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Florida County
Baker County, Florida
North Florida's timber and agriculture gateway west of Jacksonville - from Macclenny's courthouse serving one of Florida's most rural communities to the Osceola National Forest's western edge, the historic Glen St. Mary Nurseries (once the largest nursery in the South), and a small North Florida border county that has maintained its rural agricultural character as Jacksonville's suburban growth presses steadily westward along I-10.
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Office: Baker County Emergency Management – (904) 259-6111 | bakercountyfl.org
Alert System: Alert Baker; Florida FDEM; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Baker County High School; contact OEM; FDEM coordinates for major events
FEMA Region: Region 4
Notes: Northeastern Florida rural county; Macclenny is county seat; hurricane risk (inland from the coast but tropical storms bring flooding and wind); severe thunderstorms; flooding (St. Marys River – Baker County’s northern border with Georgia; flooding is a recurring issue); wildfire risk (significant – Baker County’s pine flatwoods and scrub are fire-adapted ecosystems requiring management; dry periods create significant wildfire risk); Osceola National Forest (southeastern corner of Baker County); very rural
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Baker County Public Works – (904) 259-3613
Transit: Very limited; no public transit; completely auto-dependent
Notes: I-10 (east-west through the southern portion of Baker County – the main Florida-Georgia interstate corridor; the I-10/US-90 corridor is Baker County’s economic lifeline); US-90 (old Dixie Highway – parallels I-10); SR-121 (north-south through Macclenny); Baker County is about 25 miles west of Jacksonville on I-10; the county has no significant public transit; rural residents are entirely auto-dependent; Macclenny is a small town of about 7,000 people
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Baker County Planning and Zoning – (904) 259-3354
Services: County permits; Macclenny (separate), Glen St. Mary separate
Notes: Very limited development; rural residential construction; agricultural structures; I-10 corridor commercial development; very limited activity overall; some Jacksonville exurban commuter residential development
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Baker County Veterans Services – (904) 259-6111
VA Medical: VA Jacksonville CBOC (accessible via I-10 – about 25 miles east; (904) 475-5300); Malcom Randall VAMC (Gainesville – about 75 miles west)
Notes: Jacksonville VA CBOC provides good access for Baker County veterans given the short I-10 drive; small rural veteran population; active American Legion post in Macclenny
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Baker County Public Library – (904) 259-6464
Address: Macclenny
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; north Florida heritage; Osceola National Forest information
Notes: Single library serving a small rural county; important internet access point; Osceola National Forest heritage; north Florida agricultural history
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Osceola National Forest (southeastern Baker County extending into Columbia County – excellent hunting, fishing, OHV trails, camping; the Ocean Pond Campground on Ocean Pond Lake is excellent; one of Florida’s finest national forests for outdoor recreation; vast longleaf pine and pond cypress ecosystems; gopher tortoises and red-cockaded woodpeckers (endangered) present); St. Marys River (northern boundary with Georgia – canoe and kayak trail; dark tannin-stained water through cypress swamps; one of Florida’s finest paddling rivers); Bay City Lodge (Olustee area – hunting and fishing); Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park (Baker County – site of the largest Civil War battle in Florida; February 20, 1864; approximately 10,000 soldiers engaged; Union forces under General Truman Seymour were defeated by Confederate forces; annual February reenactment is one of Florida’s largest Civil War events)
Notes: Baker County’s natural assets are significant despite the county’s small size; Olustee Battlefield is Florida’s most significant Civil War site – the February 1864 battle (the largest Civil War engagement in Florida) was a decisive Confederate victory that prevented Union forces from cutting Florida’s supply lines to the Confederacy; the annual reenactment draws thousands; the St. Marys River’s dark tannin water (stained by cypress trees) and remote swamp paddling experience is genuinely beautiful
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Baker County GIS; Florida DEP GIS; USFS Osceola NF maps; St. Marys River paddling maps
Notes: Limited county GIS; Osceola NF maintains the primary federal maps; St. Marys River paddling trail maps through FDEP
