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Town of Havana
Havana, Florida
Cecil G. Trippe Municipal Building, Havana
Cecil G. Trippe Municipal Building, Havana
Motto(s): 
"Florida's Friendliest Small Town!"
"A Great Place to Live!"
Location in Gadsden County and the state of Florida
Location in Gadsden County and the state of Florida
Country  United States
State  Florida
County  Gadsden
Incorporated December 5, 1906
Named for Havana, Cuba
Government
 • Type Council-Manager
Area
 • Total 2.83 sq mi (7.32 km2)
 • Land 2.79 sq mi (7.22 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation
236 ft (72 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,753
 • Density 629.22/sq mi (242.92/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
32333
Area code(s) 850
FIPS code 12-29150
GNIS feature ID 0283812

Havana is a town in Gadsden County, Florida, United States, and a suburb of Tallahassee. The population was 1,753 at the 2020 census, almost even from 1,754 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Tallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town was named after Havana, Cuba, located about 530 miles (850 km) to the south.

History

The cultivation of shade tobacco began in Gadsden County, Florida around 1829. In 1902, following the completion of the Georgia, Florida and Alabama Railroad, many settlers moved a mile east to the present site of Havana. A local teacher, James Mathewson, proposed the name "Havana". He believed the hand-rolled cigars made in this region of Florida were comparable to those from Havana, Cuba. On December 5, 1906, the Town of Havana was officially incorporated. The railway town was important to the export of farming and tobacco.

On March 16, 1916, Havana was destroyed by a fire and 26 business-owned buildings were burned leaving only two remaining stores.

In recent times, much of the tobacco crop industry has declined and Havana is now known for its antiques, art galleries and specialty stores.

Geography

The approximate coordinates for the Town of Havana is located in northeastern Gadsden County on the Florida Panhandle at 30°37′27″N 84°24′54″W / 30.62417°N 84.41500°W / 30.62417; -84.41500 (30.624245, –84.414955).

U.S. Route 27 passes through the center of town, leading southeast 16 miles (26 km) to the center of Tallahassee and north 25 miles (40 km) to Bainbridge, Georgia. Florida State Road 12 intersects US 27 in Havana; it leads west 12 miles (19 km) to Quincy, the Gadsden County seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Havana has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.2 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.04 km2), or 0.57%, is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, the Town of Havana has a humid subtropical climate zone (Cfa).

Climate data for Havana, 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)
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 precipitation 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)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 432
1920 448 3.7%
1930 1,169 160.9%
1940 1,221 4.4%
1950 1,634 33.8%
1960 2,090 27.9%
1970 2,022 −3.3%
1980 2,782 37.6%
1990 1,654 −40.5%
2000 1,713 3.6%
2010 1,754 2.4%
2020 1,753 −0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 and 2020 census

Havana racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White (NH) 775 715 44.18% 40.79%
Black or African American (NH) 937 899 53.42% 51.28%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 2 0 0.11% 0.00%
Asian (NH) 8 4 0.46% 0.23%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Some other race (NH) 0 2 0.00% 0.11%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) 8 58 0.46% 3.31%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 24 75 1.37% 4.28%
Total 1,754 1,753 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,753 people, 970 households, and 708 families residing in the town.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 1,754 people, 703 households, and 411 families residing in the town.

Education

Havana Magnet School, former Middle School
Havana Magnet School (former Havana Middle School)

The Gadsden County School District operates Havana Magnet School, which serves elementary and middle school grades. Gadsden County High School (formerly East Gadsden High School), outside of the city limits, is the only zoned high school in the county.

Previously the Havana area had three schools: Havana Elementary School, Havana Middle School, and Havana Northside High School. Havana Elementary began using the Accelerated School program in Spring 1995 in order to improve academic performance. In 2001, Havana Elementary, which occupied an 18-acre (7.3 ha) area, had about 100 employees and 1,000 students; most of the students were low income, and 95% of the students were from African-American families. In 2003, Havana Northside High School and James A. Shanks High School in Quincy consolidated into East Gadsden High. In 2017, the high school section of West Gadsden High School consolidated into East Gadsden High, leaving the latter as the only remaining zoned high school in the county.

Gadsden Connector bus stop, Municipal Building, Havana
Gadsden Connector bus stop at municipal building

Tallavanna Christian School, a private school, is in an unincorporated area near Havana.

Transportation

The Gadsden Connector, a bus route operated by Big Bend Transit, has a stop in Havana.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Havana (Florida) para niños

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