It is the fourth-largest city in Alachua County and seventh-largest in North Central Florida.

The present-day area of High Springs was first settled on a permanent basis by English-speaking people during the late 1830s.

A discernible town began to develop in the early 1880s after the Savannah, Florida & Western Railway was constructed and several phosphate mines were established.

The post office was renamed Santa Fe a few months later, then Orion the next year, and in 1888 it became High Springs, and the town was officially incorporated in 1892.

On many days during the week, hundreds of cars are lined up in the city's downtown for a free food distribution.

Ninth through twelfth grade students attend Santa Fe High School in the adjoining city of Alachua.

The library is open 7 days a week, provides regular programming for all ages, and circulates print books, audiobooks, music CDs, and DVDs.

[17] In 1958, the North Florida Telephone Company offered the loan of its vacant building to the High Springs Parent-Teacher Association for the creation of the first Alachua County branch library located outside of Gainesville.

Children from High Springs formed a block-long human chain to move the book collection from the old library to the new one.