Gilchrist County is a county located in the north central part of the U.S. state of Florida. Organized in 1925 from the western part of Alachua, it is the last county to be formed in the state. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,864. The county seat is Trenton. Gilchrist County is included in the Gainesville, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Gilchrist County was created in 1925, the last county organized in Florida. It was named for Albert W. Gilchrist, Governor of Florida from 1909 to 1913. It was formed by residents of what was then western Alachua County, as they believed they were not getting adequate representation on the county commission. With the poor roads of the time, they felt it took too long to get to the county seat of Gainesville. They disagreed about a proposed law that would require fencing in cattle in the rural area. They also believed that they would be better off by getting their own share of racetrack revenues, which the state distributed by county. Much of the county was farmland and timberland when formed, and it is largely rural. Several natural springs are adjacent to the Santa Fe River, including Ginnie Springs, Hart Springs, and Gilchrist Blue Springs, the last of which became a Florida state park in 2017. Historic buildings Historic buildings in Gilchrist County include: First Baptist Church, on East Wade Street Gilchrist County Courthouse Trenton Depot Jennings Lake Seventh-Day Adventist Church The old Trenton Church of Christ on South Main Street. Gilchrist County Jail, built in 1926, operated from 1928 to 1968. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.6%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in Florida by land area and fourth-smallest by total area. Adjacent counties Columbia County, Florida – northeast Alachua County, Florida – east Levy County, Florida – south Dixie County, Florida – southwest Suwannee County, Florida – northwest Lafayette County, Florida – northwest Demographics As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,864 people, 6,701 households, and 4,463 families residing in the county. As of the census of 2000, there were 14,437 people, 5,021 households, and 3,715 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 5,906 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile (7/km2). The racial makeup of the