# Bristol, Florida

Bristol is a city in and the county seat of Liberty County, Florida, United States. It is the only incorporated city in Liberty County. The population was 918 at the 2020 census.

## Geography

The approximate coordinates for the City of Bristol is located in northwestern Liberty County at 30°25′37″N 84°58′45″W﻿ / ﻿30.427063°N 84.979099°W﻿ / 30.427063; -84.979099, in the Florida Panhandle.
It sits atop a 150-foot-high (46 m) bluff overlooking the east side of the Apalachicola River. Florida State Road 20 passes through the city, leading west 4 miles (6 km) to Blountstown and east 44 miles (71 km) to Tallahassee, the state capital. Florida State Road 12 leads northeast from Bristol 18 miles (29 km) to Greensboro.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Bristol has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.2 km$^2$), all land.

### Climate

Like all of North Florida, the climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, the City of Bristol has a humid subtropical climate zone (Cfa).
Climate data for Bristol, Florida :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 83 (28) | 85 (29) | 90 (32) | 92 (33) | 100 (38) | 102 (39) | 102 (39) | 101 (38) | 98 (37) | 95 (35) | 87 (31) | 84 (29) | 102 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 64 (18) | 67 (19) | 74 (23) | 79 (26) | 86 (30) | 90 (32) | 91 (33) | 90 (32) | 88 (31) | 81 (27) | 73 (23) | 66 (19) | 79 (26) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 52 (11) | 55 (13) | 61 (16) | 66 (19) | 74 (23) | 79 (26) | 81 (27) | 80 (27) | 77 (25) | 69 (21) | 61 (16) | 54 (12) | 67 (20) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 40 (4) | 42 (6) | 48 (9) | 52 (11) | 61 (16) | 68 (20) | 71 (22) | 70 (21) | 66 (19) | 57 (14) | 49 (9) | 42 (6) | 56 (13) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 4 (−16) | 0 (−18) | 19 (−7) | 31 (−1) | 36 (2) | 49 (9) | 60 (16) | 59 (15) | 48 (9) | 33 (1) | 20 (−7) | 12 (−11) | 0 (−18) |
| Average rainfall inches (mm) | 4.80 (122) | 4.92 (125) | 5.86 (149) | 3.68 (93) | 5.04 (128) | 5.92 (150) | 7.36 (187) | 6.78 (172) | 4.15 (105) | 4.11 (104) | 3.51 (89) | 3.77 (96) | 59.9 (1,520) |
| Source: The Weather Channel ||||||||||||||

## Demographics
### 2010 and 2020 census

Bristol racial composition (Hispanics excluded from racial categories) (NH = Non-Hispanic) :
| Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
| White (NH) | 797 | 712 | 80.02% | 77.56% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 95 | 72 | 9.54% | 7.84% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 13 | 6 | 1.31% | 0.65% |
| Asian (NH) | 2 | 6 | 0.20% | 0.65% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | 0.11% |
| Some other race (NH) | 0 | 7 | 0.00% | 0.76% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 14 | 24 | 1.41% | 2.61% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 75 | 90 | 7.53% | 9.80% |
| Total | 996 | 918 | | |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 918 people, 352 households, and 210 families residing in the city.
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 996 people, 322 households, and 183 families residing in the city.

### 2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 845 people, 326 households, and 235 families residing in the city. The population density was 517.1 inhabitants per square mile (199.7/km$^2$). There were 393 housing units at an average density of 240.5 per square mile (92.9/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the city was 87.22% White, 3.79% African American, 1.78% Native American, 5.44% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.80% of the population.
There were 326 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,607, and the median income for a family was $36,932. Males had a median income of $26,473 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,949. About 14.8% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 15.5% of those age 65 or over.

## Education

All public schools in Bristol are served by Liberty County School District.
Two schools are based in Bristol:
* Liberty County High School
* W.R. Tolar Elementary and Middle School (K-8).

## Veterans Memorial Park

One notable feature of the park is the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge Veterans Memorial Railroad, operating multiple types of locomotives including a coal-powered steam locomotive built by Crown Metal Products.

## Claimed Garden of Eden site

A widely reported claim was once made by Elvy E. Callaway that the site of the Biblical Garden of Eden lay in northern Liberty County. He cited as evidence the Apalachicola River, with its four heads, and local sources of torreya (which Callaway claimed was gopher wood, the material said to have been used by Noah in constructing his ark).