Columbia County was formed in 1832 from Duval and Alachua counties, and is located on the northern border of Florida. It was named in honor of Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of America. Its county seat is Lake City. The Osceola National Forest is partially within the county as are the Suwannee, Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers. The county has a total area of 801 square miles, of which 798 square miles is land and 3.8 square miles (0.5%) is water.