24 Facts Americans Don’t Know About Florida
Ask any American to describe Florida, and their responses will vary according to their experience and what they’ve heard. Beaches, alligators, warm winters, and hurricanes might all come to mind.
I spent family vacations in Florida and lived there as an adult for five years. Of the many things I learned, among the biggest was that there are a lot of things Americans don’t know about Florida.
These are some of the biggest things many people don’t know about Florida but should. Some are good, some aren’t ideal, and some are great for a trivia night.
1: Underwater Guru
In June 2023, a university professor broke the world record for the longest time spent living underwater. He spent 100 days underwater in total, staying at a scuba diver-geared Florida Keys lodge.
Not only is Dr. Joseph Dituri from Florida, but he set the living underwater record in Florida. As a scientist, he was interested in studying how the body and mind react to extreme pressure and isolation during his time underwater. The goal was that his contribution to science will help ocean researchers and long-term astronaut missions.
2: Golf for the Win
Golfers, rejoice. Florida has more golf courses than any other state, with more than 1,250 to its name.
If you want to visit the area with the densest golf course count within Florida, head to Palm Beach County. Seminole Golf Club, TPC Sawgrass: Stadium, and Calusa Pines Golf Club are some of the biggest golf course names in the Sunshine State.
3: Expensive Car Insurance
Florida has the second-most expensive car insurance in the nation. Floridians shell out an average of $3,945 for an annual premium, which is about 5.69% of their income.
Extreme weather is one of the reasons that Florida’s car insurance is so high. The more claims insurance companies receive, the higher insurance residents end up paying in the future.
4: Second-Longest Shoreline
Florida has the second-longest shoreline in the U.S., with 8,426 miles. This is significantly higher than California, which comes in third place for its 3,427 miles of shoreline, and significantly lower than Alaska in first place, with 33,904 miles.
Of course, relaxing on Florida’s beaches offers a more pleasant soft-sand beach experience with warm weather year-round than most beaches in California and Alaska.
5: There’s a Hill
Florida is notorious for being flat. But as anyone from the Panhandle can tell you, Florida does have some hills. Namely, Britton Hill.
Britton Hill is the highest natural point in Florida, at a whopping 345 feet. The kicker? It also has the title of being the lowest highpoint in the U.S.
6: Sinkholes Abound
Hurricanes often take up Florida’s natural disaster real estate on the news. However, sinkholes are a quieter threat that many Floridians are more well-versed in than they’d like to be.
Florida is one of the most sinkhole-prone states in the U.S. There’s even an area in Florida nicknamed “sinkhole alley.” It encompasses Pasco, Hernando, and Hillsborough counties, which account for about 75% of the state’s sinkhole reports.
7: Not the World’s Lightning Capital
Despite what you may have heard, Florida isn’t the lightning capital of the world. Lake Maracaibo is the true owner of that title. This Venezuelan lake receives 233 lightning flashes per square kilometer each year.
That said, Florida is the lightning capital of the United States. Central Florida is known for having the most lightning strikes, with an average of 83 flashes per square kilometer.
8: Beyond Oranges
Florida ranks first in the country for its Valencia orange production value. But it also ranks first in the nation for several other agricultural produce, including bell peppers, floriculture, grapefruit, sugarcane, and watermelons.
Furthermore, Florida ranks second in the nation for its value of production for all orange varieties, strawberries, and sweet corn.
9: Second-Highest Mosquito Population
If you’ve been to Florida, you might be convinced that it takes the top spot for the greatest number of mosquitoes. But Louisiana has that honor. Florida ranks as the second-worst state in the U.S. for a high mosquito population.
The mosquitoes in Florida aren’t just pesky. They can be downright dangerous. According to the Florida Department of Health, West Nile virus disease, equine encephalitis, and St. Louis encephalitis are some of the mosquito-borne diseases people can get from Florida’s mosquitoes.
10: Oldest City
Saint Augustine is the oldest city in the U.S. This northeast coastal Floridian city was founded in the 1500s and became the base for Spanish Florida for over 200 years before the British took it over.
Jamestown, Virginia, is the second-oldest city in America, founded in 1607. Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Hampton, Virginia, take third and fourth place, respectively.
11: Close To Water
Most Americans know that the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico straddle Florida. But did you know that Floridians are never more than 60 miles away from a body of salt water?
