Suwannee County is a county located in the north central portion of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,474, up from 41,551 in 2010. Its county seat is Live Oak. Suwannee County was a dry county until August 2011, when the sale of alcoholic beverages became legal in the county.
History
Suwannee County was created in 1858, as railways were constructed through the area connecting it to Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and points north. It was named after the Suwannee River, which forms the county's northern, western, and much of its southern border. The word "Suwannee" may either be a corruption of the Spanish San Juan ("Saint John") or from the Creek (Muscogee) sawani ("echo river").
During the American Civil War, Company K of the 3rd Florida Infantry Regiment was composed almost entirely of men from Suwannee County. In 1884, Florida's volunteer militia was reorganized and the Suwanee Rifles were established. The Rifles were among the twelve companies from Florida that were activated for service during the Spanish–American War.
The rural areas supported numerous lumber and turpentine camps. In the 1930s, anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston did research in North Florida timber camps.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Hamilton County - north
- Columbia County - east
- Gilchrist County - southeast
- Lafayette County - west
- Madison County - northwest