Tallahassee, Florida

Tallahassee is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2020 Tallahassee has a population of 192 885 people [5]

Tallahassee, Florida
City of Tallahassee
Top, Left to Right: Tallahassee Skyline, Florida Capitol Buildings, Unconquered statue of Osceola and Renegade at FSU, FAMU's Marching 100, Old St. Augustine Canopy Road, and Cascades Park
Top, Left to Right: Tallahassee Skyline, Florida Capitol Buildings, Unconquered statue of Osceola and Renegade at FSU, FAMU's Marching 100, Old St. Augustine Canopy Road, and Cascades Park
Flag of Tallahassee, Florida
Official seal of Tallahassee, Florida
Motto(s): 
"Florida's Capital City"
Location in Leon County and the state of Florida
Location in Leon County and the state of Florida
Tallahassee, Florida is located in Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida is located in the United States
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida (the United States)
Tallahassee, Florida is located in North America
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida (North America)
Coordinates: 30°27′18″N 84°15′12″W
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountyLeon
Established1824
Government
  TypeCommission–Manager
  MayorAndrew Gillum (D)
Area
  Total103.63 sq mi (268.39 km2)
  Land100.42 sq mi (260.09 km2)
  Water3.21 sq mi (8.30 km2)
Elevation203 ft (62 m)
Population
  Total181,376
  Estimate 
(2016)
190,894
  Rank126th, U.S.
  Density1,900.94/sq mi (733.95/km2)
  Urban
240,223 (153rd)
  Metro
379,627 (140th)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)
32300–32399
Area code(s)850
FIPS code12-70600[3]
GNIS feature ID0308416[2]
Websitewww.talgov.com

The name comes from the Apalachee Native American words: talwa meaning town, and ahassee meaning old.

Tallahassee was created as the capital of Florida during the territory's second legislative session. It was chosen as the midpoint between St. Augustine and Pensacola, which had been the capitals of the Spanish and British colonies of East Florida and West Florida, respectively. (At that time, very few people lived in the swamps of South Florida.) The first session of Florida's Legislative Council–as a territory of the United States–met on July 22, 1822 at Pensacola and members from St. Augustine traveled fifty-nine days by water to attend. The second session was in St. Augustine and required western delegates to travel perilously around the peninsula on a twenty-eight day trek. During this session, it was decided that future meetings should be held at a half-way point to reduce the distance. Two appointed commissioners selected Tallahassee, at that point an abandoned Apalachee settlement, as a halfway point. In 1824, the third legislative session met there in a crude log capitol.[6] Also in 1824, Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolution, returned for a grand tour of the United States. The US Congress voted to give him $200,000 (the same amount he had given the colonies in 1778), US citizenship, and the Lafayette Land Grant, 36 square miles (93 km2) of land that today includes large portions of Tallahassee. In 1845, a Greek revival masonry structure was erected as the Capitol building in time for statehood.

In 1977, a 23-story high-rise Capitol building designed by architect Edward Durell Stone was completed. It is now the third-tallest state capitol building in the United States.[Note 1] In 1978, the old capitol was scheduled for demolition, but the State Of Florida decided to keep the Old Capitol as a museum and point of interest.

The city is the location of two important universities, Florida State University and Florida A&M University.

Notes

  1. The Louisiana State Capitol is the tallest, followed by Nebraska.

References

  1. "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  5. "Tallahassee (city) Quick Facts from the U.S. Census Bureau". Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
  6. Florida: A Short History, Michael V. Gannon, ISBN 0-8130-1167-1, Copyright @ 1993 by the Board of Regents of the State of Florida


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