Okaloosa County is located in the northwestern portion 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 ...

, extending from 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 ...

to the

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

state line. As of the 2020 census, the population was 211,668. 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 Crestview. Okaloosa County is included in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Okaloosa County was created by an act passed on September 7, 1915, formed from the eastern ranges of

Santa Rosa County Santa Rosa County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2020, the population is 188,000. The county seat is Milton, which lies in the geographic center of the county. Other major communities with ...

and the western ranges of Walton County. ''Okaloosa'' is a

Choctaw The Choctaw (in the Choctaw language, Chahta) are a Native American people originally based in the Southeastern Woodlands, in what is now Alabama and Mississippi. Their Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choctaw people are ...

word meaning "black water"; ''oka'' means "water" and ''lusa'' means "black" in the Choctaw language.

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 (14.0%) is water. Fort Walton Beach and three

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

bases, (

Duke Field Duke Field , also known as Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3, is a military airport located three miles (5 km) south of the central business district of Crestview, in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. History Duke Field was one of the f ...

in the North and Eglin AFB and

Hurlburt Field Hurlburt Field is a United States Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation and is home to Headquarters Air Force Spe ...

are in the south).

Adjacent counties

* Covington County, Alabama - north *

Walton County, Florida Walton County is located on the Emerald Coast in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida, with its southern border on the Gulf of Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 75,305. Its county seat is DeFuniak Springs. The c ...

- east * Santa Rosa County, Florida - west *

Escambia County, Alabama Escambia County is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,757. Its county seat is Brewton. Escambia County is coextensive with the Atmore, AL Micropolitan Sta ...

- northwest

National protected areas

Choctawhatchee National Forest Choctawhatchee National Forest is a United States National Forest established by President Theodore Roosevelt on November 27, 1908. The supervisory headquarters was established at DeFuniak Springs and moved to Pensacola in September 1910. It rem ...

(part) * Gulf Islands National Seashore (part) Beach in Destin, Florida

State Parks and Forests

* Blackwater River State Forest: spanning Okaloosa and neighboring Santa Rosa County. * Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Recreation Area: of sand pine forest along Choctawhatchee Bay. The park provides facilities for camping, hiking, fishing, and canoeing. It is located east of Niceville on State Road 20. * Henderson Beach State Park: of sugar sand beach along the Gulf of Mexico. The park provides facilities for camping, RV-ing, and picnicking, as well as a pavilion and boardwalk. It is located just east of downtown Destin on U.S. 98.

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 211,668 people, 79,235 households, and 51,719 families residing in the county. As of 2015, there were 198,664 people and 95,494 households. As of the census of 2010,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 194.4 people per square mile (70/km²). * White alone=81.5% (July 1, 2015) * Black or African American alone=10.2% (July 1, 2015) * American Native and Alaskan Native alone=0.7% (July 1, 2015) * Asian alone=3.2% (July 1, 2015) * Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone=0.3% (July 1, 2015) * Two or more races=4.1% (July 1, 2015) * Hispanic or Latino=8.6% (July 1, 2015) As of 2015, there were 95,494 households. Within the 2010 census, 33.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% 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, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.80% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.94. According to the 2010 census, the population was spread out, with 24.70% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.50 males. In 2015, the median income for a household in the county was $55,880. 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 $28,902. 11.3% 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 ...

Education

The county's public schools come under the

Okaloosa County School District Okaloosa County School District is a public school district that covers Okaloosa County, Florida. The district has its headquarters in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The current superintendent of schools is Marcus Daniel Chambers. History Until the ...

. Northwest Florida State College serves over 10,000 residents of Okaloosa County annually for bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and certificates. The college maintains four campuses in Okaloosa County: Niceville, Crestview, Ft. Walton Beach, and Hurlburt Field, and one campus in Walton County, FL.

