.

USA

Tallahassee /ˌtæləˈhæsi/ is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 126th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population was 181,376,[5] and the Tallahassee metropolitan area is 375,751 as of 2014.

Tallahassee is home to Florida State University, ranked the nation's forty-third best public university by U.S. News & World Report.[6] It is also home to the Florida A&M University, one of the country's largest historically black university by total enrollment.[7] Tallahassee Community College is a large community college which serves mainly as a feeder school to both Florida State University and Florida A&M University. Tallahassee qualifies as significant college town with a student population exceeding 70,000.

Tallahassee is a center for trade and agriculture in the Big Bend (Florida) region and Southwest Georgia and is served by Tallahassee International Airport and Interstate 10. As a capital city, Tallahassee is home to the Florida State Capitol, Supreme Court of Florida, Florida Governor's Mansion, and nearly 30 state agency headquarters. The city is also known for its large number of law firms, lobbying organizations, trade associations and professional associations, including the Florida Bar and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.[8] It is also a recognized regional center for scientific research, and home to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.

History
Main article: History of Tallahassee, Florida
The Mission San Luis de Apalachee as it may have appeared in the 17th century.

During the 17th century several Spanish missions were established in the territory of the Apalachee to procure food and labor for the colony at St. Augustine. The largest, Mission San Luis de Apalachee, has been partially reconstructed by the state of Florida. The name "Tallahassee" is a Muskogean Indian word often translated as "old fields" or "old town",[9] and it likely stems from the Creek (later called Seminole) Indians who migrated from Georgia and Alabama to this region in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They found large areas of cleared land previously occupied by the Apalachee tribe. Earlier, the Mississippian Indians built mounds near Lake Jackson around AD 1200, which survive today in the Lake Jackson Archaeological State Park.[10]

The expedition of Pánfilo de Narváez encountered the Apalachees, although it did not reach the site of Tallahassee. Hernando de Soto and his expedition occupied the Apalachee town of Anhaica in what is now Tallahassee in the winter of 1538–1539. Based on archaeological excavations this site is now known to be located about 0.5 miles (800 m) east of the present Florida State Capitol. The DeSoto encampment is believed to be the first place Christmas was celebrated in the continental United States.

During the First Seminole War, General Andrew Jackson fought two separate skirmishes in and around Tallahassee. The first battle took place on November 12, 1817. Chief Neamathla, of the village of Fowltown, just west of present day Tallahassee had refused Jackson's orders to relocate. Jackson responded by entering the village, burning it to the ground, and driving off its occupants. The Indians later retaliated, by killing 50 soldiers and civilians. Jackson reentered Florida in March 1818. According to Jackson's adjutant, Colonel Robert Butler, they "advanced on the Indian village called Tallahasse (sic) [where] two of the enemy were made prisoner."[11]
State capital
A hand colored photograph of Cascades Park, 1912.

Tallahassee became the capital of Florida during the second legislative session. It was chosen as it was roughly equidistant from St. Augustine and Pensacola, which had been the capitals of the Spanish colonies of East Florida and West Florida. The first session of Florida's Legislative Council—as a territory of the United States—met on July 22, 1822 at Pensacola and members from St. Augustine traveled fifty-nine days by water to attend. The second session was in St. Augustine and required western delegates to travel perilously around the peninsula on a twenty-eight day trek. During this session, it was decided that future meetings should be held at a half-way point. Two appointed commissioners selected Tallahassee, at that point an abandoned Apalachee settlement, as a halfway point. In 1824 the third legislative session met there in a crude log capitol building.[12]

From 1821 through 1845 the rough-hewn frontier capital gradually grew into a town during Florida's territorial period. The Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolution, returned for a tour of the United States in 1824. The US Congress voted to give him $200,000 (the same amount he had given the colonies in 1778), US citizenship, and the Lafayette Land Grant, 36 square miles (93 km2) of land that today includes large portions of Tallahassee. In 1845 a Greek revival masonry structure was erected as the Capitol building in time for statehood. Now known as the "old Capitol," it stands in front of the high-rise Capitol building that was built in the 1970s.[13]

Tallahassee was in the heart of Florida's Cotton Belt—Leon County led the state in cotton production—and was the center of the slave trade in Florida.[14] During the American Civil War, Tallahassee was the only Confederate state capital east of the Mississippi not captured by Union forces, and the only one not burned. A small engagement, the Battle of Natural Bridge, was fought south of the city on March 6, 1865, just a month before the war ended.
A reenactment of the 1865 Battle of Natural Bridge.

