Walton County is located on the Emerald Coast in the northwestern part 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 ...

, with its southern border on 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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 75,305. 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 DeFuniak Springs. The county is home to the highest natural point in Florida:

Britton Hill Britton Hill is the highest natural point in the state of Florida, United States, with a summit elevation of above mean sea level. Britton Hill is the lowest state highpoint in the United States,

, at . Walton County is included in the Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin

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

Walton County was organized by European Americans in 1824. It was named for Colonel George Walton Jr., secretary of the Florida Territory from 1821 to 1826. Walton, the son of

George Walton George Walton (c. 1749 – February 2, 1804), a Founding Father of the United States, signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia and also served as the second chief executive of Georgia. Early life W ...

, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born 15 August 1786 in Augusta, Georgia, and died 20 March 1859 in Petersburg,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

. Between 1763 and 1783 the territory that has since become Walton County was part of the colony of British West Florida. During this time British settlers permanently settled in the area, becoming the first English-speaking people to permanently reside in what is now Walton County. During this period Scottish settlers migrated from the backcountry of

the Carolinas The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east. Combining Nor ...

and settled in the Defuniak Springs area while English settlers, most of whom were either farmers or fishermen, settled in the southern portion of the county by the sea, settling throughout the area that has since become Santa Rosa Beach, Sandestin, Miramar Beach, Point Washington, Seaside and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and Point Washington State Forest. While the Scottish settlers had come from a recently established Scottish-majority settlement in North Carolina, the English settlers came largely from the English regions of

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

and the western half of

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the Englis ...

. Both the Scots village in the northern portion of the county and the English community along the coast were largely self-contained and had economies that were entirely operational without external trade, as all products in use were made within the two respective communities, and the only external trade was between the Scots in Defuniak Springs and the English farmers/fishermen by the coast. Neither community exported the goods they produced for profit, nor did they have any imported goods at all as both communities relied on self-produced subsistence agriculture. The original settlements were in the Euchee ( Yuchi) Valley, near the landing on the Choctawhatchee River that was maintained by a mixed-race Yuchi named Sam Story, whose mother was Yuchi and father was an early Scots trader in the area. The white settlers founded one of the first Presbyterian churches in Northwest Florida. It is still an operating parish and has a historical cemetery. When the Spanish regained control of Florida in 1783, roughly two-thirds of the British settlers in Pensacola left the colony to find permanent habitation elsewhere, including in

the Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the a ...

and

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

, however none of the English or Scottish settlers in what has since become Walton County left with them. The Spanish came to regard the English and Scottish settlers in what has since become Walton County as "stubborn" and "ungovernable" as the Spanish were unable to make them obey Spanish law. They unanimously refused to convert to Catholicism, despite the fact that Spanish law said they were only allowed to remain in Florida if they did so and the Spanish were unable to compel them to pay taxes to the local Spanish government. As settlers from the newly created

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

began migrating into north Florida the English and Scottish settlers in what has since become Walton County became gradually absorbed into this community, which would subsequently become the majority population in North Florida.

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 (16.3%) is water. The county is one of the largest in area in the state, stretching from the Alabama state line to the Emerald Coast.

Adjacent counties

* Covington County, Alabama – northwest * Geneva County, Alabama – northeast * Holmes County – east * Washington County – east * Bay County – southeast *

Okaloosa County Okaloosa County is located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. As of the 2020 census, the population was 211,668. Its county seat is Crestview. Okaloosa County ...

– west

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) * Point Washington State Forest (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 75,305 people, 28,635 households, and 20,034 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 40,601 people, 16,548 households, and 11,120 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 38 people per square mile (15/km²). There were 29,083 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.41%

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 ...

, 6.98%

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 ...

, 1.28% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.04%

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 ...

, 0.75% from other races, and 2.09% from two or more races. 2.17% 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 16,548 households, out of which 26.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% 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, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.80% were non-families. 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.83. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.70% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 26.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 105.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,407, and the median income for a family was $37,663. Males had a median income of $26,799 versus $21,208 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 $18,198. About 11.60% of families and 14.40% 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 21.00% of those under age 18 and 10.90% of those age 65 or over.

