St. Johns County is a county of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2010 United States Census, the county's population was 190,039. The county seat and largest incorporated city is St. Augustine.The county was established in 1821. It is one of the two original counties established after Florida was ceded to the United States, at the start of the Florida Territorial period, and corresponded roughly with the former colonial province of East Florida. It was named for the St. Johns River, which runs along its western border.St. Johns County is included in the Jacksonville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is primarily made up of residential bedroom communities. Tourism, primarily associated with St. Augustine and the many golf courses in the area, is the chief economic industry. With this being a major tourist and retirement mecca, St. Johns County is the wealthiest county in Florida in regards to income.HistorySt. Johns County’s history begins in 1821, when Colonel Robert Butler received Spanish East Florida from Captain-General Colonel José M. Coppinger. Butler represented Major General Andrew Jackson, federal military commissioner for the Florida provinces (las Floridas) with the powers of governor, exercising the powers of the Captain General and the Intendants of the Island of Cuba and the Governors of the said provinces, respectively, who ordained that all of that country lying east of the river Suwannee should be designated as the County of St. Johns.
