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Flagler County
County
Flagler County Courthouse in Bunnell
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 29°28′N 81°18′W / 29.47°N 81.3°W / 29.47; -81.3
Country	United States
State	Florida
Founded	April 28, 1917
Named for	Henry Flagler
Seat	Bunnell
Largest city	Palm Coast
Area
• Total	571 sq mi (1,480 km)
• Land	485 sq mi (1,260 km)
• Water	85 sq mi (220 km)  15.0%
Population
• Total	115,378
• Density	238/sq mi (92/km)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	6th
Website	www.flaglercounty.org

Flagler County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 115,378. Its county seat is Bunnell, and the largest city is Palm Coast. Created in 1917 from portions of Saint Johns and Volusia Counties, it was named for Henry Flagler, who built the Florida East Coast Railway.

Flagler County is included in the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, FL metropolitan statistical area, and is also included in the Orlando–Deltona–Daytona Beach, FL Combined Statistical Area.

History

In 1974, Marco Polo Park, a theme park off Interstate 95 opened. It was never profitable and closed soon after.

In 1998, when two brush fires threatened to become one huge brush fire in Flagler County, a mandatory evacuation was ordered for the entire county. This was the first and so far the only time a whole county was evacuated in Florida for a wildfire.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 571 square miles (1,480 km), of which 485 square miles (1,260 km) is land and 85 square miles (220 km) (15.0%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• St. Johns County, Florida – north
• Volusia County, Florida – south
• Putnam County, Florida – west

Parks and gardens

• Belle Terre Park
• Betty Steflik Preserve Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Bings Landing Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Bird of Paradise Nature Reserve
• Bull Creek Campground Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Bulow Creek State Park
• Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park
• Central Park in Town Center
• Children's Memorial Garden
• Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area
• Graham Swamp Preserve Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Haw Creek Preserve / Russell Landing Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Heroes Memorial Park
• Herschel King Park Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Hidden Trails Park Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• James F. Holland Memorial Park
• Jungle Hut Park Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Lehigh Trail Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Longs Landing Estuary
• Malacompra Park Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Moody Homestead Park Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Old Dixie Park Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Old Salt Park Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Palm Coast Community Center & Park
• Palm Coast Linear Park
• Princess Place Preserve Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Ralph Carter Park
• River to Sea Preserve Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Seminole Woods Neighborhood Park
• Shell Bluff Park Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Silver Lake Park
• St. Joe Walkway
• Varn Park Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Veteran's Park
• Wadsworth Park Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Washington Oaks State Gardens
• Waterfront Park
• Wickline Park

Rivers and waterways

• Atlantic Ocean
• Dead Lake
• Crescent Lake
• Intracoastal Waterway
• Matanzas River
• Pellicer Creek

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 115,378 people, 44,040 households, and 31,591 families residing in the county.

As of the census of 2010, there were 95,696 people, 39,186 households, and 27,843 families residing in the county. The population density was 197.1 people per square mile. There were 48,595 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 82.3% White, 11.4% Black or African American. 8.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.9% under the age of 18, and 24.5% who were 65 years of age or older.

The median income for a household in the county was $51,049, and the median income for a family was $58,327.

Flagler county was ranked the fastest-growing county in the nation by the US Census Bureau from 2000 to 2005, boasting a 53.3% change, with a July 1, 2005, population estimate at 76,410. As of 2016 the largest ancestry group in the county was English-American at 18.1% of the county, followed by German-American at 12.7% and Irish-American also at 12.7%.

Transportation

Airports

• Flagler County Airport is the primary airport within the county. It does not provide commercial air services but does serve private, student and business aviation.

Major roads

• Interstate 95
• U.S. 1
• SR A1A
• SR 11
• SR 20
• SR 100

Other

• The Florida East Coast Railway provides rail freight services in the county.
• The Intracoastal Waterway runs just in from the coast in eastern Flagler County and provides for freight shipping and recreational boating.

Politics

Local elected leadership

Flagler County's foremost elected body is the Board of County Commissioners, a five-seat board elected in partisan races with four-year terms. The County Commission has the following members:

• District 1 - Andy Dance (Chair)
• District 2 - Greg Hansen
• District 3 - David Sullivan
• District 4 - LeAnn Pennington (Vice Chair)
• District 5 - Donald O'Brien

Commissioners O'Brien and Sullivan are set to leave office following the 2024 general election, having both opted not to seek another term. Pennington and Hansen are in office until 2026, having each been elected in 2022. Dance's term expires in 2028, having been re-elected in the 2024 primary election.

