Navarre is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

and

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

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 within S ...

in the northwest

Florida Panhandle The Florida Panhandle (also West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida; it is a Salient (geography), salient roughly long and wide, lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia (U. ...

. It is a major

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

for mostly U.S. military personnel, federal civil servants, local population, retirees and defense contractors. Due to Navarre Beach and the of beach front on the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, 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 ...

thereof, as well as several miles of beaches within the

Navarre Beach Marine Park Navarre Beach Marine Park is a beach park run by the county commission of Santa Rosa County, located on Santa Rosa Island between Eglin Air Force Base property and the residential and commercial area of Navarre Beach. The address is 8704 Gulf B ...

and the

Gulf Islands National Seashore Gulf Islands National Seashore offers recreation opportunities and preserves natural and historic resources along the Gulf of Mexico barrier islands of Florida and Mississippi. The protected regions include mainland areas and parts of seven isla ...

, it has a small, but rapidly growing community of nature enthusiasts and tourists. Navarre has grown from being a small town of around 1,500 in 1970 to a town with a population estimated at 43,540 , if including both the Navarre and Navarre Beach

Census Designated Place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

s. Navarre is about east of

Pensacola Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ci ...

and about west of

Fort Walton Beach Fort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 20,922, up from 19,507 in 2010. It is the principal city of the Fort Walton Beach− Crestview− Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area ...

. The community is roughly centered on the junction of

U.S. Route 98 U.S. Route 98 (US 98) is an east–west United States Highway in the Southeastern United States that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola and Apalachicola, Florida, and has sinc ...

and State Road 87. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area (more commonly referred to as the Pensacola Metro Area), and is the second largest community in the metropolitan area, according to a study. Navarre is the third-largest community in the

. Navarre is also part of the Fort Walton Beach-Navarre-Wright Urbanized Area. It is known for the natural environment, swimming, picnic spots, and its beach.

History

The Pez-Sigüenza Expedition of 1693

In 1693 Spanish explorers

Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora Don Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora (August 14, 1645 – August 22, 1700) was one of the first great intellectuals born in the New World - Spanish viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico City). He was a criollo patriot, exalting New Spain over Old. ...

and Admiral Andrés de Pez y Malzárraga set sail from

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

. A skilled cartographer, scientist, mathematician, and theologian, Sigüenza was responsible for scouting and mapping possible sites of Spanish colonization in

Northwest Florida The Florida Panhandle (also West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida; it is a salient roughly long and wide, lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia on the north, and the G ...

during the expedition. While traveling in the area of

East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa countie ...

in April 1693 the Spanish discovered what is today called the

East Bay River The East Bay River (also called the East River and historically known as The River Jordan or the Chester River) in Florida is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1 ...

. In honor of Captain Jordan de Reina, an officer who had taken part in the Barroto-Romero voyage of 1686 as well as Sigüenza's in 1693, the Spanish dubbed the waters on which they traveled, "The River Jordan". On April 11, 1693, while sailing up East Bay River, sailors aboard the Spanish ships noticed a group of Native Americans observing from a camp near the shore. In order to greet the natives, a landing party was sent out. By the time the Spanish reached the shore, however, the Native Americans were gone. As the Natives quickly abandoned camp the Spanish discovered half-cooked pieces of buffalo meat sitting over a fire, along with a fierce dog guarding the site. Due to the great number of oak trees in the area the campsite was named "El Robledal," meaning "The Oakgrove" in Spanish. After erecting a wooden cross and leaving gifts for the natives, the Spaniards continued their exploration upriver. Upon later return to El Robledal, the explorers noticed that their gifts had been taken. In return, the natives had also constructed a wooden cross and left a buffalo hide as a peace offering. The earliest known map of Robledal dates from 1693, the same year as the Pez-Sigüenza Expedition. Three years later, in a 1698 map by Don Andrés de Arriola y Guzmán (the first governor of a settlement in the Pensacola area after the

Tristán de Luna y Arellano Tristán de Luna y Arellano (1510 – September 16, 1573) was a Spanish explorer and Conquistador of the 16th century.Herbert Ingram Priestley, Tristan de Luna: Conquistador of the Old South: A Study of Spanish Imperial Strategy (1936). http://palm ...

colony was abandoned), Robledal is again noted.

