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=== Major highways ===
=== Major highways ===
[[Image:Tlh.png|thumb|250px|right|Capital Circle NW I-10 Exit]]

*[[Image:I-10.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 10]]
*[[Image:I-10.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 10]]
*[[Image:US 27.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 27]]
*[[Image:US 27.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 27]]

Revision as of 15:05, 4 February 2011

"Tallahassee" redirects here. For other uses, see Tallahassee (disambiguation).
City of Tallahassee
City
Flag of City of Tallahassee
Flag
Official seal of City of Tallahassee
Seal
Motto: 
Florida's Capital City
Location in Leon County and the state of Florida
Location in Leon County and the state of Florida
Country United States
State Florida
County Leon
Government
 • MayorJohn Marks
Area
 • City103.1 sq mi (267.029 km2)
 • Land100.6 sq mi (260.554 km2)
 • Water2.5 sq mi (6.475 km2)
Elevation
203 ft (62 m)
Population
 (2008)
 • City172,574 (133rd)
 • Urban
232,398
 • Metro
360,013
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
32300-32399
Area code850
FIPS code12-70600Template:GR
GNIS feature ID0308416Template:GR
Websitehttp://talgov.com/

Tallahassee (Template:PronEng) is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 133rd largest city in the United States.[1] Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 172,574,[2] while the Tallahassee metropolitan area was estimated at 360,013 in 2009.[3]

Tallahassee is one of Florida's most prominent college cities, and is home to several colleges and universities, most notably Florida A&M University and Florida State University. The Florida A&M University – Florida State University College of Engineering is a joint project of the two institutions. Other schools in Tallahassee include Tallahassee Community College and branches of Saint Leo University, Thomas University, Keiser University, Barry University, and Flagler College.

Tallahassee is a regional center for trade and agriculture in the Florida Panhandle, and is served by Tallahassee Regional Airport. With one of the fastest growing manufacturing and high tech economies in Florida,[4] its major private employers include a General Dynamics Land Systems manufacturing facility (military and combat applications), the Municipal Code Corporation, which specializes in the publication of municipal and county legal references; and a number of national law firms, lobbying organizations, trade associations and professional associations, including The Florida Bar and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.[5] It is recognized as a regional center for scientific research, and is home to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the largest and highest-powered magnet research laboratory in the world.

History

Main article: History of Tallahassee, Florida
Early Tallahassee; Showing points of interest from over a century ago

The name "Tallahassee" is a Muskogean Indian word often translated as "old fields." This likely stems from the Creek (later called Seminole) Indians who migrated from Georgia and Alabama to this region in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Upon arrival, they found large areas of cleared land previously occupied by the Apalachee tribe. Earlier, the Mississippian Indians built mounds near Lake Jackson around AD 1200, which survive today in the Lake Jackson Archaeological State Park.[6]

The expedition of Panfilo de Narvaez encountered the Apalachees, although it did not reach the site of Tallahassee. Hernando de Soto and his expedition occupied the Apalachee town of Anhaica in what is now Tallahassee in the winter of 1538–1539. Based on archaeological excavations, this site is now known to be located about 0.5 miles (800 m) east of the present Florida State Capitol. The DeSoto encampment is believed to be the first place Christmas was celebrated in the continental United States.

Mission San Luis de Apalachee as it may have appeared in the 17th century

During the 17th century, several Spanish missions were established in the territory of the Apalachee to procure food and labor for the colony at St. Augustine. The largest of these, Mission San Luis de Apalachee, has been partially reconstructed by the state of Florida.

Historic Cascades Park; Hand-colored photograph of The Cascades

Tallahassee was created as the capital of Florida during the second legislative session. It was chosen as it was roughly equidistant from St. Augustine and Pensacola, which had been the capitals of the Spanish and British colonies of East Florida and West Florida, respectively. 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.[7]

From 1821 through 1845, the rough-hewn frontier capital gradually grew into a town during Florida's territorial period. The Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolution, returned for a grand tour of the United States in 1824. 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. Now known as the "old Capitol," it stands in front of the Capitol high rise building, which was constructed in the 1970s.[8]

Tallahassee was the center of the slave trade in Florida as the city was the capital of the Cotton Belt.[9] During the American Civil War, Tallahassee was the only Confederate state capital east of the Mississippi not captured by Union forces. A small engagement, the Battle of Natural Bridge, was fought south of the city on March 6, 1865.

