Editing Okaloosa County, Florida

{{short description|County in the United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{coord|30|41|15|N|86|35|33|W|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-FL}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Okaloosa County
 | state                = Florida
 | flag                 = Flag of Okaloosa County, Florida.svg
 | seal                 = Seal of Okaloosa County, Florida.gif
 | founded year         = 1915
 | founded date         = September 7
 | seat wl              = Crestview
 | largest city wl      = Crestview 
 | city type            = city
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 1082
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 930
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 152
 | area percentage      = 14.0%
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 211668 
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 218464 {{increase}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | web                  = http://www.co.okaloosa.fl.us/
 | ex image             = Crestview Okaloosa Cty crths01.jpg
 | ex image size        = 220px
 | ex image cap         = The Okaloosa County courthouse in March 2008
 | district             = 1st
 | time zone            = Central }}

'''Okaloosa County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the northwestern portion of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Florida]], extending from the [[Gulf of Mexico]] to the [[Alabama]] state line. As of the 2020 census, the population was 211,668.<ref name="2020 Census" /> Its [[county seat]] is [[Crestview, Florida|Crestview]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> Okaloosa County is included in the [[Ft Walton Beach metropolitan area|Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

==History==
Okaloosa County was created by an act passed on September 7, 1915,<ref>Hutchinson, Leonard Patrick, "History of the Playground Area of Northwest Florida", Great Outdoors Publishing Co., St. Petersburg, Florida, 1st ed., 1961, no Library of Congress card number, no ISBN, page 41.</ref> formed from the eastern ranges of [[Santa Rosa County]] and the western ranges of [[Walton County, Florida|Walton County]].

''Okaloosa'' means "black water" (''oka'' means "water" and ''lusa'' means "black") in the [[Choctaw language]]. The name may have come from the related language spoken by the [[Chatot]] and other peoples of the Florida Panhandle.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Simpson |first=J. Clarence |title=Florida Place-Names of Indian Derivation |publisher=Florida Geological Survey |year=1952 |editor-last=Boyd |editor-first=Mark F. |edition=Revised |series=Special Publication No. 1 |location=Tallahassee, Florida |page=80 |orig-date=1910}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|1082|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|930|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|152|sqmi}} (14.0%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> [[Fort Walton Beach]] and three [[United States Air Force]] bases, ([[Duke Field]] in the North and [[Eglin AFB]] and [[Hurlburt Field]] are in the south).

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Covington County, Alabama]] - north
* [[Walton County, Florida|Walton County]] - east
* [[Santa Rosa County, Florida|Santa Rosa County]] - west
* [[Escambia County, Alabama]] - northwest

===National protected areas===
* [[Choctawhatchee National Forest]] (part)
* [[Gulf Islands National Seashore]] (part)
[[File:Beach in Destin, Florida.jpg|thumb|Beach in Destin, Florida]]

=== State Parks and Forests ===
* Blackwater River State Forest:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Blackwater-River|title=Florida State Parks}}</ref> {{convert|189,594|acre}} spanning Okaloosa and neighboring Santa Rosa County.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Florida Almanac 2012|last=McGovern|first=Bernie|publisher=Pelican Publishing Company|year=2011|isbn=9781589808461|pages=186}}</ref>
* Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Recreation Area:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Rocky-Bayou|title=Florida State Parks}}</ref> {{convert|357|acre}} of sand pine forest along Choctawhatchee Bay. The park provides facilities for camping, hiking, fishing, and canoeing. It is located {{convert|5|mi||0|spell=in}} east of Niceville on State Road 20.<ref name="auto">{{Cite book|title=Florida Almanac 2012|last=McGovern|first=Bernie|publisher=Pelican Publishing Company|year=2011|isbn=9781589808461|pages=214}}</ref>
* Henderson Beach State Park:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Henderson-Beach|title=Florida State Parks}}</ref> {{convert|1.3|mi}} of sugar sand beach along the Gulf of Mexico. The park provides facilities for camping, RV-ing, and picnicking, as well as a pavilion and boardwalk. It is located just east of downtown Destin on U.S. 98.<ref name="auto"/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1920= 9360
|1930= 9897
|1940= 12900
|1950= 27533
|1960= 61175
|1970= 88187
|1980= 109920
|1990= 143776
|2000= 170498
|2010= 180822
|2020= 211668
|estyear=2023
|estimate=218464
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 31, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote= 2020<ref name="2020 Census">{{cite web |title=2020 Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US12091 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Okaloosa County racial composition as of 2020'''<br /> (NH = Non-Hispanic){{efn|Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.<ref>https://www.census.gov/ {{nonspecific|date=August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About the Hispanic Population and its Origin |url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html |website=www.census.gov |access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref>}}
!Race
!Pop 2010<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US12091&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2 |access-date=May 27, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Pop 2020<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US12091&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=May 27, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|139,500
|146,271
|77.15%
|69.1%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|16,333
|18,896
|9.03%
|8.93%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|895
|799
|0.49%
|0.38%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|5,189
|6,578
|2.87%
|3.11%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|330
|448
|0.18%
|0.21%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|397
|1,206
|0.22%
|0.57%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|5,882
|14,892
|3.25%
|7.04%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|12,296
|22,578
|6.8%
|10.67%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''180,822'''
|'''211,668'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 211,668 people, 79,235 households, and 51,719 families residing in the county.

As of 2015,<ref name="GR8">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=May 14, 2011 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> there were 198,664 people and 95,494 households. As of the census of 2010,the [[population density]] was {{convert|194.4|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people}}.

* White alone=81.5% (July 1, 2015)
* Black or African American alone=10.2% (July 1, 2015)
* American Native and Alaskan Native alone=0.7% (July 1, 2015)
* Asian alone=3.2% (July 1, 2015)
* Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone=0.3% (July 1, 2015)
* Two or more races=4.1% (July 1, 2015)
* Hispanic or Latino=8.6% (July 1, 2015)

As of 2015, there were 95,494 households. Within the 2010 census, 33.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.80% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.94.

According to the 2010 census, the population was spread out, with 24.70% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.50 males.

In 2015, the median income for a household in the county was $55,880. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $28,902. 11.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]].

==Education==
The county's public schools come under the [[Okaloosa County School District]].

[[Northwest Florida State College]] serves over 10,000 residents of Okaloosa County annually for bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and certificates. The college maintains four campuses in Okaloosa County: Niceville, Crestview, Ft. Walton Beach, and Hurlburt Field, and one campus in Walton County, FL.

==Libraries==
Okaloosa County is served by the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative. Formed in October 1997, the Cooperative originally included the county and the cities of Crestview, Mary Esther, and Niceville. The cities of Fort Walton Beach, Valparaiso, and Destin all joined the Cooperative by the year 2000.<ref name="cityofdestin.com">Okaloosa County Library Cooperative. (2011). Introduction to the Okaloosa County Library Cooperative. Retrieved from https://www.cityofdestin.com/DocumentCenter/View/602/Introduction-to-Okaloosa-County-Public-Library-Cooperative{{Dead link|date=January 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative is governed by an independent, inter-governmental agency with seven members.<ref>Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative. (2018). About Us. Retrieved from https://readokaloosa.org/client/en_US/default/?rm=ABOUT{{Dead link|date=January 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} US0%7C%7C%7C1%7C%7C%7C0%7C%7C%7Ctrue</ref>

==Transportation==

===Airports===
* [[Bob Sikes Airport]]
* [[Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport|Destin–Fort Walton Beach]]

===Highways===
{{See also|List of county roads in Okaloosa County, Florida}}
* {{jct|I|10|state=FL}} (Interstate 10)
* {{jct|US|90|state=FL}} (U.S. Highway 90)
* {{jct|US|98|state=FL}} (U.S. Highway 98)
* {{jct|FL|4|state=FL}} 
* {{jct|FL|85|state=FL}} 
* {{jct|FL|145|state=FL}}
* {{jct|FL|188|state=FL}}
* {{jct|FL|189|state=FL}}
* {{jct|Toll|293|state=FL}}
* {{jct|FL|393|state=FL}} 
* {{jct|FL|397|state=FL}}

===Surface transportation===
Emerald Coast Rider (formerly [[Okaloosa County Transit]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ecrider.org/|title=Welcome to Emerald Coast Rider|date=2015|website=Emerald Coast Rider|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151101174155/http://ecrider.org/|archive-date=November 1, 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=December 16, 2017}}</ref> operates bus services in the county.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ecrider.org/|title=Ride The Wave! - EC Rider|website=www.ecrider.org|language=en-US|access-date=December 16, 2017}}</ref>

[[File:New Crestview Courthouse.jpg|thumb|Okaloosa County's new Courthouse first case was held January 2, 2019.]]
[[File:Entering-Okaloosa-County sign in Destin, FL.jpg|thumb|Several road signs at the county and [[Destin, Florida|Destin]] boundary.]]

==Law enforcement==

In November 2023 in [[Fort Walton Beach]], Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy Jesse Hernandez and sergeant Beth Roberts shot multiple times at Hernandez's police car, where a handcuffed and unarmed black suspect had been placed there by police, according to investigators. The suspect was not injured by the shootings. Hernandez in December 2023 resigned from the department. In February 2024, it was announced that an internal investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's office concluded that Hernandez began shooting after hearing the sound of an [[acorn]] bouncing off his police car, then Roberts began shooting after hearing Hernandez shooting and screaming, with Hernandez at one point shouting: "I'm hit! I'm hit!". Hernandez had told investigators that he thought he heard a gunshot from a "suppressed weapon" and believed that he had been shot: "I felt an impact on my right side, like upper torso area … I feel the impact. My legs just give out." The Sheriff's Office's stated that while Roberts' shooting was reasonable, Hernandez's shooting was "not objectively reasonable", but "we do believe [Hernandez] felt his life was in immediate peril".<ref>{{cite news |title=Florida deputy mistakes falling acorn for gunshot, fires into patrol car with Black man inside |url=https://apnews.com/article/florida-deputy-resigns-acorn-shooting-dc574fd2cd182fadf6a238d8b1b2b4f6 |access-date=May 11, 2024 |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=February 17, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Brasch |first1=Ben |title=Deputy scared by an acorn hitting his cruiser opens fire in street |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/02/14/acorn-florida-police-shoot-unarmed/ |access-date=May 11, 2024 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=February 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240216040015/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/02/14/acorn-florida-police-shoot-unarmed/ |archive-date=February 16, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Itoh |first1=Katherine |title=Video shows Florida deputy repeatedly shoot at man after thinking falling acorn was gunfire |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/video-shows-florida-deputy-repeatedly-shoot-man-thinking-falling-acorn-rcna138829 |access-date=May 11, 2024 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=February 15, 2024}}</ref>

In May 2024, an Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy [[Killing of Roger Fortson|fatally shot Roger Fortson]], a United States Air Force member, in Fortson's home in Fort Walton Beach.<ref name=Body1>{{cite news |last1=Novelly |first1=Thomas |title=Florida Airman Was Shot by Deputy Within Seconds of Opening Apartment Door, Body Cam Footage Shows |url=https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/05/09/body-cam-footage-deputy-fatally-shot-florida-airman-within-seconds-of-him-opening-apartment-door.html |access-date=May 9, 2024 |work=[[military.com]] |date=May 9, 2024}}</ref> According to body camera footage, when the deputy visited an apartment, Fortson opened the apartment door holding a gun in his right hand, with the gun held by his side and pointed downwards.<ref name="Body1" /><ref name=Body2>{{cite news |last1=Medina |first1=Eduardo |title=Sheriff Releases Body Camera Footage in Police Killing of Airman in His Home |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/09/us/roger-fortson-police-shooting-florida.html |access-date=May 10, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240510002945/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/09/us/roger-fortson-police-shooting-florida.html |archive-date=May 10, 2024}}</ref> As the door opened, the deputy told Fortson to "step back" and immediately shot Fortson.<ref name="Body1" /><ref name="Body2" /><ref name="Body5">{{cite news |last1=Yousif |first1=Nadine |title=US airman shot and killed by police in Florida |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68979577 |access-date=May 10, 2024 |work=BBC News |date=May 9, 2024}}</ref> Fortson falls to the floor, and it is only then that the deputy tells Fortson: "Drop the gun!"<ref name="Body1" /><ref name="Body2" />

