[EscAlaMike]

Originally Posted by FL_Expert

Flagler is debatable.

I grew up right on the Volusia/Flagler line. Palm Coast is not the least bit southern; but most of the county west of US1 very much is. Lots of agriculture there that's still run by multi generational old time Floridians.

I used to go to the North Florida Cracker Festival and Rodeo in Espanola, just outside Bunnell. That brought all the backwoods folks out of the woodwork. I wonder if that still exists.

[FL_Expert]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

I grew up right on the Volusia/Flagler line. Palm Coast is not the least bit southern; but most of the county west of US1 very much is. Lots of agriculture there that's still run by multi generational old time Floridians.

I used to go to the North Florida Cracker Festival and Rodeo in Espanola, just outside Bunnell. That brought all the backwoods folks out of the woodwork. I wonder if that still exists.

You’re right, and Palm Coast is why I didn’t call it a Southern county in my earlier post. The rest of the county though sort of is. Even coastal Flagler used to be pretty southern 20yrs ago, but that’s probably changed.

[floridarebel]

Visualize a v or u shape from Tampa to Daytona and down to the Everglades. Anything within in this shape and up is southern but out of the shape isn't. Orlando would be within this shape too.

[NorthofHere]

Originally Posted by greaterorlandomiami1734

If you live in Florida, chances are you've heard the phrase "The more north you go the more south it gets." However, about what part of the state is where you truly start to see southern culture? The panhandle and north florida are unequivocally southern, however peninsular Florida starts to get a bit iffy.I would put the line above the Orlando/Space Coast area, and I believe the south "starts" just north of Daytona. You see a pronounce rise in frequency of southern accents and cultural elements north of this area. In terms of the west coast, I would put the line at Pasco county. Of course, there are outliers of Southern culture south of this line, Like the Florida Heartland. Where would you put the dividing line between yankee/transplant Florida and Southern Florida?

There is no dividing line but basically, except for areas around Orlando anything in the middle of the state be it down by Okeechobee or up near Gainesville. Anything along the coasts would be transplants with a mix of long term Floridians but not Southern culture as I know it. I wouldn't consider North of Daytona Southern by any means. You are talking about Ormond Beach, Flagler beach, St. Augustine, Jacksonville. These are definitely not southern like you think but not far from there is. Basically in this area anything west of the St. Johns River.

[Jcmoney]

I’d argue that the whole state used to be Southern, but it has slowly faded away in much of the state. I live in St. Augustine and it has a mixed feel. A lot of northerners/snowbirds in my neighborhood, but also my wife’s family is from here and you can tell that they’re Southern. I think a lot of St Johns county has a Southern feel, but you don’t get that close to the coast. What’s interesting about St. Augustine is that it used to be more Southern, but they promote it as Spanish for tourism. Why not claim to be Southern too? Anyway, I love this topic.

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by Jcmoney

I’d argue that the whole state used to be Southern, but it has slowly faded away in much of the state. I live in St. Augustine and it has a mixed feel. A lot of northerners/snowbirds in my neighborhood, but also my wife’s family is from here and you can tell that they’re Southern. I think a lot of St Johns county has a Southern feel, but you don’t get that close to the coast. What’s interesting about St. Augustine is that it used to be more Southern, but they promote it as Spanish for tourism. Why not claim to be Southern too? Anyway, I love this topic.

It's even more interesting to me that you gloss over the history of St. Augustine, to claim that it's only promoted as Spanish for tourism. Geographically, St. Augustine is "southern," because it's in the southern part of the USA. It is ALSO Spanish, historically. It was founded by a Spanish Admiral in the 1500's, and is the oldest city in what is now the United States. It was populated primarily by Spaniards, and was claimed for the Spanish crown. It didn't fall into British rule until around 200 years later.

By the mid-1800's, half the population were enslaved Africans. The older architecture was all Spanish, and then Henry Flagler built properties in the late 1800s using Spanish Renaissance and Moorish Revival architecture styles, keeping to the theme. He did that to attract wealthy northerners to come to St. Augustine - not to be tourists, but to basically become snowbirds, spending winters there in a resort-like atmosphere.

Spain, Spanish architecture, Spanish culture, is an integral part of St. Augustine. Without it it'd be just another unremarkable town that no one cares about, like much of the rest of Florida.

[UrbanGenious25]

Originally Posted by twinkletwinkle22

I grew up and lived in Florida many decades and traveled all over the state. The "south" is much more visible in central Florida, away from the coasts, and also in northern Florida all over. The smaller the town is the more conservative it will be. Count the number of churches per population, that's an easy way to tell.

Sorry, nothing about Orlando screams "the south" lol.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by UrbanGenious25

Sorry, nothing about Orlando screams "the south" lol.

But Lake County most certainly does.

[silverct9a]

Agreed. When I was outside of Howey-In-The-Hills/Groveland I was shocked at the amount of confederate flags, trailer parks, and "The Hills Have Eyes" types running around. Thought I was in W. Virginia or something...Thought I was on a movie set or something.

Originally Posted by twinkletwinkle22

I grew up and lived in Florida many decades and traveled all over the state. The "south" is much more visible in central Florida, away from the coasts, and also in northern Florida all over. The smaller the town is the more conservative it will be. Count the number of churches per population, that's an easy way to tell.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by silverct9a

Agreed. When I was outside of Howey-In-The-Hills/Groveland I was shocked at the amount of confederate flags, trailer parks, and "The Hills Have Eyes" types running around. Thought I was in W. Virginia or something...Thought I was on a movie set or something.

Hence my post directly above yours regarding Lake County. Clermont is where things begin to shift going into Orange County.

Why were you all the way out in Howey/Groveland? LOL!

And yeah, when I used to commute to USF, I'd often take SR 50 down to I-75, and some parts absolutely gave me the heebie jeebies.
There were multiple businesses that prominently displayed this type of stuff:

https://www.google.com/maps/@28.5079...8192?entry=ttu

Being a broke young adult at the time, there were instances when I was scared I'd run out of gas along these stretches.

https://www.google.com/maps/@28.5618...8192?entry=ttu

The ONLY place I dared to stop at was at Don Ramon's, who makes some MEAN tacos.

https://www.google.com/maps/@28.5674...6656?entry=ttu