Walton County, Florida

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Walton County

| state = Florida

| flag = Flag of Walton County, Florida.svg

| seal = Walton County FL logo.png

| founded year = 1824

| founded date = December 29

| seat wl = DeFuniak Springs

| largest city wl = Miramar Beach

| city type = community

| area_total_sq_mi = 1240

| area_land_sq_mi = 1038

| area_water_sq_mi = 202

| area percentage = 16.3%

| census yr = 2020

| pop = 75305

| pop_est_as_of = 2023

| population_est = 86354 {{increase}}

| density_sq_mi = auto

| web = www.co.walton.fl.us

| ex image = DeFuniak Springs Hist Dist crths02.jpg

| ex image cap = Walton County Courthouse

| district = 1st

| district2 = 2nd

| time zone = Central

| named for = George Walton Jr. }}

Walton County is a county 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}} The county is home to the highest natural point in Florida: Britton Hill, at {{convert|345|ft|m}}. Walton County is included in the Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born August 15, 1786, in Augusta, Georgia, and died March 20, 1859, in Petersburg, Virginia.{{cite book|title=Publications of the Florida Historical Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WZQ-AAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA34|year=1908|publisher=Florida Historical Society|page=34}}

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 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, Dorset and the western half of Sussex. 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.{{Cite book|title=The Economy of British West Florida, 1763–1783|last=Fabel|first=Robin F. A.|publisher=The University of Alabama Press|year=1988|isbn=0-8173-0312-X|location=Tuscaloosa, Alabama|page=[https://archive.org/details/economyofbritish0000fabe/page/179 179]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/economyofbritish0000fabe/page/179}}{{Cite book|title=Governor Johnstone and trade in British West Florida, 1764–1767|last=Born|first=John D.|publisher=Wichita State University|year=1968|oclc=ocm00455135|location=Wichita, Kansas|pages=113, 115}}{{Cite book|title=British West Florida, 1763–1783|last=Johnson|first=Cecil|publisher=Archon Books|year=1971|pages=99, 101–102}} 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 and Bermuda, 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 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.{{Cite book|title=History of Walton County|last=McKinnon|first=John Love|orig-year=1911|year=1968|edition=Reprint|publisher=The Byrd Printing Co.|pages=85–89}}

In 1860, there were roughly 573 military aged men in Walton County. Of that population, 62, or 11%, went to serve in the Union unit, the 1st Florida Cavalry Regiment that was mustered in on October 29, 1863.{{cite book |last1=Marsh |first1=Sharon D. |title=The 1st Florida Union Cavalry Volunteers in the Civil War : the men and the regimental history, and what that tells us about the area during the war |date=2016 |isbn=9780692793589 |edition=1st|page=320|publisher=Lulu.com }} The first Confederate monument in Florida, located at the Walton County Courthouse, records the names of 94 soldiers who died fighting for the Confederacy.{{Cite web |title=Civil War Confederate Monument |url=https://genealogytrails.com/fla/walton/monument.html |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=genealogytrails.com}}

In 1995, three planned communities designed by Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk of the Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company were founded. The communities, named Alys Beach, Seaside, and Rosemary Beach are examples of a style of urban planning known as New Urbanism.{{Cite web|url=https://seaside.library.nd.edu/essays/the-plan|title=The Seaside Research Portal|website=seaside.library.nd.edu|access-date=April 13, 2018|archive-date=October 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027004927/https://seaside.library.nd.edu/essays/the-plan|url-status=live}}[http://www.seasidefl.com/communityHistory2.asp Seaside, FL | More than a way of life, a way of living!] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123143421/http://www.seasidefl.com/communityHistory2.asp |date=January 23, 2011 }} The final plan for Seaside was complete around 1985.