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Baker County Animal Control – (904) 259-6111; Friends of Baker County Pets (rescue organization)
Services: Basic animal control; wildlife (Florida black bears; gopher tortoises; whitetail deer; wild turkey; red-cockaded woodpecker in Osceola NF)
Notes: Red-cockaded woodpecker management in Osceola NF is significant (federally endangered; the longleaf pine ecosystem supports one of Florida’s most important RCW populations); gopher tortoise management; Florida black bear management through FWC
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Baker County Solid Waste – (904) 259-3613; transfer station; recycling drop-off
Environmental: Florida DEP; Suwannee River Water Management District; USFS (Osceola NF); St. Marys River; flatwood and longleaf pine ecosystem management
Notes: Baker County’s longleaf pine flatwood ecosystem is ecologically important; Osceola NF management focuses on restoring the longleaf pine ecosystem (which historically covered much of the southeastern US and has been reduced to less than 3% of its original extent); prescribed burning is a critical tool; red-cockaded woodpecker recovery; St. Marys River watershed management (the river’s blackwater swamps provide important wildlife habitat and water quality benefits); agricultural nonpoint source runoff management; limited development means relatively good overall environmental quality
About Baker County
Baker County is one of Florida’s smallest and most rural counties – a timber, agriculture, and corrections-industry community on the Georgia border that has resisted suburban development despite its position directly on the I-10 corridor west of Jacksonville.
Macclenny (the county seat, population ~7,000) is a classic North Florida courthouse town – the county’s commercial and governmental center with a modest downtown serving the surrounding agricultural and timber community. The county’s economy relies heavily on timber harvesting from the surrounding pine flatwoods, correctional facility employment, and a small but growing Jacksonville commuter population.
Glen St. Mary – a small community east of Macclenny – was once home to the Glen St. Mary Nurseries, founded in 1882 and for decades the largest nursery operation in the southeastern United States, shipping fruit trees and ornamentals throughout the South.
The Osceola National Forest – primarily in Columbia and Baker counties – provides hunting, fishing, and recreation in the county’s western reaches.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
The Baker County Property Appraiser at 55 N. 3rd Street, Suite 201, Macclenny, FL 32063, phone 904-259-3354, assesses at just value. No FL estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Baker County Clerk of Court at 339 E. Macclenny Avenue, Suite 130, Macclenny, FL 32063, phone 904-259-8113, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF COURTS (Records, Marriage Licenses)
339 E. Macclenny Ave., Macclenny, FL 32063
(904) 259-8113
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Baker County Clerk of the Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Baker County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Baker County Clerk of the Court, Probate Division Baker County Courthouse, 339 E. Macclenny Avenue, Suite 219, Macclenny, FL 32063 (904) 259-3575 Baker County sits in Florida’s 8th Judicial Circuit.
IMPORTANT – a major statewide law change just took effect: Florida’s summary administration threshold DOUBLED from $75,000 to $150,000 effective July 1, 2026, under CS/HB 1337 (Chapter 2026-57, Laws of Florida). Confirm which threshold applies based on date of death when helping someone (see
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1 Sheriff's Office Dr., Macclenny, FL 32063
(904) 259-2231
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
32 N. 5th St., Macclenny, FL 32063
(904) 259-6338
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
FL Dept of Health — Baker
55 E. Macclenny Ave., Macclenny, FL 32063
(904) 259-6291
FL DCF — Baker
(800) 342-9152
FL Medicaid
(800) 299-4833
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Florida DOH in Baker County – (904) 259-6291 | baker.floridahealth.gov
Services: Immunizations, WIC, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; behavioral health; rural health access challenges
Hospital: Ed Fraser Memorial Hospital (Macclenny – (904) 259-3151; small critical access community hospital; full service acute care for a rural community); Jacksonville hospitals for specialty care
Notes: Ed Fraser Memorial is a solid small community hospital; Jacksonville hospitals accessible via I-10; behavioral health resources are limited in this rural community; substance use challenges; rural mental health is underfunded relative to need
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