Bradford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Its county seat is Starke. Bradford County is the home of the Florida State Prison and other correctional facilities. New River County was created in 1858 and was renamed Bradford County in 1861 for Captain Richard Bradford, who fought in the American Civil War. Bradford County has a total area of approximately 300 square miles of which 98% is land and 2% water. As of the 2000 census, there were 26,088 people, 8,497 households, and 6,194families residing in Bradford County, FL.