History of Florida in Timeline

Florida, a state in the Southeastern United States, is largely a peninsula situated between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It boasts the longest coastline in the contiguous US and is the only state bordering both the Gulf and the Atlantic. With over 23 million residents, it ranks as the third most populous state. Florida covers 65,758 square miles, making it the 22nd largest state by area. The Miami metropolitan area is its largest, followed by Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and Orlando. Tallahassee is the state capital.

1900: Florida's Population in 1900

In 1900, Florida's population was 528,542, with nearly 44% being African American. Roughly one-fifth of the black population later left the state in the Great Migration due to racial violence and the pursuit of better opportunities.

1902: Jacksonville Skyscrapers

In 1902, some of the state's earliest skyscrapers were constructed in Jacksonville.

1905: State University System of Florida Founded

In 1905, the State University System of Florida was founded.

1909: The state flower was chosen

The state flower for Florida was chosen in 1909.

1910: Great Migration Impact in Florida

Beginning in 1910, many African Americans migrated from Florida to northern cities in the Great Migration due to segregation, disfranchisement and agricultural depression.

1925: Seaboard Air Line Expansion 1925

In 1925, the Seaboard Air Line broke the FEC's southeast Florida monopoly by extending its freight and passenger service to West Palm Beach.

1926: Devastating Hurricane 1926

In 1926, a devastating hurricane struck Florida, contributing to the halt of the Florida land boom of the 1920s.

1927: The state bird was chosen

The state bird for Florida was chosen in 1927.

1928: Devastating Hurricane 1928

In 1928, another devastating hurricane impacted Florida, exacerbating the economic downturn that followed the Florida land boom and preceded the Great Depression.

June 29, 1931: Hottest Recorded Temperature June 29, 1931

On June 29, 1931, the hottest temperature ever recorded in Florida was 109 °F (43 °C) in Monticello.

1939: Description of Florida in 1939

In 1939, Florida was described as "still very largely an empty State."

1940: Continued Great Migration Impact in Florida

Continuing from 1910 to 1940, and again starting in the later 1940s, many African Americans migrated from Florida to northern cities in the Great Migration due to segregation, disfranchisement and agricultural depression.

1944: Roosevelt's Presidential Election Win

2008 marked the first time since 1944, when Franklin D. Roosevelt carried the state for the fourth time, that Florida was carried by a Northern Democrat for president.

1945: Population Increase After 1945

After 1945, Florida's population sharply increased due to migration from the Rust Belt and the Northeast, attracted by the availability of air conditioning, climate, and low cost of living.

1950: Majority of symbols were chosen

The majority of the symbols were chosen after 1950 in Florida.

1952: Swing State

Florida has been listed as a swing state in presidential elections since 1952, voting for the losing candidate only twice in that period of time.

1954: William C. Cramer Elected to Congress

In 1954, William C. Cramer was elected to Congress from Florida, marking the first post-Reconstruction era Republican elected to Congress from Florida.

1956: Federal Aid Highway Act

Before the construction of routes under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, Florida began construction of a long cross-state toll road, Florida's Turnpike.

1956: Tallahassee Bus Boycott Begins 1956

In 1956, students at Florida A&M University organized a bus boycott in Tallahassee, inspired by the Montgomery bus boycott, leading to the integration of the city's buses.

1957: Tallahassee Bus Boycott Concludes 1957

In 1957, the Tallahassee bus boycott, initiated by students at Florida A&M University, successfully led to the integration of the city's buses.

1957: First Section of Florida's Turnpike Completed

In 1957, the first section of Florida's Turnpike, from Fort Pierce south to the Golden Glades Interchange, was completed.

1960: Decline of African American Population in Florida

By 1960, the proportion of African Americans in Florida had declined to 18% due to the Great Migration. Conversely, large numbers of northern whites moved to the state.

1960: Sit-ins in Florida 1960

In 1960, students in Florida held sit-ins to protest segregated seating at local lunch counters, contributing to the Civil Rights Movement.

1960: Population Center in Polk County 1960

Since the 1960 census, the center of population in Florida has been located in Polk County.

1964: Presidential Election Vote

From 1952 to 1964, most voters were registered Democrats, but the state voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election except for 1964.