Seaside was used as the main filming location of the 1998 film The Truman Show.{{Cite web|title=Unexpected USA: Cultural hotspots|url=http://www.bbc.com/storyworks/travel/unexpected-usa/culture|access-date=October 26, 2021|website=BBC Travel|language=en|archive-date=February 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205132230/http://www.bbc.com/storyworks/travel/unexpected-usa/culture|url-status=live}}

Geography

File:Britton Hill, Florida.JPG

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|1240|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1038|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|202|sqmi}} (16.3%) is water.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}

The county is 12th largest in area in the state,{{Cite web |title=Florida Land Area County Rank |url=http://www.usa.com/rank/florida-state--land-area--county-rank.htm |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=www.usa.com}} 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 – west

=National protected areas=

Choctawhatchee National Forest (part)
Point Washington State Forest (part)

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1830= 1207

|1840= 1461

|1850= 1817

|1860= 3037

|1870= 3041

|1880= 4201

|1890= 4816

|1900= 9346

|1910= 16460

|1920= 12119

|1930= 14576

|1940= 14246

|1950= 14725

|1960= 15576

|1970= 16087

|1980= 21300

|1990= 27760

|2000= 40601

|2010= 55043

|2020= 75305

|estyear=2023

|estimate=86354

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 31, 2024}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 16, 2014}}
1790-1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=June 16, 2014}} 1900-1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/fl190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 16, 2014}}
1990-2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 16, 2014}} 2010-2015{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/12131.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=February 15, 2014}} 2019{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/FL/PST045218|title=QuickFacts. Florida counties|access-date=May 20, 2020}} 2020[https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html 2020 Population and Housing State Data | Florida]

}}

class="wikitable"

|+Walton County racial composition as of 2020
(NH = Non-Hispanic){{efn|Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.https://www.census.gov/ {{nonspecific|date=August 2022}}{{cite web |title=About the Hispanic Population and its Origin |url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html |website=www.census.gov |access-date=May 18, 2022}}}}

!Race

!Pop 2010{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US12131&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2 |access-date=May 27, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}}

!Pop 2020{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US12131&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=May 27, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}}

!% 2010

!% 2020

White (NH)

|46,857

|60,644

|85.13%

|80.53%

Black or African American (NH)

|3,147

|3,294

|5.72%

|4.37%

Native American or Alaska Native (NH)

|463

|415

|0.84%

|0.55%

Asian (NH)

|491

|907

|0.89%

|1.2%

Pacific Islander (NH)

|37

|38

|0.07%

|0.05%

Some Other Race (NH)

|62

|307

|0.11%

|0.41%

Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)

|1,065

|3,513

|1.93%

|4.67%

Hispanic or Latino

|2,921

|6,187

|5.31%

|8.22%

Total

|55,043

|75,305

|100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 75,305 people, 28,635 households, and 20,034 families residing in the county.

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 14, 2011|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 40,601 people, 16,548 households, and 11,120 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|38|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people}}. There were 29,083 housing units at an average density of {{convert|28|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the county was 88.41% White, 6.98% Black or African American, 1.28% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 2.09% from two or more races. 2.17% of the population were Hispanic 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 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 for the county was $18,198. About 11.60% of families and 14.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.00% of those under age 18 and 10.90% of those age 65 or over.

Government

=County government=

class=wikitable
colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;"\| Position ! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;"\| Name ! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;"\| Party
style="background:red;"\| \| Commissioner, District 1 \| Boots McCormick \| Republican
style="background:red;"\| \| Commissioner, District 2 \| Danny Glidewell \| Republican
style="background:red;"\| \| Commissioner, District 3 \| Brad Drake \| Republican
style="background:red;"\| \| Commissioner, District 4 \| Donna Johns \| Republican
style="background:red;"\| \| Commissioner, District 5 \| Tony Anderson \| Republican

class=wikitable

colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;"| Position

! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;"| Name

! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;"| Party

style="background:red;"|

| Commissioner, District 1

| Boots McCormick

| Republican

style="background:red;"|

| Commissioner, District 2

| Danny Glidewell

| Republican

style="background:red;"|

| Commissioner, District 3

| Brad Drake

| Republican

style="background:red;"|

| Commissioner, District 4

| Donna Johns

| Republican

style="background:red;"|

| Commissioner, District 5

| Tony Anderson

| Republican

=Politics=

Walton County is a stronghold of the Republican Party. It has supported the Republican candidate in each presidential election since 1980, usually by overwhelming margins.

