Florida is a first-level division of United States, in North America. Its mapped cities centre on 28.0995° N, 81.9452° W.

What is the largest city in Florida?

Miami is the largest city mapped in Florida, with a metropolitan population of about 5.58 million.

How many cities are in Florida?

YearMaps maps 38 cities and towns in Florida, with a combined metropolitan population of about 19.26 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.

What is the largest lake in Florida?

The largest lake mapped in or beside Florida is Lake Okeechobee, at about 1,587 km².

Florida Map — Cities & Geography, United States

Interactive Map of Florida

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About Florida

Florida ( FLORR-id-ə; Spanish: [floˈɾiða] ) is a state in the Southeastern and South Atlantic

regions of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Straits of Florida to the south, and The Bahamas to the southeast. About two-thirds of Florida occupies a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, spanning approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km), not including its many barrier islands. It is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of over 23 million, it is the third-most populous state in the United States and ranks seventh in population density as of 2020. Florida spans 65,758 square miles (170,310 km2), ranking 22nd in area among the states. The Miami metropolitan area, anchored by the cities of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, is the state's largest metropolitan area, with a population of 6.138 million; the most populous city is Jacksonville. Florida's other major population centers include Tampa Bay, Orlando, Cape Coral, and the state capital of Tallahassee.

Various Native American groups have inhabited Florida for at least 14,000 years. In 1513, Spanish explorer and conquistador Juan Ponce de León became the first European to make landfall in the region. He called the peninsula La Pascua Florida in recognition of the verdant landscape and because it was the Easter season, which the Spaniards called Pascua Florida (Festival of Flowers). giving the territory its present name. Spain subsequently incorporated Florida into the Spanish Empire in the early 16th century. In 1565, it founded St. Augustine, the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the United States. The region was frequently coveted and attacked by Great Britain throughout the 18th century.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Florida (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Florida in Depth

History

The first inhabitants, the Paleo-Indians, entered Florida at least 14,000 years ago. By the 16th century, the earliest time for which there is a historical record, major groups of people living in Florida included the Apalachee of the Florida Panhandle, the Timucua of northern and central Florida, the Ais of the central Atlantic coast, the Mayaimi of the Lake Okeechobee area, the Tequesta of southeastern Florida, and the Calusa of southwest Florida.

Florida was the first region of what is now the contiguous United States to be visited and settled by Europeans. The first recorded European explorers to reach Florida were Spaniards led by Juan Ponce de León, who sighted the peninsula on April 2, 1513, and came ashore the next day to seek information and take possession of this new land.

Geography

Much of Florida is on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Straits of Florida. Spanning two time zones, it extends to the northwest into a panhandle, extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered on the north by Georgia and Alabama, and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is the only state that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

Florida is the southernmost of the 48 contiguous states, Hawaii being the only one of the fifty states reaching farther south. Florida is west of the Bahamas and 90 miles (140 km) north of Cuba. Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi River, and only Alaska and Michigan are larger in water area.

Economy

In 2025, the economy of the state of Florida was the fourth-largest in the United States, with a $1.834 trillion gross state product (GSP) and Florida's per capita personal income was $76,440. If Florida were a sovereign nation (2024), it would rank as the world's 15th-largest economy according to the International Monetary Fund, ahead of Spain and behind South Korea. In 2025, Florida ranked third on CNBC's list of top states for business, which took into account overall economy, infrastructure, cost of doing business, among other factors.

In the 20th century, tourism, industry, construction, international banking, biomedical and life sciences, healthcare research, simulation training, aerospace and defense, and commercial space travel have contributed to the state's economic development.

Demographics

Florida's population was 21,477,737 on July 1, 2019, a 14.24% increase since the 2010 United States census. The population of Florida in the 2010 census was 18,801,310. Florida was the seventh fastest-growing state in the U.S. in the 12-month period ending July 1, 2012. In 2010, the center of population of Florida was located between Fort Meade and Frostproof.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Florida (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Florida: Key Facts

Key facts about Florida
Population	21,538,187 (2020)
Area	170,304 km²
Capital	Tallahassee
Head of government	Ron DeSantis
Highest point	Britton Hill
Established	3 March 1845

Facts from Wikidata Q812 (CC0).

History of Florida: Empires and States

The atlas records 5 polities whose mapped territory included part of Florida, from France Antarctique in 1564 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.

Polities that held Florida, in chronological order
Polity	Period here
France Antarctique	1564–1571 CE
The Spanish Empire	1595–1821 CE
British Colonial Empire	1763–1782 CE
The British Empire	1763–1782 CE
United States of America	1814–2024 CE

Historical Maps of Florida

Florida on the world map in each year one of these states held it:

Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.

Visiting Florida

"FL" redirects here; for the microstate with the same international vehicle registration code, see Liechtenstein.

Florida is the southernmost state in the continental United States of America. Known as "The Sunshine State", over a century ago it became a popular winter destination for the well-to-do from colder climates; it has grown to become the second-most visited state in the nation. Tourists have long been drawn to Florida by its white-sand beaches and unique and diverse cities. Since the mid-twentieth century, world-class theme parks and attractions have become a top draw as well. In the 21st century, Florida has become the preferred retirement destination for rich Americans from all over the country.

