Tallahassee, Florida

Tallahassee is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Leon County and became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2024, the estimated population was 205,089, making it the eighth–most populous city in the state of Florida.

With a student population exceeding 70,000, Tallahassee is a college town. It is home to Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and Tallahassee State College, which serves mainly as a feeder school to FSU and FAMU.

As the capital, Tallahassee is the site of the Florida State Capitol, Supreme Court of Florida, Florida Governor's Mansion, and nearly 30 state agency headquarters. The city is also known for its large number of law firms, lobbying organizations, trade associations, and professional associations, including The Florida Bar and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. In 2025, Tallahassee was awarded the All-America City Award by the National Civic League for the third time.

History

Main articles: History of Tallahassee, Florida and Timeline of Tallahassee, Florida

For thousands of years, people lived in the area that is now Tallahassee. Around the year 1200, a group called the Mississippian culture built large dirt mounds near Lake Jackson, which can still be seen today in Lake Jackson Archaeological State Park.

The Spanish arrived in Florida in 1565 and built missions in the area. One of the largest missions, Mission San Luis de Apalachee, has been partly rebuilt. The name Tallahassee comes from a Native American word meaning "old fields" or "old town." It was used by people who moved into the area from Georgia and Alabama.

During a conflict called the First Seminole War, a leader named General Andrew Jackson fought against local Native American groups. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida in 1824 when it was chosen as a meeting place that was halfway between other cities.

Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821. In 1824, Tallahassee was chosen as the capital. Over time, buildings were built, including an old Capitol in 1845. During the Civil War, Tallahassee was important to the Confederacy but was not captured.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, schools and universities were established, making Tallahassee a place for learning. During the civil rights era, people in Tallahassee worked to end unfair treatment on city buses.

The 1970s brought a new, tall Capitol building. In 1976, a famous football coach named Bobby Bowden began leading Florida State University’s team, making the city well-known for college football.

In 2000, Tallahassee was in the news because of the U.S. Presidential election. The city has also faced storms and tornadoes, which sometimes caused power outages and other problems.

Geography

The city of Tallahassee is located at approximately 30°27′18″N 84°15′12″W / 30.45500°N 84.25333°W / 30.45500; -84.25333. It covers an area of 98.2 square miles (254.3 km²), with 95.7 square miles (247.9 km²) of land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) of water.

Tallahassee sits in a hilly region, being part of the Red Hills Region. The city has two large lakes, Lake Jackson and Lake Lafayette, and is near the Apalachicola National Forest. The area’s plants and animals are similar to those found in South Carolina and Georgia, with palm trees, pines, and oaks common. The Southern Live Oak is a special tree in the city.

Tallahassee has many neighborhoods, including Frenchtown, the oldest historically black neighborhood in the state, and Los Robles. The city is known for its canopy roads, which are tree-lined streets that give it a calm, charming feel.

The city experiences a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers and mild winters. Summer often brings brief, heavy rains and thunderstorms. Winter temperatures can sometimes drop to freezing, but snow is very rare. The city has faced hurricanes in the past, and occasionally sees weak tornadoes, though they usually cause little damage.

Demographics

2020 census

According to the 2020 United States census, about 196,000 people lived in Tallahassee, with around 78,000 households and 34,000 families.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census reported around 181,000 people living in Tallahassee, with about 73,000 households and 34,000 families. Many people lived alone, and a small number of people were aged 65 or older.

Languages

In the year 2000, most people in Tallahassee, about 92%, spoke English at home. A small number spoke Spanish, French, or German.

Higher learning

Tallahassee has many educated people. Over half of the adults have a college degree, which is more than the average for both Florida and the whole country.

Law, government and politics

Tallahassee has a long history of voting for the Democratic party, especially since the late 20th century. This change happened as more African Americans gained the right to vote and became active in politics. Because of this, Tallahassee is known for its progressive ideas and has elected many African-American leaders, including mayors and state representatives.

The city is run by an elected mayor, several city commissioners, and a city manager who handles day-to-day operations. Tallahassee is part of Florida's 2nd congressional district. The United States Postal Service, National Weather Service, and some parts of the United States Army Reserve and Navy Reserve also have offices in the city.

Education

Tallahassee is home to many schools and universities. The Leon County School District includes many public schools that help students learn and grow. These schools have worked hard to improve, and many students do well on important tests.

The city also has two big universities: Florida State University and Florida A&M University. These universities offer many different subjects for students to study and have many programs to help people learn new things. There are also other colleges, like Tallahassee State College, that help students get ready to go to bigger universities.

Economy

Tallahassee is home to many important companies, such as Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the Municipal Code Corporation, and the State Board of Administration of Florida. These businesses help keep the city running and provide many jobs for people.

As of 2024, the unemployment rate in Tallahassee was 3.3%, and the average personal income was $55,363. The city has several top employers that help support the local economy.

Arts and culture

Tallahassee is a lively city with many places to enjoy entertainment, such as theaters, museums, parks, and performing arts centers. One popular spot is the Railroad Square Art Park.

The city is well-known for its many museums. You can visit the Museum of Fine Arts at Florida State University, the Tallahassee Museum, Goodward Museum & Gardens, the Museum of Florida History, Mission San Luis de Apalachee, the Tallahassee Automobile Museum, and other interesting places like the Old Capitol Museum and Knott House Museum.

Music has a special place in Tallahassee. Famous musicians such as Ray Charles, George Clinton, and T-Pain have ties to the city. The city is also home to music groups like Mayday Parade and Creed.

Tallahassee hosts many fun festivals and events throughout the year, including the Downtown Getdown, First Friday festivals, the Greek Food Festival, Springtime Tallahassee, the Tallahassee Wine and Food Festival, and the Winter Festival.