During the 19th century the institutions that would eventually evolve into what is now Florida State University were established in Tallahassee, firmly cementing its foundations as a university town. These included the Tallahassee Female Academy (founded 1843) and the Florida Institute (founded 1854). In 1851 the Florida legislature decreed two seminaries to be built on either side of the Suwanee River, East Florida Seminary and West Florida Seminary. In 1855 West Florida Seminary was transferred to the Florida Institute building (which had been established as an inducement for the state to place the seminary in Tallahassee). In 1858 the seminary absorbed the Tallahassee Female Academy and became coeducational.[15] Its main building was located near the northwest corner of South Copeland and West Jefferson streets, approximately where FSU's Westcott Building is today.
Tallahassee in 1885.

In 1887 the Normal College for Colored Students, ancestor of today's FAMU, opened its doors. The legislature decided that Tallahassee was the best location In Florida for a college serving negro students. Four years later its name was changed to State Normal and Industrial College for Colored Students.

After the Civil War much of Florida's industry moved to the south and east, a trend that continues today. The end of slavery hindered the cotton and tobacco trade, and the state's major industries shifted to citrus, lumber, naval stores, cattle ranching and tourism. The post-Civil War period was also when many former plantations in the Tallahassee area were purchased by wealthy northerners for use as winter hunting preserves. This included the hunting preserve of Henry L. Beadel, who bequeathed his land for the study of the effects of fire on wildlife habitat. Today the preserve is known as the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy, nationally recognized for its research into fire ecology and the use of prescribed burning.
1900–present

Until World War II, Tallahassee remained a small southern town with virtually the entire population living within 1 mile (2 km) of the Capitol. The main economic drivers were the universities and state government, where politicians met to discuss spending money on grand public improvement projects to accommodate growth in places such as Miami and Tampa Bay, hundreds of miles away from the capital. By the 1960s there was a movement to transfer the capital to Orlando, closer to the growing population centers of the state. That motion was defeated and the 1970s saw a long-term commitment by the state to the capital city with construction of the new capitol complex and preservation of the old Florida State Capitol building.

In 1970, the Census Bureau reported city's population as 74.0% white and 25.4% black.[16]

In 1977 a 22-story high-rise Capitol building designed by architect Edward Durell Stone was completed, which is now the third-tallest state capitol building in the United States. In 1978 the old capitol, directly in front of the new capitol, was scheduled for demolition, but state officials decided to keep the Old Capitol as a museum.[17]

Tallahassee was the center of world attention for six weeks during the 2000 United States Presidential election recount, which involved numerous rulings by the Florida Secretary of State and the Florida Supreme Court.
Geography
A photo of Tallahassee taken from the International Space Station (ISS), January 2011.

[1] Tallahassee has an area of 98.2 square miles (254.3 km2), of which, 95.7 square miles (247.9 km2) is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2) (2.59%) is water.

Tallahassee's terrain is hilly by Florida standards, being located at the southern end of the Red Hills Region, just above the Cody Scarp. The elevation varies from near sea level to just over 200 feet (61 m), with the state capitol on one of the highest hills in the city. The city includes two large lake basins, Lake Jackson and Lake Lafayette, and borders the northern end of the Apalachicola National Forest.

The flora and fauna are similar to those found in the mid-south and low country regions of South Carolina and Georgia. The palm trees are the more cold-hardy varieties like the state tree, the Sabal Palmetto. Pines, magnolias, hickories, and a variety of oaks are the dominant trees. The Southern Live Oak is perhaps the most emblematic of the city.
Climate
Unlike most of Florida, Tallahassee experiences all four seasons. Shown are the autumn leaves along the sidewalks of Monroe Street in Downtown Tallahassee.

Tallahassee has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with long summers and short, mild winters, as well as drier springs and autumns. Summers here are hotter than in the Florida peninsula and it is one of the few cities in the state to occasionally record temperatures above 100 °F (37.8 °C), averaging 2.4 days annually.[18] The record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was set on June 15, 2011.[19]

Summer is characterized by brief intense showers and thunderstorms that form along the afternoon sea breeze from the Gulf of Mexico. The daily mean temperature in July, the hottest month, is 82.0 °F (27.8 °C). Conversely, the city is markedly cooler in the winter, with a January daily average temperature of 51.2 °F (10.7 °C). In addition, as Tallahassee straddles the boundary between USDA Hardiness Zones 8B and 9A,[20] the coldest temperature of the season is typically around 20 °F (−7 °C). During the Great Blizzard of 1899 the city reached −2 °F (−19 °C), the only recorded sub-zero Fahrenheit reading in Florida.

