St. Johns County, Florida

St. Johns County's history begins in 1821, when Colonel Robert Butler received Spanish East Florida from Captain-General Colonel José M. Coppinger. Butler represented Major General Andrew Jackson, federal military commissioner for the Florida provinces (las Floridas) with the powers of governor, exercising the powers of the Captain General and the Intendants of the Island of Cuba and the governors of the said provinces, respectively, who ordained that all the country east of the river Suwannee should be designated the County of St. Johns. St. Johns was established, along with Escambia County (in the former West Florida province), on July 21, 1821, 11 days after Butler received Florida for the United States, and five days after the city of St. Augustine was incorporated. The name Saint John's was derived from the Spanish mission (c. 1580) San Juan del Puerto ("Saint John of the Harbor"). The U.S. Department of the Interior dropped the apostrophe in 1932 because an apostrophe implied ownership. It was a huge county, encompassing most of peninsular Florida, more than 39,000 square miles; it was 475 miles long by 165 miles wide. Much of the land was uninhabited. Saint Augustine (1565) was the oldest permanent European settlement, and there were Native Americans in the county as well. ==Coat of arms==

As described in Certification of the Coat of Arms: In a field of green an Agnus Dei of silver, suspended on the dexter [*left side of the drawing] side of the Agnus Dei is a silver banner with red cross (as a direct allusion and symbol of the name of the County). On a heraldic chief of red is a gold castle with towers, with masonry joints in black, and with the windows and doors in red (in recognition of the fortress that was constructed in the military garrison of St. Augustine which is a part of the County). An overall border is composed of eight parts; alternating, a red quadrilateral, with a gold castle and quadrilateral of silver with a purple lion rampant (that is to say, alternating the simplified Arms of Castille and Leon). Given for a crest is a mural crown of a province. This is a circle of gold walls with in reality twelve gold towers with all the masonry joints in black. Only seven of the towers are visible in the drawing. ==Geography==

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (26.9%) is water. Adjacent counties • Duval County, Florida – north Northwest • Flagler County, Florida – south • Putnam County, Florida – southwest • Clay County, Florida – west National protected areas • Castillo de San Marcos National Monument • Fort Matanzas National Monument • Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve ==Demographics==

Racial and ethnic composition 2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 273,425, 104,640 households, and 67,548 families. The median age was 44.0 years; 23.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.4 males age 18 and over. The racial makeup of the county was 80.6% White, 4.9% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.7% from some other race, and 8.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 8.3% of the population. 85.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 14.8% lived in rural areas. There were 104,640 households, of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 59.5% were married-couple households, 12.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 49,614 households, of which 29.2% had children under age 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.90. The age of the population was spread out, with 23.1% under 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females 18 and older, there were 91.5 males. The median household income was $50,099, and the median family income was $59,153. Males had a median income of $40,783 versus $27,240 for females. The per capita income was $28,674. About 5.1% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under 18 and 6.2% of those 65 or older. ==Government==

The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners is an elected five-member commission, which appoints a county administrator. The main environmental and agricultural body is the St. Johns County Soil and Water Conservation District, which works closely with other area agencies. St. Johns County Animal Control operates the St. Johns County Pet Adoption and Holding Center at 130 North Stratton Road. Voter registration According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a majority of registered voters in St. Johns County. ==Education==

Primary and secondary education Public schools are run by the St. Johns County School District, headed by the St. Johns County School Board, an elected five-member board which appoints a superintendent to administer school operations. The system has grown considerably since 2000 to accommodate the county's rapid population growth. It is Florida's top-performing school district in Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores, the state's standardized test for public schools. The district also received the 2011 Energy Star Top Performer and Leader from the EPA. For the 2014–15 school year the district comprised: • 18 elementary schools (K–5) • 3 K-8 school (K–8) • 7 middle schools (6–8) • 7 high schools (9–12) • 1 alternative center (K-12) • 6 charter schools (including a vocational-technical college) • 1 virtual school The St. Johns County School District has a robust special education department serving the needs of students with autism, cerebral palsy, and cognitive disabilities. The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind is a residential school for deaf and blind students, funded and operated by the state of Florida. The Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine operates St. Joseph Academy, a private high school in St. Augustine. St. Johns County schools have received a state government grade of "A" for their work with the students and FCAT grading from 2004 to 2014. Higher education St. Johns River State College, a state college in the Florida College System, has a campus in St. Johns County near St. Augustine. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associates degrees and two bachelor's degrees. Flagler College is a private liberal arts institution in downtown St. Augustine. U.S. News & World Report has recognized it as a "Best Value College". University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is a school for physical and occupational therapy education. Libraries The St. Johns County Public Library System has six branches: • Anastasia Island Branch • Bartram Trail Branch • Hastings Branch • Main Library • Ponte Vedra Beach Branch • Southeast Branch St. Augustine Historical Society • Research Library Museums • Disease Vector Education Center ==Communities==

Cities • St. Augustine • St. Augustine Beach Town • Marineland (partly in Flagler County) Census-designated places • Butler Beach • Crescent Beach • Flagler Estates • Fruit Cove • Hastings • Nocatee • Palm Valley • Sawgrass • St. Augustine Shores • St. Augustine South • Vilano Beach • World Golf Village Other unincorporated communities • Armstrong • Bakersville • Elkton • Julington Creek Plantation • Mill Creek • Ponte Vedra Beach • St. Johns • Spuds • Summer Haven • Switzerland • Vermont Heights ==Transportation==

Airports • Northeast Florida Regional Airport • Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) is about 35 miles to the north (in Duval County). Highways • is the main interstate highway in St. Johns County. It enters from Flagler County over the Pellicer Creek bridges and contains six interchanges within the county before entering Duval County. It also contains four rest areas, the southern pair between Exits 296 and 305 and a northern pair north of exit 329. • is the main local road through eastern St. Johns County, running north–south. It served as the main north–south highway in the state and the eastern half of the county until I-95 was built. • is a former section of US 1 and business route of US 1 in Saint Augustine. • is the scenic coastal alternate route to US 1, which also includes some county road spurs and extensions. • • is the other scenic coastal route, but along the Saint Johns River. A section south of the overlap with SR 16 is a county route extension. • runs mostly west-to-east from the Shands Bridge, then turns south along an overlap with SR 13. Leaving the overlap, it passes through Saint Johns and World Golf Village before eventually entering northern St. Augustine ending at U.S. Business Route 1. • , the future First Coast Expressway. • • • • Dixie Highway Railroads • The Florida East Coast Railway provides rail freight services through the county, however the only industries served by the line are a concrete plant and a Con-Agra plant along the Wright Industrial Lead, formerly the Palatka Spur. ==See also==