1964: St. Augustine Motel Incident 1964

In 1964, an incident at a St. Augustine motel pool, where the owner poured acid into the water during a demonstration, significantly influenced the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

1965: Voting Rights Act

In 1965, Congress passed and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, providing for oversight of state practices and enforcement of constitutional voting rights for African Americans and other minorities in order to prevent the discrimination and disenfranchisement which had excluded most of them for decades from the political process.

1965: Civil Rights Movement legislation in 1965

In 1965, the Civil Rights Movement gained federal legislation, enforcing the protection of constitutional suffrage for African Americans in Florida, ending disfranchisement.

1966: Miami Dolphins added to American Football League

Florida gained its first permanent major-league professional sports team in 1966 when the American Football League added the Miami Dolphins.

1966: Claude R. Kirk Jr. Elected as Governor

In 1966, Claude R. Kirk Jr. was elected as the first post-Reconstruction Republican governor in Florida.

1968: Edward J. Gurney Elected as US Senator

In 1968, Edward J. Gurney was elected as the state's first post-reconstruction Republican US senator.

1970: Democratic Resurgence

In 1970, Democrats took the governorship and the open US Senate seat and maintained dominance for years.

1970: Non-Hispanic Whites in Florida

In 1970, non-Hispanic whites constituted nearly 80% of Florida's population.

1972: Mandatory Auto Insurance

In 1972, the state made personal injury protection auto insurance mandatory for drivers, becoming the second in the U.S. to enact a no-fault insurance law.

1972: State Control of Water Resources 1972

Since 1972, all potable water resources in Florida have been controlled by the state government through five regional water authorities.

1973: First Recorded Coral Bleaching 1973

In 1973, the first recorded coral bleaching incident on the Florida Reef occurred, with incidents becoming more frequent in recent decades due to rising sea surface temperatures.

1974: Florida's Turnpike Finished

In 1974, Florida's Turnpike was finished with a second section north through Orlando to Wildwood, and a southward extension around Miami to Homestead.

1974: Jacksonville holds a state height record.

In 1974, Jacksonville held a state height record.

1976: Presidential Election Support

Through 2004, Florida continued to support Republican presidential candidates except in 1976 and 1996 when the Democratic nominee was from the South.

1978: First disapprovement of casinos outside tribal areas

In 1978, Florida disapproved casinos outside of sovereign Seminole and Miccosukee tribal areas.

1980: Population Shift Between 1980 and 2010

Between 1980 and 2010, the center of population in Florida moved less than 5 miles (8 km) to the east and approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north.

1980: English Ancestry in Florida

In the 1980 United States census, the largest ancestry group reported in Florida was English with 2,232,514 Floridians claiming they were of English or mostly English American ancestry. Some of their ancestry dated to the original Thirteen Colonies.

May 8, 1981: Winter Park Sinkhole Formation May 8, 1981

On May 8, 1981, the Winter Park Sinkhole appeared in central Florida, measuring approximately 350 feet (107 m) wide and 75 feet (23 m) deep. It was one of the largest recent sinkholes to form in the United States and is now known as Lake Rose.

1981: Mangrove Coverage in Florida 1981

In 1981, Florida mangrove plant communities covered an estimated 430,000 to 540,000 acres (1,700 to 2,200 km), with ninety percent located in southern Florida, specifically in Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties.

1981: Jacksonville lost its state height record.

In 1981, Jacksonville lost its state height record.

1984: Florida approves its lottery

In 1984, Florida approved its lottery by amending the constitution.

1986: Second disapprovement of casinos outside tribal areas

In 1986, Florida disapproved casinos outside of sovereign Seminole and Miccosukee tribal areas.

1988: Federal Corruption Convictions

From 1988 to 2007, there were 800 federal corruption convictions in Florida, more than any other state.

1988: English as Official Language of Florida

In 1988, English was affirmed as the state's official language in the Florida Constitution.

1991: Subsidies for sports franchises

Florida has given professional sports franchises some subsidies in the form of tax breaks since 1991.

1992: Florida sided with the loser in the presidential election.

In 1992, Florida sided with the loser in the presidential election, which was the last time this had happened until 2020.