Snow and ice are rare in Tallahassee. Nonetheless, over the last 100 years the city has recorded some accumulating snowfalls; the heaviest was 2.8 inches (7.1 cm) on February 13, 1958. A White Christmas occurred in 1989,[21] and during the March 13–14, 1993 eastern U.S. "superstorm," there were high winds and traces of snow. Historically, the city usually records at least flurries every three to four years, but on average, measurable amounts of snow 1.0 inch (2.5 cm) occur only once every 17 years. The last measurable snowfall took place December 22–23, 1989. The natural snow line (regular yearly snowfalls) ends 200 miles (320 km) to the north at Macon, Georgia, but the city averages 32 nights where the temperature falls below freezing, and, on average, the first freeze occurs on November 20, the last on March 22.[18]

Although several hurricanes have brushed Tallahassee with their outer rain and wind bands, in recent years only Hurricane Kate, in 1985, has struck Tallahassee directly. The Big Bend area of North Florida sees several tornadoes each year during the season, but none have hit Tallahassee in recent history. During extremely heavy rains, some low-lying parts of Tallahassee may flood, notably the Franklin Boulevard area adjacent to the downtown and the Killearn Lakes subdivision (which is not within the city limits proper) on the north side.

Climate data for Tallahassee, Florida (Tallahassee Regional Airport), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1892–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	83 (28)	89 (32)	91 (33)	95 (35)	102 (39)	105 (41)	104 (40)	103 (39)	102 (39)	95 (35)	88 (31)	84 (29)	105 (41)
Average high °F (°C)	63.5 (17.5)	67.5 (19.7)	73.8 (23.2)	79.9 (26.6)	87.0 (30.6)	91.0 (32.8)	92.1 (33.4)	91.5 (33.1)	88.4 (31.3)	81.4 (27.4)	73.0 (22.8)	65.3 (18.5)	79.6 (26.4)
Daily mean °F (°C)	51.2 (10.7)	54.7 (12.6)	60.4 (15.8)	66.1 (18.9)	74.3 (23.5)	80.2 (26.8)	82.0 (27.8)	81.8 (27.7)	78.2 (25.7)	69.4 (20.8)	60.2 (15.7)	53.2 (11.8)	67.6 (19.8)
Average low °F (°C)	39.0 (3.9)	41.9 (5.5)	47.1 (8.4)	52.3 (11.3)	61.6 (16.4)	69.5 (20.8)	72.0 (22.2)	72.1 (22.3)	68.1 (20.1)	57.3 (14.1)	47.5 (8.6)	41.1 (5.1)	55.8 (13.2)
Record low °F (°C)	6 (−14)	−2 (−19)	20 (−7)	29 (−2)	34 (1)	46 (8)	57 (14)	57 (14)	40 (4)	29 (−2)	13 (−11)	10 (−12)	−2 (−19)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	4.34 (110.2)	4.84 (122.9)	5.92 (150.4)	3.06 (77.7)	3.47 (88.1)	7.73 (196.3)	7.28 (184.9)	7.34 (186.4)	4.68 (118.9)	3.23 (82)	3.49 (88.6)	3.90 (99.1)	59.29 (1,506)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch)	8.9	8.4	7.9	6.1	7.1	13.6	15.9	14.4	8.5	5.7	6.6	8.1	111.2
Source: NOAA^[18]^[22]

Nearby cities and suburbs
Downtown Tallahassee at night.

Crawfordville
Havana
Lamont
Lloyd
Midway
Monticello
Quincy
Woodville
Capitola

Neighborhoods

Tallahassee has many neighborhoods inside the city limits. Some of the most known and defined include All Saints, Apalachee Ridge, Betton Hills,Callen, Frenchtown (the oldest historically black neighborhood in the state), Killearn Estates, Lafayette Park, Levy Park, Los Robles, Midtown, Holly Hills, Jake Gaither/University Park, Indian Head Acres, Myers Park, Smokey Hollow, SouthWood, Seminole Manor and Woodland Drives.
Demographics
Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1840 1,616 —
1860 1,932 —
1870 2,023 4.7%
1880 2,494 23.3%
1890 2,934 17.6%
1900 2,981 1.6%
1910 5,018 68.3%
1920 5,637 12.3%
1930 10,700 89.8%
1940 16,240 51.8%
1950 27,237 67.7%
1960 48,174 76.9%
1970 72,624 50.8%
1980 81,548 12.3%
1990 124,773 53.0%
2000 150,624 20.7%
2010 181,376 20.4%
Est. 2014 188,107 [23] 3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[24]
Tallahassee Demographics
2010 Census Tallahassee Leon County Florida
Total population 181,376 275,487 18,801,310
Population, percent change, 2000 to 2010 +20.4% +15.0% +17.6%
Population density 1,809.3/sq mi 413.1/sq mi 350.6/sq mi
White or Caucasian (including White Hispanic) 57.4% 63.0% 75.0%
(Non-Hispanic White or Caucasian) 53.3% 59.3% 57.9%
Black or African-American 35.0% 30.3% 16.0%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 6.3% 5.6% 22.5%
Asian 3.7% 2.9% 2.4%
Native American or Native Alaskan 0.2% 0.3% 0.4%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 2.3% 2.2% 2.5%
Some Other Race 1.3% 1.5% 3.6%

