When was Sumter County founded?

Sumter County was founded in 1853, formed from Marion County, and named after Thomas Sumter.

What is the county seat of Sumter County?

The county seat of Sumter County is Bushnell.

Is there an online parcel map for Sumter County?

Yes. Sumter County publishes a parcel map of 106,576 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Sumter County's boundary or name changed?

Sumter County was created in 1853 from Marion County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Polk County, Hillsborough County and Lake County.

Who issues building permits in Sumter County?

The county's page on building permits: Permit Application. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 12119

Sumter CountyFlorida

Sumter County is a county in central Florida, with its seat in Bushnell. It was created on January 8, 1853, from Marion County and named after Thomas Sumter.

Founded1853
County seatBushnell
Named forThomas Sumter
Land area557 sq mi + 23 sq mi water
Population129,752 2020 Census
Parcels mapped106,576 checked 16 October 2026

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

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1853 from Marion County

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

When Sumter County was established in 1853 from Marion County, it was larger than it is today. Over the following decades, the county lost area to the creation of Lake County in 1887 and to transfers to Polk, Orange, and Hillsborough counties, while gaining some land from Polk and Hillsborough.

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

1853
Sumter County created Sumter created from Marion.
from Marion
8 January 1853 · Fla. Laws 1852, 6th sess., ch. 548, sec. 1/p. 124
1866
Gained territory Sumter gained from Hillsborough.
from Hillsborough
13 December 1866 · Fla. Laws 1866, 14th sess., ch. 1589/p. 61
1871
Lost territory Sumter lost to Polk.
to Polk
30 January 1871 · Fla. Laws 1871, 4th sess., ch. 1848/p. 36
1872
Lost territory Sumter lost to Orange.
to Orange
14 February 1872 · Fla. Laws 1872, 5th sess., ch. 1895/p. 52
1879
Gained territory Sumter gained from Polk.
from Polk
5 March 1879 · Fla. Laws 1879, 10th sess., ch. 3177/p. 141

Show all 8 changes (3 more)

1853
Sumter County created Sumter created from Marion.
from Marion
8 January 1853 · Fla. Laws 1852, 6th sess., ch. 548, sec. 1/p. 124
1859
Lost territory Sumter lost small area to Marion to accommodate local resident.
to Marion
15 January 1859 · Fla. Laws 1858, 9th sess., ch. 973/p. 133
1866
Gained territory Sumter gained from Hillsborough.
from Hillsborough
13 December 1866 · Fla. Laws 1866, 14th sess., ch. 1589/p. 61
1871
Lost territory Sumter lost to Polk.
to Polk
30 January 1871 · Fla. Laws 1871, 4th sess., ch. 1848/p. 36
1872
Lost territory Sumter lost to Orange.
to Orange
14 February 1872 · Fla. Laws 1872, 5th sess., ch. 1895/p. 52
1879
Gained territory Sumter gained from Polk.
from Polk
5 March 1879 · Fla. Laws 1879, 10th sess., ch. 3177/p. 141
1887
Lost territory Sumter lost to creation of Lake.
to Lake
26 July 1887 · Fla. Laws 1887, 1st sess., ch. 3771, secs. 1-2/pp. 154-155
1889
Lost territory Sumter lost to Polk.
to Polk
31 May 1889 · Fla. Laws 1889, ext. sess., ch. 3932/p. 167

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Sumter

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 106,576 parcels from Sumter County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 16 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Sumter 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

Sumter by the Census

Population

129,752 2020 Census count

Housing units

75,304 2020 Census count

Land area

557 square miles

Water area

23 square miles

People per sq mi

233 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

Permit Applicationfrom sumtercountyfl.gov

Zoning and code

Planning and zoningfrom sumtercountyfl.gov · checked 13 October 2026
Ordinancesfrom sumtercountyfl.gov
Municode Libraryfrom sumtercountyfl.gov
Calendar • Planning and Zoning Special Master Hearingfrom sumtercountyfl.gov

GIS and maps

County GIS and mapsfrom sumtercountyfl.gov · checked 13 October 2026

County government

County government
The official website of Sumter County.
sumtercountyfl.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Sumter 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 Sumter County

When was Sumter County founded?: Sumter County was founded in 1853, formed from Marion County, and named after Thomas Sumter.
What is the county seat of Sumter County?: The county seat of Sumter County is Bushnell.
Is there an online parcel map for Sumter County?: Yes. Sumter County publishes a parcel map of 106,576 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Sumter County's boundary or name changed?: Sumter County was created in 1853 from Marion County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Polk County, Hillsborough County and Lake County.
Who issues building permits in Sumter County?: The county's page on building permits: Permit Application. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Sumter 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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