Axelson Point and Early Settlement

Settlement and shipyard

Settlers are noted as living in the area since at least 1827, when a map of West Florida includes listings of families by the name of Wyman and Williams living along

Santa Rosa Sound Santa Rosa Sound is a sound connecting Pensacola Bay and Choctawhatchee Bay in Florida. The northern shore consists of the Fairpoint Peninsula and portions of the mainland in Santa Rosa County and Okaloosa County. It is bounded to the south by San ...

in what would become Navarre. The Wyman family is believed to be related to

Guy Wyman Guy Wyman (1878-1953) was a colonel in the US Army during World War I. He served as a quartermaster sergeant in K Troop, 11th Cavalry Regiment, and later served as a second lieutenant of the 11th Cavalry Regiment. Though he was not the first settl ...

, who, along with his wife, would name the area "Navarre" and is now generally recognized as the town founder. The Williams family is likely the source of the name of William's Creek. While various settlers had been present in the area since before this time, Robledal was again populated sometime near 1850, with the establishment of a

homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses *Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres *Homestead principle, a legal concept th ...

by the Axelson Family. Due to the relative lack of information on the other families, as well as their homestead's location at Robledal, they are often considered Navarre's first settlers. Their home was along the shore of the East Bay, on a small

cape A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck. History Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. Th ...

, in which, they are now the namesake, after the point was officially designated,

Axelson Point Axelson Point is a small cape along the shore of the East Bay in Navarre, Florida. The point is sometimes mistakenly called Diana's Point by local residents, though the origin of this is unclear. The point is named after the Axelson Family, one o ...

. Soon after their settlement in what would become Navarre, they established a shipyard on Axelson Point, jutting into what was also then called, Axelson Cove. The shipyard was considered to be mostly successful, as the family made a business of fixing ships in port in the nearby deep-water port in

and the river port in

Milton Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free t ...

, as well as building large-scale ships of their own.

Civil War

During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, despite the political ideology of citizens in the local area, records make it seem as though the Axelson's were pro-union. This is substantiated by a record showing that, while many businesses in the area were becoming ruined due to the

Union blockade The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...

of southern ports, the Axelson's shipyard was quite busy and prosperous, primarily from business completed with the

Union navy ), (official) , colors = Blue and gold , colors_label = Colors , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label ...

and the

United States Merchant Marine United States Merchant Marines are United States civilian mariners and U.S. civilian and federally owned merchant vessels. Both the civilian mariners and the merchant vessels are managed by a combination of the government and private sectors, an ...

s. In addition, some records and books, such as the ''Atlas of Florida'', attest that, while most likely unassisted by the Axelsons, Union raids were made against

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

troops and camps stationed elsewhere in

, through routes in what would become Navarre and

Holley, Florida Holley is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. Its population was 2,484 as of the 2020 census. Florida State Road 87 passes through the community. For almost all cases, the communi ...

. A military road that appears to approximate this route is noted as existing as late as 1895, where it can be found on

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * Dep ...

maps from that time period.

Bilowry

Some maps of the area during this time, seem to indicate that the area was also known as “Bilowry,” a presumed misspelling or combination of the name, Bill Lowry. The area also had a post office under this name from 1886 to 1891.

Town of Eagan

Some 30 years after the first homestead in the area was established, seemingly coinciding with the community of Bilowry, a small settlement named Eagan arose in 1874. The post office was run by Patrick Shea, a naturalized American from Ireland. The settlement, composed of approximately 40 families, was located off the Santa Rosa Sound and encompassed a portion of present-day Navarre. The settlement, which formerly existed as a post office location, was named after a local postmaster, John Eagan Esq., a Pensacola lawyer and politician. Following the post office's discontinuation on September 11, 1884, families continued to live in the area, and the town continued to appear on area maps even into the 1890s. While what became of the town and the people who lived there at that time is unknown (some of which are known to have remained in the town, some of which are believed to have moved to neighboring communities), the discovery of the town's existence definitively established the settlement of the Navarre area in South Santa Rosa County as being prior to the 20th century. The land upon which Eagan existed would, in fact, later become what is now known as Navarre.