Battle of Natural Bridge; First reenactment of the Battle of Natural Bridge

During the 19th century the institutions that would eventually be combined into what is now known as Florida State University were established in Tallahassee, firmly cementing it as a university town. These including the Tallahassee Female Academy (founded 1843) and the Florida Institute (founded 1854). In 1851 the Florida legislature decreed two seminaries to be built on either side of the Suwanee River, East Florida Seminary and West Florida Seminary. In 1855 West Florida Seminary was transferred to the Florida Institute building (which had been established as an inducement for the state to place the seminary in Tallahassee). In 1858 the seminary absorbed the Tallahassee Female Academy and became coeducational.[10]

Following the Civil War, much of Florida's industry moved to the south and east, a trend that continues today. The end of slavery hindered the cotton and tobacco trade, and the state's major industries shifted to citrus, lumber, naval stores, cattle ranching and tourism. The post-Civil War period was also when many former plantations in the Tallahassee area were purchased by wealthy northerners for use as winter hunting preserves. This included the hunting preserve of Henry L. Beadel, who bequeathed his land for the study of the effects of fire on wildlife habitat. Today, the preserve is known as the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy, nationally recognized for its research into fire ecology and the use of prescribed burning.

Florida State Capitol; Showing modern Capitol Tower under construction

Until World War II, Tallahassee remained a small southern town, with virtually the entire population living within 1 mile (2 km) of the Capitol. The main economic drivers were the universities and state government, where politicians met to discuss spending money on grand public improvement projects to accommodate growth in places such as Miami and Tampa Bay, hundreds of miles away from the capital. By the 1960s, there was a movement to transfer the capital to Orlando, closer geographically to the growing population centers of the state. That motion was defeated, however, and the 1970s saw a long-term commitment by the state to the capital city with construction of the new capitol complex and preservation of the old Florida State Capitol building.

In 1977 a 23-story high-rise Capitol building was completed, which is now the third-tallest state capitol building in the U.S. 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 new and old capitols still stand to this day in Tallahassee.[11]

Florida's "Old" Capitol Building as seen at Night

Tallahassee was the center of world attention for six weeks during the 2000 United States Presidential election recount, which involved numerous rulings by the Florida Secretary of State and the Florida Supreme Court.

Geography and climate

Template:GR According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 98.2 square miles (254.3 km2), of which, 95.7 square miles (247.9 km2) of it is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2) of it (2.59%) is water.

Lake Talquin; Lake's name combines Tallahassee and neighboring Quincy, Florida

Tallahassee's terrain is hilly by Florida standards, being located at the southern end of the Red Hills Region, just above the Cody Scarp. The elevation varies from near sea level to just over 200 feet, with the state capitol located on one of the highest hills in the city. The city also includes two large lake basins, Lake Jackson and Lake Lafayette, and borders the northern end of the Apalachicola National Forest.

The flora and fauna are more typical of those found in the mid-south and low country regions of South Carolina and North Carolina. Although some palm trees grow in the city, they are the more cold-hardy varieties like the state tree, the Sabal Palmetto. Pines, magnolias, and a variety of oaks are the dominant trees. Of the latter, the Southern Live Oak is perhaps the most emblematic of the city.

Lake Ella; Lake Ella is a popular Tallahassee recreational park

Tallahassee has a hot and humid subtropical climate, with long summers and mild, short winters. Summers in Tallahassee are hotter than in the Florida peninsula, and it is one of the few cities in the state to occasionally record temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 °C). The summer weather is characterized by brief intense showers and thunderstorms that form along the afternoon sea breeze from the Gulf of Mexico. The average high temperature in July (the hottest month of the year) is 92 °F(32 °C). Conversely, the city is much cooler in the winter. In 1899 the city reached -2 °F (-19 °C) (the only sub-zero Fahrenheit reading in Florida to date) during the Great Blizzard of 1899.

