About Wakulla County


St  Marks Lighthouse

Wakulla County is located south of Tallahassee, Florida. Wakulla County is bordered by Liberty County (to the west), Franklin County (to the southwest), and Jefferson County (to the east).  Wakulla County was founded on March 11, 1843, when Port Leon was destroyed by a hurricane and storm surge and its residents moved to Newport.  

The Springs

Wakulla County consists of 735.74 square miles, of which 606.66 square miles are land, and 129.08 square miles are water. Wakulla County offers natural beauty and outdoor recreation.  Wakulla County is home to the Apalachicola National Forest (269.18 square miles), St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (97.546 square miles), and Wakulla Springs State Park (9.375 square miles).  Some people believe Wakulla is named for the Timucuan Indian word (kala), meaning “spring of water” or “mysterious water.”  This could be referring to Wakulla Springs. Wakulla Springs is one of the world’s largest springs. The water flow has been measured at 1.23 billion gallons per day.