As of 2010, there were 84,248 households, of which 11.2% were vacant. As of 2000, 21.8% of which had children under 18 living in them. 30.1% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband, and 53.4% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.86.

As of 2000, the city's population was spread out with 17.4% under the age of 18, 29.7% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $30,571, and the median income for a family was $49,359. Males had a median income of $32,428 versus $27,838 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,981. About 12.6% of families and 24.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Educationally, the population of Leon County is the most highly educated population in Florida with 49.9% of the residents with either a Bachelor's, Master's, professional or doctorate degree. The Florida average is 22.4% and the national average is 24.4%. Unfortunately most of these must be accounted as recent graduates of the University system.
Languages
Tallahassee Asian Festival

As of 2000, 91.99% of residents spoke English as their first language, while 4.11% spoke Spanish, 0.63% spoke French, and 0.59% spoke German as their mother tongue. In total, 8.00% of the total population spoke languages other than English.[25]
City accolades

1988: Money Magazine‍ 's Southeast's three top medium size cities in which to live.
1992: Awarded Tree City USA by National Arbor Day Foundation
1999: Awarded All-America City Award by the National Civic League
2003: Awarded Tree Line USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation.
2006: Awarded "Best In America" Parks and Recreation by the National Recreation and Park Association.
2007: Recognized by Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine as one of the "Top Ten College Towns for Grownups" (ranking second, behind Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
2007: Ranked second in the "medium sized city" class on Epodunk's list of college towns.[26]
2015: Awarded All-America City Award by the National Civic League[27]

Government and politics
Florida Supreme Court

Tallahassee has traditionally been a Democratic city, and is one of the few cities in the South known for progressive activism. It has had a black mayor and a black state representative.[28] The city has voted Democratic throughout its history with a high voter-turnout. As of April 2007 there were 85,343 Democrats and 42,230 Republicans in Leon County. Other affiliations accounted for 22,284 voters.

Ion Sancho is the Supervisor of Elections for Leon County, Florida. Serving since January 1989, he has been reelected to five additional terms. One of only three (out of 67) supervisors of elections in Florida without party affiliation, under his administration Leon County's voter turnout percentage has consistently ranked among the highest of Florida's 67 counties, with a record setting 86% turnout in the November 2008 General Election.[29]
Election 2000; Attorney General Bob Butterworth speaking at a news conference with Governor Jeb Bush on the initial Florida recount during the 2000 Presidential election.
2000 Presidential election
Main article: United States presidential election in Florida, 2000

Tallahassee took center stage during the Presidential Election of 2000, Bush v. Gore. On Election Day, before all polls closing in Florida, the major television networks estimated that then Vice President Al Gore had beaten Texas Gov. George W. Bush in Florida. These networks were later forced to retract the projection as votes were tabulated from Florida's heavily Republican western panhandle.

As the night went on, it became clear that the victor in Florida would receive the electoral votes necessary to claim the presidency. The next morning, Vice President Gore heard that Gov. Bush was ahead by an estimated 50,000 votes and therefore called to concede the election. Not long after, hearing that thousands of votes in key Florida counties were not counted due to machine malfunctions and irregularities, Vice President Gore retracted his concession.

The election played itself out over the next 30 days with Tallahassee set as ground zero for the answer to who would become next president of the United States. About a dozen appeals were heard by the Florida Supreme Court arising from the disputed election, including two that resulted in oral arguments broadcast on live television. On December 12, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 7–2 vote that the Florida Supreme Court's ruling requiring a statewide recount of ballots was unconstitutional, and in a 5–4 vote that the Florida recounts could not be completed before a December 12 "safe harbor" deadline, and should therefore cease and the previously certified total should hold. Florida Secretary of State, Katherine Harris, certified the election for Gov. George W. Bush, winning Florida by a margin of 537 votes.
Congressional District; Florida's Second Congressional District
Congressional District; Florida's Fourth Congressional District
Consolidation

Voters of Leon County have gone to the polls four times to vote on consolidation of Tallahassee and Leon County governments into one jurisdiction combining police and other city services with already shared (consolidated) Tallahassee Fire Department and Leon County Emergency Medical Services. Tallahassee's city limits would increase from 103.1 square miles (267 km2) to 702 square miles (1,820 km2). Roughly 36 percent of Leon County's 265,714 residents live outside the Tallahassee city limits.

