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Florida County
Suwannee County, Florida
The Suwannee River's heart and the natural springs corridor - from Live Oak's railroad heritage on the CSX mainline to Branford's Suwannee River springs (Troy Spring, Ichetucknee headwaters proximity, Little River Springs) creating one of Florida's finest freshwater diving and snorkeling corridors, and a North-Central Florida agricultural county where the river immortalized in "Old Folks at Home" flows through working cattle ranches, cypress swamps, and crystal springs that have drawn divers and canoeists for generations.
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Office: Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office – 200 South Ohio Avenue, Live Oak, FL 32064 | (386) 362-2222 (also serves as non-emergency dispatch); Sheriff Sam St. John, a retired patrol sergeant with 36 years at the office before his 2016 election, re-elected in 2020 and 2024. Public Records Custodian: Traci McCormick, (386) 364-3417.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-10 and US-129 serve Live Oak, the county seat and largest city, nicknamed “The City of Nature” with the motto “Heart of the Suwannee River Valley.”
Notes: Suwannee County was created December 21, 1858, named for the Suwannee River. Live Oak, incorporated as a town in 1878 and as a city in 1903, became a significant Confederate rail junction in early 1865 when a north-south railroad link into Georgia was completed to ease Confederate supply problems – too late to aid the war effort, but the line opened the county’s interior to postwar settlement. Genuinely striking local history: Lewis Powell, one of John Wilkes Booth’s co-conspirators in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, moved to Live Oak with his family at age 13 and lived there until 17, when he enlisted with the 2nd Florida Infantry.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Suwannee County Courthouse – 200 South Ohio Avenue, Live Oak, FL (built 1889-1904, Renaissance Revival, architect Benjamin B. Smith, contractors Hugger Brothers; National Register of Historic Places since 1998).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Suwannee County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via suwanneecountyfl.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Suwannee County Public Library (Live Oak) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Suwannee River State Park, one of Florida’s first state parks, preserves historic Civil War-era earthworks along the river. Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, an 800-acre riverside venue in Live Oak, hosts year-round camping and music festivals including the Wanee Festival and Magnolia Festival. The Suwannee River itself is a celebrated destination for blackwater canoeing and kayaking, immortalized in Stephen Foster’s “Old Folks at Home.”
Notes: Confirm current parks and recreation facilities via suwanneecountyfl.gov.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Suwannee County Property Appraiser – confirm current contact via suwanneecountyfl.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via suwanneecountyfl.gov; Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Suwannee County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via suwanneecountyfl.gov.
NOTES: Suwannee County is the first county completed in this Florida Round 3 v2 redo batch, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuinely striking connection between Live Oak and Lincoln assassination conspirator Lewis Powell is among the standout local facts covered here – noted factually and with appropriate care given the gravity of the history. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Suwannee County
Suwannee County is North-Central Florida’s river county – a community defined by the Suwannee River’s spring-fed clarity, agricultural heritage, and a small-city railroad character that persists in Live Oak’s downtown.
Live Oak (the county seat, population ~7,000) is a CSX railroad junction city – a historic division point on the mainline between Jacksonville and central Florida, with a modest downtown and an economy anchored by agriculture, timber, and county government. The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park – a large outdoor music venue and campground on the river – hosts major bluegrass, country, and Americana festivals throughout the year, drawing thousands of visitors.
Branford (population ~700) on the Suwannee River is one of Florida’s premier freshwater diving destinations. The cluster of springs near Branford – Little River Springs, Poe Springs (across the Gilchrist County line), and the accessible sections of the Suwannee’s main channel – provides exceptional visibility diving in limestone cavern systems and open springs.
The Suwannee River Water Management District manages much of the county’s spring and river resources, balancing agricultural water use with spring flow protection.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
The Suwannee County Property Appraiser at 215 Pine Avenue SW, Suite A, Live Oak, FL 32064, phone 386-362-1385, assesses at just value. No FL estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Suwannee County Clerk of Court at 200 S. Ohio Avenue, Live Oak, FL 32064, phone 386-362-0500, 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)
200 S. Ohio Ave., Live Oak, FL 32064
(386) 362-0500
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Suwannee County Clerk of Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The Suwannee Democrat, Live Oak’s local newspaper, has been publishing continuously since 1897 – a valuable resource for obituaries and local history research.
Local societies
No dedicated Suwannee 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
Suwannee County Clerk of Court, Probate Division 200 S. Ohio Avenue, Live Oak, FL 32060 (904) 362-2827 (older listing – confirm current area code, likely now 386) Suwannee County sits in Florida’s 3rd Judicial Circuit. Named for the Suwannee River.
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
14891 61st Dr., Live Oak, FL 32060
(386) 362-2222
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
201 Pine Ave. SW, Live Oak, FL 32064
(386) 364-3404
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
FL Dept of Health — Suwannee
1021 11th St. SW, Live Oak, FL 32064
(386) 364-3400
FL DCF — Suwannee
(386) 362-1776
FL Medicaid
(800) 299-4833
Live Oak Medical Center
liveoakmedical.com
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Florida Department of Health in Suwannee County – confirm current contact via suwanneecountyfl.gov.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Live Oak
Population: 44,000
Area: 688 sq mi
Established: 1858
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Suwannee County residents.
