Tallahassee, Florida

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City of Tallahassee
Flag of City of Tallahassee
Flag		 Official seal of City of Tallahassee
Seal
Location in Leon County and the state of Florida
Location in Leon County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 30°27′06″N 84°16′6.72″W / 30.45167, -84.2685333
Country Flag of the United States United States
State Flag of Florida Florida
County  Leon
Government
 - Mayor John Marks
Area
 - City 98.2 sq mi (254.5 km²)
 - Land 95.7 sq mi (247.9 km²)
 - Water 2.5 sq mi (6.6 km²)
Elevation 203 ft (24 m)
Population (2005)
 - City 159,012
 - Density 1,533.85/sq mi (607.6/km²)
 - Metro 336,501
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 32300-32399
Area code(s) 850
FIPS code 12-70600GR2
GNIS feature ID 0308416GR3
Website: http://talgov.com/

Tallahassee (pronounced /ˌtæləˈhæsi/) is the capital of the State of Florida and the county seat of Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida in 1824. In 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 159,012,[1] while the Tallahassee metropolitan area is estimated at 336,501 (2006).

Tallahassee is the home of Florida State University, a major research university with strengths in both arts and sciences. The city also includes the higher-education institutions of Florida A & M University, a well known historically-black university, Tallahassee Community College, Barry University, Embry Riddle, and Flagler branches. Tallahassee is also a regional center for trade and agriculture, and is served by Tallahassee Regional Airport. With one of the fastest growing manufacturing and high tech economies in Florida,[2] its major private employers include a General Dynamics Land Systems manufacturing facility (military and combat applications), the headquarters of Talla-Tech (a communications manufacturing firm owned by Tadiran Communications, Ltd., in Israel) and the manufacturing headquarters for Danfoss Turbocor (a manufacturer of oil-free high efficiency compressors). It is also home base for the Figg Engineering Group, an acclaimed bridge engineering firm founded by Eugene Figg, as well as a number of leading national law firms, lobbying organizations, and professional associations.

Contents

Main article: History of Tallahassee, Florida

The name "Tallahassee" is a Muskogean Indian word often translated as "abandoned fields," "old fields" or "old town." This likely stems from the Creek (later called Seminole) Indians who migrated from Georgia and Alabama into this region in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Upon arrival, they found large areas of cleared land previously been occupied by the Apalachee tribe.

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 the winter of 1538-1539. Based on archaeological excavations, this site is now known to have been located about one-half mile east of the present Florida capitol building.

During the 1600s, 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.

Florida State Capitol; old building in front with new high-rise behind.
Florida State Capitol; old building in front with new high-rise behind.

From 1821 through 1845, the rough-hewn frontier capital gradually grew into a town during Florida's territorial period. 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 current Capitol high rise building, which was constructed in the 1970s.[3]

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.

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.

Until World War II, Tallahassee remained a relatively small southern town, with virtually the entire population living within a mile 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 capitol building.

In recent years, Tallahassee has seen an uptick in growth, mainly in government and research services associated with the state, Florida State University, and Florida A&M University.

Tallahassee City Hall
Tallahassee City Hall

Tallahassee is located at 30°27′6″N, 84°16′22″W (30.451800, -84.272770).GR1 According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 98.2 square miles (254.5 km²), of which, 95.7 square miles (247.9 km²) of it is land and 2.5 square miles (6.6 km²) of it (2.59%) is water.

Tallahassee is noted for its hilly terrain, and the state capitol is located on one of the highest hills in the city. The elevation varies from near sea level to just over 200 feet. 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.

Summers in Tallahassee are typically 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 summertime high temperature is 92 °F(32 °C). Conversely, the city is much cooler in the winter. 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 20s and 10s at night, and during some extreme occasions temperatures in the single digits have been recorded. Tallahassee recorded the state's lowest temperature of -2 °F (-20 °C), on February 13, 1899. Over the last 100 years, the city has also recorded several snowfalls; the heaviest was 2.8 inches on February 13, 1958. Historically, the city usually records at least observed flurries every three to four years, but on average, measurable amounts of snow (1" or more) occur only every 16 years. The natural snow line (regular yearly snow falls) ends 200 miles (320 km) to the north at Macon, Georgia.