Sports

Florida State Seminoles

In the years 2016 to 2017, the Florida State Seminoles team from Florida State University made a lot of money. They earned about $144 million, which was the thirteenth-highest amount in college sports.

Other

Media

See also: List of newspapers in Florida, List of radio stations in Florida, and List of television stations in Florida

Print

Tallahassee has several newspapers. The Tallahassee Democrat is the city's largest newspaper and is published every day. There are also papers that focus on specific schools, like the FSView & Florida Flambeau for Florida State University, The Talon for Tallahassee Community College, and The Famuan for Florida A&M University.

Television

Tallahassee has many television stations. Some of the main ones include WCTV, which shows many different types of shows on its many channels. There is also WFSU-TV, which is a PBS station and offers educational programming. Other stations like WTLF, WTXL-TV, and WTWC-TV provide a variety of entertainment options for viewers.

Radio

See also: Category:Radio stations in Tallahassee, Florida

Public services

The Public Safety Complex at 911 Easterwood Drive is a special building shared by Leon County and the City of Tallahassee. It was built to stay strong even during very bad storms and was finished in 2013. Inside, there are many important offices that help keep the city safe, including places for police, fire, and emergency medical services.

Tallahassee has many groups that work together to keep people safe. These include the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff's Office, and several other state and university police groups. There are also offices for federal agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshals Service. The city also has fire departments, emergency medical services, and hospitals to care for people's health needs.

Places of interest

Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, has many interesting places to visit. You can explore beautiful parks, historic buildings, and museums that tell the story of the area. The city has a mix of nature and culture that makes it a fun place to discover.

Transportation

Aviation

• Tallahassee International Airport (KTLH)

Defunct airports

• Dale Mabry Field (closed 1961)
• Tallahassee Commercial Airport (closed 2011)

Mass transit

• StarMetro provides bus service throughout the city.

Intercity bus

• Greyhound, Megabus and RedCoach based in downtown Tallahassee.

Railroads

• Freight service is provided by the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad, which acquired most of the CSX main line from Pensacola to Jacksonville on June 1, 2019. FG&A also purchased the CSX branch from Tallahassee to Attapulgus, Georgia, connecting with the CSX Montgomery-Savannah main line at Bainbridge, Georgia. FG&A's headquarters office is in Tallahassee.

Defunct railroads and passenger trains

• Tallahassee Railroad, completed in 1837, now the state-owned Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail from Tallahassee southward to St. Marks, about 20 miles (32 km).
• Carrabelle, Tallahassee and Georgia Railroad, founded in 1891, merged into the Georgia Florida and Alabama Railway in 1906. The Tallahassee-Carrabelle segment was abandoned in 1948. In 2009, a 2.4-mile (3.9 km) segment of the abandoned railroad was opened as the Tallahassee-Georgia Florida and Alabama (GF&A) Trail in the Apalachicola National Forest.
• The streamlined Gulf Wind coach and Pullman passenger train, operated jointly by the L&N and Seaboard railroads, served Tallahassee from 1949 to 1971, when the newly formed Amtrak cancelled the train.
• Amtrak's Sunset Limited served Tallahassee from April 1993 until service east of New Orleans was stopped in August 2005, following Hurricane Katrina, which caused damage to lines from Louisiana to Florida. The service has not been brought back, and as of mid-2019 had almost no chance of returning. In 2021, Amtrak announced plans to restore service as early as 2022 along part of the route from New Orleans to Alabama, but not into Florida. The Tallahassee and Pensacola areas are the largest in the state without passenger rail service.^{[citation needed]}

Major highways

• Interstate 10 runs east–west across the north side of the city. Tallahassee is served by five exits including: Exit 192 (U.S. 90), Exit 196 (Capital Circle NW), Exit 199 (U.S. 27/Monroe St.), Exit 203 (U.S. 319/Thomasville Road and Capital Circle NE), and Exit 209 (U.S. 90/Mahan Dr.)
• U.S. Route 27 enters the city from the northwest beforeing south and entering downtown. This portion of U.S. 27 is known locally as Monroe Street. In front of the historic state capitol building, U.S. 27 turns east and follows Apalachee Parkway out of the city.
• U.S. Route 90 runs east–west through Tallahassee. It is known locally as Tennessee Street west of Magnolia Drive and Mahan Drive east of Magnolia.
• U.S. Route 319 runs north–south along the east side of the city using Thomasville Road, Capital Circle NE, Capital Circle SE, and Crawfordville Road.
• State Road 20
• State Road 61
• State Road 363
• Orchard Pond Parkway, the first privately built toll road in Florida.

Namesakes

Tallahassee has inspired many names in different areas. There was a Confederate ship named CSS Tallahassee, and several US Navy ships have also carried this name. The city is also remembered in movies, music, and songs — like the character in Zombieland and albums or songs by artists such as The Mountain Goats and Bing Crosby.

Sister cities

See also: List of sister cities in Florida

Tallahassee has five sister cities around the world. These cities are Konongo-Odumase in Ashanti, Ghana; St. Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles; Sligo in County Sligo, Ireland; Rugao in Jiangsu, China; and Ramat HaSharon in the Tel Aviv District, Israel. These partnerships help connect people from different parts of the world.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Tallahassee, Florida

Tallahassee has been home to many interesting people throughout history. Some of these individuals have become well-known in fields like music, sports, and public service. The city continues to be a place where many talented and influential people live and work.

Tallahassee groups and organizations

Tallahassee is home to many groups and organizations that help the community. These include places of learning, health services, and groups that support families and individuals. The city also has many places where people can come together, such as parks and community centers.

State associations based in Tallahassee

Many important groups for the state of Florida have their offices in Tallahassee. Because it is the capital city, many organizations that help manage and support the state’s activities are located here. These groups work on many topics, from education to environment, making sure Florida runs smoothly.