Physical Characteristics. Hernando County is on the Gulf coast, north of the Tampa-St. Petersburg area, and is bordered by Citrus, Sumter, and Pasco counties. The county has 477.22 square miles of land and 23.70 square miles of water for a total of 500.92 square miles. The average January temperature is 59.8 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average August temperature is 81.0 degrees Fahrenheit. The average annual rainfall is 55.76 inches.
History. Named for the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, Hernando County was established in 1843 from pieces of Hillsborough, Mosquito, and Alachua counties. The name was changed to Benton in honor of Thomas Hart Benton in 1844, but was restored to Hernando in 1850.