{{PresHead|place=Walton County, Florida|whig=no|source1={{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=June 16, 2018}}}}

Reference: http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/datagraph.php?fips=12&year=1988&off=0&elect=0&f=0

Libraries

Walton County has four 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.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st12_fl/schooldistrict_maps/c12131_walton/DC20SD_C12131.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Walton County, FL|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=May 7, 2023}}

= 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

File:DeFuniak Springs Hist Dist crths01.jpg

=Cities=

=Town=

Paxton

=Census-designated place=

Miramar Beach

=Other unincorporated communities=

Alys Beach
Argyle
Blue Mountain Beach
Bruce
Darlington
Eucheanna (Euchee Valley)
Glendale
Grayton Beach
Inlet Beach
Liberty
Mossy Head
Red Bay
Rosemary Beach
Santa Rosa Beach
Seacrest
Seagrove Beach{{Cite web |title=Seagrove |url=https://www.visitsouthwalton.com/neighborhoods/seagrove/ |access-date=December 3, 2022 |website=www.visitsouthwalton.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Seagrove Beach, FL Vacation Rentals {{!}} South Walton {{!}} Garrett Realty Services |url=https://www.garrettrealty.com/communities/seagrove-beach |access-date=December 3, 2022 |website=www.garrettrealty.com}}{{Cite web |title=Seagrove Beach · Florida 32459 |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Seagrove+Beach,+FL+32459 |access-date=December 3, 2022 |website=Seagrove Beach · Florida 32459 |language=en}}
Seaside
Villa Tasso
WaterColor{{div col end}}
Rock Hill

Gallery

File:Knox Hill (Walton County, Florida - 2004).jpg|The hilly terrain of Walton County differs from most of the rest of Florida.

File:DeerLakeSP.JPG|South Walton contains many neighborhoods nestled in sugary-white sand dunes.

File:BlueMountainBeach.JPG|The coast of Walton County is fringed by emerald Gulf waters.

File:30A Beach Walton County 2019.jpg|View of sunset on the beach off Florida State Road 30A, in Walton County

Transportation

=Airports=

DeFuniak Springs Airport

=Highways=

{{jct|I|10|state=FL}} (Interstate 10)
{{jct|US|90|state=FL}} (U.S. Highway 90)
{{jct|US|98|state=FL}} (U.S. Highway 98)
{{jct|US|331|state=FL}} (U.S. Highway 331)
{{jct|FL|20|state=FL}}
{{jct|FL|30A|state=FL}}
{{jct|FL|81|state=FL}}
{{jct|FL|83|state=FL}}

Notable people

Sean Dietrich, writer
Buck Showalter, baseball manager

Notes

References

External links

=Government links/Constitutional offices=

[http://www.co.walton.fl.us Walton County Board of County Commissioners]
[http://www.votewalton.com Walton County Supervisor of Elections]
[http://www.waltonpa.com/ Walton County Property Appraiser]
[http://www.waltonso.org/ Walton County Sheriff's Office]
[http://www.waltontaxcollector.com/ Walton County Tax Collector]

==Special districts==

[http://www.walton.k12.fl.us/ Walton County School District]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20041126013721/http://sun6.dms.state.fl.us/nwfwmd/ Northwest Florida Water Management District]
[http://www.swfd.org South Walton Fire District]

==Judicial branch==

[http://clerkofcourts.co.walton.fl.us/ Walton County Clerk of Courts]
[http://www.pdo1.org/ Public Defender, 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida] serving Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties
[https://web.archive.org/web/20041119224017/http://sao1.co.escambia.fl.us/pensacola.htm Office of the State Attorney, 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20041204225947/http://www.firstjudicialcircuit.org/PageView.asp?PageType=R&edit_id=1 Circuit and County Court for the 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida]