Walton County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located on 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 ...

in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, with its southern border on 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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 75,305. Its

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

is DeFuniak Springs. The county is home to the highest natural point in Florida: Britton Hill, at . Walton County is included in the Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Walton County was organized by European Americans in 1824. It was named for Colonel George Walton Jr., secretary of the Florida Territory from 1821 to 1826. Walton, the son of George Walton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born August 15, 1786, in Augusta,

Georgia 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 ...

, and died March 20, 1859, in Petersburg,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. Between 1763 and 1783 the territory that has since become Walton County was part of the colony of

British West Florida British West Florida was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1763 until 1783, when it was ceded to Kingdom of Spain, Spain as part of the Peace of Paris (1783), Peace of Paris. British West Florida comprised parts of the modern U.S ...

. During this time British settlers permanently settled in the area, becoming the first English-speaking people to permanently reside in what is now Walton County. During this period Scottish settlers migrated from the backcountry of the Carolinas and settled in the Defuniak Springs area while English settlers, most of whom were either farmers or fishermen, settled in the southern portion of the county by the sea, settling throughout the area that has since become Santa Rosa Beach, Sandestin, Miramar Beach, Point Washington, Seaside and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and Point Washington State Forest. While the Scottish settlers had come from a recently established Scottish-majority settlement in North Carolina, the English settlers came largely from the English regions of

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

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and the western half of

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

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

the Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of ...

and

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

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

United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

began migrating into north Florida the English and Scottish settlers in what has since become Walton County became gradually absorbed into this community, which would subsequently become the majority population in North Florida. In 1860, there were roughly 573 military aged men in Walton County. Of that population, 62, or 11%, went to serve in the Union unit, the 1st Florida Cavalry Regiment that was mustered in on October 29, 1863. The first Confederate monument in Florida, located at the Walton County Courthouse, records the names of 94 soldiers who died fighting for the Confederacy. In 1995, three planned communities designed by Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk of the Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company were founded. The communities, named Alys Beach, Seaside, and Rosemary Beach are examples of a style of urban planning known as

New Urbanism New Urbanism is an urban design movement that promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating Walkability, walkable neighbourhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has ...

. The final plan for Seaside was complete around 1985. Seaside was used as the main filming location of the 1998 film '' The Truman Show''.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (16.3%) is water. The county is 12th largest in area in the state, stretching from the Alabama state line to the

Adjacent counties

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

National protected areas

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

Demographics

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

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 40,601 people, 16,548 households, and 11,120 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (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 29,083 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 88.41%

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 ...

, 6.98%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

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

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 ...

, 0.75% from other races, and 2.09% from two or more races. 2.17% of the population were

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. There were 16,548 households, out of which 26.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.80% were non-families. 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.83. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.70% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 26.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 105.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,407, and the median income for a family was $37,663. Males had a median income of $26,799 versus $21,208 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or 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 county was $18,198. About 11.60% of families and 14.40% of the population were below the

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

, including 21.00% of those under age 18 and 10.90% of those age 65 or over.

Government

County government

Politics

Walton County is a stronghold of the Republican Party. It has supported the Republican candidate in each presidential election since

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

, usually by overwhelming margins.

Libraries

Walton County has four branches, including the historic DeFuniak Springs Library. * Coastal Branch Library * DeFuniak Springs Library * Freeport * Gladys N. Milton Memorial Library

Schools

The county is served by the Walton County School District.

Elementary schools

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

Middle schools

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

High schools

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

K–12

* Paxton School, Paxton

Charter schools

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

Communities

Cities

* DeFuniak Springs * Freeport

Town

* Paxton

Census-designated place

* Miramar Beach

Other unincorporated communities

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

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

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

WaterColor Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin 'water'), is a painting metho ...

*Rock Hill

Gallery

File:Knox Hill (Walton County, Florida - 2004).jpg, The hilly terrain of Walton County differs from most of the rest of Florida. File:DeerLakeSP.JPG, South Walton contains many neighborhoods nestled in sugary-white sand dunes. File:BlueMountainBeach.JPG, The coast of Walton County is fringed by emerald Gulf waters. File:30A Beach Walton County 2019.jpg, View of sunset on the beach off Florida State Road 30A, in Walton County

Transportation

Airports

* DeFuniak Springs Airport

Highways

* (Interstate 10) * (U.S. Highway 90) * (U.S. Highway 98) * (U.S. Highway 331) * * * *

Notable people

* Sean Dietrich, writer * Buck Showalter, baseball manager

Notes

References

External links

Government links/Constitutional offices

Walton County Board of County Commissioners

Walton County Supervisor of Elections

Walton County Property Appraiser

Walton County Sheriff's Office

Walton County Tax Collector

Special districts

Walton County School District

Northwest Florida Water Management District

South Walton Fire District

Judicial branch

Walton County Clerk of Courts

Public Defender, 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida
serving Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties
Office of the State Attorney, 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida

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

Media links

Walton Outdoors

Northwest Florida Daily News

SoWal.com

Waltonsun.com

wmbb.com

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