Alford, Florida
15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1952 and the latest in 1994. It stands in the Alford census division. It lies in ZIP code area 32420. It stands on Shores Mill Creek. The Survey maps it on the Alford quadrangle. 484 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 154 feet above sea level.
Then and now
1952 to 1994The same ground, surveyed 42 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.


Compare 1952 against another survey:
Population over time
3 figuresAlford fell from 489 to 484 between 2000 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 489 | |
| 2010 | 489 | 0 (0%) |
| 2020 | 484 | -5 (-1%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 15 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1952 USGS Alford quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1954 USGS Tallahassee quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1959 USGS Tallahassee quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Tallahassee quadrangle1:250000
- 1979 USGS Marianna quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1982 USGS Alford quadrangle1:24000
- 1988 USGS Tallahassee quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1994 USGS Alford quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
190 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 190 fires within 5 miles of Alford between 1992 and 2020, burning about 653 acres in total. 5 started naturally. 6 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 68 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 40 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 19 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 19 |
| Smoking | 16 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 6 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 5 |
| Natural | 5 |
| Other causes | 4 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 4 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 4 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | PHILLIP RD (32) |
| 6 September 2014 | Other causes | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | HIGHLAND (32) |
| 28 September 2019 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | ROOKS ROAD (67) |
| 27 September 2007 | Natural | 2.0 acres | Florida Forest Service | 67/ARCHIE SAPP RD-0969 |
| 23 September 1999 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 6.0 acres | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 20 September 1997 | Smoking | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 2 September 1999 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 8.0 acres | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 9 August 2002 | Smoking | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 10 workings within 5 miles of Alford: 6 unknowns, 4 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fla.Ind.School For Boys Clay Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Round Lake City Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Stearne's J A Clay Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unnamed Clay Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Jackson Co. Bd. of Co. Comm. - Compass Lake Mine | Sand | Unknown | ||
| Jackson Co. Bd. of Co. Comm. - Green Mine | Sand | Unknown | ||
| Lenny Prutzman - Prutzman Mine | Sand | Unknown | ||
| Rex Windham - Windham Diamond 1 Mine | Sand | Unknown | ||
| Rex Windham - Windham Diamond 2 Mine | Sand | Unknown | ||
| Whit Construction Company, Inc. - Speers Mine | Sand | Unknown |
Storms near this place
26 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Alford in 26 storm reports between 1997 and 2026: 16 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, 2 lightning, 2 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Tornado (EF1) | Alford | $100,000 | An EF3 tornado tracked through Washington County into Jackson County Florida during the early morning hours of Thursday, March 31, 2022. The Jackson county portion of the tornado was rated as an EF1. The tornado began near Roland Rd and Ovid Ln in Washington County where it snapped tree trunks as it moved northeastward. The tornado crossed Orange Hill Rd and continued on to Gilberts Mill Rd. On Gilberts Mill Rd near Stewart Rd, a barn was destroyed and a manufactured home was damaged and shifted on its foundation, which is in line with EF-1 damage. Snapped and uprooted trees were observed all along Gilberts Mill Rd. Further northeast, a manufactured home sustained significant damage and several outbuildings were destroyed. A camper and a greenhouse were also destroyed here, consistent with EF-1 damage. The tornado strengthened as it continued northeastward along Gilberts Mill Rd before completely destroying and sweeping away an anchored double wide manufactured home and a newer, anchored single wide home. The double wide home was the site of the two fatalities, and one person in the single wide was injured when he was thrown into the tree line grasping his mattress. Several projectiles were driven into the ground at this location. A large boat was also thrown from its trailer and overturned. Damage at this location was consistent with strong EF-2 winds. The tornado continued to strengthen as it moved across Jewel Rd and at that location, a well-built brick home was partially destroyed and likely was sideswiped by the tornado. The end of the home that was hit sustained major collapse of roof and exterior brick walls as well as a generator