A Century of Florida's Largest Counties

1900


Intersection of Bridge (now Broad) and West Bay Streets in Jacksonville in 1900. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/10986

The 20th Century arrives with Duval and Hillsborough in a race as Florida's largest county. Outside of Key West and Tampa, the state's most populated counties are primarily located in the Panhandle and Northeast Florida.

 1. 39,733 - Duval
 2. 36,013 - Hillsborough
 3. 32,245 - Alachua
 4. 28,313 - Escambia
 5. 24,403 - Marion
 6. 19,887 - Leon
 7. 18,006 - Monroe
 8. 17,094 - Columbia
 9. 16,195 - Jefferson
10. 15,446 - Madison



1910


Tampa's Ybor City in 1910.  State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/41939


Despite the rapid rebuilding of Jacksonville in Duval County after the Great Fire of 1901, cigars, phosphate, and citrus provide enough economic push for Hillsborough to become Florida's largest county. Polk County, Hillsborough's neighbor, also cracks the top 10 list for the first time.

 1. 78,374 - Hillsborough
 2. 75,163 - Duval
 3. 38,029 - Escambia
 4. 34,305 - Alachua
 5. 26,941 - Marion
 6. 24,148 - Polk
 7. 23,377 - Jackson
 8. 22,198 - Gadsden
 9. 21,563 - Monroe
10. 19,427 - Leon




1920


Jacksonville's Forsyth Street, looking east from Julia Street, in 1920. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/41939

Duval County becomes Florida's first to crack 100,000 residents. Hillsborough suffers a set back as the western portion of the county becomes Pinellas. The Panhandle's dominance declines as railroads built by Henry Flagler and Henry Plant fuel rapid population growth in Central and South Florida. Miami-Dade comes out of nowhere, becoming the state's 4th largest county by 1920.

 1. 113,540 - Duval
 2. 88,257 - Hillsborough
 3. 49,386 - Escambia
 4. 42,753 - Miami-Dade
 5. 38,661 - Polk
 6. 31,689 - Alachua
 7. 29,821 - Jackson
 8. 28,265 - Pinellas
 9. 25,434 - Desoto
10. 23,968 - Marion