Highlands County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Its county seat is Sebring. Highlands County was created in 1921 and was named for the terrain of the county. Highlands County has a total area of approximately 1,106 square miles of which 93% is land and 7% water. As of the 2000 census, there were 87,366 people, 37,471 households, and 25,780 families residing in Highlands County, FL.