1992: Hurricane Andrew 1992

In August 1992, Hurricane Andrew struck Florida, causing more than $25 billion in damages and becoming the costliest weather disaster in U.S. history at the time.

1994: Third disapprovement of casinos outside tribal areas

In 1994, Florida disapproved casinos outside of sovereign Seminole and Miccosukee tribal areas.

1995: Felons must serve at least 85% of their sentence

In 1995, the Florida legislature modified Chapter 921 to provide that felons should serve at least 85% of their sentence.

1996: Bellwether State

Florida is sometimes considered a bellwether state in presidential elections because every candidate who won the state from 1996 until 2016 won the election.

1996: Four Additional Teams Added to Division I FBS

Since 1996, Florida has added four additional teams to the ranks of Division I FBS: UCF Knights, South Florida Bulls, Florida Atlantic Owls and FIU Panthers.

1996: Presidential Election Support

Through 2004, Florida continued to support Republican presidential candidates except in 1976 and 1996 when the Democratic nominee was from the South.

1998: Voter Demographics

In 1998, Democratic voters dominated areas of the state with a high percentage of racial minorities and transplanted white liberals from the northeastern United States, known colloquially as "snowbirds".

2000: Urbanization in Florida 2000

In 2000, Florida was a highly urbanized state, with 89 percent of its population living in urban areas, compared to 79 percent across the U.S.

2000: 2000 Presidential Election

In 2000, George W. Bush won the U.S. presidential election by a margin of 271–266 in the Electoral College. Of the 271 electoral votes for Bush, 25 were cast by electors from Florida. The Florida results were contested and a recount was ordered by the court, with the results settled in a Supreme Court decision, Bush v. Gore.

2000: Closely Contested Election

In the closely contested 2000 election, the state played a pivotal role. Out of more than 5.8 million votes for the two main contenders Bush and Al Gore, around 500 votes separated the two candidates for the all-decisive Florida electoral votes that landed Bush the election win.

2001: 9/11 attacks 2001

In 2001, the September 11 attacks, marked a significant point in US history.

2002: Study on Felony Disenfranchisement Law

A 2002 study in the American Sociological Review concluded that "if the state's 827,000 disenfranchised felons had voted at the same rate as other Floridians, Democratic candidate Al Gore would have won Florida—and the presidency—by more than 80,000 votes."

2004: Slot machines are approved in Broward and Miami-Dade County

In 2004, slot machines were approved in Broward and Miami-Dade County in Florida.

2004: Presidential Election Support

Through 2004, Florida continued to support Republican presidential candidates except in 1976 and 1996 when the Democratic nominee was from the South.

2005: Hurricane Katrina surpasses Andrew 2005

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina surpassed Hurricane Andrew as the costliest weather disaster in U.S. history.

2006: Hurricane impact from 1851-2006

From 1851 to 2006, Florida was struck by 114 hurricanes, 37 of them major—category 3 and above.

2006: Sinkhole Damage Costs (2006)

From 2006 through 2010, sinkhole damage claims on property in Florida exceeded a total of $2 billion.

2007: Federal Corruption Convictions

From 1988 to 2007, there were 800 federal corruption convictions in Florida, more than any other state.

2008: Energy Consumption in Florida 2008

As of 2008, approximately 4% of Florida's energy was generated through renewable resources. Florida's energy production accounted for 6% of the U.S. total energy output, while total pollutant production was lower, with figures of 6% for nitrogen oxide, 5% for carbon dioxide, and 4% for sulfur dioxide.

2008: Florida Primary Election Delegates Stripped of Votes

In 2008, the delegates of both the Republican and Democratic Florida primary elections had half of their votes stripped when the conventions met in August. This was due to violations of both parties' national rules.

2008: Military Retirees Living in Florida

In 2008, there were 186,102 military retirees living in Florida.

2008: Obama's Presidential Election Win

In the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama carried Florida, attracting high voter turnout, especially among the young, independents, and minority voters.

2009: Florida Panther Deaths in 2009

In 2009, a record 23 Florida panthers were killed, primarily by automobile collisions, leaving approximately 100 individuals in the wild. Calls were made for a special protected area for the panther.

