Milton is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. It is located within the Pensacola metropolitan area. The city was first Incorporated in 1844, however certain areas such as East Milton, Point Baker, and Bagdad remain unincorporated. Milton is located in the geographic center of Santa Rosa County, and it is bordered by Pace to the west, and

Navarre Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...

to the south. The population was 10,197 at the 2020 census.

Etymology

Milton was known by various names during its development. Most notable were "Hell-Town" (muggy, inhospitable land covered with briars, mosquitoes, thorns, snakes), "Jernigan's Landing", "Scratch Ankle" (due to the briars that grew along the riverbank), and "Hard Scrabble". According to Florida historian Allen Morris, "Just which Milton was honored by the final name is a dispute. Some say it is a contraction of an earlier Milltown; others that it was Milton Amos, pioneer and ancestor of the present Amos family; still others that it was

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'' was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and politic ...

—not the English poet, but the Civil War governor of Florida."

History

Milton was settled in the early 1800s as a small village centered on the

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

industry. The settlement originally was known as Scratch Ankle because of the briars and bramble that grew in the area. Another name was Jernigan's Landing after Benjamin Jernigan (died April 1847), who built a water-powered

saw mill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

at what is now Locklin Lake between 1828 and 1830. Other names were Lumberton, Black Water, and Hard Scrabble, but by 1839, it was being referred to as Milltown. Milton became the county seat after a Yellow Fever outbreak decimated Floridatown and was incorporated as a town in 1844, one year before the Territory of Florida joined the United States as the 27th state. During the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, much of Milton was burned by Confederate forces retreating from the Union capture of

Pensacola Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only city in Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Pensacola metropolitan area, which ha ...

on May 2–4, 1862. The Confederates intended to prevent the town's industries from falling into Union hands. After the Southern forces evacuated, the Union troops had a small garrison in nearby Bagdad, where they had a base for expeditions in the surrounding area. Many Milton residents fled to

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. In the early days of Milton, it was known as an extremely rough town. Judges from Escambia County sentenced criminals to be confined to Milton, which was nicknamed "Hell Town" by its residents. An old story from the area tells of the

Rough Riders The Rough Riders was a nickname given to the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish–American War and the only one to see combat. The United States Army was small, understaffed, and diso ...

passing through Milton on their "best behavior". Milton was a large industrial hub in Northwest Florida until the mid-20th Century. Along with Benjamin Jernigan's mill, there was a lumber mill in Bagdad owned by Joseph Forsyth. Another lumber mill, the Chaffin (and later Mayo) Mill, was located just north of downtown. Milton also had a large shipyard and the Collins Cotton Gin. The last factory within the city of Milton was a Vanity Fair plant, which opened in 1968 and closed in 1999. It had 541 employees as of its closing.

Naval Air Station Whiting Field Naval Air Station Whiting Field is a United States Navy base located near Milton, Florida, with some outlying fields near Navarre, Florida, in south and central Santa Rosa County, and is one of the Navy's two primary pilot training bases (the ...

was constructed during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

with the help of many German

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

who were housed in a camp on the site. The station was commissioned on July 16, 1943, by Rear Admiral George D. Murray and the widow of Captain

Kenneth Whiting Kenneth Whiting (July 22, 1881 – April 24, 1943) was a United States Navy officer who was a pioneer in submarines and is best known for his lengthy career as a pioneering naval aviator. During World War I, he commanded the first American ...

, after whom the station was named. The first hospital care in Milton began in 1951, when a group of locals formed the Santa Rosa County Hospital Board. The first hospital in Milton, Santa Rosa Hospital, was located on Stewart Street and opened on December 2, 1952. Santa Rosa Hospital had multiple expansions in the 1960s, and by 1970, the hospital was far too small for Milton's growing population. Construction for a new hospital began that year, and in December 1972, the Santa Rosa Medical Center was opened. On March 31, 1962, an F3 tornado hit the northwest side of Milton, causing 17 deaths and 100 injuries. It was Florida's deadliest tornado until February 22, 1998, when 25 people were killed in Kissimmee by another F3 tornado. It was also the deadliest tornado in 1962. On January 21, 2025, Milton received of snow during the Gulf Coast blizzard, more than double the previous state record of that was also set in Milton in 1954.

Geography

Milton is located at (30.6324149, -87.0396881), near the mouth of the

Blackwater River A blackwater river is a type of River#Classification, river with a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands. Most major blackwater rivers are in the Amazon Basin and the Southern United States. The term is used in fluvial ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and (4.59%) is water.

Climate

Demographics

As of the 2023

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

, there are 4,533 estimated households in Milton with an average of 2.24 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $72,676. Approximately 10.8% of the city's population lives at or 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 ...

. Milton has an estimated 53.9% employment rate, with 21.9% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 88.5% holding a high school diploma. The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (92.8%), Spanish (5.6%), Indo-European (1.0%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.6%), and Other (0.0%). The median age in the city was 38.0 years.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 10,197 people, 4,026 households, and 2,463 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 4,443 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 74.61%

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

, 11.29%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.62% Native American, 1.77% Asian, 0.51%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.53% from some other races and 9.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.07% of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 8,826 people, 3,516 households, and _ families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,021 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 77.36%

, 13.90%

, 0.73% Native American, 2.23% Asian, 0.26%

, 1.50% from some other races and 4.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.83% of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 7,045 people, 2,674 households and 1,831 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,151 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 67.84%

, 25.95%

, 0.71% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.17%

, 1.04% from some other races, and 2.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.45% of the population. There were 2,674 households, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female homeowner, and 31.5% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.04. 27.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $37,629, and the median family income was $44,261. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $28,337 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $19,367. About 11% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the

, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

City information

Santa Rosa Medical Center (SRMC) is a 129-bed general

hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...

in Milton. SRMC is the primary provider of hospital-based healthcare services and emergency medicine in Santa Rosa County. Milton is the home of the West Florida Railroad Museum, Blackwater-Heritage-State-Trail, and the historic Imogene Theater, owned and operated by the Santa Rosa Historical Society.

Notable people

* Randy Allen, professional basketball player, shooting guard for

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

* Dan Amos, cofounder of

Aflac Aflac Incorporated (American Family Life Assurance Company) is an American insurance company and is the largest provider of supplemental insurance in the United States. It was founded in 1955 and is based in Columbus, Georgia. In the U.S., it ...

Paul S. Amos, a Co-Founder of Aflac, Dies at 88
/ref> * Martha Beck, serial killer * Mark Everett, professional sprinter, 1997 world indoor champion * Greg Evers, Florida legislator and farmer * Daniel Ewing, professional basketball player,

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

and

Israeli Premier League The Israeli Premier League (, Ligat HaAl, ) is a professional association football league in Israel and the highest level of the Israeli football league system. The league is contested by 14 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and rele ...

* Cortland Finnegan, NFL cornerback * Dayton Hobbs, founder and pastor of independent Bible church in Milton, putative creator of tee-ball * Bolley Johnson, member of

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...

1978–1994, speaker 1992–1994 * Reggie Slack, quarterback of NFL and

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

* Heath Slocum, professional golfer on

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...

Kevin Stitt John Kevin Stitt (born December 28, 1972) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in 2018, defeating Democrat and former state Attorney Ge ...

, governor of

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, businessman * Lawrence Tynes, NFL placekicker * Casper Van Dien, actor * Rod Walker, NFL defensive tackle * Bubba Watson, professional golfer on PGA Tour, two-time Masters champion * Boo Weekley, professional golfer on PGA Tour * Thomas F. West, Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court * Elijah Williams, NFL cornerback