Guy Wyman and town development

The founder of Navarre, under the name of Navarre, was

, a colonel in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he met a

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

nurse named Noelle. At the time, immigration policies would not allow him to bring her to the United States as a fiancée or even as a wife, but he could bring her back as his legal child. Colonel Wyman, therefore, adopted her and brought her back to the Florida panhandle, where he purchased a large amount of land. Noelle named their holdings ''Navarre'', after the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, near France. Wyman

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted the town in 1925, but made no steps towards development. However, during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, the Wymans could not pay the taxes on it and were forced to begin selling it off. Part of that property is where the Navarre Park is today.

Modern era

In modern times, Navarre has become one of the fastest-growing communities in Florida. While protecting and enhancing the natural environment of the area; many steps have been taken to develop luxury accommodations, water activities, boutique shopping, scenic trails, schools and nature/educational opportunities.

Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis

Navarre has been impacted significantly by hurricanes. Immediately preceding

Hurricane Ivan Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlan ...

and

Hurricane Dennis Hurricane Dennis was an early-forming major hurricane in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico during the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. Dennis was the fourth named storm, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season. F ...

, Navarre was seeing a new strand of growth and economic advancement. This, however, quickly came to a close, as Navarre suffered horribly during the events of those hurricanes. Many planned developments stopped and decided to delay their plans until a later date, many of which were never resumed or completed. This hard mark against Navarre lingered until the mid and late 2010s.

Helicopter crash

On March 10, 2015, a

UH-60 The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System ...

, call sign MOJO 69, from the Louisiana National Guard, crashed in the Santa Rosa Sound off the coast of the community of Navarre. All eleven on board were believed killed. On November 18, 2016, Leadership Santa Rosa Class 29 unveiled the Navarre Black Hawk Memorial in Navarre Park. The memorial was built to honor the men who died in the Black Hawk crash and anyone who has paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States.

Protests

2017 and 2018 had seen a noticeable rise in civil activism in the Navarre area, with three notable protests occurring, all within the span of 12 months. The first protests recorded in the community occurred on June 9, 2017, after the county unilaterally changed the town's nickname and locally popular welcome sign. The change was made without the consent of the citizens of the town and have sparked additional calls for the incorporation of the community as a municipality. In 2018, there were protests against the Holley-Navarre Water System. The protests were over the water system's potential violations of the

Florida Sunshine Law Florida's Government in the Sunshine Law, commonly called the Sunshine Law, passed in 1967. It requires that all meetings of any state, county, or municipal board or commission in Florida be open to the public, and declares that actions taken at c ...

, which guarantees the rights for citizens and residents to access the meetings and public records of government agencies. The alleged violations occurred when the board of directors of the agency met for what they called a "secret" meeting. The board president stated these meetings were closed due to their nature of discussing legal matters between members of the board and of several attorneys and lawyers. The argument against these protests is that the water system is not a government agency, but instead a utility contracted to serve the greater Navarre area. The situation came to a close as a new, more transparent, water board has been elected by the citizens of Navarre. Some controversy still remains though, after the new water board appointed as CEO, Rob Williamson, a former

commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...

that had just been voted out of his seat, all of a month before his hiring. The third notable protests were part of the larger national school walkout to promote gun control. While small, only consisting of a few students, it is considered notable in local political circles, as Navarre is in

Florida's 1st congressional district Florida's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida, covering the state's western Panhandle. It includes all of Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties and portions of Holmes county. The d ...

, which is often polled as being the most conservative, and arguably the most pro-gun region in the 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 to ...

. There has been some speculation that this signals a larger change in the ideology of this region, as the younger generation begins to reach the voting age. On June 3, 2020, there was a protest at Navarre Park as part of the

George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil unrest against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of internati ...

. It consisted of around 120 protestors and was followed by a candlelight vigil at the main pavilion of the park.

