Physical Characteristics. Bradford County is southwest of Jacksonville, northeast of Gainesville, and is bordered by Alachua, Union, Baker, Clay, and Putnam counties. The county has 292.77 square miles of land and 7.30 square miles of water for a total of 300.07 square miles. The average January temperature is 55.9 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average August temperature is 81.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The average annual rainfall is 49.40 inches.
History. Bradford County was established as New River County in 1858 from portions of Columbia and Alachua counties. It was renamed in 1861 in honor of Captain Richard Bradford, the first Florida officer killed in the Civil War.