The state's roots in agriculture are still relevant, with oranges being a chief export. Untouched natural landscapes teeming with wildlife exist in vast areas, sometimes very close to cities, and there are miles of rivers and trails for the intrepid visitor.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Florida (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Largest Cities in Florida

38 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.

Largest Cities in Florida
#	Name	Population	Region	Role
1	Miami	5.58 million	Florida	Populated place
2	Tampa	2.31 million	Florida	Populated place
3	Fort Lauderdale	2.04 million	Florida	Populated place
4	Orlando	1.35 million	Florida	Populated place
5	West Palm Beach	1.25 million	Florida	Populated place
6	Jacksonville	988,000	Florida	Populated place
7	St. Petersburg	800,313	Florida	Populated place
8	Sarasota	589,959	Florida	Populated place
9	Miami Beach	407,750	Florida	Populated place
10	Sanford	333,460	Florida	Populated place
11	Melbourne	265,414	Florida	Populated place
12	Naples	262,306	Florida	Populated place
13	Coral Springs	250,000	Florida	Populated place
14	Pensacola	234,384	Florida	Populated place
15	Fort Pierce	228,245	Florida	Populated place
16	Kissimmee	225,494	Florida	Populated place
17	Tallahassee	221,222	Florida	Admin-1 capital
18	Daytona Beach	216,890	Florida	Populated place
19	Gainesville	191,097	Florida	Populated place
20	Ft. Myers	188,606	Florida	Populated place
21	Coral Gables	150,000	Florida	Populated place
22	Ocala	141,382	Florida	Populated place
23	Cape Coral	132,489	Florida	Populated place
24	Spring Hill	114,697	Florida	Populated place
25	Winter Haven	108,932	Florida	Populated place

The other 13 (population, region, role)

Panama City · 100,072 · Florida · Populated place
Vero Beach · 86,039 · Florida · Populated place
Homestead · 85,967 · Florida · Populated place
St. Augustine · 76,331 · Florida · Populated place
Port Charlotte · 64,279 · Florida · Populated place
Titusville · 52,311 · Florida · Populated place
Leesburg · 49,574 · Florida · Populated place
Palm Coast · 48,577 · Florida · Populated place
Lake City · 29,395 · Florida · Populated place
Key West · 29,377 · Florida · Populated place
Crestview · 22,403 · Florida · Populated place
Palatka · 21,452 · Florida · Populated place
Apalachicola · 2,284 · Florida · Populated place

Largest Lakes in Florida

6 lakes mapped. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.

Largest Lakes in Florida
#	Name	Surface Area	Type
1	Lake Okeechobee	1,587 km²	Lake
2	Lake George	209 km²	Lake
3	Lake Kissimmee	156 km²	Lake
4	Lake Seminole	143 km²	Reservoir
5	Lake Apopka	113 km²	Lake
6	Lake Istokpoga	108 km²	Lake

Ports in Florida

19 ports mapped. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.

Ports in Florida
#	Name	Channel Depth	Class	Sea	Max Vessel
1	Tarpon Springs	56.7 m	Very Small	Gulf of Mexico	medium vessels
2	Apalachicola	56.7 m	Very Small	Gulf of Mexico	medium vessels
3	St Augustine	53 m	Very Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	medium vessels
4	Carrabelle	49.4 m	Very Small	Gulf of Mexico	medium vessels
5	St Petersburg	49.4 m	Small	Gulf of Mexico	large vessels
6	Fernandina Beach	42.1 m	Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	medium vessels
7	Fort Pierce	42.1 m	Very Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	medium vessels
8	Boca Grande	38.4 m	Very Small	Gulf of Mexico	large vessels
9	Port St Joe	38.4 m	Small	Gulf of Mexico	medium vessels
10	Palm Beach	38.4 m	Very Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	large vessels

The other 9 (channel depth, class, sea, max vessel)

Panama City · 38.4 m · Small · Gulf of Mexico · medium vessels
Key West · 38.4 m · Small · Atlantic Coast of the United States · large vessels
Port Manatee · 34.7 m · Small · Gulf of Mexico · point_of_interest
Jacksonville · 34.7 m · Minor · Atlantic Coast of the United States · large vessels
Pensacola · 34.7 m · Small · Gulf of Mexico · large vessels
Mayport · 31.1 m · Very Small · Atlantic Coast of the United States · large vessels
Canaveral Harbor · 31.1 m · Very Small · Atlantic Coast of the United States · large vessels
Miami · 31.1 m · Small · Atlantic Coast of the United States · large vessels
Port Everglades · 31.1 m · Minor · Atlantic Coast of the United States · large vessels

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Florida

1 World Heritage Site mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Florida
#	Name	Inscribed	Type	Criteria
1	Everglades National Park	1979	Natural	(viii) (ix) (x)

Florida: Quick Answers

Where is Florida?: Florida is a first-level division of United States, in North America. Its mapped cities centre on 28.0995° N, 81.9452° W.
What is the largest city in Florida?: Miami is the largest city mapped in Florida, with a metropolitan population of about 5.58 million.
How many cities are in Florida?: YearMaps maps 38 cities and towns in Florida, with a combined metropolitan population of about 19.26 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
What is the largest lake in Florida?: The largest lake mapped in or beside Florida is Lake Okeechobee, at about 1,587 km².