New expansion

For the first time since before hurricanes Ivan and Dennis, Navarre is now not only expanding in population, but in attractions, dining establishments, and other tourist options as well. In 2017 and 2018 alone, Navarre saw the opening of several major housing and apartment complexes, a brand new hotel, a new prototype Walmart Neighborhood Store, and several new restaurants. This expansion appears to be continuing, with the announcement of a new Aldi Supermarket, Homegoods, and several more establishments. Elevate Navarre, a planned development that will include a large high-end apartment complex, several restaurants, and retail and box stores; is expected to begin in September 2021. Dunkin’ Donuts, Popeyes, T-Mobile, and Autozone are also planned near the Aldi site. On October 28, 2020, it was announced that a Publix shopping center was planned in Navarre just west of the Santa Rosa/Okaloosa County line. Restaurants and Retail are expected. Construction completion is expected in late 2022. In 2020, following a failed effort in 2014, a new effort in incorporating has been established by a local political action committee, the Navarre Area United PAC. However, the PAC was delayed in collecting petition signatories to get the issue of incorporation on the ballot due to the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

outbreak. They had been expected to resume collecting signatures after the pandemic, but had been delayed by stalling from local legislators. Continuing the cause in 2021, the Preserve Navarre campaign began to conduct research regarding the feasibility of Navarre incorporation. Therefore, once again possibly reviving the political question for the future. The latter group has since released a feasibility study (later updated according to local feedback) and a proposed charter.

Geography

Location

Navarre is located at . It is located within a portion of the

observing the

Central Time Zone The North American Central Time Zone (CT) is a time zone in parts of Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America, some Caribbean Islands, and part of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Central Standard Time (CST) is six hours behind Coordinate ...

. Elevation is at an average of . Navarre is located on roughly of shoreline along the

. This figure however, does not include the shorelines on both sides of

, and the Navarre's shoreline along East Bay and the East Bay River.

Topography

The community of Navarre is located on the

Gulf Coastal Plain The Gulf Coastal Plain extends around the Gulf of Mexico in the Southern United States and eastern Mexico. This coastal plain reaches from the Florida Panhandle, southwest Georgia, the southern two-thirds of Alabama, over most of Mississippi, wes ...

and is built on mostly flat sandy soil, though there are a few shallow hills. Navarre is primarily located on the

Fairpoint Peninsula The Fairpoint Peninsula (also referred to as the Gulf Breeze Peninsula or the Navarre Peninsula) is located in northwest Florida between Santa Rosa Sound (the location of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway's route through the region) and Pensacola Ba ...

and Santa Rosa Island. Navarre is bounded geographically in the north by the East Bay River, the

Yellow River The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Standard Beijing Mandarin, Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system in the world at th ...

, and several creeks and on the south by the Santa Rosa Sound. Holley, a mainland community commonly considered part of Navarre, is north of the Fairpoint Peninsula, across the

Climate

The town is located towards the southern edge of the

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

zone.

Hurricanes

As a low-elevation community near the Gulf of Mexico, Navarre is often threatened by hurricanes. Significant damage was incurred as a result of hurricanes

Erin Erin is a Hiberno-English word for Ireland originating from the Irish word ''"Éirinn"''. "Éirinn" is the dative case of the Irish word for Ireland, "Éire", genitive "Éireann", the dative being used in prepositional phrases such as ''"go h� ...

and

Opal Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms ...

in 1995, Georges in 1998, Ivan in 2004, Dennis in 2005 and Sally in 2020. Many homes and businesses immediately along Santa Rosa Sound (generally south of

U.S. Highway 98 U.S. Route 98 (US 98) is an east–west United States Highway in the Southeastern United States that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola, Florida, Pensacola and Apalachicola, F ...

) suffered

storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...

as a result of those storms. Recoveries have been rendered by the area with the population quickly

flourishing Flourishing is "when people experience positive emotions, positive psychological functioning and positive social functioning, most of the time," living "within an optimal range of human functioning." It is a descriptor and measure of positive men ...

. This area of Florida is consistently listed as one of the worst places for hurricanes.

Navarre Beach

Navarre Beach Navarre is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Santa Rosa County in the northwest Florida Panhandle. It is a major bedroom community for mostly U.S. military personnel, federal civil servants, local population, retirees ...

is the beach neighborhood of Navarre. It is on Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. Immediately to its east is

, a former Florida

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

. Immediately to its west is a portion of the

, and farther west is the community of

Pensacola Beach Pensacola Beach is an unincorporated community located on Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island, in Escambia County, Florida, United States. It is situated south of Pensacola (and Gulf Breeze connected via bridges spanning to the Fairpoint Pen ...