The proponents of consolidation have stated that the new jurisdiction would attract business by its size. Merging governments would cut government waste, duplication of services, etc. Professor Richard Feiock of the Department of Public Administration of Korea University and the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy of Florida State University states that no discernible relationship exists between consolidation and the local economy.[30]

Though overall Tallahassee's population would benefit the adoption of private enterprise to maintain the public avenues. Both in the Fire Protection domain and in the Sewage domain. Of which those systems have yet to be reconciled before the County Commissioners.

Tho each time, the measure was rejected: 1968: 10,381 (41.32%)|14,740 (58.68%); 1973: 11,056 (46.23%)| 12,859 (53.77%); 1976: 20,336 (45.01%) | 24,855 (54.99%); 1992: 37,062 (39.8%) | 56,070 (60.2%).
Federal representation and offices

Tallahassee is part of Florida's 2nd congressional district.

The United States Postal Service operates post offices in Tallahassee. The Tallahassee Main Post Office is located at 2800 South Adams Street.[31] Other post offices in the city limits include Centerville Station,[32] Leon Station,[33] Park Avenue Station,[34] and Westside Station.[35]

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration maintains a National Weather Service in Tallahassee. Their coverage-warning area includes the eastern Florida Panhandle and adjacent Gulf of Mexico waters, the north-central Florida peninsula, and parts of southeastern Alabama and southwestern Georgia.
Flag

The flag of Tallahassee is vaguely similar to the flag of Florida, a white saltire on a blue field, with the city's coat of arms, featuring the cupola of old capitol building, at the center.[36]
Urban planning and expansion

The first plan for the Capitol Center was the 1947 Taylor Plan, which consolidated several government buildings in one downtown area. In 1974, the Capitol Center Planning Commission for the City of Tallahassee, Fla. responded to growth of its urban center with a conceptual plan for the expansion of its Capitol Center. Hisham Ashkouri, working for The Architects' Collaborative, led the urban planning and design effort. Estimating growth and related development for approximately the next 25 years, the program projected the need for 2.3 million square feet (214,000 m2 of new government facilities in the city core, with 3,500 dwelling units, 100 acres (40 ha) of new public open space, retail and private office space, and other ancillary spaces. Community participation was an integral part of the design review, welcoming Tallahassee residents to provide input as well as citizens' groups and government agencies, resulting in the creation of six separate Design Alternatives. The best elements of these various designs were combined to develop the final conceptual design, which was then incorporated into the existing Capitol area and adjacent areas.

Land use

Adams Street Mall

Topographical map

Tallest buildings
Rank Name Street Address Height feet Height meters Floors Year
1 Florida State Capitol 400 South Monroe Street, 345 101 25 1977
2 Turlington Building 325 West Gaines Street, 318 97 19 1990
3 Plaza Tower Adams St, 276 84 24 2008
4 Highpoint Center 100 South Adams St 239 70 15 1990
5 Doubletree Hotel 101 South Adams St, 220 67 16 1972
Education
Primary and secondary
Leon High School
Lawton Chiles High School
Lower School students at Maclay School celebrating Grandparents Day in 2008.

Tallahassee anchors the Leon County School District. As of the 2009 school year Leon County Schools had an estimated 32,796 students, 2209 teachers and 2100 administrative and support personnel. The current superintendent of schools is Jackie Pons. Leon County public school enrollment continues to grow steadily (up approximately 1% per year since the 1990-91 school year). The dropout rate for grades 9-12 improved to 2.2% in the 2007–2008 school year, the third time in the past four years the dropout rate has been below 3%.

To gauge performance the State of Florida rates all public schools according to student achievement on the state-sponsored Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Seventy-nine percent of Leon County Public Schools received an A or B grade in the 2008–2009 school year. The overall district grade assigned to the Leon County Schools is "A". Students in the Leon County School District continued to score favorably in comparison to Florida and national averages in the SAT and ACT student assessment tests. The Leon County School District has consistently scored at or above the average for districts statewide in total ACT and SAT mean composite scores.
List of middle schools

Cobb Middle School
Deerlake Middle School
Fairview Middle School
Fort Braden School k-8
Griffin Middle School
Maclay School
Montford Middle School
Nims Middle School
Raa Middle School
Success Academy of Tallahassee
Swift Creek Middle School
Stars Middle School

