High Springs is a city in Alachua County, Florida, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in Alachua County and seventh-largest in North Central Florida. The population was 6,215 at the 2020 census, up from 5,350 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The present-day area of High Springs was first settled on a permanent basis by English-speaking people during the late 1830s. One of the earliest settlements in the vicinity was at Crockett Springs, located about three miles east of present-day High Springs. Settlers who were living there during the 1840s included Fernando Underwood and Marshal Blanton.

A discernible town began to develop in the early 1880s after the Savannah, Florida & Western Railway was constructed and several phosphate mines were established. A railroad station and a post office called Santaffey were established in 1884. The post office was renamed Santa Fe a few months later, then Orion the next year, and in 1888 it became High Springs, and the town was officially incorporated in 1892. The town, now a city, had a population over 1,500 at the end of the 1890s and was the second largest by population in the county.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.36%) is water.

Climate

High Springs has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa).

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable"

|+High Springs racial composition<br> (Hispanics excluded from racial categories)<br> (NH = Non-Hispanic)<br>

!Race

!Pop 2010

!Pop 2020

!% 2010

!% 2020

|-

|White (NH)

|4,116

|4,503

|76.93%

|72.45%

|-

|Black or African American (NH)

|730

|728

|13.64%

|11.71%

|-

|Native American or Alaska Native (NH)

|23

|16

|0.43%

|0.26%

|-

|Asian (NH)

|38

|44

|0.71%

|0.71%

|-

|Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)

|6

|0

|0.11%

|0.00%

|-

|Some other race (NH)

|8

|35

|0.15%

|0.56%

|-

|Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)

|76

|284

|1.42%

|4.57%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|353

|605

|6.60%

|9.73%

|-

|Total

|5,350

|6,215

|

|

|-

|}

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, High Springs had a population of 6,215. The median age was 39.7 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.7 males age 18 and over.

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

There were 2,404 households in High Springs, of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 54.2% were married-couple households, 14.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 5,350 people, 1,781 households, and 1,502 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census

Library

The Alachua County Library District operates a branch library on NW 1st Avenue in downtown, High Springs. The library is open 7 days a week, provides regular programming for all ages, and circulates print books, audiobooks, music CDs, and DVDs. Free computer and internet access is available to all patrons.

In 1958, the North Florida Telephone Company offered the loan of its vacant building to the High Springs Parent-Teacher Association for the creation of the first Alachua County branch library located outside of Gainesville. The High Springs Library opened at this location the following year. After years of community fund raising, ground was broken in 1976 for a new 3,000 sq. ft. library building. The second and current library location opened its doors on January 3, 1977. Children from High Springs formed a block-long human chain to move the book collection from the old library to the new one.

Notable people

  • Ellis Amburn, book editor and biographer
  • Hector McLean Grady, former Florida congressman
  • Myril Hoag, former MLB All-Star
  • Charlie Huggins, former President of the Alaska State Senate
  • Burton H. Rawls, former Florida congressman
  • Wes Skiles, cave diving explorer and cinematographer
  • William Eugene Whitlock, former Florida congressman

References

  • City of High Springs official website
  • High Springs Chamber of Commerce
  • High Springs Blog – The Official Site of Commissioner Eric May
  • High Springs Branch Library