Recent history

On March 26, 2006, a "beach re-nourishment" project was begun, restoring sand lost due to the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005. This project eventually added approximately of sand and a high berm to the Gulf side of Santa Rosa Island for the entire length of Navarre Beach. The project was completed in December 2006. Another round of beach re-nourishment was completed in 2016. The entirety of Navarre Beach was closed during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, with only residents of the beach neighborhood being allowed on that area of the island. Furtherly, It was enforced by a police check on one side of the

Navarre Beach Causeway The Navarre Beach Causeway, also called the Navarre Beach Bridge, is a concrete bridge in Navarre, Florida, connecting the beach and mainland sides of the community. The bridge travels over the Santa Rosa Sound, which in turn, is part of the Intra ...

Demographics

Navarre is a large community, estimated to have 41,940 people by the

2020 U.S. 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 of ...

, that number may be as high as 43,540, according to several different estimates completed since then. If the town of Navarre was to be incorporated it would be the largest city between

and

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...

(based on population). This is a major increase from just 40 years ago, when the population was hovering around 1,500. The below racial characteristics of the community are from 2017 estimates. *

Non-Hispanic White Non-Hispanic whites or Non-Latino whites are Americans who are classified as "white", and are not of Hispanic (also known as "Latino") heritage. The United States Census Bureau defines ''white'' to include European Americans, Middle Eastern Amer ...

75.6% *

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

9.0% *

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

9.6% *

Multiracial Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-ethn ...

5.2% *

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

3.0% *

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii ...

and other

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, 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 the original p ...

0.2% * Native American and

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Alaskan Natives, Native Alaskans, Indigenous Alaskans, Aboriginal Alaskans or First Alaskans) are the indigenous peoples of Alaska and include Iñupiat, Yupik, Aleut, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and a numbe ...

0.2%

Attractions

Navarre is centered near the junction of U.S. Highway 98, the primary east–west route between Pensacola and the Fort Walton Beach area, and State Road 87. It is located near several large military facilities:

Naval Air Station Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...

to the west;

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 Sp ...

and

Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The ...

to the east; and

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 othe ...

to the North. Tourism has increased in the Navarre area since 2010, being declared "Florida's Best Kept Secret" by the local hospitality business. Navarre has a park on the mainland next to Navarre Beach bridge and 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 th ...

that contains a visitor information center; water splash pad, duck pond, butterfly house, playground, gazebos; pier and small beach area. Boating, Surfing, jet skiing, paddle boarding, fishing, bird watching, exploring scenic trails, and walking/jogging are popular among the residents and visitors. Navarre's fourth hotel became the first beachfront hotel to operate since 2004 when it opened in 2017.

Eco-tourism and conservation

Navarre is an increasing destination for

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...

due to its location at the center of the

and several important statuaries, as well as its location at the southend of a large and undeveloped woodlands on

. A half-dozen wildlife sanctuaries, conservation centers, and rehabilitation centers have opened in the previous decade to build onto this fact. This includes the:

Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge The Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge is a Wildlife sanctuaries, wildlife sanctuary and Wildlife rehabilitation, rehabilitation center in Navarre, Florida. History The refuge was originally located in Okaloosa County, Florida, in 1994. At first, whi ...

, Navarre Beach Marine Science Station,

Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center The Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center is a sea turtle conservation and education center located in Navarre, Florida. Specifically, it is located within the Navarre Beach Marine Park Navarre Beach Marine Park is a beach park run by the ...

Sandspur Wildlife Sanctuary Navarre is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Santa Rosa County in the northwest Florida Panhandle. It is a major bedroom community for mostly U.S. military personnel, federal civil servants, local population, retirees ...

, and the Navarre Beach Marine Life Sanctuary.

Navarre Beach Fishing Pier

In 2010 the

Navarre Beach Fishing Pier The Navarre Beach Fishing Pier is a record-holding fishing pier in Navarre, Florida. At 1,545 feet long, the pier is the longest of its kind in the State of Florida, state. It is the 15th longest public pier of any kind in the United States. Histo ...

was rebuilt after repeated damage from hurricanes. At , it is currently the longest fishing pier on the Gulf of Mexico and in the state of Florida.

Butterfly House (1997–2019)

The Panhandle Butterfly House on Navarre Parkway opened in 1997. Around 14,000 visitors stop by each year to see butterflies up close, learn about their life cycle, and find out how to attract butterflies to their own gardens. A highlight each year is the monarch migration; the orange and black butterflies are seen in the thousands as they travel to and from Mexico to breed. Due to miscommunication on the fault of the Santa Rosa County Commission, the Butterfly House closed its Navarre Park location for the 2019 season. It moved to an historic home near

Milton, Florida Milton is a city in and the county seat of Santa Rosa County, Florida, located in the Pensacola– Ferry Pass– Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as the Pensacola Metropolitan Area. Milton is located in the geographic center ...

, a few miles north of Navarre, and reopened in 2021 in this new location.

Infrastructure

Education and library

Education in Navarre is administrated by the Santa Rosa County District School system headquartered in Milton, Florida. The schools that serve the Navarre community are: *

Navarre High School Navarre High School is one of six public high schools in the Santa Rosa County School District located in Navarre, Florida. It was established in 1996 and currently enrolls 2,309 students. Campus Navarre High School has a suburban-style campus. ...

(Grades 9–12) *

Holley-Navarre Middle School Santa Rosa County District Schools (SRCDS), also known as Santa Rosa County School District, is the organization responsible for the administration of public schools in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The district currently administers 15 elementary ...

(Grades 6–8) *

Holley-Navarre Intermediate School Santa Rosa County District Schools (SRCDS), also known as Santa Rosa County School District, is the organization responsible for the administration of public schools in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The district currently administers 15 elementary ...

(Grades 3–5) *

Holley-Navarre Primary School Santa Rosa County District Schools (SRCDS), also known as Santa Rosa County School District, is the organization responsible for the administration of public schools in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The district currently administers 15 elementary ...

(Grades K–2) * Woodlawn Beach Middle School (Grades 6–8) *

West Navarre Primary School Santa Rosa County District Schools (SRCDS), also known as Santa Rosa County School District, is the organization responsible for the administration of public schools in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The district currently administers 15 elementary ...

(Grades K–2) *

West Navarre Intermediate School Santa Rosa County District Schools (SRCDS), also known as Santa Rosa County School District, is the organization responsible for the administration of public schools in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The district currently administers 15 elementary ...

(Grades 3–5) *

East Bay K-8 School Santa Rosa County District Schools (SRCDS), also known as Santa Rosa County School District, is the organization responsible for the administration of public schools in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The district currently administers 15 elementary ...

(Opened 2021; Grades K-8) Public library services are provided by the

Santa Rosa County Library System The Santa Rosa County Library System is the primary provider of library services in Santa Rosa County, Florida. It is publicly funded and operated by Santa Rosa County. In 2020, the Director of Library Services, the official responsible for the ...

through the

Navarre Library The Navarre Library is the community library of Navarre, Florida. The library is part of the Santa Rosa County Library System based out of Milton, Florida. The branch is the primary provider of library services and book lending in Navarre, the t ...

Parks and recreation

The community of Navarre has several public parks open year-round. These parks are currently owned and operated by the Santa Rosa County Department of Parks and Recreation and are open to the public. The Navarre Sports Complex and Navarre Soccer Complex, while owned and largely managed by the county, are partially operated by the Navarre Youth Sports Association. The largest of the parks are the

, Navarre Park (which is currently under renovation), and the Navarre Sports Complex. Navarre Park provides a play area for children, basketball courts, picnic pavilions, and restroom facilities. The park hosts several large community events each year. In October 2020, Phase 1 of park renovations began. Enhancements to the park include an interactive splash pad, ADA accessible restroom facilities, playgrounds for two age groups, a plaza with shade structures, maintenance building, park building, expanded parking, landscaping and stormwater improvements. Phase 1 was completed in summer of 2022. Phase 1 included the placement of the original Navarre Beach sign, now on display in the park. Phase 2 and 3 expansions have been proposed.

Transportation

Transportation infrastructure in Navarre is relatively limited and is dominated by roads, instead of public transportation or sidewalks. This has been to the chagrin of some local citizens. However, relatively little has been done to improve this within the last few years, beyond feasibility studies of possible improvements.

Roadways

Navarre is centered on the intersection of

(named "Navarre Parkway" while within the town) and

Florida State Road 87 State Road 87 (SR 87; sometimes called the Navarre Beach Expressway) is a north–south highway in the state of Florida that extends from U.S. Route 98 (US 98) to the Alabama state line where it becomes State Route 41. All of SR 87 is conta ...

(which has no official name, though is sometimes called "the Navarre Beach Expressway" by local residents). These provide the two largest connections in and out of the town. The Parkway (US 98) connects west to

, ultimately ending in

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, and connects east to Destin and

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 locat ...

, ultimately ending in

Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoas ...

. The Expressway has its southern terminus in Navarre; however, it connects north to

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 pl ...

and

, then ending at the Alabama state border. Navarre also has secondary connections through

Florida State Road 399 State Road 399 (SR 399) is a state road in Santa Rosa County, Florida. Although it only extends from U.S. Route 98 (US 98) to the Bob Sikes Bridge, County Road 399 (CR 399) continues over the bridge, along Santa Rosa Island, and back to ...

and Santa Rosa County Road 399. Because of their matching shield numbers, the two are often confused by residents and tourists alike and are often instead referred to as "Gulf Boulevard" and "East Bay Boulevard" respectively. Gulf Boulevard, which has its northern terminus in Navarre, travels on Santa Rosa Island, ultimately going through the Opal Beach section of the

, then ending in

Gulf Breeze Gulf Breeze is a city in Santa Rosa County, Florida. It is a suburb of Pensacola, and is in the Pensacola Metropolitan Area. The population estimate was 6,900 in 2020. Gulf Breeze is located just north of Pensacola Beach, and south of Pensaco ...

. East Bay Boulevard, which has its eastern terminus in Navarre, travels roughly parallel to

and the

. It also passes by Gable Lake and passes over the

Tom King Bayou Tom King Bayou is a small, but locally important, bayou and creek in Navarre, Florida. The mouth of the bayou opens onto East Bay near Axelson Point and Robledal. The bayou acts as a major runoff for stormwaters and is critical to the local env ...

, before connecting with

US 98 U.S. Route 98 (US 98) is an east–west United States Highway in the Southeastern United States that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola and Apalachicola, Florida, and has sinc ...

in the neighboring community of

Woodlawn Beach, Florida Woodlawn Beach is a census-designated place (as of the 2010 Census) on Santa Rosa Sound in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States surrounded by the older Midway CDP. It lies south of U.S. Highway 98 between Nantahala Beach Road ( CR 191C) and ...

. Due to traffic flow issues on both the primary and secondary thoroughfares, a community access road has been proposed by citizens and county leaders alike. An inquiry into the feasibility of such a plan is being conducted by county officials.

Airports

Navarre doesn't have a dedicated commercially served airport. Instead, it is largely served by

Pensacola International Airport Pensacola International Airport , formerly Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport and Pensacola Regional Airport (Hagler Field), is a public use airport northeast of the central business district of Pensacola, in Escambia County, Florida, Unit ...

(about 25 miles west in

) and

Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport is an airport located within Eglin Air Force Base, on the municipal boundary of Valparaiso, and near Destin and Fort Walton Beach in Okaloosa County, Florida. The airport was previously named Northwest Flo ...

(about 30 miles east in

Valparaiso, Florida Valparaiso is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census, the city population was 5,036. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2018 estimates, the city had a popul ...

). Navarre does have one

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

airfield, confusingly named Fort Walton Beach Airport, despite being both located and registered within Navarre, not the nearby city of

Fort Walton Beach, Florida Fort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 20,922, up from 19,507 in 2010. It is the principal city of the Fort Walton Beach− Crestview− Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area ...

. The airfield has a single turf

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...

and primarily serves banner-towing aerial advertising aircraft, that fly ads along the beach. Navarre did also host an outlying airfield of

Naval Outlying Landing Field Holley Naval Outlying Landing Field (NOLF) Holley was a naval outlying landing field of the larger Naval Air Station Whiting Field located within the city limits of the community of Navarre, Florida. The two runways were each long. The runways were restr ...