Government

County government

Politics

Libraries

Walton County has 4 branches, including the historic DeFuniak Springs Library.
Coastal Branch Library
* DeFuniak Springs Library
Freeport

Gladys N. Milton Memorial Library

Schools

The county is served by the Walton County School District.

Elementary schools

* Bay School, Santa Rosa Beach * Dune Lakes Elementary, Santa Rosa Beach * Freeport Elementary, Freeport * Maude Saunders Elementary School, DeFuniak Springs * Mossy Head Elementary, Mossy Head * Van R. Butler Elementary, Santa Rosa Beach * West DeFuniak Elementary, DeFuniak Springs

Middle schools

* Emerald Coast Middle School, Santa Rosa Beach * Freeport Middle School, Freeport * Walton Middle School, DeFuniak Springs

High schools

* Freeport High School, Freeport * South Walton High School, Santa Rosa Beach * Walton High School, DeFuniak Springs

K–12

* Paxton School, Paxton

Charter schools

* Walton Academy, DeFuniak Springs * Seaside Neighborhood School, Seaside * Seacoast Collegiate High School, Seaside

Communities

Cities

* DeFuniak Springs * Freeport

Town

* Paxton

Census-designated place

* Miramar Beach

Other unincorporated communities

* Alys Beach * Argyle * Blue Mountain Beach * Bruce * Darlington * Eucheanna (Euchee Valley) *

Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''. It may refer to: Places Australia *Glendale, New South Wales ** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre * Glendale, Queensland, ...

* Grayton Beach * Inlet Beach *

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 ...

* Mossy Head * Red Bay * Rosemary Beach * Santa Rosa Beach * Seacrest * Seagrove * Seaside

Gallery

Image:KnoxHill.jpg, The hilly terrain of Walton County differs from most of the rest of Florida. Image:DeerLakeSP.JPG, South Walton contains many neighborhoods nestled in sugary-white sand dunes. Image:BlueMountainBeach.JPG, The coast of Walton County is fringed by emerald Gulf waters.

Transportation

Airports

DeFuniak Springs Airport DeFuniak Springs Airport is a public-use airport located two nautical miles (3.7 km) west of the central business district of the city of DeFuniak Springs in Walton County, Florida, United States The United States of America (U.S. ...

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 * US 331

US Highway 331 * Florida 20

Florida State Road 20 * Florida 30A

Florida State Road 30A State Road 30A (SR 30A) is a Florida Department of Transportation designation shared by four alternate routings of SR 30 in the Florida panhandle. Two segments have SR 30A signage; the other two do not as they are segments of U.S ...

Florida State Road 81 * Florida 83

Florida State Road 83 State Road 83 (SR 83) is the state designation for U.S. Route 331 in Florida, U.S. Route 331 between U.S. Route 98 in Florida, US 98(Florida State Road 30, SR 30) in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, Santa Rosa Beach and U.S. Route 90 in Florida, US 90(Fl ...

Notable people

* Sean Dietrich, writer * Mary Vinson, artist

Notes

References

External links

Government links/Constitutional offices

Walton County Board of County Commissioners

Walton County Supervisor of Elections

Walton County Property Appraiser

Walton County Sheriff's Office

Walton County Tax Collector

Special districts

Walton County School District

Northwest Florida Water Management District

South Walton Fire District

Judicial branch

Walton County Clerk of Courts

Public Defender, 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida
serving Escambia,

Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina * Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca *Santa Rosa, La Pampa * S ...

, Okaloosa, and Walton counties
Office of the State Attorney, 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida

Circuit and County Court for the 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida

Media links

Walton Outdoors

Northwest Florida Daily News

SoWal.com

Waltonsun.com

wmbb.com

Coastal Dune Lakes
{{Coord, 30.61, -86.17, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-FL_source:UScensus1990 Florida counties 1824 establishments in Florida Territory Populated places established in 1824 North Florida