Autumn Colors in Downtown Tallahassee

In December and January, the average high temperature is 64 °F (18°C) and the average low is 42°F (6°C). On occasion, temperatures fall into the 15 to 25 °F (−9 to −4 °C) range at night, and though very rare, temperatures in the single digits (below -12°C) have been recorded. Over the last 100 years, the city has also recorded several snowfalls; the heaviest was 2.8 inches (7.1 cm)on February 13, 1958. A white Christmas occurred in 1989, and in 1993 there were traces of snow and high winds. Historically, the city usually records at least observed flurries every three to four years, but on average, measurable amounts of snow 1.0 inch (2.5 cm) occur only every 17 years. The last measurable snowfall took place in December 1989. The natural snow line (regular yearly snowfalls) ends 200 miles (320 km) to the north at Macon, Georgia. In addition, the city averages 34 nights where the temperature falls below freezing.[12] The coldest temperature in Florida history was recorded in the city before the Great Blizzard of 1899, when it dropped to −2 °F (−19 °C) on February 13.

Although several hurricanes have brushed Tallahassee with their outer rain and wind bands, in recent years only Hurricane Kate, in 1985, has struck Tallahassee directly. The Big Bend area of North Florida sees several tornadoes each year during the season, but none have hit Tallahassee in living memory. In extreme heavy rains, some low-lying parts of Tallahassee may flood, notably the Franklin Boulevard area adjacent to the downtown and the Killearn Lakes subdivision (which is not within the city limits proper) on the north side.

Climate data for Tallahassee (1971-2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 63.8
(17.7) 		67.4
(19.7) 		74.0
(23.3) 		80.0
(26.7) 		86.5
(30.3) 		90.9
(32.7) 		92.0
(33.3) 		91.5
(33.1) 		88.5
(31.4) 		81.2
(27.3) 		72.9
(22.7) 		65.8
(18.8) 		79.5
(26.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 39.7
(4.3) 		42.1
(5.6) 		48.2
(9.0) 		52.8
(11.6) 		62.3
(16.8) 		69.8
(21.0) 		72.7
(22.6) 		72.7
(22.6) 		69.2
(20.7) 		56.9
(13.8) 		47.9
(8.8) 		41.6
(5.3) 		56.3
(13.5)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 5.36
(136) 		4.63
(118) 		6.47
(164) 		3.59
(91) 		4.95
(126) 		6.92
(176) 		8.04
(204) 		7.03
(179) 		5.01
(127) 		3.25
(83) 		3.86
(98) 		4.10
(104) 		63.21
(1,606)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.9 8.2 8.4 6.3 7.9 13.1 15.9 14.5 9.3 5.1 6.8 8.1 113.5
Source: NOAA [12]

Cityscape

Panoramic view of downtown Tallahassee

Nearby Cities & Suburbs

Demographics

Monroe Street; Photo showing traffic on Tallahassee's busy Monroe Street Downtown

Tallahassee is the twelfth fastest growing metropolitan area in Florida. Tallahassee’s 12.4 percent growth rate is higher than both Miami and Tampa and half that of Cape Coral-Fort Myers and Naples-Marco Island.

As of the 2000 censusTemplate:GR, there were 150,624 people, 63,217 households, and 29,459 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,573.8 people per square mile (607.6/km²). There were 68,417 housing units at an average density of 714.8/sq mi (276.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.42% White, 34.24% African American, 0.25% Native American, 2.40% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.97% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.19% of the population. Non-Hispanic whites were 57.79% of the population.

Tallahassee Asian Festival; Photo showing vendors at the Tallahassee Asian Festival

There were 63,217 households, 21.8% of which had children under 18 living in them. 30.1% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband, and 53.4% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city, the population was spread out with 17.4% under the age of 18, 29.7% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,571, and the median income for a family was $49,359. Males had a median income of $32,428 versus $27,838 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,981. About 12.6% of families and 24.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Educationally, the population of Leon County is the most highly educated population in Florida with 49.9% of the residents with either a Bachelor's, Master's, professional or doctorate degree. The Florida average is 22.4% and the national average is 24.4%.

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860201—
187038491.0%
18801,432272.9%
18902,15950.8%
19003,18547.5%
19106,374100.1%
192010,30361.6%
193051,937404.1%
194062,47520.3%
195073,95818.4%
196089,53921.1%
1970102,48214.5%
1980113,58310.8%
1990124,7739.9%
2000150,62420.7%
2008 (est.)171,922

Languages

As of 1974, 91.99% of residents spoke English as their first language, while 4.11% spoke Spanish, and 0.63% spoke French as their mother tongue. In total, 8.00% of the total population spoke languages other than English.[13]

Shopping

Tallahassee is home to two indoor shopping malls.