; however, this airfield has since been converted into operations as one of the largest solar fields in the region. Currently being operated by

Gulf Power Gulf Power Company (GPC) was a U.S. electric utility founded in 1925 and headquartered in Pensacola, Florida. It had over 450,000 customers in 10 counties and 71 towns in northwest Florida, and a generating capacity of 2.278 GW. GPC was founded ...

, in cooperation with the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Public transportation

Navarre has limited public transportation, despite some public calls for it. However, it does receive service from Santa Rosa Transportation, which provides some limited on-demand accessibility service from the town.

Popular culture

''Jaws 2''

Most of the scenes in ''

Jaws 2 ''Jaws 2'' is a 1978 American thriller film directed by Jeannot Szwarc and co-written by Carl Gottlieb. It is the sequel to Steven Spielberg's ''Jaws'' (1975), and the second installment in the ''Jaws'' franchise. The film stars Roy Scheider as ...

'' were filmed in and around Navarre and Navarre Beach in 1977. The production of the movie "was a boost to the local economy because local boaters, extras and stand-ins or doubles were hired.

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

brought in actors, directors, producers and their wives, camera and crew people who needed housing, food and clothing for the movie. Services were needed for laundry, dry-cleaning and recreation." Navarre's Holiday Inn "Holidome" was used as the film's headquarters, with the ground floor converted into production offices, and some of the Gulf-front suites remodeled for David Brown and Roy Scheider. Universal rented 100 of the hotel's 200 rooms, spending $1 million. The

Holiday Inn Holiday Inn is an American chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia. and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson, who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee that year. The chain was a division ...

was destroyed in the

2004 Atlantic hurricane season The 2004 Atlantic hurricane season was a very deadly, destructive, and extremely active Atlantic hurricane season, with over 3,200 deaths and more than $61 billion (2004 USD, $95.77 billion 2022 USD) in damage. More than half of the 16 ...

. A new hotel was built on the same site as the Holiday Inn and was completed during the summer of 2017.

''Entanglement'' series

A book in the ''Entanglement'' science fiction novel series, ''Entanglement: The Surface'', is set in Navarre.

(under the name Navarre Beach High School) is a primary setting.

Notable people

Entertainment

*Logan Bauer, finalist on the 29th Season of the ''Amazing Race'' *

Anne Rice Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien; October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021) was an American author of gothic fiction, erotic literature, and Christian literature. She was best known for her series of novels ''The Vampire Chronicles''. B ...

gothic fiction Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...

writer

Government

Joel Rudman Dr. Joel Rudman is an American politician and physician who currently serves as a state representative for the 3rd district in the Florida House of Representatives. Rudman resides in Navarre, Florida, Navarre, his legislative district's largest c ...

, representative to the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...

for the 3rd district *

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

during

, founder of modern-day Navarre, Florida

Sports

* Michael Carter,

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

for the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

* Matt Cronin, relief pitcher for the

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field ...

Jordan Leggett Jordan Kristopher Leggett (born January 31, 1995) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Clemson Tigers football, Clemson. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Early years ...

, former

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...

for the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

* Michael "Crash" Lockwood,

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

wrestler *

Akeem Spence Akeem Spence (born November 29, 1991) is an American football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois. Early years Spence ...

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...

for the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

Jeff Van Camp Jeff Van Camp (born September 9, 1987) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Florida Atlantic University, under head coach Howard Schnellenberger, as well as high school football at Navarre High School in Navarre ...

, former

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

for the

Florida Atlantic Owls The Florida Atlantic Owls are the athletics teams of Florida Atlantic University. The Owls participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division I as members of Conference USA. On October 21, 2021, Florida Atlantic accept ...

References

External links

Greatest Navarre Area Chamber of Commerce

Holley-Navarre Historical Society

Navarre Beach Area Official Visitor Information: Florida Beaches to Rivers

Holley-Navarre Fire District
{{authority control Census-designated places in Florida Populated places on the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida Towns in Santa Rosa County, Florida Unincorporated communities in Florida Unincorporated communities in Santa Rosa County, Florida