Which States Border Florida?

Florida is a large peninsula that extends into the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico to the east and west respectively. Of the 50 states of the US, Florida is the 22nd largest, covering an area of approximately 65,755 square miles. Despite the size, the state is the third-most populated with approximately 21.3 million residents and the eighth-most densely populated state with 384.3 residents per square mile. Florida shares its borders with Georgia and Alabama. 

Georgia/Florida Border

Georgia is located in the southeastern US and borders Florida to its north. It is the long-standing boundary that was first established by the Treaty of Paris in 1783. 

Alabama/Florida Border

Alabama, nicknamed “The Yellowhammer State” is located in the southeastern region of the US and borders Florida to the north. The Florida northern boundary on the 31st parallel was a creation of the Congress as the first part of the Mississippi Territory in 1798 (the Mississippi Territory expanded later in 1804 and 1812). In 1783, the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War with Britain established the 31st parallel as the US southern boundary. In a separate treaty, Britain ceded Florida back to Spain. Because Florida’s northern boundary was not well defined, the US and Spain wrangled for years over the northern portion of West Florida. The Treaty of San Lorenzo in 1795 finally set the 31st parallel between Chattahoochee and the Mississippi River. The agreement set a stage for the formation of the Mississippi Territory, which formed Alabama.