Gretna, Florida

Gretna is a city in Gadsden County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Tallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The majority of the population is African American, and as of the 2020 census, had 1,357 residents, down from 1,460 at the 2010 census.

The city is on U.S. 90, approximately south of the Florida-Georgia border.

History

thumb|left|Old Gretna School building

The Gretna settlement was established in 1897 by Humphrey Company, and it was platted as a town in 1905. R. A. Gray served as principal at the Gretna School. Sunny Dell Baptist Church and school served the community until Gretna School was built in 1908. A historical marker commemorates its history. The City of Gretna was officially incorporated as a municipality in 1909.

The Colored American Appeal was a Republican Party affiliated newspaper serving the community. Florida A&M University and its business school led by Sybil C. Mobley in nearby Tallahassee, Florida announced a rehabilitation program for the majority African American community in 1974.

Geography

thumb|left|The city limits welcome sign for Gretna on [[U.S. Route 90]]

The City of Gretna is in west-central Gadsden County on the Florida Panhandle in North Florida, and its approximate coordinates is located at (30.615598, –84.662457).

The city limits have expanded south and west to encompass part of Interstate 10; the city is now bordered on the south by Greensboro.

U.S. Route 90 passes through Gretna as Main Street; it leads southeast to Quincy, the Gadsden County seat, and northwest to Chattahoochee.

Interstate 10 passes through the southwest part of Gretna, with access from Exit 174 (Florida State Road 12). I-10 leads east to Tallahassee and west to Pensacola. SR 12 leads southwest to Bristol, and SR 65 leads south to Hosford.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Gretna has a total area of , of which , or 0.13%, is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, the City of Gretna has a humid subtropical climate zone (Cfa).

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Gretna city, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|34

|40

|style='background: #ffffe6; |80

|1.99%

|2.74%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.90%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|1,501

|1,218

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,104

|87.83%

|83.42%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |81.36%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1

|0.18%

|0.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.07%

|Asian alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

|Other race alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2

|0.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.15%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |15

|0.35%

|0.55%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.11%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|165

|194

|style='background: #ffffe6; |155

|9.65%

|13.29%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |11.42%

|Total

|1,709

|1,460

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,357

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Gretna had a population of 1,357. The median age was 38.3 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 500 households in Gretna, of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 27.6% were married-couple households, 19.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 46.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 1,460 people, 481 households, and 394 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census

The county government operates the Brenda A. Holt Gadsden County Gretna Public Safety Complex.

The Gretna Volunteer Fire Department operates one fire station.

The Gadsden Connector, a Big Bend Transit bus route, has a stop in Gretna.

Education

thumb|Gretna Elementary School (closed in 2017)

The Gadsden County School District operates area public schools. Residents in PreK–3 are served by Greensboro Primary School and residents in grades 4–5 are served by West Gadsden Middle School. Gretna Elementary School, which previously served elementary school students, closed in 2017.

Gadsden County High School (previously East Gadsden High School) is the only zoned high school in the county, due to the consolidation of West Gadsden High School's high school section into East Gadsden High.

Gallery

File:Gretna Volunteer Fire Department.jpg|Gretna Volunteer Fire Department

File:Gadsden County Gretna Public Safety Complex.jpg|Brenda A. Holt Gadsden County Gretna Public Safety Complex

</gallery>

References

External links

City of Gretna official website