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CHistory
History · Hernando

Hernando’s post office opened in 1882, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 27% of U.S. towns · #185 of 638 in Florida. What drives it

Most of Hernando was built recently: 0.2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1986. Its Register listing is the Hernando Elementary School, Old. Below: maps from 1895 on and the census since 1990.

1882first post office
1on the National Register
0.2%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Hernando began

When was Hernando founded?

1882

The Hernando post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Felicia (1901), opened inside today’s town and later closed.

First census: 2,103 in 19902020 census: 9,284144 years

How historic is Hernando?

C

More historic than 27% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Hernando post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
History grade

What drives Hernando’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hernando is more historic than 27% of U.S. towns, #185 of 638 in Florida. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hernando’s overall grade.
Founding era1882, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19400.2% of homes (±0.4) · typical FL town 0.6% · U.S. 8.4%DNational Register1 listing, 1.1 per 10,000 residents · typical FL town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 27%
NewerOlder
Florida towns of 2,500+ (638)Ahead of 71%

Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Hernando’s 1.1 sits above most of its state (73% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C+. The pre-1940 share (±0.4 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.

Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Hernando’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Hernando are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Hernando’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Hernando’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story so far

Hernando, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Hernando yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Hernando is a census-designated place in Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 9,284 at the 2020 census, up from 9,054 at the 2010 census. At one time it was a city but it was disincorporated in the 1970s. It is part of the Homosassa Springs, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Its first post office opened in 1882. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 9,054 to 9,284 (+3%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Hernando, 1882 to 1906

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1882Post officeThe Hernando post office opens
  3. 1895On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  4. 20th century
  5. 1901Post officeThe Felicia post office opens
  6. 1906Post officeThe Felicia post office closes
By decade

Hernando, decade by decade

Today30 recent
Tsala Apopka in2018Tsala Apopka inWST Faded Mile Marker; Hernando, FLA2016WST Faded Mile Marker; Hernando, FLABurger Station; SB US 412016Burger Station; SB US 41Burger Station; Former Gulf Gas Pumps2016Burger Station; Former Gulf Gas PumpsBurger Station; Former Gulf Gas Pumps (cropped)2016Burger Station; Former Gulf Gas Pumps (cropped)Burger Station sign from WST2016Burger Station sign from WSTBurger Station across from NB US 412016Burger Station across from NB US 41Hernando Elementary School Buses Only sign2014Hernando Elementary School Buses Only signHernando Elementary School Bus Entrance; Turn-ramp sign2014Hernando Elementary School Bus Entrance; Turn-ramp si…Hernando Elementary School Bus Entrance; Street-name sign2014Hernando Elementary School Bus Entrance; Street-name …Hernando Elementary School Bus Entrance; 200 Feet2014Hernando Elementary School Bus Entrance; 200 FeetHernando Elementary School Bus Entrance; 200 Feet (Close-Up)2014Hernando Elementary School Bus Entrance; 200 Feet (Cl…East Citrus CR 486 sign;2014East Citrus CR 486 sign;US 41 & FL 200 Arrows; May 18, 20032013US 41 & FL 200 Arrows; May 18, 2003Southbound US 41 @ FL 200; May 18, 20032013Southbound US 41 @ FL 200; May 18, 2003South End FL 200; May 18, 20032013South End FL 200; May 18, 2003Junction FL 200 on US 41; May 18, 20032013Junction FL 200 on US 41; May 18, 2003First North Florida 200 sign; May 18, 20032013First North Florida 200 sign; May 18, 2003US 41-FL SR 200 Fork; February 1, 20112011US 41-FL SR 200 Fork; February 1, 2011NB FL 200; Hernando, Florida(First Sign)2011NB FL 200; Hernando, Florida(First Sign)Hernando FL Church of the Nazarene-22011Hernando FL Church of the Nazarene-2Hernando FL Church of the Nazarene-12011Hernando FL Church of the Nazarene-1WST South Detour @ CCR 4862010WST South Detour @ CCR 486WST Hernando Trailhead sign2010WST Hernando Trailhead signWST Hernando Trailhead Park2010WST Hernando Trailhead ParkWST Citrus CR 486 Crosswalk; South Side2010WST Citrus CR 486 Crosswalk; South SideWST Citrus CR 486 Crosswalk; North Side2010WST Citrus CR 486 Crosswalk; North SideCitrus CR 486 @ US 41 to FL 2002010Citrus CR 486 @ US 41 to FL 200Citrus CR 486 @ US 41 Arrows2010Citrus CR 486 @ US 41 ArrowsFLMap-doton-Hernando2004FLMap-doton-Hernando
On the map

Hernando on the map, 1895 to 1954

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hernando. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Hernando on the 1895 USGS mapHernando on the 1954 USGS map1895Tsala Apopka sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Hernando.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Hernando

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
2001
Hernando Elementary School, Old
Hernando Elementary School, Old
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals1
Colonial Revival1
Hernando Elementary School, OldLate 19th and 20th Century Revivals

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Hernando, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,000200020209,284

Grew from 2,103 people in 1990 to 9,284 in 2020, 4 times over.

4 censuses, 1990–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Hernando’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Hernando

Nobody well known was born in Hernando itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Elizabeth AshleyAmerican actress · b. 1939
E
Erin JacksonAmerican speed skater · b. 1992
B
Brittany BoweAmerican speed skater · b. 1988
Buddy MacKayAmerican politician · b. 1933
Patrick O'NealAmerican actor · b. 1927
Joey MantiaAmerican speed skater · b. 1986
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and burying grounds

Hernando’s post office has been open since 1882. Another post office, Felicia, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Hernando
1882–today
Felicia
1901–1906
18801950today
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Hernando
BurkeHernando

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Citrus SpringsIts storyDCitrus HillsIts storyDPine RidgeIts storyDInverness Highlands NorthIts storyD

Questions about Hernando’s history

What year was Hernando founded?

The Hernando post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Hernando rank for history?

Hernando is more historic than 27% of U.S. towns, #185 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Hernando?

One place: the Hernando Elementary School, Old (listed 2001).

How old are the homes in Hernando?

0.2% of Hernando’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1986.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (30), the National Register of Historic Places (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.