ripped from its anchoring and thrown across a field. The other end of the home was less severely damaged but still suffered major roof loss. A car in the driveway was pushed off of the driveway, and an attached carport was destroyed. Across the street, a wood frame home with block foundation was completely destroyed and swept from the foundation, leaving only some cinder blocks and a floor joist. The debris from the house was thrown into a pole barn which was also destroyed. An injury occurred at this site when the home occupant ran to the barn and dove under his pickup truck. The damage to this home and the brick home are consistent with EF3 damage and maximum winds of 150 mph. The tornado weakened some as it moved northeast, inflicting roof damage to a home and damage to out buildings along Archie Sapp Rd. On Syfrett Rd, several sheds and outbuildings were destroyed, a single wide manufactured home was flipped onto its side, and a brick home sustained major roof damage. This damage along Archie Sapp Rd and Syfrett Rd are consistent with EF1 damage. The tornado snapped a couple of tree trunks along Dilmore Rd before lifting just south of Interstate 10 near Standland Rd. |
| August 2000 | Lightning | Alford | $75,000 | Lightning sparked a house fire. Firefighting units from Compass Lake, Alford, Cottondale, Chipley and Jackson County Fire Rescue extinguished the blaze. The majority of the damage to the house on White Pond Church Road was confined to the roof and ceiling, however there was considerable water and smoke damage. Reported by the Jackson County Floridan. |
| August 2020 | Lightning | Alford | $10,000 | Lightning struck 2 homes and resulted in fires. |
| March 2019 | Tornado (EF1) | Alford | $5,000 | This is a continuation of the EF1 tornado from Washington county. In Jackson County, the main damage was also to the tin roofing material with at least one double wide seeing all of the wood, shingles and tin removed from a quarter of the house. At another residence, a small outbuilding was lifted, flipped over and landed up against the house, completely destroyed. A few snapped and uprooted trees were also noted in Jackson county. Damage cost was estimated. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | $4,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down across Jackson county. |
| December 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | $4,000 | Several trees were blown down across Jackson county. Monetary damage was estimated. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | $4,000 | Several trees were blown down along Alford Highway near Alford. The monetary damage figure provided is a rough estimate. |
| January 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | $3,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down across western Jackson county. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | $3,000 | Trees were blown down onto power lines in Alford at Park Rd and Arizona St. |
| February 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | $3,000 | A mobile home sustained roof damage on Green Acres Lane. |
| May 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | $2,000 | A power line and tree were blown down across the road on Tennessee Street in Alford. |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | $1,000 | no account filed |
| November 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | $500 | One tree was blown down in Alford. |
| January 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | - | Trees were blown down at Gardenview Road and Dallas Road. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Alford | - | A report of quarter sized hail was received from social media near Alford. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | - | A tree was blown down along Highway 231 south of Alford. |
| April 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | - | A couple of trees were blown down in southwestern Jackson county. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | - | A tree was blown down in Alford. |
| August 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | - | A tree was blown down near Alford. |
| March 2012 | Heavy Rain | Alford | - | A 24 hour total of 7.28 inches was measured by FL-JK-2. |
| January 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | - | Trees and power lines reported down. |
| February 2008 | Flood | Alford | - | Many paved roads throughout the central and southern part of the county were flooded and dirt roads were gutted from the torrential downpours. |
| May 2006 | Hail | Alford | - | Penny size hail reported by Florida Electric Company manager in Graceville. |
| March 2001 | Hail | Alford | - | Half dollar size hail reported by WJHG-7 TV in Panama City. |
| February 2000 | Hail | Alford | - | Dime size hail reported by the Jackson County EMA. |
| May 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alford | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steele City | 2.1 miles | 15 | |
| Kent Mill | 2.5 miles | 15 | |
| Round Lake | 2.9 miles | 15 | |
| Kynesville | 3.3 miles | 12 | |
| Compass Lake | 7.0 miles | 15 | |
| Cottondale | 7.2 miles | 14 | |
| Marianna | 10.4 miles | 14 | |
| Oakdale | 11.0 miles | 13 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Alford | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1002845 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 277741. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.







