Union County Florida map organizes the county around Lake Butler, Raiford, Worthington Springs, the principal state roads, and the river-defined boundary. Because this is a compact inland county with only three incorporated municipalities, the clearest reading comes from comparing the central seat with the eastern and southwestern edges.
Download the Union County map
- Map file: County reference map
- File format: ZIP
Table of Contents
Quick Facts
- State: Florida
- County: Union County
- County seat: Lake Butler
- Incorporated municipalities: Lake Butler, Raiford, Worthington Springs
- Principal roads: SR 100, SR 121, SR 231, SR 238
- Principal waters: New River, Santa Fe River, Lake Butler
- Established: 1921 from part of Bradford County
What the Map Shows
Lake Butler sits slightly west of the county’s center and serves as the county seat. Raiford lies near the eastern boundary formed by the New River, while Worthington Springs occupies the southwestern corner close to the meeting of the New and Santa Fe rivers. Treating these places as central, eastern, and southwestern reference points reveals more than reading them as a single cluster.
The name Lake Butler identifies both the city and the lake immediately north of it. Their labels therefore represent different kinds of features: one is the county’s civic center, and the other belongs to the drainage system. From the city, the eastward corridor leads toward Raiford and Bradford County, while the southwestward corridor leads toward Worthington Springs and the Santa Fe River.
County Layout and Location
SR 100 is the principal east–west road through Lake Butler. It continues west toward Columbia County and east across the New River into Bradford County. SR 121 follows a more diagonal local axis, linking the Raiford side of the county with Lake Butler and then the Worthington Springs area. This makes SR 121 more useful as a three-community connector than as a simple north–south line.
SR 238 enters Lake Butler from the west, and SR 231 adds another connection through the northwestern part of the county. Union County has no Interstate highway within its boundary. For regional orientation, the state-road crossings and the county lines they approach are therefore more informative than distance to a freeway interchange.
Waterways explain the irregular eastern and southern outline. The New River follows the Union–Bradford county line, passes near Raiford and south of Lake Butler, and joins the Santa Fe River near Worthington Springs. The Santa Fe then defines much of the southern and southwestern edge. These river courses contrast with the straighter northern and western boundaries.
Local Context
Union County was created from Bradford County in 1921 as Florida’s 61st county. The county’s official history describes the original boundary from the Baker County line at the bed of the New River southwest toward the Santa Fe River. Those two waterways are therefore part of the county’s legal and historical framework, not merely decorative physical features.
Lake Butler functions as the principal civic and service center, while Raiford and Worthington Springs occupy different road-and-river margins. Between them are timberland, farms, wetlands, and small unincorporated settlements. Reading the road corridors together with the drainage pattern gives a better account of settlement than municipality labels alone.
The Palatka-to-Lake Butler State Trail reaches Lake Butler along a former railroad corridor and terminates near SR 238. Distinguishing this trail alignment from the highway network adds another layer to the map: Lake Butler is not only the government center but also the western endpoint of a transportation corridor extending toward northeastern Florida.
Ways to Use This Map
- Compare communities: use Lake Butler as the center, then place Raiford to the east and Worthington Springs to the southwest.
- Trace road roles: separate the east–west SR 100 corridor from the Raiford–Lake Butler–Worthington Springs connection along SR 121.
- Read the boundary: match the New River’s path and its junction with the Santa Fe River to the county’s curved eastern and southern outline.
- Prepare a local reference: mark whether an address lies closest to a municipality, a state-road corridor, or a rural river boundary before travel or fieldwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Lake Butler dominate the map?
Lake Butler is the county seat and the main junction of SR 100 and SR 121. County government, schools, and everyday services cluster around the city, while SR 238 and SR 231 connect into the nearby road network. Its prominence therefore reflects overlapping civic and transportation roles rather than label placement alone.
What natural feature lies near Worthington Springs?
Worthington Springs is near the Santa Fe River in the county’s southwestern corner and also close to the point where the New River enters the Santa Fe. The New River passes the Raiford area and south of Lake Butler before reaching this junction, so Worthington Springs is a key reference point for relating all three municipalities to the drainage system.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau: Union County QuickFacts
- Union County Board of County Commissioners
- Union County Property Appraiser
- Florida Department of Transportation: Union County transportation profile
- Florida Department of Environmental Protection: New River watershed report
Related County Maps
- Baker County Florida map
- Bradford County Florida map
- Alachua County Florida map
- Columbia County Florida map
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These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