In the late 70's and early 80's The Northwood Mall, on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. had closed , which is now owned by state offices. Tallahassee is home to numerous farmer's market's and strip malls as well. A few farmer's market's include:

  • Market Square (Timberlane Rd) off of I-10 Killearn exit.
  • Tomato Land (Thomasville Rd) near Capital Plaza.
  • Downtown Market Days (Downtown Tallahassee, Park Avenue)
  • Florida's Farmer's Market (East Tennessee St)

Tallahassee is also home to green wise stores, such as Earth Fare, New Leaf Market and The Fresh Market and other local stores. Tallahassee has a large number of plaza's and outdoor malls. A few major plaza's:

  • Bradfordville Commons (North of Tallahassee / Suburb)
  • Capital Plaza
  • Market Plaza
  • Village Square Commons
  • Governor's Market Place

City accolades

Government and politics

Tallahassee has traditionally been a Democratic city, and is one of the few cities in the South known for left-wing activism, along with Asheville and Austin. The city has voted Democratic throughout its history with a high voter-turnout. As of April 2007 there were 85,343 Democrats and 42,230 Republicans in Leon County. Other affiliations accounted for 22,284 voters.

Election 2000; Close-up view of satellite trucks parked by the Capitol during the 2000 Presidential election vote dispute

Ion Sancho is the Supervisor of Elections for Leon County, Florida. Serving since January 1989, he has been reelected to five additional terms. One of only three (out of 67) supervisors of elections in Florida without party affiliation, under his administration Leon County's voter turnout percentage has consistently ranked among the highest of Florida's 67 counties, with a record setting 86% turnout in the November 2008 General Election.[15]

Election 2000; Attorney General Bob Butterworth speaking at a news conference with Governor Jeb Bush on the initial Florida recount during the 2000 Presidential election

Tallahassee took center stage during the Presidential Election of 2000, Bush v. Gore. On Election Day, prior to all polls closing in Florida, all of the major television networks estimate that then Vice President Al Gore had beaten Texas Gov. George W. Bush in Florida. These networks were later forced to retract the projection as votes were tabulated from Florida's heavily Republican western panhandle. As the night went on, it became clear that the victor in Florida would win the electoral votes necessary to claim the presidency. The next morning, hearing Mr. Bush was up in the count by an estimated 50,000 votes, Vice President Gore called to concede the election. Not long afterward, hearing that thousands of votes in key Florida counties had not been counted due to a number of machine malfunctions and irregularities, Vice President Gore called his opponent to retract his concession.

Florida Supreme Court
Florida Department of Transportation headquarters in Tallahassee.

The election would play itself out over the next 30 days with Tallahassee set as ground zero for the answer to who would become next president of the United States. About a dozen appeals were heard by the Florida Supreme Court arising from the disputed election, including two that resulted in oral arguments broadcast on live television around the world. Ultimately, controversial Florida Secretary of State, Kathryn Harris, would certify the election for George W. Bush, winning Florida by a heavily disputed margin of 537 votes.

Consolidation

Voters of Leon County have gone to the polls four times to vote on consolidation of Tallahassee and Leon County governments into one jurisdiction combining police and other city services with already shared (consolidated) Tallahassee Fire Department and Leon County Emergency Medical Services. Tallahassee's city limits would increase from 103.1 square miles (267 km2) to 702 square miles (1,820 km2). Roughly 36 percent of Leon County's 265,714 residents live outside the Tallahassee city limits.

Congressional District; Florida's Second Congressional District

The proponents of consolidation have stated that the new jurisdiction would attract business by its very size. Merging governments would cut government waste, duplication of services, etc. Professor Richard Feiock of the Department of Public Administration of Korea University and the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy of Florida State University states that no discernible relationship exists between consolidation and the local economy.[16]

Each time, the measure was rejected (1968 - 10,381 (41.32%)|14,740 (58.68%); 1973 - 11,056 (46.23%)| 12,859 (53.77%); 1976 - 20,336 (45.01%) | 24,855 (54.99%); 1992 - 37,062 (39.8%) | 56,070 (60.2%).

Congressional District; Florida's Fourth Congressional District

Federal representation and offices

Tallahassee is part of Florida's 2nd congressional district.