The county is also served by the Flagler School Board, who are elected in non-partisan races to four-year terms in office. The seat has only had four of five seats occupied since member Sally Hunt resigned in September 2024. The members are as follows:

• District 1 - Vacant
• District 2 - Will Furry (Chair)
• District 3 - Colleen Conklin
• District 4 - Christy Chong (Vice Chair)
• District 5 - Cheryl Massaro

Furry and Chong are in office until 2026, having both been elected in 2022. Conklin and Massaro are leaving office in 2024, having both opted not to seek additional terms. The county elected Janie Ruddy to the District 3 seat and Lauren Ramirez to the District 5 seat, respectively. The District 1 seat will remain vacant until an appointment is made by the Governor of Florida.

The county is also served by five elected constitutional officers: Sheriff Rick Staly, Property Appraiser Jay Gardner, Clerk of Courts Tom Bexley, Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston, and Elections Supervisor Kaiti Lenhart.

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a plurality of registered voters in Flagler County.

Statewide elections

Education

Flagler County Public Schools enroll approximately 13,000 students. The system includes two public high schools, Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas High School. The county also has five elementary schools and two middle schools. All elementary schools will be Pre-K to 5th grade and middle schools 6th and 8th. Flagler County schools are:

• Belle Terre Elementary K–5th
• Bunnell Elementary K–5th
• Rymfire Elementary K–5th
• Old Kings Elementary K–5th
• Wadsworth Elementary K–5th
• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School Pre-K–8th
• Buddy Taylor Middle School 6th–8th
• Indian Trails Middle School 6th–8th
• Matanzas High School 9th–12th
• Flagler Palm Coast High School 9th–12th
• Pathways Academy (alternative school)
• iFlagler Virtual School K–12th
• Imagine School at Town Center (charter)
• Academies of Excellence's Heritage Academy (charter) (closed after the 2011–2012 school year)

In addition, Daytona State College maintains a branch campus in Palm Coast.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando operates area Catholic schools. Father Lopez Catholic High School, a private high school, is in nearby Daytona Beach.

Libraries

Flagler County Library System consists of two branches with over 57,000 borrowers. The Main Branch is located at 2500 Palm Coast Pkwy NW, Palm Coast and the Bunnell Branch is located at 103 E Moody Blvd, Bunnell. The Flagler County Library system currently employees eighteen staff, with fourteen full-time employees and four part-time employees with an annual operating budget of $1 million.

The Flagler County Public Library was created by the County Commission in 1987, but as early as 1937, a room of the County Courthouse in Bunnell was set aside for a small library, which was sponsored by the Colony Club. The current library director is Holly Albanese.

The Flagler County Library System offers a wide variety of services beyond traditional library services. They have an e-book collection through Overdrive and Axis360. The library system will assist patrons in filing taxes, and applying for some government programs, as well as with passport applications. Both libraries offer fax services, and the Main Branch also offers scanning services.

In 2001, the Flagler County Library System began a local oral history project called the "Flagler County Memories Project". This project is currently being recorded and then preserved on compact discs. The project mission states, "This collection of oral life histories seeks to sample the common themes and unique stories of selected local residents."

Communities

Cities

• Bunnell
• Flagler Beach
• Palm Coast

Towns

• Beverly Beach
• Marineland (partly in St. John's County)

Unincorporated communities

• Andalusia
• Bimini
• Cody's Corner
• Daytona North
• Dupont
• Espanola
• Favoretta
• Flagler Estates (also in St. Johns County)
• Hammock
• Korona
• Orange Hammock
• Painters Hill
• Relay
• St. Johns Park

See also

• Bike trails in Florida (paved)
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Flagler County, Florida
• Halifax area
• First Coast

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.

