Cottondale, Florida
14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1952 and the latest in 1994. It stands in the Cottondale census division. It lies in ZIP code area 32431. The Survey maps it on the Cottondale West quadrangle. 848 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 131 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 figuresCottondale fell from 869 to 848 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 | 869 | |
| 2010 | 933 | +64 (+7%) |
| 2020 | 848 | -85 (-9%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 14 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 Cottondale West quadrangle1:24000, 2 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 Cottondale West quadrangle1:24000
- 1988 USGS Tallahassee quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1994 USGS Cottondale West quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
171 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 171 fires within 5 miles of Cottondale between 1992 and 2020, burning about 642 acres in total. 13 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 | 57 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 32 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 28 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 18 |
| Natural | 13 |
| Smoking | 8 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 6 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 3 |
| Other causes | 3 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
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) |
| 28 September 2019 | Equipment and vehicle use | 8.0 acres | Florida Forest Service | LOVEWOOD (32) |
| 16 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | VETERAN RD (32) |
| 5 August 2009 | Natural | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | 32/LOVEWOOD RD-0558 |
| 27 August 2015 | Arson/incendiarism | 14 acres | Florida Forest Service | HWY 90 (32) |
| 19 August 2014 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Florida Forest Service | SAPP ROAD (32) |
| 17 August 1996 | Equipment and vehicle use | 5.0 acres | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 16 August 2012 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | SAEY ROAD (32) |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
8 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 8 workings within 5 miles of Cottondale: 4 prospects, 2 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay, Limestone, General, Sand. 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 | ||
| Florida Asphalt and Paving Co. - Sexton Pit | Sand | Producer | ||
| White Constr. - Jones Mine | Limestone, General | Producer | Limestone | |
| Marianna Ls Products Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Thomas Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Prospect | ||
| Unnamed Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Prospect | ||
| Unnamed Ls Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Prospect | ||
| West Fla Lime Co Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Prospect |
Storms near this place
34 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Cottondale in 34 storm reports between 1995 and 2024: 21 thunderstorm wind, 6 flash flood, 4 flood, 2 hail. 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 2016 | Flood | Cottondale | $10,000 | Portions of North Road were washed out. This is a dirt road. Damage was estimated. |
| March 2016 | Flood | Cottondale | $10,000 | Portions of Bayberry Road were washed out. This is a dirt road. Damage was estimated. |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | $10,000 | A mobile's roof was blown off and a neighboring storage trailer was damaged. Reported by the Jackson County EMA. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | $5,000 | Structural damage was reported in the Cottondale area. |
| February 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | $4,000 | There were several reports of trees and power lines down throughout Jackson county. |
| January 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | $2,000 | Power lines were blown down and blocking the road at 1916 Highway 90. |
| January 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | $2,000 | Power lines were blown down at 3922 Lovewood Road. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | $2,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down on Highway 90. |
| April 2015 | Flash Flood | Cottondale | $2,000 | The intersection of Highway 73 and Highway 231 was underwater and the Sheriff's office put up barricades. This report was forwarded by a WMBB meteorologist. |
| April 2015 | Flash Flood | Cottondale | $2,000 | Highway 90 west of Cottondale was impassible due to water over the roadway. |
| April 2015 | Flash Flood | Cottondale | $2,000 | Bonnet Pond Road off of Highway 231 was impassible due to water over the roadway. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | $1,000 | A tree was blown down on Sapp/Tharpe Road. Monetary damage was estimated. |
| January 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | A tree was blown down on Highway 90 near Pine Branch Blvd. |
| January 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | A tree and power line were blown down on Lovewood Road at Lancer Road. |
| May 2024 | Flash Flood | Cottondale | - | Water was over Christmas Road south of Palmview Road. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | Scattered trees were blown down. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | Multiple trees were blown down on SR-73 north of Cottondale. |
| April 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | Numerous trees were blown down across the area. |
| July 2023 | Flash Flood | Cottondale | - | Highway 90 was flooded under an overpass. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | A tree was blown down in the Cottondale area. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | Scattered trees and power lines were blown down. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | Power lines were blown down onto an unattended vehicle. |
| April 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | A tree was blown down on Douglas Road close to Peanut Road. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | Trees were blown down on the west side of Railroad Street. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | Multiple trees were blown down across the county. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | Trees were blown down around Cottondale. |
| January 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | Trees were blown down in the Cottondale area. |
| February 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | - | Trees were blown down near the intersection of SR-73 and US-231. |
| February 2012 | Flash Flood | Cottondale | - | Several roads were underwater across portions of Jackson county, including around Highway 90 near Cottonwood as well as Old U.S. Road 162 North. Rainfall rates were reported around 4 inches per hour in neighboring Holmes county. Widespread rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches occurred in the area in just a few hours. The result was flash flooding of roads causing road closures as reported by the 911 call center. |
| April 2009 | Flood | Cottondale | - | High water closed U.S. Highway 231 at Bonnet Pond Road. |
| April 2009 | Flood | Cottondale | - | High water closed U.S. Highway 231 at State Road 73. |
| May 2006 | Hail | Cottondale | - | The public reported quarter size hail. |
| May 1999 | Hail | Cottondale | - | NWSFO Birmingham relayed report of nickel size hail. |
| October 1995 | Tornado (F0) | Cottondale | - | A tornado was reported by Jackson County Sheriff's Department. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kynesville | 4.7 miles | 12 | |
| Steele City | 5.1 miles | 15 | |
| Glass | 5.4 miles | 14 | |
| Waddells Mill | 5.7 miles | 14 | |
| Jacobs | 6.8 miles | 14 | |
| Alford | 7.2 miles | 15 | |
| Richter Crossroads | 7.2 miles | 14 | |
| Marianna | 8.1 miles | 14 |
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 Cottondale | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q5702320 | 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 280886. 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.







