Gulf County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the

panhandle A salient (also known as a panhandle or bootheel) is an elongated protrusion of a geopolitical entity, such as a subnational entity or a sovereign state. While similar to a peninsula in shape, a salient is most often not surrounded by water on ...

of the U.S. state of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,192. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Port St. Joe. Gulf County is included in the

Panama City Panama City ( es, Ciudad de Panamá, links=no; ), also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has an urban population of 880,691, with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area. The city is loca ...

, FL

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

History

Gulf County, created in 1925, was named for the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

. Wewahitchka was its first county seat and the 1927 Gulf County Courthouse is still in existence. In 1965 the county seat was moved to Port Saint Joe, which under its original name

Saint Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers ...

, had been the site of

's first Constitutional Convention in 1838.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (25.4%) is water.

Communities

Cities

* Port St. Joe * Wewahitchka

Unincorporated communities

Unincorporated areas include: * Cape San Blas *

Dalkeith Dalkeith ( ; gd, Dail Cheith, IPA: �t̪alˈçe is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540. The settlement of Dalkeith grew southwestwards from its 12th-cent ...

* Highland View * Honeyville *

Howard Creek Howard Creek is a stream in the U.S. state of Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern po ...

Indian Pass Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

* Oak Grove * Overstreet * St. Joe Beach *

White City White City may refer to: Places Australia * White City, Perth, an amusement park on the Perth foreshore * White City railway station, a former railway station * White City Stadium (Sydney), a tennis centre in Sydney * White City FC, a football c ...

Time zones

By way of the

Intracoastal Waterway The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, then following t ...

, Gulf County is one of a small number of counties in the United States to be in two time zones, Eastern and

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

in this case.

Adjacent counties

* Calhoun County, Florida — north *

Liberty County, Florida Liberty County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,974, making it the least populous county in Florida. Its county seat is Bristol. Liberty County is one of only two dry counties in Florida ...

— northeast * Franklin County, Florida — east * Bay County, Florida — west

National protected area

* St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 14,192 people, 5,897 households, and 3,940 families residing in the county. As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 13,332 people, 4,931 households, and 3,535 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 7,587 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.89%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 16.94%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.65% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.53% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. 2.03% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 4,931 households, out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.50% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.87. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.70% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $30,276, and the median income for a family was $36,289. Males had a median income of $27,539 versus $20,780 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $14,449. About 13.70% of families and 16.70% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 20.80% of those under age 18 and 14.10% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Once heavily Democratic, in 1964 Gulf County transitioned to a majority Republican county. As of June 2020 Gulf County has 10,300 registered active voters. The Republican party holds a 52% (5,370 Voters) to 34% (3,494 voters) advantage over the Democratic Party. The remaining voters are registered with No Party Affiliation or are scattered across a number of minority parties. The County Commission is a five-member board consisting of three Republicans and two Democrats. Republicans control five of the six elected Constitutional Offices in the county including Sheriff, Superintendent of Schools, Property Appraiser, Clerk of the Court and Supervisor of Elections. The office of Tax Collector is the only Constitutional Office filled by a Democrat. At the state level, Gulf County is represented by District 3 Democratic Senator Bill Montford and District 7 Republican Representative Jason Shoaf. Gulf County is a part of Florida's 2nd Congressional District and is represented by

Neal Dunn Neal Patrick Dunn (born February 16, 1953) is an American surgeon and Republican Party politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2017. Early life and career Dunn was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 16, 1953. He earne ...

Education

Gulf County is served by Gulf County Schools.

Libraries

Gulf County is part of th
Northwest Regional Library System
( NWRLS), which serves

Bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a na ...

and

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

Counties as well. * Bay County Public Library * Panama City Beach Public Library * Parker Public Library * Springfield Public Library * Gulf County Public Library * Charles Whitehead Public Library * Harrell Memorial Library of Liberty County * Jimmy Weaver Memorial Library

Transportation

Airports

* Costin Airport

Notes

References

External links

Government links/Constitutional offices

Gulf County Board of County Commissioners

Gulf County Supervisor of Elections

Gulf County Property Appraiser

Gulf County Sheriff's Office

Gulf County Tax Collector

Special districts

Gulf County School District

Northwest Florida Water Management District

Judicial branch

Gulf County Clerk of Courts

Circuit and County Court for the 14th Judicial Circuit of Florida
serving

, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

counties

Tourism links

Gulf County Tourism Development Council

Business links

Gulf County Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control 1925 establishments in Florida Counties in multiple time zones Florida counties North Florida Populated places established in 1925