DeSoto County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Its county seat is Arcadia, Florida. De Soto County was created in 1887 and was named for Hernando de Soto, Spanish explorer, whose name was also honored in Hernando County. DeSoto County has a total area of approximately 640 square miles of which 99.5% is land and 0.5% water. As of the 2000 census, there were 32,209 people, 10,746 households, and 7,672 families residing in DeSoto County, FL.