Seminole County, Florida | ||
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County | ||
Seminole County | ||
Seminole County Courthouse
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Location in the U.S. state of Florida |
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Florida's location in the U.S. |
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Founded | April 25, 1913 | |
Named for | Seminole people | |
Seat | Sanford | |
Largest city | Sanford | |
Area | ||
• Total | 345 sq mi (894 km2) | |
• Land | 309 sq mi (800 km2) | |
• Water | 36 sq mi (93 km2), 10.4% | |
Population (est.) | ||
• (2015) | 449,144 | |
• Density | 1,372/sq mi (529.72/km²) | |
Congressional districts | 5th, 7th | |
Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
Website | www |
Seminole County (/ˈsɛmᵻnoʊl/, SEM-i-nohl) is a county in the state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 422,718. Its county seat and largest city is Sanford.
Seminole County is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
On July 21, 1821, two counties formed Florida: Escambia to the west and St. Johns to the east. In 1824, the area to the south of St. Johns County was designated Mosquito County, with its seat at Enterprise. The county's name was changed to Orange County in 1845 when Florida became a state, and over the next 70 years several other counties were created. Seminole County was one of the last to split.
Seminole County was created on April 25, 1913 out of the northern portion of Orange County by the Florida Legislature. It was named for the Seminole people who historically lived throughout the area. The name "Seminole" is thought to be derived from the Spanish word cimarron, meaning "wild" or "runaway."