU's top graduate programs include pharmaceutical sciences along with public health, physical therapy, engineering, physics, master's of applied social sciences (especially history and public administration), business and sociology.

Tallahassee Community College

The Hinson Administration Building at Tallahassee Community College

Tallahassee Community College (TCC) is a member of the Florida College System. Tallahassee Community College is accredited by the Florida Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Its primary campus is on a 270-acre (1.092 km2) campus in Tallahassee. The institution was founded in 1966 by the Florida Legislature.

TCC offers Bachelor's of Science, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of Applied Sciences degrees. In 2013, Tallahassee Community College was listed 1st in the nation in graduating students with A.A. degrees. TCC is also the No. 1 transfer school in the nation to Florida State University and Florida A&M University. As of Fall 2015, TCC reported 38,017 students.

In partnership with Florida State University, and Florida A&M University Tallahassee Community College offers the TCC2FSU, and TCC2FAMU program. This program provides guaranteed admission into Florida State University and Florida A&M University for TCC Associate in Arts degree graduates.

Economy

Companies based in Tallahassee include: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the Municipal Code Corporation, the State Board of Administration of Florida (SBA), the Mainline Information Systems, and United Solutions Company.

Top employers

According to Tallahassee's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

The old clock at the corner of Park Avenue and Monroe Street in Downtown Tallahassee

#	Employer	# of Employees	# of Employees in 2012
1	State of Florida	26,042	20,961
2	Florida State University	15,011	13,501
3	Tallahassee Memorial Hospital	5,349	3,060
4	Leon County School Board	4,300	4,306
5	City of Tallahassee	2,856	2,848
6	Walmart	2,655	2,000
7	Publix	2,543	n/a
8	Florida A&M University	1,749	1,937
9	Leon County	1,744	1,783
10	Tallahassee Community College	1,475	1,821
11	Capital Regional Medical Center	1,095	1,122

Public safety

A Tallahassee Police Department patrol car

A Leon County EMS vehicle

Established in 1826, the Tallahassee Police Department once claimed to be the oldest police department in the Southern United States and the second-oldest in the U.S., preceded only by the Philadelphia Police Department (established in 1758). The Boston Police Department was established in 1838 and larger East Coast cities followed with New York City and Baltimore in 1845. However, this is proven incorrect. Pensacola, Florida, for example, had a municipal police force as early as 1821.

There are over 800 sworn law enforcement officers in Tallahassee. Law enforcement services are provided by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Capitol Police, Florida State University Police Department, Florida A&M University Police Department, the Tallahassee Community College Police Department, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The Tallahassee Growth Management Building Inspection Division is responsible for issuing permits and performing inspections of public and private buildings in the city limits. These duties include the enforcement of the Florida Building Codes and the Florida Fire Protection Codes. These standards are present to protect life and property. The Tallahassee Building Department is one of 13 Accredited Building Departments in the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Secret Service and Drug Enforcement Administration have offices in Tallahassee. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida is based in Tallahassee.

Fire and rescue services are provided by the Tallahassee Fire Department and Leon County Emergency Medical Services.

Hospitals in the area include Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, Capital Regional Medical Center and HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Tallahassee.

Transportation

Tallahassee International Airport seen here as Tallahassee Regional Airport

A StarMetro vehicle

Interstate 10 at Capital Circle Northeast

Aviation

• Tallahassee International Airport (KTLH)

Defunct airports

• Dale Mabry Field (closed 1961)
• Tallahassee Commercial Airport (closed 2011)

Mass transit

• StarMetro provides bus service throughout the city.

Intercity bus

• Greyhound and Megabus based in downtown Tallahassee.

Railroads

• Freight service is provided by the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad, which acquired most of the CSX main line from Pensacola to Jacksonville on June 1, 2019. FG&A also purchased the CSX branch from Tallahassee to Attapulgus, Georgia, connecting with the CSX Montgomery-Savannah main line at Bainbridge, Georgia. FG&A's headquarters office is in Tallahassee.

See also

• Consolidation of Leon County with Tallahassee
• History of Tallahassee, Florida
• Park Avenue Historic District
• Tallahassee Historic District Zones I And II
• USS Tallahassee, 3 ships

Further reading

• Eisenberg, Daniel. In Tallahassee, pp. 97–101.

• Hare, Julianne. Tallahassee: a capital city history. Arcadia Publishing. 2002
• Tebeau, Charlton, W. A History of Florida. University of Miami Press. Coral Gables. 1971
• Williams, John Lee. Journal of an Expedition to the Interior of West Florida October–November 1823. Manuscript on file at the State Library of Florida, Florida Collection. Tallahassee.

External links

• Template:Official website
• The Local Conservation District – Information on Natural Resources, and Panoramic Tours
• The Tallahassee Democrat Newspaper
• Mission San Luis
• Tallahassee Trust for Historic Preservation – Places to Discover
• Ochlockonee River – St. Marks River Watersheds – Florida DEP