References

1. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Flagler County, Florida". Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
4. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
5. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
8. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
9. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
10. http://www.census.gov
11. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
12. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
13. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
15. https://www.census.gov/
16. "Florida Department of Transportation, Division of Survey and Mapping, Road Map of Flagler County (PDF)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
17. "Flagler County Board of County Commissioners".
18. Gollon, Chris (November 23, 2022). "Mullins Out, Pennington in on County Commission; Hansen and Dance Get Leadership Slots". AskFlagler.
19. Gollon, Chris (August 21, 2024). "Andy Dance Wins Re-Election, Besting Fernando Melendez". AskFlagler.
20. Gollon, Chris (September 20, 2024). "Flagler School Board Member Sally Hunt Resigns Her Seat". AskFlagler.
21. "Board Members".
22. Gollon, Chris (November 22, 2022). "New School Board Members Sworn In; Massaro and Conklin Get Chair and Vice Chair". AskFlagler.
23. Gollon, Chris (August 23, 2024). "Lauren Ramirez, Janie Ruddy Win School Board Races". AskFlagler.
24. "Elected Constitutional Officers".
25. "Official Flagler County Supervisor of Elections - Elections Office". www.dos.myflorida.com. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
26. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
27. "Schools | Flagler County Public Schools". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
28. Trimble, Linda (July 10, 2012). "Father Lopez High School gets new president". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Daytona Beach, Florida. Retrieved March 27, 2024. Father Lopez, the only Catholic high school in Volusia and Flagler counties.
29. "Flagler County, FL - Library System". www.flaglercounty.org. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
30. "Flagler County Public Library System". Retrieved April 25, 2016.
31. "Flagler County, FL". www.flaglercounty.org. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
32. "Local History". Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

External links

Government links/Constitutional offices

• Flagler County Board of County Commissioners official website
• Flagler County Supervisor of Elections
• Flagler County Property Appraiser
• Flagler County Sheriff's Office
• Flagler County Tax Collector

Special districts

• Flagler County Public Schools
• St. Johns River Water Management District

Judicial branch

• Flagler County Clerk of Courts Archived May 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
• Public Defender, 7th Judicial Circuit of Florida serving Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia counties
• Office of the State Attorney, 7th Judicial Circuit of Florida
• Circuit and County Court for the 7th Judicial Circuit of Florida

Tourism links

• Flagler County Tourist Development Council

v t e Places adjacent to Flagler County, Florida
St. Johns County Putnam County Flagler County, Florida Atlantic Ocean Volusia County

v t e Municipalities and communities of Flagler County, Florida, United States
County seat: Bunnell
Cities	Bunnell Flagler Beach‡ Palm Coast
Towns	Beverly Beach Marineland‡
Unincorporated communities	Andalusia Bimini Codys Corner Daytona North Dupont Espanola Favoretta Flagler Estates‡ Korona Painters Hill
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Florida portal United States portal

v t e North Florida
Region of Florida
Topics	Climate Geography Culture Economy Transportation Partition proposals Pork Chop Gang Laura Street	Map of North Florida
Counties	Alachua Baker Bay Bradford Calhoun Clay Columbia Dixie Duval Escambia Flagler Franklin Gadsden Gilchrist Gulf Hamilton Holmes Jackson Jefferson Lafayette Leon Levy Liberty Madison Marion Nassau Okaloosa Putnam Santa Rosa St. Johns Suwannee Taylor Union Wakulla Walton Washington
Major cities	Jacksonville Tallahassee Gainesville
Cities and towns 50k–100k	Ocala Palm Coast Pensacola
Cities and towns 10k–40k	Atlantic Beach Callaway Crestview Destin Fernandina Beach Fort Walton Beach Jacksonville Beach Lake City Lynn Haven Niceville Palatka Panama City Beach St. Augustine Panama City
Metro areas	Fort Walton Beach–Crestview–Destin Gainesville Jacksonville Ocala Palm Coast Panama City–Lynn Haven–Panama City Beach Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Tallahassee
Regions	Big Bend Emerald Coast First Coast Florida panhandle Forgotten Coast Halifax area Nature Coast North Central Florida Northeast Florida

29°28′N 81°18′W / 29.47°N 81.30°W / 29.47; -81.30

• Florida counties
• Geography of Florida
• Flagler County, Florida
• 1917 establishments in Florida
• Populated places established in 1917
• Counties in Greater Orlando
• North Florida