The colonial governors of Florida governed over Florida during its colonial period. The first European to arrive there was Juan Ponce de León, in 1513, but the governorship did not begin until 1565, when Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded St. Augustine. This district was subordinated to the Viceroyalty of New Spain. In 1763, following the transfer of Florida to Britain, the territory was divided into West Florida and East Florida, with separate governors. This division was maintained when Spain resumed control of Florida in 1783, and continued as provincial divisions with the Spanish Constitution of 1812. The Spanish transferred control of Florida to the United States in 1821, and the organized, incorporated Florida Territory was established on March 30, 1822. This became the modern State of Florida on March 3, 1845. For governors of Florida since 1845, see List of Governors of Florida.
Contents |
| Name | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pedro Menéndez de Avilés | 8 Sep 1565 - 17 Sep 1574 | Founder of St. Augustine and Adelantado of the first Florida government |
| Hernando de Miranda | 1575 - 1577 | |
| Pedro Menéndez de Márquez | 1577 - 1589 (acting to 1578) | Beginning of the Timucua missionizations |
| Gutierre de Miranda | 1589 - 1592 | |
| Rodrigo del Junco | 1592 | |
| Domingo Martínez de Avendaño | 1594 - 1596 | |
| Gonzalo Méndez de Cancio y Donlebún | 1596 - 1603 | |
| Pedro de Ibarra | 1603 - 1609 | |
| Juan Fernández de Olivera | 1609 - 1613 | |
| Juan Treviño de Guillamas | 1613 - 1618 | |
| Juan de Salinas | 1618 - 1624 | |
| Luis de Rojas y Borja | 1624 - 1630 | |
| Andrés Rodríguez de Villegas | 1630 - 1633 | |
| Luis de Horruytiner | 1633 - 1639 | Apalachee missions established |
| Damián de Vega Castro y Pardo | 1639 - 1645 | |
| Benito Ruíz de Salazar Vallecilla | 1645 - 1646 | |
| Pedro Horruytiner Benedit | 1646 - 1647 | Acting |
| Benito Ruíz de Salazar Vallecilla | 1647 - 1650 | |
| Nicolás Ponce de León | 1650 - 1654 | |
| Pedro Horruytiner Benedit | 1654 - 1655 | |
| Diego de Rebolledo | 1655 - 1659 | |
| Alonso de Aranguiz y Cortés | 1659 - 1664 | |
| Francisco de la Guerra y de la Vega | 1664 - 1670 | |
| Manuel de Çendoya | 1670 - 1673 | |
| Nicolás Ponce de León II | 1673 - 1674 | |
| Pablo de Hita y Salazar | 1674 - 1680 | |
| Juan Márquez Cabrera | 1680 - 1687 | |
| Diego de Quiroga y Losado | 1687 - 1693 | |
| Laureano José de Torres Ayala a Duadros Castellanos | 1693 - 1699 | |
| José de Zúñiga y la Cerda | 1699 - 1706 | |
| Francisco de Córcoles y Martínez | 1706 - 1716 | |
| Pedro de Olivera y Fullana | 1716 | |
| Juan de Ayala y Escobar | 1716 - 1718 | Acting |
| Antonio de Benavides | 1718 - 1734 | |
| Francisco del Moral y Sánchez | 1734 - 1737 | |
| Manuel de Montiano | 1737 - 1749 | |
| Melchor de Navarrete | 1749 - 1752 | |
| Fulgencio García de Solís | 1752 - 1755 | Acting |
| Alonso Fernández de Heredia | 1755 - 1758 | |
| Lucas Fernando de Palacio y Valenzuela | 1758 - 1761 | |
| Alonso de Cárdenas | 1761 - 1762 | |
| Melchor Feliú | 1762 - 1763 | Oversaw migration of many Spanish Floridians to Cuba. |
| Name | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| James Grant | 1763 - 1771 | Capital at St. Augustine, Florida |
| John Moultrie | 1771 - 1774 | |
| Patrick Tonyn | 1774 - 1784 | Last British Governor of Florida |
| Name | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Commodore George Johnstone | 1763 - 1767 | Capital at Pensacola, Florida |
| Brigadier General Montfort Browne | 1767 - 1769 | |
| Captain John Eliot | 1769 - 1769 | |
| Captain-Lieutenant Elias Durnford | 1769 - 1770 | |
| Peter Chester | 1770 - 9 May 1781 |
| Name | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vicente Manuel de Céspedes y Velasco | 12 July 1784 - July 1790 | Capital at St. Augustine, Florida |
| Juan Nepomuceno de Quesada y Barnuevo | July 1790 - March 1796 | |
| Bartolomé Morales | March 1796 - June 1796 | Acting governor |
| Enrique White | June 1796 - March 1811 | |
| Juan José de Estrada | March 1811 - June 1812 | |
| Sebastián Kindelán y Oregón | June 1812 - June 1815 | Patriot War with Georgia |
| Juan José de Estrada | June 1815 - January 1816 | |
| José María Coppinger | January 1816 - 10 July 1821 |
| Name | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Colonel Arturo O’Neill y Tyrone | 9 May 1781 - 1794 | Capital at Pensacola, Florida |
| Enrique White | 1794 - 1796 | |
| Francisco de Paula Gelabert | 1796 | |
| Colonel Vincente Folch y Juan | 1796 - 1811 | |
| Francisco San Maxent | 1811 - 1812 | |
| Mauricio de Zúñiga | 1812 - 1813 | |
| Mateo González Manrique | 1813 - 1815 | |
| José de Soto | 1815 - 1816 | |
| Mauricio de Zúñiga | 1816 | |
| Francisco San Maxent | 1816 | |
| José Fascot | 1816 - 26 May 1818 | |
| Colonel William King | 26 May 1818 - 4 February 1819 | United States military governor during the First Seminole War |
| Colonel José María Callava | Feb 1819 - 17 July 1821 |