# Monticello, Florida

Monticello (/ˌmɒntɪˈsɛloʊ/ MON-tiss-EL-oh) is the only city and the county seat of Jefferson County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Monticello, the estate of the county's namesake, Thomas Jefferson, on which the Jefferson County Courthouse was modeled. The population was 2,589 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Tallahassee metropolitan area.
Monticello is home to Indian mounds and many historic buildings, including the Perkins Opera House and Monticello Old Jail Museum.

## History and culture

The Perkins Opera House is a 19th-century mercantile building adapted for use as a theater. It regularly hosts musical performances and theater productions. The first-floor ballroom also holds receptions.
Howard Academy built in 1936 served African American students. It is on Mamie B. Scott Drive, named for Mamie B. Scott. In 1960 a school for African American students was built in southeastern Monticello. It was later also named Howard Academy. Schools in Monticello integrated in 1967. Old Howard Academy is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.

### Historic sites

* Bethel School
* Christ Episcopal Church
* Denham-Lacy House
* Jefferson County Courthouse (Florida)
* Letchworth Mounds
* Lyndhurst Plantation
* Monticello High School (Florida)
* Monticello Historic District
* Monticello Old Jail Museum
* Palmer House
* Palmer-Perkins House
* Perkins Opera House
* Wirick-Simmons House

## Geography

Monticello is located in northern Jefferson County at 30°32′41″N 83°52′02″W﻿ / ﻿30.544612°N 83.867321°W﻿ / 30.544612; -83.867321.
U.S. Route 90 runs through the center of the city as Washington Street, leading east 16 miles (26 km) to Greenville and west 26 miles (42 km) to Tallahassee. U.S. Route 19 passes through the city center on Jefferson Street, leading south 10 miles (16 km) to Capps and north 22 miles (35 km) to Thomasville, Georgia. The two highways meet in the center of Monticello at Courthouse Circle, which surrounds the Jefferson County Courthouse. US-19 leads south from the courthouse 5 miles (8 km) to Interstate 10 at Exit 225. I-10 leads west 25 miles (40 km) to Tallahassee and east 82 miles (132 km) to Lake City.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.3 km$^2$), all land.

## Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, the City of Monticello has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). Monticello is the site of the highest temperature recorded in Florida, 109 °F (43 °C) on June 29, 1931.
Climate data for Monticello 5 SE, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1904–2017 :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 85 (29) | 88 (31) | 92 (33) | 95 (35) | 106 (41) | 109 (43) | 107 (42) | 104 (40) | 103 (39) | 99 (37) | 91 (33) | 84 (29) | 109 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 62.7 (17.1) | 67.1 (19.5) | 73.3 (22.9) | 79.1 (26.2) | 85.7 (29.8) | 89.6 (32.0) | 90.7 (32.6) | 90.1 (32.3) | 87.2 (30.7) | 80.3 (26.8) | 71.4 (21.9) | 65.1 (18.4) | 78.5 (25.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 51.5 (10.8) | 54.8 (12.7) | 60.7 (15.9) | 66.5 (19.2) | 73.4 (23.0) | 79.1 (26.2) | 80.9 (27.2) | 80.5 (26.9) | 77.2 (25.1) | 68.6 (20.3) | 59.4 (15.2) | 53.7 (12.1) | 67.2 (19.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 40.3 (4.6) | 42.5 (5.8) | 48.1 (8.9) | 53.9 (12.2) | 61.1 (16.2) | 68.6 (20.3) | 71.0 (21.7) | 70.9 (21.6) | 67.2 (19.6) | 56.9 (13.8) | 47.5 (8.6) | 42.4 (5.8) | 55.9 (13.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 3 (−16) | 14 (−10) | 18 (−8) | 31 (−1) | 38 (3) | 44 (7) | 54 (12) | 58 (14) | 36 (2) | 28 (−2) | 13 (−11) | 7 (−14) | 3 (−16) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.81 (122) | 4.01 (102) | 5.29 (134) | 4.12 (105) | 3.82 (97) | 7.62 (194) | 7.49 (190) | 7.53 (191) | 5.46 (139) | 3.31 (84) | 2.79 (71) | 3.68 (93) | 59.93 (1,522) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.1 | 7.4 | 9.2 | 6.4 | 5.8 | 11.7 | 15.0 | 13.2 | 8.7 | 5.0 | 5.8 | 7.7 | 105.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: WRCC (extremes) ||||||||||||||

## Demographics

Monticello city, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. :
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
| White (NH) | 1,175 | 1,058 | 1,208 | 46.39% | 42.22% | 46.66% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,285 | 1,349 | 1,242 | 50.73% | 53.83% | 47.97% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0.12% | 0.00% | 0.19% |
| Asian (NH) | 15 | 17 | 7 | 0.59% | 0.68% | 0.27% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0.08% | 0.00% | 0.12% |
| Other race (NH) | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.19% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 20 | 29 | 70 | 0.79% | 1.16% | 2.70% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 33 | 53 | 49 | 1.30% | 2.11% | 1.89% |
| Total | 2,533 | 2,506 | 2,589 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,589 people, 1,120 households, and 711 families residing in the city.
In 2020, the median household income was $43,780. 27.3% of the population 25 years and older had a Bachelor's Degree or higher. There was a 49.2% employment rate. There were 1,323 housing units.
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 2,506 people, 770 households, and 559 families residing in the city.

## Notable people

* James Patton Anderson, commander of the 1st Florida Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War, lived in Monticello.
* Allen Boyd, politician
* Ryal Long, state legislator during the Reconstruction era
* Bobby Thigpen, Major League Baseball relief pitcher, set record for most saves in a season (57) in 1990, a record which stood for 18 years
* Willie "Chicken" Thompson, celebrated mid-late 20th century Chicago White Sox clubhouse manager and chef
* Jack Youngblood, professional football player

## Education

Jefferson County Schools operates public schools, including Jefferson County Middle / High School.