Libraries

Okaloosa County is served by the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative. Formed in October 1997, the Cooperative originally included the county and the cities of Crestview, Mary Esther, and Niceville. The cities of Fort Walton Beach, Valparaiso, and Destin all joined the Cooperative by the year 2000.Okaloosa County Library Cooperative. (2011). Introduction to the Okaloosa County Library Cooperative. Retrieved from https://www.cityofdestin.com/DocumentCenter/View/602/Introduction-to-Okaloosa-County-Public-Library-Cooperative The Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative is governed by an independent inter-governmental agency with seven members.

Transportation

Airports

Bob Sikes Airport Bob Sikes Airport , named for Robert L. F. Sikes, is a public-use airport located northeast of the central business district of the city of Crestview in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned and supports a mix ...

* Destin–Fort Walton Beach

Highways

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally p ...

US Highway 90 * US 98

US Highway 98 * Florida 4

Florida State Road 4 State Road 4 (SR 4) is a two-lane state highway in Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties in the western corner of the Florida Panhandle. It is signed east–west, but the road is slightly diagonal. The road runs from Century near the Al ...

Florida State Road 85 State Road 85 (SR 85) is a north–south state highway that runs from US 98 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida north to State Route 55 at the Florida/Alabama state line. In its earliest inception, it was just a clayed road over graded sandy soil, ...

Florida State Road 188 Florida State Road 188 (FL 188) is a state highway in Okaloosa County, Florida., that runs from Florida State Road 189 and Hurlburt Road in Wright to Florida State Road 85 and Fourth Avenue in Ocean City. Major intersections Refere ...

Florida State Road 189 State Road 189 (SR 189) is a north–south highway in the panhandle of Florida. It leads from U.S. Route 98 in downtown Fort Walton Beach to just east of State Road 85 at the Eglin AFB West Gate where its southern section terminates. The nort ...

Florida State Road 293 * Florida 393

Florida State Road 393 State Road 393 (SR 393) is a state highway in Okaloosa County, Florida, that runs from U.S. Route 98 in Mary Esther to Florida State Road 189 in southern Wright Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' ...

Florida State Road 397

Surface Transportation

Emerald Coast Rider (formerly

Okaloosa County Transit Emerald Coast Rider (known as Okaloosa County Transit until 2015) is the public transportation agency that serves the Okaloosa County, Florida. The service was founded in 1987 and served approximately 225,000 riders in 2009. Okaloosa County Trans ...

) operates bus services in the county. New Crestview Courthouse

Politics

Okaloosa County is one of the most

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

counties in Florida. Incumbent George W. Bush won the county in 2004 with 78% of the popular vote and in 2008 the Republican candidate

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two te ...

polled 72%. Mitt Romney won the county in 2012 with 73.86% (69,785) of the popular vote, while

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

won 70.42% (71,893) in 2016. However, the county has become slightly more liberal in recent years, with Joe Biden polling the highest percentage for a Democrat since 1976.

Communities

Cities

* Crestview * Destin * Fort Walton Beach * Laurel Hill * Mary Esther * Niceville * Valparaiso

Towns

* Cinco Bayou * Shalimar

Census-designated places

* Eglin AFB * Lake Lorraine * Ocean City *

Wright Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright i ...

Other unincorporated communities

Baker A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Si ...

* Blackman * Bluewater Bay * Campton * Deerland * Dorcas * Escambia Farms * Florosa * Garden City *

Holt Holt or holte may refer to: Natural world *Holt (den), an otter den * Holt, an area of woodland Places Australia * Holt, Australian Capital Territory * Division of Holt, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives in Vic ...

* Milligan *

Okaloosa Island Okaloosa Island is an area on Santa Rosa Island, Florida Florida is a U.S. state, state located in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north ...

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

* Svea * Timpoochee * Villa Tasso * WynneHaven Beach

Notes

References

External links

Okaloosa County website
{{authority control Florida counties 1915 establishments in Florida Florida placenames of Native American origin Populated places established in 1915 North Florida List of place names of Choctaw origin in the United States