The United States Postal Service operates post offices in Tallahassee. The Tallahassee Main Post Office is located at 2800 South Adams Street.[17] Other post offices in the city limits include Centerville Station,[18] Leon Station,[19] Park Avenue Station,[20] and Westside Station.[21]

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration maintains a National Weather Service in Tallahassee. Their coverage-warning area includes the eastern Florida Panhandle and adjacent Gulf of Mexico waters, the north-central Florida peninsula, and parts of southeast Alabama and southwestern Georgia.

Flag

The flag of Tallahassee, Florida is a white saltire on a blue field with the city coat of arms (the capitol building) in the middle, very similar to the flag of Florida, of which Tallahassee is the capital. The flag is also very similar to the Flag of Scotland, which is a white saltire on a blue field; although the "officially recommended" blue of the Scottish flag is slightly lighter, there is no official shade of the Scottish saltire, therefore many Scotland flags share a very similar shade of blue with the flag of Tallahassee[citation needed].

Urban planning and expansion

The first plan for the Capitol Center was the 1947 Taylor Plan, which consolidated several of the government buildings in one downtown area. In 1974, the Capitol Center Planning Commission for the City of Tallahassee, Fla. responded to the growth of its urban center with a conceptual plan for the expansion of its Capitol Center. Hisham Ashkouri, working for The Architects' Collaborative, led the urban planning and design effort. Estimating growth and related development for approximately the next 25 years, the program projected the need for 213,677 m² (2.3 million feet²) of new government facilities in the city core, with 3,500 dwelling units, 0.4 km² (100 acres) of new public open space, retail and private office space, and other ancillary spaces. Community participation was an integral part of the design review, welcoming Tallahassee residents to provide input as well as citizens’ groups and government agencies, resulting in the creation of six separate Design Alternatives. The best elements of these various designs were combined to develop the final conceptual design, which was then incorporated into the existing Capitol area and adjacent areas.

Land use
File:AdamsStMall.jpg
Adams Street Mall
Topographical map

Tallest buildings

Rank Name Street Address Height feet Height meters Floors Year
1 Florida State Capitol 400 South Monroe Street, 331 101 28 1977
2 Turlington Building 325 West Gaines Street, 318 97 19 1990
3 Plaza Tower Adams St, 276 84 24 2008
4 Highpoint Center 100 South Adams St 239 70 15 1990
5 Doubletree Hotel 101 South Adams St, 220 67 16 1972

Tallahassee Views

  • Turlington Education Building as seen from Civic Center.
    Turlington Education Building as seen from Civic Center.
  • Downtown Tallahassee Doubletree Hotel.
    Downtown Tallahassee Doubletree Hotel.
  • Tennyson Condominiums as seen through a break in the downtown Federal Courthouse Square.
    Tennyson Condominiums as seen through a break in the downtown Federal Courthouse Square.
  • Georgia Belle Apartment Building in Downtown Tallahassee.
    Georgia Belle Apartment Building in Downtown Tallahassee.
  • Highpoint Center as seen from the Florida Capitol.
    Highpoint Center as seen from the Florida Capitol.
  • Historic Tallahassee Exchange Building, the City's First "Highrise" Building.
    Historic Tallahassee Exchange Building, the City's First "Highrise" Building.
  • Tallahassee War Memorial Monument Downtown.
    Tallahassee War Memorial Monument Downtown.
  • Lewis State Bank, Florida's Oldest Surviving Bank Building.
    Lewis State Bank, Florida's Oldest Surviving Bank Building.
  • Leon County Courthouse Building.
    Leon County Courthouse Building.
  • Tallahassee City Hall Building.
    Tallahassee City Hall Building.
  • Historic Florida State House.
    Historic Florida State House.
  • Kleman Plaza in the heart of downtown Tallahassee.
    Kleman Plaza in the heart of downtown Tallahassee.
  • U.S. Federal Courthouse in Tallahassee.
    U.S. Federal Courthouse in Tallahassee.
  • Florida Korean War Memorial
    Florida Korean War Memorial
  • Florida Supreme Court Building
    Florida Supreme Court Building
  • Historic Midtown Tallahassee Church
    Historic Midtown Tallahassee Church
  • Old Downtown Tallahassee Clock
    Old Downtown Tallahassee Clock
  • Tallahassee-Leon County Visitors Center
    Tallahassee-Leon County Visitors Center

Education

Leon High School
File:CHILES ADMINISTRATION.jpg
Lawton Chiles High School
Lower School students at Maclay School celebrating Grandparents Day in 2008.