On top of that, Florida has over 7,700 lakes and 11,000 miles of rivers. If that’s not a water lover’s paradise, I don’t know what is.
12: Smallest Deer
Florida is home to the smallest deer in North America. The aptly named Key deer live exclusively in the lower Florida Keys.
Key deer are an endangered species, with its population ranging from 800 to 1,000. Humans are the biggest threat to them, with car crashes and development making it challenging for these deer to leave their endangered status behind.
13: Parks Everywhere
Florida has 191 state parks, ranking it fifth in the nation for the greatest number of state parks. On top of that, Florida has three national parks, which ties it in fifth place with Washington and Arizona.
Some of the most beloved state parks in Florida include Wekiwa Springs, Honeymoon Island, and Little Manatee River.
14: Alligators Galore
With famous areas like Alligator Alley and signs warning tourists not to feed these reptiles, many Americans are well aware that alligators abound in Florida. But it just so happens that Louisiana shares the title with Florida as having the greatest number of alligators in the country.
According to Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries, Florida and Louisiana have over one million alligators each.
15: Most Visited Amusement Parks
Magic Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World is the most visited amusement park in the U.S. But it doesn’t end there.
Seven out of ten of the amusement parks with the highest annual visitors are located in Florida. California is the only other state in the top ten, home to three frequently visited amusement parks.
16: Termite Diversity
Florida has the unwanted distinction of boasting a richer termite diversity than most states. Twenty-one termite species live in Florida, of which at least six species are invasive.
Damp, humid environments make Florida a breeding ground for many termite species. Termites can do extensive damage to Florida homes, which is one of many reasons that maintaining a pest control schedule is so important.
17: Official State Food
Who says you can’t eat dessert for a meal? According to Taste of Home, key lime pie is Florida’s official state food.
Key West is supposedly the home to where the key lime pie was invented. The juice from key limes is the star of the show, adding a tartness that rivals the best lemon pies.
18: Anacondas Are Rare
Despite what you might believe, it’s rare for a human to encounter an anaconda in Florida. These invasive species are constrictor snakes, and under the right conditions, they have the capacity to take a human’s life.
However, the average Floridian will never meet an anaconda in the wild. If they do, they’re most likely to find them in central and north central Florida, not in the Everglades.
19: Springs Abound
Florida has more springs than any other state in the U.S. Geologists believe the Sunshine State has over 1,000 springs, 27 of which are first-magnitude, and 70 are second-magnitude.
Floridians are a lucky bunch in the water department, for about 90% of drinking water comes from these springs. Tourists can even travel to some of the springs to see manatees, which visit the relatively warmer spring waters during the winter.
20: Greek Population
If you don’t associate Greeks with Florida, we’re about to change your mind. Tarpon Springs has the largest Greek-American population in the Sunshine State, with over one in ten people saying they have Greek ancestry.
As if eating Moussaka and Souvlaki at local restaurants isn’t enough of a reason to visit Tarpon Springs, its sponge industry surely is. Greek immigrants made the town famous for sponge fishing, and tourists can purchase real sponges harvested from the Gulf of Mexico.
21: Palm Tree State
Florida has more palm trees than any other state, including Hawaii. That said, the Sunshine State only has 12 native palm trees; many of its palm trees originate from South America and Asia.
Some of the palm trees native to Florida include the Royal Palm, Paurotis Palm, and Buccaneer Palm.
22: Two for One
South Florida is home to both the American crocodile and the American alligator. It’s the only place in the world where you’ll find these two animals living together.
So, if you’re in South Florida, how do you know whether you’re looking at a crocodile or an alligator? Crocodiles have a more pointed snout than alligators.
23: Largest City
Jacksonville doesn’t have anything on New York City from a population perspective. However, it’s the largest city by area in the contiguous United States.
When factoring in all fifty states, Alaska takes the cake for having the largest cities by area. Four Alaskan cities are larger than Jacksonville’s 747 square miles: Sitka, Juneau, Wrangell, and Anchorage.
24: River Flow
Florida’s St. John’s River joins Africa’s Nile River as one of the handful of rivers that flow from south to north.
Although most rivers flow south, water ultimately flows in a downhill direction due to gravitational pull. In the case of St. John’s River, even though there’s an elevation drop of fewer than 30 feet, it just so happens the drop is in a northern direction.
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