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High °F 83 88 91 95 102 104 104 103 102 95 88 84
Norm High °F 63.8 67.4 74 80 86.5 90.9 92 91.5 88.5 81.2 72.9 65.8
Norm Low °F 39.7 42.1 48.2 52.8 62.3 69.8 72.7 72.7 69.2 56.9 47.9 41.6
Rec Low °F 6 -2 20 29 34 46 57 57 40 30 13 10
Precip (in) 5.36 4.63 6.47 3.59 4.95 6.92 8.04 7.03 5.01 3.25 3.86 4.10
Source: National Weather Service[1]

Tallahassee is the 12th 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 censusGR2, 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.

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

As of 2000, 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.[4]

City Hall
City Hall

Tallahassee has traditionally been a Democratic city. It 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 affilations accounted for 22,284 voters.[6]

Tallahassee Elected Government
Position Name Party
Mayor John Marks Democratic
Mayor Pro-Tem Debbie Lightsey Democratic
Commissioner Allan Katz Democratic
Commissioner Mark Mustian Democratic
Commissioner Andrew Gillum Democratic
Tallahassee Appointed Officials
Position Name Party
City Manager Anita Thompson unknown
City Attorney James R. English unknown
City Auditor Sam McCall unknown
City Treasurer Gary Herndon unknown

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 (at current size) increase from 98.2 square miles (254 km²) to 702 square miles (1,820 km²). Roughly 36 percent of Leon County's 250,000 residents live outside the Tallahassee city limits.

Leon County Voting On Consolidation
Year FOR AGAINST
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%)

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. However, Professor Richard Feiock states that no discernible relationship exists between consolidation and the local economy.[7]

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, FL 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
Land use
Adams Street Mall
Adams Street Mall
Topographical map
Topographical map

Also see Leon County for more details.

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 Police Department, the Tallahasse Community College Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol.

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 and Capital Regional Medical Center.

Located nearby are:

  • Local public high schools and middle schools compete in athletics, and share Gene Cox Stadium for football.

StarMetro (formerly TalTran) provides bus service throughout the city.

CSX operates two rail lines in the city. Amtrak's Sunset Limited historically served the city, but has been suspended since Hurricane Katrina.

See also History of Tallahassee, Florida

 This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please improve this article if you can (November 2006).

v • d • e
Broadcast television in the Tallahassee market  (Nielsen DMA #108)

W03AO 3 / WACX-LP 9 (Ind/Rel) - WCTV 6/WSWG 44 (CBS) (MNTV on DT2) - WFSU 11 (PBS) - WSFD-LP 18 (IND)
W21BK 21 (Ind) - WTLF 24 / WFXU 57 (The CW) - W25CP 25 / W38CM 38 (TBN) - WTXL 27 (ABC) - WTWC 40 (NBC) - WBXT-CA 43 (MTV2) - WVUP-CA 45 (CTN) - WTLH 49 / WBVJ-LP 35 (Fox) (The CW on DT2) - WTBC-LP 65 (FN)
Regional cable television channels
Availability may vary by geographical location
4FSU - The Florida Channel - WCOT - Sun Sports - Comcast Sports Southeast - SportSouth - FSN South - FSN Florida
Defunct Television Channels
Florida's News Channel
Significantly Viewed Out-of-Market Broadcast Stations
Reception may vary by geographical location
Albany: WALB 10 (NBC) - WABW 14 (PBS/GPB) | Panama City: WJHG 7 (NBC) - WMBB 13 (ABC) | Dothan: WTVY 4 (CBS) | Jacksonville: WJXT 4 (Ind.) - WJCT 7 (PBS) - WXGA 8 (PBS/GPB) | Gainesville: WUFT 5 (PBS) - WCJB 20 (ABC) | Atlanta: WSB 2 (ABC)

