Port St. Joe is a city and the

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 ...

Gulf County, Florida Gulf County is a County (United States), county located in the Florida Panhandle, panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 14,192. Its county seat is Port St. Joe, Florida, Po ...

, United States. It is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and State Road 71. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,357.

History

St. Joseph According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orth ...

was founded in 1835 by businessmen from nearby Apalachicola, which was troubled by legal conflict over land titles. It was mostly abandoned in 1841, after a yellow fever epidemic; a

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 ...

produced by a hurricane in 1844 destroyed what structures remained. 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 ...

, Florida was a leading producer of salt for the

Confederate army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

. On September 15, 1862, a Union army officer on board the USS Kingfisher wrote that he and his men had sent a demand to the extensive salt works at Saint Joseph that they cease production. When the work was not halted, the Kingfisher went into Saint Joseph bay, sent at least 50 men inland, and destroyed the salt works. In the early 20th century, a new settlement was founded close to the original after the arrival of the

Apalachicola Northern Railroad The Apalachicola Northern Railroad was a short-line railroad which operated in the Florida Panhandle of the United States. It owned and operated a between Port Saint Joe, Florida, and Chattahoochee, Florida, with a short spur to Apalachicola, Fl ...

in 1909. It appears that the more informal "Port St. Joe" was adopted for official use around this time. The community was extensively damaged by

Hurricane Michael Hurricane Michael was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that became the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous United States since Andrew in 1992. It was the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane to make ...

on October 10, 2018.

Geography

Port St. Joe is located in southern Gulf County at (29.807968, –85.297684), within the

Florida Panhandle The Florida panhandle (also known as West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida. It is a Salient (geography), salient roughly long, bordered by Alabama on the west and north, Georgia (U.S. state ...

and along the

Emerald Coast The Emerald Coast is an unofficial name for the coastal area in the US state of Florida on the Gulf of Mexico that stretches about through five counties—Escambia County, Florida, Escambia, Santa Rosa County, Florida, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa Co ...

. 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 , or 21.86%, is water. The city limits extend into St. Joseph Bay, an arm of the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

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 sin ...

passes through Port St. Joe as Monument Drive in the north and Constitution Drive in the south. US 98 leads northwest along the Gulf shore to

Panama City Panama City, also known as Panama, is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has a total population of 1,086,990, with over 2,100,000 in its metropolitan area. The city is located at the Pacific Ocean, Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, i ...

and southeast to Apalachicola.

Florida State Road 71 State Road 71 (SR 71) is a highway in western Florida that runs from the Gulf Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, through the panhandle of Florida to the Alabama border. Route description Gulf County Starting at US 98 across from the intersection ...

(Cecil G. Costin Sr. Boulevard) leads northeast to Wewahitchka. Port St. Joe averages only above sea level. At its highest point it is only above sea level. This portion of the town has been dubbed "Highland View".

Climate

The City of Port St. Joe is part of the

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

zone with a

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

of "Cfa" (C = mild temperate, f = fully humid, and a = hot summer).

Demographics

2010 and 2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,357 people, 1,494 households, and 999 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 3,445 people, 1,544 households, and 946 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,644 people, 1,402 households, and 1,030 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,571 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 68.52%

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 ...

, 30.10%

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 ...

, 0.22% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population. In 2000, there were 1,402 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.94. In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $33,800, and the median income for a family was $39,489. Males had a median income of $30,244 versus $21,111 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 $16,205. About 11.2% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Port St. Joe is served by

Gulf County Schools Gulf County Schools is a school district headquartered in Port St. Joe, Florida, United States. This district serves all of Gulf County and the City of Mexico Beach in Bay County.Port St. Joe High School * Faith Christian School

Colleges and universities

Gulf Coast State College Gulf Coast State College is a public college in Panama City, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System and offers the Associate of Arts degree, Associate of Science degree, certificates, and as of 2011, bachelor's degrees. History The ...

