Levy County, Florida

Levy County, Florida
Location in the state of Florida
Florida's location in the U.S.
Founded	10 March 1845
Seat	Bronson
Largest city	Williston
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	1,412.8 sq mi (3,659 km²) 1,118.2 sq mi (2,896 km²) 294.6 sq mi (763 km²), 20.85%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	40,801 36/sq mi (14.08/km²)
Website	www.levycounty.org

Levy County Courthouse, in Bronson

Levy County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2010, the population was 40,801. Its county seat is Bronson. Levy is pronounced LEE vee.

History

Levy County was created in 1845, in development that followed the end of the Seminole Wars. It was named for David Levy, a planter elected in 1841 as the state's territorial delegate to the US House of Representatives, and he served two terms. When Florida was admitted as a state, Levy was elected by the new state legislature as one of Florida's first two U.S. senators; he served from 1845 to 1851, and again from 1855 to 1861. He was the first Jewish American elected to the United States Senate.

Levy provided for long-term development in the state by constructing the first railroad across Florida, linking the deep-water ports of Fernandina on the Atlantic Ocean and Cedar Key on the Gulf of Mexico. He developed a network of feeder railroads through central Florida as well.

The Rosewood Massacre occurred in Levy County, in the first week of January 1923. It was a race riot in which whites attacked and killed blacks. A film based on the incident was made, but not shot in Levy County.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 1,412.8 square miles (3,659 km²), of which 1,118.2 square miles (2,896 km²) (or 79.15%) is land and 294.6 square miles (763 km²) (or 20.85%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Dixie County — west
• Gilchrist County — north
• Alachua County — northeast
• Marion County — east
• Citrus County — south

National protected areas

• Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge
• Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1850	465		—
1860	1,781		283.0%
1870	2,018		13.3%
1880	5,767		185.8%
1890	6,586		14.2%
1900	8,603		30.6%
1910	10,361		20.4%
1920	9,921		−4.2%
1930	12,456		25.6%
1940	12,550		0.8%
1950	10,637		−15.2%
1960	10,364		−2.6%
1970	12,756		23.1%
1980	19,870		55.8%
1990	25,923		30.5%
2000	34,450		32.9%
2010	40,801		18.4%

As of the census of 2000, there were 34,450 people, 13,867 households, and 9,679 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile (12/km²). There were 16,570 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.88% White, 10.97% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.96% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. 3.89% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 13,867 households out of which 27.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.40% were married couples living together, 11.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.20% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county the population was spread out with 23.60% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 26.60% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,959, and the median income for a family was $30,899. Males had a median income of $26,029 versus $20,252 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,746. About 15.00% of families and 18.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.80% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or over.

Proposed Nuclear Power Plant

See also: Levy County Nuclear Power Plant

On April 7, 2008, Progress Energy Florida of St. Petersburg announced it had authorized Shaw and Westinghouse to purchase long-lead-time materials for up to two AP1000 nuclear reactors for its Levy County plant, a greenfield plant in Levy County, producing about 1,100 MW each.

Progress expects to apply for a Combined Construction and Operating License (COL) in the summer of 2008, according to a spokeswoman. Southern Company and SCANA, of whom each own an interest in the plant, would not reveal cost estimates, but Progress has said its plant will cost $14 billion, with $3 billion more for transmission infrastructure.^{[citation needed]}

Applying for a COL does not commit the utilities to construct the plant, but it is part of the licensing process, say officials of all the utilities. The application starts a 40-month review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, meaning that approval could come in August 2011.

If built, the plant would be one of the first greenfield nuclear plants to start construction in more than 30 years. The units on all three sites would enter commercial operation around 2016–17.

Municipalities

Incorporated

1. Town of Bronson
2. City of Cedar Key
3. City of Chiefland
4. City of Fanning Springs
5. Town of Inglis
6. City of Otter Creek
7. City of Williston
8. City of Yankeetown

Unincorporated

• Andrews
• East Bronson
• East Williston
• Ellzey
• Fowlers Bluff
• Gulf Hammock
• Lebanon Junction
• Manatee Road
• Raleigh
• Rosewood
• Turkeytown
• Usher
• Williston Highlands

Politics

Presidential elections results

Year	Republican	Democratic	Other
2008	62.6%	35.7%	1.7%
2004	62.5%	36.5%	1.0%
2000	53.9%	42.4%	3.7%

Transportation

Airports

• George T. Lewis Airport
• Williston Municipal Airport
• Ames Field

Railroads

Levy County has only one railroad line running throughout the county, and only within eastern Levy along US 41. The line is a former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad line that is now used by the Florida Northern Railroad for freight to the Crystal River 3 Nuclear Power Plant in Red Level, Citrus County. Notable abandoned lines include a Seaboard Air Line Railroad line that is in close proximity to the existing former ACL line, a Florida Railway and Navigation Company line running parallel to Florida State Road 24, and a third in western and southern Levy County that spans from Fanning Springs towards the Dunnellon area running along US 19-98 until it reaches Lebanon Junction where it runs along Levy CR 336. The segment of that line between Fanning Springs and Chiefland is part of the Nature Coast State Trail.