v • d • e
Radio stations in the Tallahassee, Florida market (Arbitron #164)
By FM frequency 87.7¹ · 88.1 · 88.9 · 89.7 · 90.5 · 91.1 · 91.5 · 91.9 · 92.1 · 93.3 · 94.1 · 94.9 · 96.1 · 97.3 · 97.9 · 98.9 · 99.9 · 100.7 · 101.5 · 101.9 · 102.3 · 103.1 · 104.1 · 104.9 · 105.7 · 106.1 · 106.3 · 107.1 · 107.9
By AM frequency 730 · 790 · 840 · 930 · 1020 · 1070 · 1100 · 1230 · 1240 · 1270 · 1330 · 1400 · 1410 · 1450 · 1580
By callsign WAIB · WAKU · WANM · WAYT · WBGE · WBZE · WCGA · WCTV · WCVC · WEGT · WFLA · WFRF · WFSD · WFSQ · WFSU · WGLF · WGRA · WGWD · WHBT · WHBX · WHGH · WHTF · WJEP · WJZT · WKVH · WMGR · WNFK · WNLS · WPAX · WPRY · WRAK · WSTT · WTAL · WTCL · WTLY · WTNT · WTUF · WUJC · WUTL · WVFS · WWLD · WWSD · WXSR
¹Audio for TV channel 6 (WCTV/CBS)
v • d • e
Radio stations in the Tallahassee, Florida market (Arbitron #164)
By FM frequency 87.7¹ · 88.1 · 88.9 · 89.7 · 90.5 · 91.1 · 91.5 · 91.9 · 92.1 · 93.3 · 94.1 · 94.9 · 96.1 · 97.3 · 97.9 · 98.9 · 99.9 · 100.7 · 101.5 · 101.9 · 102.3 · 103.1 · 104.1 · 104.9 · 105.7 · 106.1 · 106.3 · 107.1 · 107.9
By AM frequency 730 · 790 · 840 · 930 · 1020 · 1070 · 1100 · 1230 · 1240 · 1270 · 1330 · 1400 · 1410 · 1450 · 1580
By callsign WAIB · WAKU · WANM · WAYT · WBGE · WBZE · WCGA · WCTV · WCVC · WEGT · WFLA · WFRF · WFSD · WFSQ · WFSU · WGLF · WGRA · WGWD · WHBT · WHBX · WHGH · WHTF · WJEP · WJZT · WKVH · WMGR · WNFK · WNLS · WPAX · WPRY · WRAK · WSTT · WTAL · WTCL · WTLY · WTNT · WTUF · WUJC · WUTL · WVFS · WWLD · WWSD · WXSR
¹Audio for TV channel 6 (WCTV/CBS)

Main article: Tallahassee in popular culture

Tallahassee has been represented well in popular culture through the years in television programs, popular music, film, and the news. It has been referenced by Bing Crosby, and in Stephen King's The Green Mile and the hit television series Lost on ABC. Freddy Cannon recorded the hit single "Tallahassee Lassie".

See also: List of sister cities in Florida

Tallahassee has five sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

  1. ^ Census data
  2. ^ BIG BEND: Rounding out the Economy
  3. ^ MOSQUITO COUNTY 1842
  4. ^ Modern Language Association Data Center Results of Tallahassee, FL
  5. ^ http://www.epodunk.com/top10/colleges/index.html]
  6. ^ Leon Supervisor of Elections Office
  7. ^ City County Consolidation Efforts: Selective Incentives and Institutional Choice
  8. ^ http://localism.com/article/166086/Tallahassee-Treasure-Uncovered
  9. ^ a b c http://www.usoc.org/13220.htm Official Site of the U.S. Olympic Team: Search for Olympians
  10. ^ a b http://www.talgov.com/parks/gymnastics.cfm Tallahassee Gymnastics
  11. ^ http://www.usoc.org/26_765.htm U.S. Olympic Team biography of Brian Olson
  12. ^ van der Vat, Dan (1991). The Pacific Campaign. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-73899-2. 
  • 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.

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