List of high schools

Amos P. Godby High School
Atlantis Academy
Community Christian School
Florida A&M University Developmental Research School
Florida State University High School
James S. Rickards High School
John Paul II Catholic High School
Lawton Chiles High School
Leon High School
Lincoln High School
Maclay School
North Florida Christian High School
SAIL High School
Woodland Hall Academy

Higher education
Florida State University Westcott Plaza at night
Florida State University

Florida State University (commonly referred to as Florida State or FSU) is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation. The university consists of 16 separate colleges and more than 110 centers, facilities, labs and institutes that offer over 300 programs of study, including professional programs. As one of Florida's primary graduate research universities, FSU awards over 2,000 graduate and professional degrees each year.

In 2007, Florida State was placed in the first tier of research universities by the Florida Legislature, a distinction allowing FSU and the University of Florida to charge 40% higher tuition than other institutions in the State University System of Florida. While FSU was officially established in 1851 and is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in Florida, at least one predecessor institution may be traced back to 1843, two years before Florida became a state.

Florida State University is also home to nationally ranked programs in many academic areas, including the sciences, social policy, film, engineering, library & information studies, the Arts, business, political science, social work, medicine, and law. Florida State is home to Florida's only National Laboratory—the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and is the birthplace of the commercially viable anti-cancer drug Taxol.

The Florida State Seminoles athletics program are favorites of passionate students, fans and alumni across the United States, especially when led by the Marching Chiefs of the FSU College of Music. Florida State is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and has won twelve national athletic championships as well as multiple individual competitor NCAA championship awards.

Florida State University's Department of Art is known for the works of several distinguished faculty members, including Ray Burggraf, Lillian Garcia-Roig, and Mark Messersmith. Internationally recognized for their environmentally focused paintings, they are especially renowned for an innovative collaboration called, "A Mysterious Clarity". The highly acclaimed exhibition debuted in 2004, and by popular demand, has traveled to at least nine different museums and galleries from Houston to Miami.[37][38][39][40]
Florida A&M University
Florida A&M University.

Founded on October 3, 1887, Florida A&M University (FAMU) is part of the State University System of Florida and is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Distinguished by lush foliage and massive oaks, FAMU's main campus comprises 156 buildings spread over 422 acres (1.7 km2) atop the highest of Tallahassee's seven hills. The university also has several satellite campuses including a site in Orlando where the College of Law is located and sites in Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa for its pharmacy program. Florida A&M University offers 62 bachelor's degrees and 39 master's degrees. The university has 13 schools and colleges and one institute.

FAMU has 11 doctoral programs which includes 10 Ph.D. programs: chemical engineering; civil engineering; electrical engineering; mechanical engineering; industrial engineering; biomedical engineering; physics; pharmaceutical sciences; educational leadership; and environmental sciences. Top undergraduate programs are architecture; journalism; computer information sciences and psychology. FAMU's top graduate programs include pharmaceutical sciences along with public health; physical therapy; engineering; physics; master's of applied social sciences (especially history and public administration); business and sociology.
Tallahassee Community College
The entrance to Tallahassee Community College.

Tallahassee Community College (TCC) is an American state college, and is a member of the Florida College System. Tallahassee Community College is accredited by the Florida Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It's primary campus is located on a 270-acre (1.092 km2) campus in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. The institution was founded in 1966 by the Florida Legislature.[41]

TCC currently offers Associate of Science, Associate of Arts, and Associate of Applied Sciences degrees. In 2013, Tallahassee Community College was listed 1st in the nation in graduating students with A.A. degrees.[42] TCC is also the #1 transfer school in the nation to Florida State University. As of Fall 2014, TCC reported 19,942 students.[43]

In partnership with Florida State University, Tallahassee Community College offers the TCC2FSU program. This program provides guaranteed admission into Florida State University for TCC Associate in Arts degree graduates.[44]
List of other colleges

Barry University School of Adult and Continuing Education – Tallahassee Campus
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Flagler College – Tallahassee Campus
ITT Technical Institute
Keiser University - Tallahassee
Lewis M. Lively Area Vocational-Technical School
Saint Leo University—Tallahassee Campus

Public safety
Tallahassee Police Department patrol car
Leon County EMS

Established in 1826, the Tallahassee Police Department claims the distinction of being the oldest police department in the Southern United States, and the second-oldest in the U.S., preceded only by the Philadelphia Police Department (established in 1758). The Boston Police Department was established in 1838 and larger East Coast cities followed with New York City and Baltimore in 1845.

Law enforcement services are provided by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Capitol Police, Florida State University Police Department, Florida A&M University Department of Public Safety, the Tallahassee Community College Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol.