Tallahassee anchors the Leon County School District. As of the 2009 school year Leon County Schools had about estimated enrollment of 32,796 students, 2209 teachers and 2100 administrative and support personnel. The current superintendent of schools is Jackie Pons. Leon County public school enrollment continues to grow steadily (up approximately 1% per year since the 1990-91 school year). The dropout rate for grades 9-12 improved to 2.2% in the 2007-2008 school year, the third time in the past four years the dropout rate has been below 3%.

To gauge performance the State of Florida rates all of the state's public schools according to student achievement on the state-sponsored Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Seventy-nine percent of Leon County Public Schools received an A or B grade in the 2008-2009 school year. The overall district grade assigned to the Leon County Schools is "A". Students in the Leon County School District continued to score favorably in comparison with Florida and national averages in the SAT and ACT student assessment tests. The Leon County School District has consistently scored the same or higher than the average for districts statewide in total ACT and SAT mean composite scores.

High schools

Florida State University Westcott Center
Florida A&M University

The Florida State University (commonly referred to as Florida State or FSU) is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation. The university comprises 15 separate colleges and 39 centers, facilities, labs and institutes that offer more than 300 programs of study, including professional programs. Florida State is a flagship university in the State University System of Florida. As one of Florida's primary graduate research universities, Florida State University awards over 2,000 graduate and professional degrees each year. In 2007, Florida State was placed in the first tier of research universities by the Florida Legislature, a distinction allowing FSU, along with the University of Florida, to charge 40% higher tuition than other institutions in the State University System of Florida. While FSU was officially established in 1851 and is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the state of Florida, at least one predecessor institution may be traced back to 1843, two years before Florida was admitted as a state in the United States.

Florida State University is also home to nationally ranked programs in many academic areas, including the sciences, social policy, film, engineering, the Arts, business, political science, social work, medicine, and law. Florida State is home to Florida's only National Laboratory - the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and is the birthplace of the commercially-viable anti-cancer drug Taxol. The Florida State University athletics programs are favorites of passionate students, fans and alumni across the United States, especially when led by the Marching Chiefs of the FSU College of Music. Florida State is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and has won twelve national athletic championships as well as multiple individual competitor NCAA championship awards.

Founded on October 3, 1887, Florida A&M University (FAMU) is part of the State University System of Florida and is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Distinguished by lush foliage and massive oaks, FAMU's main campus comprises 156 buildings spread over 422 acres (1.7 km2) atop the highest of Tallahassee’s seven hills. The university also has several satellite campuses including a site in Orlando where the College of Law is located and sites in Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa for its pharmacy program. Florida A&M University offers 62 bachelor’s degrees and 39 master’s degrees. The university has 13 schools and colleges and one institute. The university also offers a juris doctor at its College of Law in Orlando. FAMU has 11 doctoral programs which includes 10 Ph.D. programs: chemical engineering; civil engineering; electrical engineering; mechanical engineering; industrial engineering; biomedical engineering; physics; pharmaceutical sciences; educational leadership; and environmental sciences. Top undergraduate programs are architecture; journalism; computer information sciences and psychology. FAMU’s top graduate programs include pharmaceutical sciences along with public health; physical therapy; engineering; physics; master's of applied social sciences (especially history and public administration); business and sociology.

Universities and colleges

Public safety

Tallahassee Police Department Patrol Car

Established in 1841, the Tallahassee Police Department has the distinction of being the oldest police department in the southern United States, and the third in the U.S., preceded only by the Philadelphia Police Department established in 1758 and the Boston Police Department established in 1838. Larger east coast cities followed with New York City and Baltimore in 1845. Tallahassee Police Department is also the third-longest accredited law enforcement agency in the United States.

Law enforcement services are provided by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Capitol Police, Florida State University Police Department, Florida A&M University Department of Public Safety, the Tallahassee Community College Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Marshals, Immigration and Customs Enforcement,[22] Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Secret Service and Drug Enforcement Agency have offices in Tallahassee. The US Attorney's Office for North Florida is based in Tallahassee.

Leon County EMS

Fire and Rescue services are provided by the Tallahassee Fire Department and Leon County Emergency Medical Services.

Hospitals in the area include Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, Capital Regional Medical Center and HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Tallahassee.

Places of interest

Maclay Gardens Reflection Pool
File:TallahasseeAntiqueCarMuseum.jpg
Tallahassee Antique Car Museum
Tallahassee IMAX Challenger Learning Center
Florida Museum of History

Located nearby are:

Festivals and events

Cross-country at Red Hills Horse Trials, 2007.

Sports

Florida State University Doak Campbell Stadium
File:Civicers.jpg
Donald L. Tucker's Center. Capacity: 14,000
Club Sport League Venue
Florida State Seminoles football Football Florida State University Doak Campbell Stadium
Florida State Seminoles men's basketball Basketball Florida State University Donald L. Tucker Center
Tallahassee Thunder American Football Arena Football Donald L. Tucker Center
Tallahassee Titans American Football AIFL Donald L. Tucker Center
Florida A&M Rattlers American Football Florida A&M University Bragg Memorial Stadium
Florida A&M Rattlers men's basketball Basketball Florida A&M University Teaching Arena
Tallahassee Tiger Sharks Hockey ECHL Donald L. Tucker Center

Transportation

Tallahassee Regional Airport
StarMetro
Interstate 10 at Capital Circle Northeast

Aviation

Defunct airports

Mass transit

Railroads

Defunct railroads

See also History of Tallahassee, Florida

Major highways

Media

Newspaper

Television

Radio

Notable Tallahassee groups and organizations

See also: List of people from Tallahassee, Florida

Namesakes

Sister cities

See also: List of sister cities in Florida

Tallahassee has five sister cities, and two from Indonesia :

See also

References

  1. ^ U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places over 100,000, Ranked by July 1, 2008 Population : April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008
  2. ^ "Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places Over 100,000, Ranked by July 1, 2008 Population: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008" (CSV). 2008 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  3. ^ Tallahassee, FL MSA Population - Retrieved on June 22, 2010
  4. ^ BIG BEND: Rounding out the Economy
  5. ^ http://www.flchamber.com/
  6. ^ http://www.tallahasseenewsroom.com/MediaKit/Trivia/
  7. ^ Florida: A Short History, Michael V. Gannon, ISBN 0-8130-1167-1, Copyright @ 1993 by the Board of Regents of the State of Florida
  8. ^ MOSQUITO COUNTY 1842 (Archived Page)
  9. ^ Slavery and Plantation Growth in Antebellum, Florida, 1821-1860
  10. ^ "History". Office of University Communications, Florida State University. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  11. ^ http://www.flhistoriccapitol.gov/
  12. ^ a b "Climatography of the United States No. 20 (1971–2000)" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2004. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
  13. ^ Modern Language Association Data Center Results of Tallahassee, FL
  14. ^ ePodunk College Towns Index
  15. ^ Leon Supervisor of Elections Office
  16. ^ City County Consolidation Efforts: Selective Incentives and Institutional Choice
  17. ^ "Post Office Location - TALLAHASSEE." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 6, 2009.
  18. ^ "Post Office Location - CENTERVILLE STATION." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 6, 2009.
  19. ^ "Post Office Location - LEON STATION." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 6, 2009.
  20. ^ "Post Office Location - PARK AVENUE STATION." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 6, 2009.
  21. ^ "Post Office Location - WESTSIDE STATION." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 6, 2009.
  22. ^ http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:h1Av3-UtUsUJ:www.migrationinformation.org/pdf/OI-office-map.pdf+%22immigration+and+customs+enforcement%22+%22ra+offices%22&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AHIEtbS8enwgX1w57gq3OZexKkxUIp95vw
  23. ^ http://www.boyschoirtlh.org/
  24. ^ www.bpwtallahassee.com BPWT website
  25. ^ Gamelan brings captivating Bali music
  26. ^ Gamelan Groups in the USA
  27. ^ Kelompok Gamelan di Amerika Serikat

Further reading

  • Tebeau, Charlton, W. A History of Florida. University of Miami Press. Coral Gables. 1971
  • Williams, John Lee. Journal of an Expedition to the Interior of West Florida October - November 1823. Manuscript on file at the State Library of Florida, Florida Collection. Tallahassee.

External links

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