Major roads

See also: List of county roads in Levy County, Florida

• U.S. Route 19/U.S. Route 98 is the main local road through western Levy County, running south to north.
• U.S. Route 27 runs northwest to southeast from Marion County and joins US 41 in Williston on its way to High Springs.
• 
  Alternate 27 is a bannered alternate of US 27 that runs northwest and southeast from US 27/US 41/SR 121 in Williston to US 19/US 98 in Chiefland, which it joins on its way to Perry.
• U.S. Route 41 is the main local road through eastern Levy County, running south to north. Until the north end of the concurrency with SR 121 in Williston, the road is also shared by the DeSoto Trail.
• U.S. Route 129 is an auxiliary route of US 29 that runs northeast from Chiefland, and then turns north in Trenton on its way through Jasper before heading north into Georgia.
• State Road 24 is an east to west highway through the central part of the county from Cedar Key into Alachua County. A county-suffixed alternate route can be found in Bronson.
• State Road 121 is a south to north road that runs southwest to northeast from Lebanon Junction through Williston, and then into Alachua County and beyond, as it takes a long journey through Georgia and South Carolina as a tri-state de-facto auxiliary route from U.S. Route 21 in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
• State Road 320 is an east–west route connecting Manatee Springs State Park with US 19/98/Alternate US 27 in Chiefland. A county extension of the road exists north of the eastern terminus with US 19/98/ALT 27 leading to LCR 339 in Newton.
• State and County Road 345 is a combined county and state road spanning from Rosewood to Chiefland.
• County Road 40 runs mostly east and west through southern Levy County. It spans from the Gulf of Mexico in Yankeetown winding along the Withlacoochee River, on the way to Dunnellon and Rainbow Lake Estates in Marion County, where it eventually becomes Florida State Road 40. The segment between the Gulf of Mexico and US 19-98 is officially named Follow That Dream Boulevard, after the 1962 Elvis Presley movie.
• County Road 326 runs mostly east and west through southeastern Levy County as a bi-county extension of Florida State Road 326. It spans from a dead end at the Waccasassa River in Gulf Hammock winding northeast through US 19-98 until it reaches Levy CR 343 where it turns east. After running through Goethe State Forest it intersects Levy CR 337 in Morristown Junction, and then SR 121. By the time it reaches eastern Levy County it has a brief multiplex with southbound US 41 where both serve as the southern terminus of Levy CR 323, only for Levy CR 326 to turn east again as it eventually crosses the Levy-Marion County line, on the way to Ocala and Silver Springs. The segment between I-75 (Exit 358) and SR 40 becomes a state road.
• County Road 336 is a bi-county road that runs mostly southeast and northwest through southwestern Levy County in two segments. It spans from Levy CR 347 southwest of Chiefland, along various local streets, and even overlaps Levy CR 345, then runs southeast toward SR 24 at Otter Creek. From there it is hidden along local streets that merge with US 19-98, which completely overshadows it until the at-grade interchange with SR 121 in Lebanon Junction, where it is exposed again running through the southern segment of Goethe State Forest, and later crosses the Levy-Marion County line, where it overlaps Marion CR 40 all the way to Dunnellon.
• County Road 337 is a tri-county road that runs south and north through central Levy County, as well as southwestern Alachua and eastern Gilchrist counties. It spans from Levy CR 336 in Goethe State Forest and runs primarily along the eastern outskirts of the forest occasionally entering some forest land. North of the forest area, it enters the city of Bronson, where it intersects US Alternate 27, SR 24 and CR 32. Further north of the city limits it crosses the Levy-Alachua County line.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Levy County, Florida

External links

Newspapers and media

• Levy County Journal
• Cedar Key Beacon
• Chiefland Citizen
• HardisonInk.com
• Williston Pioneer
• LCJ archives maintained by University of Florida

Government links/Constitutional offices

• Levy County official website
• Levy County Supervisor of Elections
• Levy County Property Appraiser
• Levy County Sheriff's Office
• Levy County Tax Collector

Special districts

• Levy County School Board
• Suwanee River Water Management District
• Southwest Florida Water Management District

Judicial branch

• Levy County Clerk of Courts
• Office of the State Attorney, 8th Judicial Circuit of Florida serving Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy, and Union counties
• Circuit and County Court for the 8th Judicial Circuit of Florida

Tourism links/Chambers of Commerce

• Levy County Visitors Bureau
• Withlacoochee/Gulf Area Chamber of Commerce
• Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Chiefland Chamber of Commerce
• Fanning Springs Chamber of Commerce
• Cedar Key Scrub State Preserve
• Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge
• Goethe State Forest
• Manatee Springs State Park