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Ponce de Leon, Florida

15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1948 and the latest in 1994. It stands in the West Holmes census division. It lies in ZIP code area 32455. It stands on Blue Creek. The Survey maps it on the Ponce de Leon quadrangle. 504 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 62 feet above sea level.

Ponce de Leon within Holmes County

Then and now

1948 to 1994

The same ground, surveyed 46 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Ponce de Leon, surveyed 1994
Topographic sheet of Ponce de Leon, surveyed 1948

Compare 1948 against another survey:

Population over time

2 figures

Ponce de Leon fell from 598 to 504 between 2010 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.

YearPeople Change
2010598
2020504-94 (-16%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

9 surveys from 15 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

223 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 223 fires within 5 miles of Ponce de Leon between 1992 and 2020, burning about 1,021 acres in total. 6 started naturally. 15 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
Equipment and vehicle use64
Debris and open burning48
Railroad operations and maintenance29
Missing data/not specified/undetermined28
Smoking17
Arson/incendiarism15
Recreation and ceremony9
Natural6
Misuse of fire by a minor4
Power generation/transmission/distribution3

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
5 September 2002Debris and open burning18 acresFlorida Forest Servicenot named
30 September 2000Debris and open burning2.0 acresFlorida Forest Servicenot named
30 September 1997Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreFlorida Forest Servicenot named
27 September 2012Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreFlorida Forest ServiceHWY 90 PDL (30)
27 September 1993Railroad operations and maintenanceunder an acreFlorida Forest Servicenot named
18 September 2019Debris and open burningunder an acreFlorida Forest ServiceHWY 81 (66)
18 September 1999Railroad operations and maintenanceunder an acreFlorida Forest Servicenot named
13 September 1999Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreFlorida Forest Servicenot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Holmes County

Mines and quarries near this place

5 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Ponce de Leon: 3 occurrences, 2 prospects. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Unnamed Sand DepositSand and Gravel, ConstructionProspect
Blue Spring Limestone ProspectStone, Crushed/BrokenOccurrence
Ditch Limestone ProspectStone, Crushed/BrokenProspect
Morrison Springs Limestone ProspectStone, Crushed/BrokenOccurrence
Springs Limestone ProspectStone, Crushed/BrokenOccurrence

Every working recorded in Holmes County

Storms near this place

34 since 2000

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Ponce de Leon in 34 storm reports between 2000 and 2026: 27 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado, 2 flash flood, 2 flood. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
September 2020Flash FloodPonce De Leon$8,500,000Extensive flash flooding occurred across Holmes county. Damage cost was estimated.
April 2020Tornado (EF1)Ponce De Leon$100,000Tree damage was first noted along Bob Sikes Rd. just west of Hwy 331. The tornado then crossed Hwy 331 knocking down a few business signs and trees as well as blowing in four windows of a series of businesses at a strip mall. A large retail business also had part of it's roof peeled back and a couple HVAC units blown off.The tornado continued east northeast with points surveyed along Bay Ave southeast of DeFuniak Springs as well as County Rd 183 south of Argyle. Trees and large limbs were downed|at both locations. The location south of Argyle was the last portion of the track able to be surveyed as the track then went into inaccessible portions of Holmes County south of HWY 90. Radar was used to extend the track a few more miles into Holmes|county. The tornado lifted before reaching Ponce De Leon or Highway 81.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon$100,000Straight line winds caused numerous trees to be snapped and uprooted in Ponce de Leon. Minor structural damage was sustained as roofing was peeled off of a couple of metal barns. Winds were estimated around 80 mph. Damage cost was estimated.
January 2024Tornado (EF0)Ponce De Leon$75,000A tornado touched down along R.M. Ward Road in western Holmes County. The tornado knocked down numerous trees, which caused damage to several structures, including one home and at least one vehicle. The tornado continued northeast before dissipating in a heavily wooded area northeast of Jessie Hall Lane. Damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado with max winds estimated around 80 mph. Thanks to Holmes County Emergency Management for assistance with this survey.
November 2002Tornado (F0)Ponce De Leon$15,000A small weak tornado briefly touched down near Interstate 10 and resulted in a few car accidents. There were no injuries. Reported by the Holmes County EMA.
January 2026Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon$5,000A tree was blown down onto a house.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon$3,000Trees were blown down on power lines and across roadways in and around Ponce de Leon.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon$3,000A power line was blown down on Oak Grove Road.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon$2,000Trees were blown down between Argyle and Ponce De Leon on U.S. 90. Monetary damage was estimated.
September 2011Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon$2,000Two trees were blown down along Interstate 10. The monetary damage figure provided is a rough estimate.
February 2014Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon$1,000A tree was blown down near County Road 183.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon$500A single tree blew down on Highway 81 near Ponce De Leon with no other wind damage reported in the area. Monetary damage was estimated.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon$500A tree was blown down. The monetary damage figure provided is a rough estimate.
November 2006Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon$500Several downed trees in Ponce de Leon reported by a county 911 dispatcher.
September 2000Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon$500Several large trees down. Reported by the Holmes County EMA.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-A tree was blown down on Morrow Road off Highway 90.
January 2024Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-Trees were blown down along Mt Zion Road.
January 2024Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-Trees were blown down along Valee Road.
January 2024Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-Trees were blown down along Oak Grove Church Road.
April 2023Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-A tree was blown down near Highway 10 and Highway 10A.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-A few trees and power lines were blown down in western Holmes county.
July 2021FloodPonce De Leon-Water was reported over the roadway on Highway 81 south of I-10 resulting in a road closure.
April 2020Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-Widespread trees were blown down.
January 2019Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-A tree was blown down at Highway 90 west of Baker Manning Loop. Additional trees were also blown down on Highway 90.
April 2019Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-Trees were blown down near Ponce De Leon.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-Trees were blown down on Highway 10A and Jackey Road.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-A large tree was blown down near Highway 90 and County Road 10A.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-A large tree was blown down across both southbound lanes of Highway 81 near Ammons Road.
January 2017Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-Multiple trees were blown down in Holmes county.
January 2017FloodPonce De Leon-Valee Road was closed due to flooding. This was due to a long duration of moderate to heavy rainfall.
February 2016Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-A tree was blown down in Ponce De Leon.
August 2016Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-The local electric company reported a tree down across a rural road in western Holmes county.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindPonce De Leon-Two trees were blown down onto Highway 81 near Ponce De Leon. A spotter also reported multiple trees uprooted along the side of the road.
April 2014Flash FloodPonce De Leon-Several roads were flooded across the county with barricades placed due to heavy rainfall in a short period of time.

Every storm recorded in Holmes County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Bayou Crossing3.5 miles14
Bounds Crossing5.4 miles14
Westville5.8 miles13
Hickory Hill6.9 miles14
Cerrogordo8.0 miles14
Prosperity8.9 miles14
Hathaway Mill9.6 miles13
Arrant Settlement9.6 miles14

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 Ponce de LeonAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1013999The 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 289171. 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.