The Tallahassee Growth Management Building Inspection Division is responsible for issuing permits and performing inspections of public and private buildings in the City limits. These duties include the enforcement of the Florida Building Codes and the Florida Fire Protection Codes. These standards are present to protect life and property. The Tallahassee Building Department is one of 13 currently Accredited Building Departments in the United States.[45]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement,[46] Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Secret Service and Drug Enforcement Administration have offices in Tallahassee. The US Attorney's Office for North Florida is based in Tallahassee.

Fire and rescue services are provided by the Tallahassee Fire Department and Leon County Emergency Medical Services.

Hospitals in the area include Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, Capital Regional Medical Center and HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Tallahassee.
Places of interest
Maclay Gardens Reflection Pool
Tallahassee Automobile Museum

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park
Carnegie Library at FAMU
Challenger Learning Center
College Town at Florida State University
Doak Campbell Stadium
Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park
Florida Governor's Mansion
Florida State Capitol
Florida Supreme Court
Foster Tanner Fine Arts Gallery at Florida A&M University
Goodwood Museum and Gardens
John G. Riley Center/Museum of African American History & Culture (Riley Museum)
Knott House Museum
Lake Ella
Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park
Lafayette Heritage Trail Park
LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts
Mission San Luis de Apalachee
Museum of Fine Arts at Florida State University
Museum of Florida History
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
North Florida Fairgrounds
Railroad Square
Southeastern Regional Black Archives Research Center and Museum
Tallahassee Automobile Museum
Tallahassee Museum
James D. Westcott Building and Ruby Diamond Auditorium at Florida State University

Festivals and events
Cross-country at Red Hills Horse Trials, 2007.

Downtown Getdown (Seasonal)
First Friday festivals at Railroad Square
Greek Food Festival
Red Hills Horse Trials
Seven Days of Opening Nights
Southern Music RIsing Festival
Springtime Tallahassee/sens
Tallahassee Film Festival
Tallahassee Marathon and Half Marathon
Tallahassee Wine and Food Festival
Tallahassee Senior Center's Lifelong Learning Extravaganza - L3X[47]
Winter Festival

Sports
FSU's Doak Campbell Stadium

The Tallahassee Community College Eagles compete in the Panhandle Conference in Men's and Women's basketball, baseball and softball.
The Tallahassee Rugby Football Club are a Division III Rugby Club that competes in the Florida Rugby Union.
The Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center hosted the First and Second Rounds of the 1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.

Current Teams Sport League Venue
Florida State Seminoles football American football Florida State University Doak Campbell Stadium
Florida State Seminoles men's basketball Basketball Florida State University Donald L. Tucker Center
Florida A&M Rattlers American football Florida A&M University Bragg Memorial Stadium
Florida A&M Rattlers men's basketball Basketball Florida A&M University Teaching Arena
Former Clubs Sport League Years Active Venue
Tallahassee Tiger Sharks Hockey ECHL 1994-2001 Donald L. Tucker Center
Tallahassee Scorpions Indoor soccer EISL 1997-1998 Donald L. Tucker Center
Tallahassee Thunder American Football Arena Football 2000-2002 Donald L. Tucker Center
Tallahassee Titans American Football AIFL 2006 Donald L. Tucker Center
Tallahassee Tigers Basketball ABA 2007 Donald L. Tucker Center
Transportation
Tallahassee International Airport, seen here as Tallahassee Regional Airport
StarMetro
Interstate 10 at Capital Circle Northeast
Aviation

Tallahassee International Airport (KTLH)

Defunct airports

Dale Mabry Field (closed 1961)
Tallahassee Commercial Airport (closed 2011)

Mass transit

StarMetro provides bus service throughout the city.

Intercity bus

Greyhound and Megabus based in downtown Tallahassee.

Railroads

CSX operates a main freight line through the city.

Defunct railroads

Tallahassee Railroad, now a state trail.
Carrabelle, Tallahassee and Georgia Railroad.
Amtrak's Sunset Limited closed 2005

Major highways

I-10.svg Interstate 10 runs east and west across the north side of the city. Tallahassee is served by five exits including: Exit 192 (U.S. 90), Exit 196 (Capital Circle NW), Exit 199 (U.S. 27/Monroe St.), Exit 203 (U.S. 319/Thomasville Road and Capital Circle NE), and Exit 209 (U.S. 90/Mahan Dr.)
US 27.svg U.S. Route 27 enters the city from the northwest before turning south and entering downtown. This portion of U.S. 27 is known locally as Monroe Street. In front of the Historic Capitol Building, U.S. 27 turns east and follows Apalachee Parkway out of the city.
US 90.svg U.S. Route 90 runs east and west through Tallahassee. It is known locally as Tennessee Street west of Magnolia Drive and Mahan Drive east of Magnolia.
US 319.svg U.S. Route 319 runs north and south along the west side of the city using Thomasville Road, Capital Circle NE, Capital Circle SE, and Crafordville Road.
Florida 20.svg State Road 20
Florida 61.svg State Road 61
Florida 363.svg State Road 363

