County · code 12055
Highlands CountyFlorida
Highlands County is a county in Florida with its seat in Sebring. It was created on April 23, 1921.
- Founded1921
- County seatSebring
- Land area1,018 sq mi + 89 sq mi water
- Population101,235 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped113,173 checked 14 October 2026
Where it is
Highlands on the map of Florida
Florida has 67 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1921 from De Soto County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Highlands County was created from De Soto County on April 23, 1921. In 1949, Highlands County lost a small area to Glades County.
- 1921Highlands County created Highlands created from De Soto.from De Soto· Fla. Laws 1921, 18th sess., gen., ch. 8513, sec. 1/pp. 279-281
- 1949Lost territory Highlands lost small area to Glades. · Fla. Laws 1949, 32d sess., gen., ch. 25612, sec. 1/p. 1342
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Highlands
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 113,173 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 14 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Highlands County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Highlands by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Permits
Zoning and code
GIS and maps
County government
- County government
The official website of Highlands County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Highlands County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Highlands County
- When was Highlands County founded?
- Highlands County was founded in 1921, formed from De Soto County.
- What is the county seat of Highlands County?
- The county seat of Highlands County is Sebring.
- Is there an online parcel map for Highlands County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 113,173 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Highlands County's boundary or name changed?
- Highlands County was created in 1921 from De Soto County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 1 later change, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving Glades County.
- Who issues building permits in Highlands County?
- The county's page on building permits: Utility Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Highlands County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby