Welcome to DeSoto County

Welcome to beautiful DeSoto County, located in the Florida’s Heartland along the Peace River and US 17.

DeSoto County is named for the Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto. It was created from Manatee County in 1887. Until 1921 DeSoto was one of the largest counties in the state, but residents complained of the vast distances between home and courthouse and it was subdivided to create Hardee, Charlotte, Highlands, and Glades Counties.

The original DeSoto County seat, which had also served Manatee County since 1866, was located at Pine Level. Eventually a new county seat was created at  "Tater Hill Bluff," renamed Arcadia, in 1888.

The current DeSoto County Courthouse was built by the Read-Parker Construction Company in 1912. It was designed by the Tampa architectural firm of Bonfoey and Elliot.

In the late 1870's, the railroads were completed through Desoto County and it changed the growth of the county and brought wealth for many. In 1881, phosphate was discovered on the banks of Peace River that flows through the county. Mining of this mineral brought much prosperity for many years. Ruins of the old phosphate docks can be found today near Liverpool on Hunter Creek, just a few hundred yards from the Peace River in South DeSoto County.

The Board of County Commissioners