In 1760 the first populated place in its territory started by creating a fortress, the Fortín del Pintado, and in 1809 the "Villa de San Fernando de la Florida" was created.

During the events of the Independence of Uruguay, a temporary government was set up in this town, and on 25 August 1825, the Congreso de la Florida proclaimed the three fundamental laws of the new independent country.

The border then follows Arroyo Batoví a tributary of Arroyo Maciel, the later forming big part of the border of the department with Flores Department to the west and is itself a tributary of Yí River.

Crossing the middle of the department from west to east and separating the streams of the north with those of the south, is the Cuchilla Grande Inferior hillrange, which joins the Cuchilla Grande hillrange in the east of the department.

As of the census of 2011, Florida Department had a population of 67,048 (32,953 male and 34,095 female) and 29,437 households.