, Gulf/Franklin Campus - part of the

Florida College System The Florida College System, previously the Florida Community College System, is a system of 28 public community colleges and state colleges in the U.S. state of Florida. In 2020–2021, enrollment consisted of 640,183 students. Together with th ...

Library

The Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library is a part of the Northwest Regional Library System. The library is co-located with the senior citizens center, sheriff's office, courthouse, and animal shelter off State Road 71.

Points of interest

Constitution Convention Museum State Park Constitution Convention Museum State Park is a Florida State Park located just outside Port St. Joe, off US 98, in northwestern Florida. The park contains a museum with examples of 19th-century life in the former town of St. Joseph, and fea ...

* Centennial Building *

Port Theatre Art and Culture Center The Port Theatre Art and Culture Center is a historic site in Port St. Joe, Florida, located at 314 Reid Avenue. On June 5, 2003, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRH ...

* St. Joseph Catholic Mission Church

Local media

Radio

WEBZ WEBZ (99.3 FM) is a commercial urban contemporary radio station located in Mexico Beach, Florida and serving Panama City, Florida. The station is owned by iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media ...

99.3 FM (

Urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

) * W216BT 91.1 FM (repeater of WFSW-FM, Panama City) * WDBW-LP, 97.3 FM (Long Avenue Baptist Church, repeater of Bible Broadcasting Network) * WOYS 106.5 FM Classic Rock/Blues/Beach Music * WFCX 100.5 FM Tropical Rock

Newspaper

*'' The Star''

Transportation

Water

The

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) is the portion of the Intracoastal Waterway located along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It is a navigable inland waterway running approximately from Saint Marks, Florida, to Brownsville, Texas. T ...

(GIWW), a federally maintained canal with a channel of deep by wide, connects Port St. Joe to Panama City and Apalachicola. The Port of Port St. Joe shipping channel is congressionally authorized to a depth of and connects to the shipping lanes of the

. Existing facilities include a manufacturer of chemical

lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...

from dolomite, a chemical plant, a 9 million ton/year dry bulk barge-to-rail transloading terminal, and a builder of dive-cruise ships.

Rail

The

AN Railway The AN Railway is one of several shortline railroad companies leased by the Genesee & Wyoming parent company. It operates between Port Saint Joe, Florida and a connection with the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad at Chattahoochee, Florida. The r ...

previously served the industries and port of Port St. Joe and had a history of transporting a variety of products including wood chips and other forest products, chemicals, and coal. In light of the latter, most of its mainline consisted of heavy duty, rail on concrete ties. The AN connected with the Class I

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...

Chattahoochee, Florida Chattahoochee is a city in Gadsden County, Florida, United States. Its history dates to the Spanish era. It is part of the Tallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,955 as of the 2020 census, down from 3,652 at th ...

. There is currently no rail service in Port St. Joe.

Highway

along the coast and through Port St. Joe providing a route west to

and east to Apalachicola. State Road 71 connects Port St. Joe northward toward

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 ...

and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, including providing access to

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...

which is 72 miles (116 km) away.

Notable people

* Greg Lewis, retired

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

running back * Calvin Pryor former NFL strong safety * Roman Quinn,

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

player *

Jason Shoaf Jason Shoaf (born September 20, 1979) is an American politician serving as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from the Florida's 7th House of Representatives district, 7th district, which includes Franklin County, Florida, Franklin, ...

, member of the

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 ...

* Clifford Chester Sims, United States Army soldier and

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient

References

External links

City of Port St. Joe official website

Gulf County Tourist Development Council

Gulf County Chamber of Commerce

''The Star''
newspaper that serves Port St. Joe; available in full-text with images i
Florida Digital Newspaper Library
{{authority control St. Joe, Port County seats in Florida Cities in Gulf County, Florida Cities in Florida Populated coastal places in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico Populated places established in 1835 1835 establishments in Florida Territory