2009: Medicaid Patients in Florida

In 2009, there were 2.7 million Medicaid patients in Florida.

2010: Florida Census 2010

According to the 2010 census, Florida's population was more than 18 million, making it the most populous state in the southeastern United States and the third-most populous in the United States.

2010: European Ancestry in Florida

As of 2010, those of (non-Hispanic white) European ancestry accounted for 57.9% of Florida's population. The largest groups within this were German (12.0%), Irish (10.7%), English (8.8%), Italian (6.6%), Polish (2.8%), and French (2.7%).

2010: Hispanic or Latino Ancestry in Florida

As of 2010, those of Hispanic or Latino ancestry accounted for 22.5% (4,223,806) of Florida's population. Within this group, the largest were Cuban (6.5%) and Puerto Rican (4.5%).

2010: Sinkhole Damage Costs (2010)

From 2006 through 2010, sinkhole damage claims on property in Florida exceeded a total of $2 billion.

2010: Car Crash Averages by Age Group

In 2010, drivers between 15 and 19 years of age averaged 364 car crashes a year per ten thousand licensed Florida drivers. Drivers 70 and older averaged 95 per 10,000 during the same time frame.

2010: Fair District Amendments Approved

In 2010, more than 63% of state voters in Florida approved the initiated Amendments 5 and 6 to the state constitution, which became known as the Fair District Amendments, to ensure more fairness in districting.

2010: Florida Statutes Publication

In 2010, the Florida Statutes did not list the state flower (chosen in 1909) and the state bird (chosen in 1927).

2010: Common Languages Spoken in Florida

In 2010, the text introduces the topic of the most common languages spoken in Florida as a first language.

2010: Largest Denominations in Florida

In 2010, the three largest denominations in Florida were the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the United Methodist Church.

2010: Undocumented Immigrant Population and Sanctuary Cities Ban

In 2010, undocumented immigrants made up an estimated 5.7% of Florida's population, the sixth highest percentage in the U.S., with approximately 675,000 individuals residing in the state. Florida also banned sanctuary cities in 2010.

2010: Republicans solidify dominance statewide in Florida elections

In the 2010 elections, Republicans solidified their dominance statewide in Florida by winning the governor's mansion and maintaining firm majorities in both houses of the state legislature. They also won four previously Democratic-held seats, resulting in a 19–6 Republican majority delegation representing Florida in the federal House of Representatives.

2010: Reapportionment

Reapportionment following the 2010 United States census gave the state two more seats in the House of Representatives.

2010: Cost of Medicaid

The cost of caring for 2.3 million Medicaid clients in Florida in 2010 was $18.8 billion, which is nearly 30% of Florida's budget.

2011: Percentage of People Over 65 in Florida

As of 2011, Florida contained the highest percentage of people over 65 (17.3%) in the U.S.

2011: Gasoline Consumption

In 2011, Floridians consumed 21 million gallons of gasoline daily, ranking it third in national use behind California and Texas.

2011: Auto Insurance Fraud Highest in the U.S.

In 2011, auto insurance fraud in Florida was the highest in the U.S., estimated at close to $1 billion.

2011: Proposed Medicaid Funding Increase

In 2011, the governor of Florida proposed adding $2.6 billion to care for the expected 300,000 additional Medicaid patients.

July 1, 2012: Florida Growth Rate July 1, 2012

For the 12-month period ending July 1, 2012, Florida was the seventh fastest-growing state in the U.S.

2012: Florida Gains House Seats and Faces Redistricting Challenges

As a result of the 2010 United States census, Florida gained two House of Representative seats in 2012. The legislature issued revised congressional districts in 2012, which were immediately challenged in court by supporters of the Fair District Amendments.

2012: Coastal Population in Florida 2012

In 2012, 75% of Florida's population lived within 10 miles (16 km) of the coastline.

2012: Killing of Trayvon Martin 2012

In 2012, the killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in Sanford drew national attention to Florida's stand-your-ground laws and sparked African American activism, including the Black Lives Matter movement.

2012: Obama's Presidential Election Win

In the 2012 presidential elections, Barack Obama carried Florida as a northern Democrat, attracting high voter turnout, especially among the young, independents, and minority voters, of whom Hispanics comprise an increasingly large proportion.

