Geography of Florida
Much of the state of Florida is situated 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 along the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered on the north by the states of Georgia and Alabama, on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is near The Bahamas, and several Caribbean countries, particularly Cuba. Florida has 131 public airports, and more than 700 private airports, airstrips, heliports, and seaplane bases. Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi River, and only Alaska and Michigan are larger in water area.
Regions of Florida
- Northwest – Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Bay, Walton, Jackson, Washington, Holmes, Gulf, Calhoun, Franklin, Liberty
- North Central – Marion, Leon, Alachua, Citrus, Columbia, Levy, Suwannee, Gadsden, Wakulla, Bradford, Taylor, Gilchrist, Madison, Dixie, Jefferson, Union, Hamilton, Lafayette
- Northeast – Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, Putnam, Baker
- West Central – Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Sarasota, Manatee, Hernando, Highlands, DeSoto, Hardee
- Central – Orange, Polk, Osceola, Lake, Sumter
- East Central – Brevard, Volusia, Seminole, Flagler
- Southwest – Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, Glades
- Southeast – Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee
- South – Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe
Physiogeography
Terrain
At 345 feet above mean sea level, Britton Hill in northern Walton County is the highest point in Florida and the lowest known highpoint of any U.S. state. Much of the state south of Orlando is low-lying and fairly level; however, some places, such as Clearwater, feature vistas that rise above the water. Although known for its low elevation, Florida includes a variety of distinct geographic regions. The upland ridges of central Florida, such as the Lake Wales Ridge, represent some of the oldest exposed land in the state and serve as important centers of biodiversity. In contrast, the coastal lowlands and barrier islands along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts formed through more recent depositional processes and continue to shift due to waves and currents. This diversity contributes to the state’s unique combination of inland highlands, wetlands, and dynamic coastal environments. Much of Central and North Florida, typically or more away from the coastline, features rolling hills with elevations ranging from. The most prominent topographic feature on the Florida Peninsula is the Lake Wales Ridge, a narrow sand ridge that runs north to south down the center of peninsular Florida. The highest point on the Ridge and in peninsular Florida, Sugarloaf Mountain, is a peak in Lake County. Much of Florida has an elevation of less than, including many populated areas such as Miami which are located on the coast. Miami and other parts of south Florida are the most vulnerable regions in the world to rising sea levels associated with climate change. Due to the vast amounts of limestone bedrock that Florida sits above, water is allowed to move relatively freely beneath dry land and to rise up to the surface. Water will also likely encroach from the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Coast, and up through the Everglades, endangering the plant biomass within its marsh communities.Florida possessed approximately 11.4 million acres of wetlands in 1996 and nearly 29% of the state's total land area. Of these, 90% were freshwater wetlands under forested wetlands, marshes, scrub-shrub wetlands, and freshwater ponds. They play a crucial role in flood control, wildlife habitat, and groundwater recharge. Classification of this type benefits ecological planning and conservation within the different hydrological zones of the state.
A 2014 study found Florida to be the flattest state.
Boundaries
The state line begins in the Atlantic Ocean, traveling west, south, and north up the thalweg of the Saint Mary's River. At the origin of that river, it then follows a straight line nearly due west and slightly north, to the point where the confluence of the Flint River and the Chattahoochee River used to form Florida's Apalachicola River. The border with Georgia continues north through the lake for a short distance up the former thalweg of the Chattahoochee, then with Alabama runs due west along 31°N to the Perdido River, then south along its thalweg to the Gulf via Perdido Bay. Much of the state is at or near sea level. Florida is also 65,755 square miles.Topography
Florida’s topography is characterized by extremely low relief, with subtle elevation changes that significantly influence water flow across the state. High-accuracy elevation mapping conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey shows that large portions of South Florida, including the Everglades, lie only a few feet above sea level, making the region one of the flattest in the United States. Because the terrain slopes only a few centimeters per kilometer in some areas, even minor variations in elevation affect wetland distribution, hydrologic systems, and ecosystem stability. This low-lying landscape also contributes to the state’s heightened vulnerability to flooding and sea level rise.Geology
The Florida peninsula is a porous plateau of karst limestone sitting atop bedrock known as the Florida Platform. The emergent portion of the platform was created during the Eocene to Oligocene as the Gulf Trough filled with silts, clays, and sands. Flora and fauna began appearing during the Miocene. No land animals were present in Florida prior to the Miocene.The largest deposits of phosphate rock in the country are found in Florida.
The geological foundation of Florida is far older than its surface sediments suggest. Its basement rocks, composed of ancient metamorphic and igneous rock, date back over 500 million years when they were a part of the supercontinent Gondwana. Through tectonic activities, the rocks migrated into Pangea and subsequently into the construction of the Florida peninsula during break-up of the supercontinent in about 200 million years ago. This is the history behind the unique structural composition of the Florida Platform.
Extended systems of underwater caves, sinkholes and springs are found throughout the state and supply most of the water used by residents. The limestone is topped with sandy soils deposited as ancient beaches over millions of years as global sea levels rose and fell. During the last glacial period, lower sea levels and a drier climate revealed a much wider peninsula, largely savanna. The Everglades, a wide, slow-flowing river, encompasses the southern tip of the peninsula.
These systems all contribute to Florida's water supply and many people tend to disregard the quality of the state's water. The Floridan Aquifer is one of the most productive groundwater sources in the nation for Florida's aquifer systems. The karst topography is therefore crucial. The permeability of limestone allows water to be transferred and stored effectively, but it also exposes groundwater to contamination. With little natural filtering, pollutants can enter the aquifer through surface runoff, urbanization, and agricultural operations. This has a significant impact on the water's quality.
Florida's landscape cover has experienced considerable change in the last century. Prior to 1900, much of the land was covered by forests, wetlands, and prairies. Large-scale drainage operations, agricultural land expansion, urbanization, phosphate mining, and infrastructure construction, however, significantly altered these landscapes. More recently, sea level rise and climate-related stressors have accelerated these changes, further degrading natural ecosystems. This dynamic history captures the enduring conflict between economic development and environmental protection. Florida’s shape has been strongly influenced by long-term fluctuations in sea level. During past glacial periods, sea level dropped significantly, exposing large portions of the continental shelf and expanding Florida’s land area. Conversely, interglacial periods brought higher seas that submerged much of the peninsula, leaving only the central highlands above water. These repeated cycles helped form today’s coastal plains and marine terraces.
Much of Florida’s present-day terrain results from karst processes, which occur when acidic groundwater dissolves underlying limestone. This process has produced extensive sinkholes, springs, and underground drainage networks, especially in west-central Florida. As a result, regions such as the Brooksville Ridge and the Withlacoochee River area contain some of the state’s most significant karst formations.
While there are sinkholes in much of the state, modern sinkholes have tended to be in West-Central Florida.
Florida is tied for last place as having the fewest earthquakes of any US state. Because Florida is not located near any tectonic plate boundaries, earthquakes are very rare, but not totally unknown. In January 1880, Cuba was the center of two strong earthquakes that sent severe shock waves through the city of Key West, Florida. Another earthquake centered outside Florida was the 1886 Charleston earthquake. The shock was felt throughout northern Florida, ringing church bells at St. Augustine and severely jolting other towns along that section of Florida's east coast. Jacksonville residents felt many of the strong aftershocks that occurred in September, October, and November 1886. As recently as 2006, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake centered about southwest of Tampa in the Gulf of Mexico sent shock waves through southwest and central Florida. The earthquake was too small to trigger a tsunami and no damage was reported.