When was Jefferson County founded?

Jefferson County was founded in 1827, formed from Leon County, and named after Thomas Jefferson.

What is the county seat of Jefferson County?

The county seat of Jefferson County is Monticello.

Is there an online parcel map for Jefferson County?

Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 122,470 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Jefferson County's boundary or name changed?

Jefferson County was created in 1827 from Leon County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 11 later changes, chiefly involving Leon County, Madison County and Hamilton County.

Who issues building permits in Jefferson County?

The county's page on building permits: Building & Construction Permits - Jefferson County Florida. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Jefferson County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 12065

Jefferson CountyFlorida

Jefferson County is a county in Florida with its seat in Monticello. The county was created on January 20, 1827, from Leon County and named after Thomas Jefferson.

Founded1827
County seatMonticello
Named forThomas Jefferson
Land area598 sq mi + 75 sq mi water
Population14,510 2020 Census
Parcels mapped122,470 checked 14 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Jefferson County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1827 from Leon County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Jefferson County experienced numerous boundary changes with its neighboring counties during its early years, losing and gaining territory to and from Leon County repeatedly between 1827 and 1881. The county also exchanged territory with Madison County throughout the nineteenth century, with a final exchange occurring in May 1923.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1827
Jefferson County created Jefferson created by Florida Territory from Leon.
from Leon
20 January 1827 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1826, 5th sess., p. 151
1827
Lost territory Jefferson lost to creation of Hamilton and Madison.
to Hamilton to Madison
26 December 1827 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1827, 6th sess., p. 8
1828
Lost territory Jefferson lost to Leon.
to Leon
19 January 1828 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1827, 6th sess., p. 170
1829
Gained territory Jefferson gained from Leon.
from Leon
14 November 1829 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1829, 8th sess., p. 37
1831
Lost territory Jefferson lost to Leon.
to Leon
13 February 1831 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1831, 9th sess., p. 31

Show all 12 changes (7 more)

1827
Jefferson County created Jefferson created by Florida Territory from Leon.
from Leon
20 January 1827 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1826, 5th sess., p. 151
1827
Lost territory Jefferson lost to creation of Hamilton and Madison.
to Hamilton to Madison
26 December 1827 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1827, 6th sess., p. 8
1828
Lost territory Jefferson lost to Leon.
to Leon
19 January 1828 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1827, 6th sess., p. 170
1829
Gained territory Jefferson gained from Leon.
from Leon
14 November 1829 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1829, 8th sess., p. 37
1831
Lost territory Jefferson lost to Leon.
to Leon
13 February 1831 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1831, 9th sess., p. 31
1832
Gained territory Jefferson gained from Leon.
from Leon
30 January 1832 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1832, 10th sess., no. 11/p. 10
1833
Lost territory Jefferson lost to Madison.
to Madison
9 February 1833 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1833, 11th sess., ch. 686/p. 52
1843
Gained territory Jefferson gained from Madison.
from Madison
22 February 1843 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1843, 21st sess., no. 48/p. 47
1844
Lost territory Jefferson lost to Madison.
to Madison
5 February 1844 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1844, 22d sess., p. 1
1879
Lost territory Jefferson lost to Leon.
to Leon
11 March 1879 · Fla. Laws 1879, 10th sess., ch. 3176/p. 140
1881
Gained territory Jefferson gained from Leon.
from Leon
7 February 1881 · Fla. Laws 1881, 11th sess., ch. 3304/p. 101
1923
Exchanged territory In May 1923, Jefferson exchanged with Madison.
with Madison
31 May 1923 · Fla. Laws 1923, 19th sess., gen., ch. 9361/p. 467

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Jefferson

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 122,470 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 14 October 2026 · checked 14 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Jefferson County yet.
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

Jefferson by the Census

Population

14,510 2020 Census count

Housing units

6,690 2020 Census count

Land area

598 square miles

Water area

75 square miles

People per sq mi

24 population ÷ land area

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

Building & Construction Permits - Jefferson County Floridafrom jeffersoncountyfl.gov

Zoning and code

Planning and zoning 850-815-9029from jeffersoncountyfl.gov · checked 14 October 2026
Ordinances & Code of Ordinances - Jefferson County Floridafrom jeffersoncountyfl.gov
Code of Ordinances (Municode)from library.municode.com
Planning, Zoning & Land Use - Jefferson County Floridafrom jeffersoncountyfl.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Jefferson County.
jeffersoncountyfl.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Jefferson 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.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Jefferson County

When was Jefferson County founded?: Jefferson County was founded in 1827, formed from Leon County, and named after Thomas Jefferson.
What is the county seat of Jefferson County?: The county seat of Jefferson County is Monticello.
Is there an online parcel map for Jefferson County?: Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 122,470 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Jefferson County's boundary or name changed?: Jefferson County was created in 1827 from Leon County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 11 later changes, chiefly involving Leon County, Madison County and Hamilton County.
Who issues building permits in Jefferson County?: The county's page on building permits: Building & Construction Permits - Jefferson County Florida. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Jefferson County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

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