2012: Redistricting

The legislature's redistricting, announced in 2012, was quickly challenged in court, on the grounds that it had unfairly benefited Republican interests.

2012: Republican Control

The political make-up of congressional and legislative districts has enabled Republicans to control the governorship and most statewide elective offices, and 17 of the state's 27 seats in the 2012 House of Representatives.

2013: Florida Refuses to Participate in Affordable Care Act Coverage

In 2013, Florida refused to participate in providing coverage for the uninsured under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The Florida legislature also refused to accept additional Federal funding for Medicaid, resulting in Florida having the second-highest percentage of citizens without health insurance.

December 2014: Florida Surpasses New York in Population December 2014

By December 2014, Florida's population exceeded 19.7 million, surpassing the population of the state of New York for the first time, making Florida the third most populous state.

2014: Felony Disenfranchisement Impact

According to The Sentencing Project, in 2014, the effect of Florida's felony disenfranchisement law resulted in more than one in ten Floridians—and nearly one in four African-American Floridians—being shut out of the polls because of felony convictions, despite having completed sentences and parole/probation requirements.

2014: Religious Makeup of Florida

In 2014, The Pew Research Center survey details the religious makeup of Florida.

2014: Court Rules Districts Redrawn Due to Gerrymandering

In 2014, after lengthy testimony, the court ruled that at least two districts in Florida had to be redrawn because of gerrymandering.

July 2015: Florida Supreme Court Orders Redrawing of Eight Districts

In July 2015, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers had followed an illegal and unconstitutional process overly influenced by party operatives, and ordered that at least eight districts had to be redrawn.

December 2, 2015: Florida Court Accepts New Congressional District Map

On December 2, 2015, a 5–2 majority of the Florida Court accepted a new map of congressional districts, some of which was drawn by challengers. The ruling affirmed the map previously approved by Leon County Judge Terry Lewis, particularly making changes in South Florida.

December 2015: Florida Supreme Court Ruling on Congressional Districts

In December 2015, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the congressional districts had to be redrawn because of the legislature's violation of the Fair District Amendments to the state constitution passed in 2010; it accepted a new map in early December 2015.

June 2016: Orlando Nightclub Shooting June 2016

In June 2016, a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, marking it as the deadliest incident in the history of violence against LGBT people in the United States, as well as the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks in 2001.

2016: Bellwether State

Florida is sometimes considered a bellwether state in presidential elections because every candidate who won the state from 1996 until 2016 won the election.

2016: Florida Charged the Second Lowest Tuition in the U.S.

In 2016, Florida charged the second lowest tuition in the U.S. for four-year programs, at $26,000 for in-state students and $86,000 for out-of-state students.

2016: Percentage of West Indians in Florida

In 2016, Florida had the highest percentage of West Indians in the United States at 4.5%, with 2.3% (483,874) from Haitian ancestry, 1.5% (303,527) Jamaican, and 0.2% (31,966) Bahamian, with the other West Indian groups making up the rest.

2016: Florida ranked 43rd in the U.S. in expenditures per student.

In 2016, Florida spent $8,920 for each student, and was 43rd in the U.S. in expenditures per student.

2016: Enrollment in the Florida College System

In 2016, enrollment in the Florida College System, comprising 28 public community and state colleges, exceeded 813,000 students.

2016: Florida Switches Back to GOP in Presidential Election

In the 2016 presidential election, Florida switched back to the GOP.

September 2017: Influx of Puerto Ricans Following Hurricane Maria in September 2017

In September 2017, after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, a large population of Puerto Ricans began moving to Florida to escape the widespread destruction, with many settling in Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach.

2017: Las Vegas Shooting 2017

In 2017, the Las Vegas shooting took place.

February 2018: Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting February 2018

In February 2018, a school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, resulted in 17 fatalities, leading to the implementation of new gun control regulations at both the state and federal level.

2018: Top Countries of Origin for Florida Immigrants

In 2018, the top countries of origin for Florida's immigrants were Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Mexico, and Jamaica.