Economy

Companies based in Tallahassee include: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the Municipal Code Corporation, the State Board of Administration of Florida (SBA), and United Solutions Company.[48]
Top employers

According to Tallahassee's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[49] the top employers in the area are:
# Employer # of Employees # of Employees in 2005
1 State of Florida 19,442 25,204
2 Florida State University 14,378 8,784
3 Leon County School Board 5,383 4,403
4 Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare 4,583 2,850
5 City of Tallahassee 2,811 3,327
6 Publix 2,200 2,000
7 Tallahassee Community College 1,518 1,090
8 Florida A&M University 1,767 2,681
9 Leon County 1,712 1,522
10 Capital Regional Medical Center 1,051 n/a
Media
Newspaper

Tallahassee Democrat daily newspaper [50]
FSView & Florida Flambeau covering FSU [51]
The Famuan covering FAMU [52]

Television

WCTV (CBS) channel 6.1 (My Network TV/This TV) channel 6.2
WFSU (PBS) channel 11.1 (Florida Channel) channel 11.2 (Create) channel 11.3
WTLH (METV) channel 49.1 (CW) channel 49.2
WTWC (NBC) channel 40.1 (Fox) channel 40.2 (Get TV) channel 40.3
WTXL (ABC) channel 27.1 (Bounce) channel 27.2 (Weather) channel 27.3
WTLF (CW) channel 24.1
WUFX (SSN) channel 38.1
WVUP (CTN) channel 45.1
WWRP-LP (IND) channel 9
WBXT-CA (MTV) channel 43
WTBC-LP (Religious) channel 65 (Comcast)

Radio

WAIB-FM (Country)
WBZE-FM (Hot Adult Contemporary)
WFLA-FM (News/Talk)
WFSQ-FM (Classical Music)
WFSU-FM (News/Talk)
WVFS-FM (College/Alternative)
WGLF-FM (Classic Rock)
WVFT (News/Talk)
WGMY-FM (Top 40)
WHTF-FM (Top 40)
WNLS-AM (Sports)
WTNT-FM (Country)
WXSR-FM (Rock)
WAYT-FM (Christian Hit Radio)
WWLD (Hip Hop)
WANM (Black)

Notable Tallahassee groups and organizations

Cold Water Army—music group
Creed—rock band
Cream Abdul Babar—music group
The Crüxshadows—music group
Dead Prez—Alternative hip hop duo
Go Radio—music group
FAMU Marching 100—marching band
FSU Marching Chiefs—marching band
Look Mexico—rock band
Mayday Parade—music group
Mira—music group
No Address—music group
Socialburn—rock band
Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra—symphony orchestra
Woman's Club of Tallahassee

See also: List of people from Tallahassee, Florida
Namesakes

CSS Tallahassee—1864 Confederate cruiser
USS Tallahassee (BM-9)—1908 United States Navy monitor, originally named USS Florida
USS Tallahassee (CL-61)—1941 United States Navy light cruiser, converted to the aircraft carrier USS Princeton
USS Tallahassee (CL-116)—1944 United States Navy light cruiser
Tallahassee—Main Character in the movie Zombieland
Tallahassee—LP recorded by The Mountain Goats and released on 4AD.
Tallahassee Community School, Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia—named after CSS Tallahassee[53]
Tallahassee Tight—early 20th century blues singer
T-Pain—Originally "Tallahassee Pain"
Tallahassee Lassie (Freddy Cannon song)

Sister cities
See also: List of sister cities in Florida

Tallahassee has six sister cities:

Russia Krasnodar, Russia
Ghana Konongo-Odumase, Ghana
Sint Maarten St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
Republic of Ireland Flag of county Sligo.svg Sligo, Co. Sligo, Ireland
Israel Ramat HaSharon, Israel
China Rugao, China

Notable Tallahassee residents

W. Stanley "Sandy" Proctor, sculptor[54]
George Clinton, musician
Cannonball Adderley, musician
Bobby Bowden, Florida State University football coach
Darragh 'The Headcase' Casey author

State Associations Based in Tallahassee

Florida Bar Association
Florida Chamber of Commerce
Florida Dental Association
Florida Institute of CPAs