2018: Close Elections in Florida

In the 2018 elections, the ratio of Republican to Democratic representation in Florida fell from 16:11 to 14:13. The U.S. Senate election and the gubernatorial race were also very close.

July 1, 2019: Florida Population Estimate July 1, 2019

On July 1, 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of Florida to be 21,477,737, a 14.24% increase since the 2010 United States census.

2019: Florida Population Growth 2019

As of 2019, Florida had the largest number of out-of-state movers in the country, contributing to widespread population growth in cities throughout the state.

2019: State University System of Florida Student attendance

During the 2019 academic year, 346,604 students attended one of the twelve universities in the State University System of Florida.

2020: Florida Universities Among Largest by Enrollment

As of 2020, three Florida universities are among the top 10 largest universities by enrollment in the United States: The University of Central Florida in Orlando, the University of Florida in Gainesville, and Florida International University in Miami.

2020: Florida Population in 2020

By the 2020 census, Florida's population increased to 21,538,187.

2020: Inter Miami Joins MLS

Florida's most recent major-league team, Inter Miami, began play in MLS in 2020.

2020: Florida Votes for Trump in Presidential Election

In 2020, Florida voted for Donald Trump in the presidential election. This marked the first time Florida sided with the eventual loser of the presidential election since 1992.

2020: Florida Ranked Third Best in K-12 Education

In 2020, Florida was ranked the third best state in the U.S. for K-12 education, outperforming other states in 15 out of 18 metrics in Education Week's 2020 Quality Counts report.

2020: Hispanic and Latino population in Broward County, Florida.

In 2020, Hispanic and Latinos of any race(s) made up 26.5% of the population, while Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders made up 0.1% of all Broward County residents.

2020: Voting Difficulty Ranking

In a 2020 study, Florida was ranked as the 11th hardest state for citizens to vote in.

2020: Students Served by Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida

In the fall of 2020, the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida reported that their member institutions served more than 158,000 students.

2020: End of Bellwether Streak

The 2020 election broke the bellwether streak when Donald Trump won Florida but lost the election.

June 24, 2021: Surfside Condominium Collapse June 24, 2021

On June 24, 2021, a condominium in Surfside, Florida, near Miami, collapsed, resulting in at least 97 fatalities. This event is tied as the third-deadliest structural engineering failure in United States history.

November 2021: Republican Voters Exceed Democrats

In November 2021, for the first time in Florida's history, the total number of registered Republican voters exceeded the number of registered Democrats.

2022: Homeless Population in Florida

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 25,959 homeless people in Florida.

2022: DeSantis Reelection victory

In 2022, incumbent Governor DeSantis won reelection by a landslide against Democrat Charlie Crist. The unexpectedly large margin of victory led many pundits to question Florida's perennial status as a swing state, and instead identify it as a red state.

2022: Largest Hospital Networks

In 2022, the largest hospital network in Florida is HCA Healthcare and the second largest is AdventHealth.

August 2023: Restrictions on Shakespearean plays

In August 2023, restrictions have been placed on the teaching of Shakespearean plays and literature by Florida teachers in order to comply with state law.

2023: Universities in Association of American Universities

As of 2023, three universities in Florida are members of the Association of American Universities: University of Florida, University of Miami and University of South Florida.

2023: Medicaid births

In 2023, Medicaid paid for 42.2% of all births in Florida.

2023: Largest Hospitals in Florida

In 2023, the largest hospitals in Florida were Jackson Memorial Hospital, AdventHealth Orlando, Tampa General Hospital, UF Health Shands Hospital and Baptist Hospital of Miami.

2023: Florida Approved PragerU Curriculum

In 2023, the state of Florida approved a public school curriculum including videos produced by conservative advocacy group PragerU, likening climate change skeptics to those who fought Communism and Nazism, implying renewable energy harms the environment, and saying global warming occurs naturally.

2024: High Rate of Uninsured Motorists

As of 2024, motorists in Florida have one of the highest rates of car insurance in the U.S., with 24% being uninsured.

2024: Florida's Economy Ranks Among the Largest

As of 2024, the economy of the state of Florida is the fourth-largest in the United States, with a $1.647 trillion gross state product (GSP). If Florida were a sovereign nation (2024), it would rank as the world's 15th-largest economy.