Later in May 2024, a Florida woman sued the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, claiming that on two occasions, once in August 2019 and once in May 2020, they forced her to leave her home while she remained naked during the execution of search warrants, exposing her to law enforcement officers and the public.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Griffith |first1=Janelle |title=Woman sues Florida sheriff alleging she was twice forced out of her home naked as deputies executed warrants |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-sues-florida-sheriff-alleging-was-twice-forced-home-naked-deputi-rcna154353 |access-date=May 29, 2024 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=May 29, 2024}}</ref>

==Politics==
Okaloosa County is one of the most [[conservatism in the United States|conservative]] counties in Florida. Incumbent [[George W. Bush]] won the county in 2004 with 78% of the [[Direct election|popular vote]] and in 2008 the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] candidate [[John McCain]] polled 72%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/PresidentialByCounty.aspx?oi=P&rti=G&sp=Fl |title=2008 US Presidential Election Results by County - USATODAY.com |publisher=Content.usatoday.com |date=November 10, 2008 |access-date=July 22, 2010}}</ref> Mitt Romney won the county in 2012 with 73.80% (70,168) of the popular vote, and [[Donald Trump]] won 70.42% (71,893) in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections}}</ref> In 2020, Donald Trump won 68.25% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>

{{PresHead|place=Okaloosa County, Florida|whig=no|source1=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->{{PresRow|2024|Republican|80,309|32,074|1,842|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|79,798|34,248|2,697|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|71,893|23,780|6,423|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|70,168|23,421|1,486|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|68,789|25,872|1,120|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|69,693|19,368|695|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|52,186|16,989|1,644|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|40,683|16,462|5,899|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|32,818|12,038|16,913|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|40,389|9,753|320|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|37,044|7,304|9|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|28,072|10,845|1,406|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|18,598|14,210|487|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|23,303|2,843|144|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1968|American Independent|5,525|3,059|12,237|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|9,961|7,890|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|4,685|8,263|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|2,788|5,748|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|2,355|5,375|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|486|2,519|1,002|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|626|2,877|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|690|3,003|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|457|2,433|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|232|2,137|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|1,385|503|17|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|183|642|128|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|411|568|24|Florida}}
{{PresFoot|1916|Democratic|303|603|45|Florida}}

==Communities==
===Cities===
* [[Crestview, Florida|Crestview]]
* [[Destin, Florida|Destin]]
* [[Fort Walton Beach, Florida|Fort Walton Beach]]
* [[Laurel Hill, Florida|Laurel Hill]]
* [[Mary Esther, Florida|Mary Esther]]
* [[Niceville, Florida|Niceville]]
* [[Valparaiso, Florida|Valparaiso]]

===Towns===
* [[Cinco Bayou, Florida|Cinco Bayou]]
* [[Shalimar, Florida|Shalimar]]

===Census-designated places===
* [[Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (CDP)|Eglin AFB]]
* [[Hurlburt Field, Florida (CDP)|Hurlburt Field]]
* [[Lake Lorraine, Florida|Lake Lorraine]]
* [[Ocean City, Florida|Ocean City]]
* [[Wright, Florida|Wright]]

===Other unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Baker, Florida|Baker]]
* [[Blackman, Florida|Blackman]]
* [[Bluewater Bay]]
* [[Campton, Florida|Campton]]
* [[Deerland, Florida|Deerland]]
* [[Dorcas, Florida|Dorcas]]
* [[Escambia Farms, Florida|Escambia Farms]]
* [[Florosa, Florida|Florosa]]
* [[Gar den City, Florida|Garden City]]
* [[Holt, Florida|Holt]]
* [[Milligan, Florida|Milligan]]
* [[Okaloosa Island, Florida|Okaloosa Island]]
* [[Seminole, Okaloosa County, Florida|Seminole]]
* [[Svea, Florida|Svea]]
* [[Timpoochee, Florida|Timpoochee]]
* [[WynneHaven Beach, Florida|WynneHaven Beach]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Okaloosa County, Florida]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Okaloosa County, Florida}}
*[https://myokaloosa.com/ Okaloosa County website]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Okaloosa County, Florida
|North     = [[Covington County, Alabama]]
|Northeast =
|East      = [[Walton County, Florida|Walton County]]
|Southeast =
|South     = [[Gulf of Mexico]]
|Southwest =
|West      = [[Santa Rosa County, Florida|Santa Rosa County]]
|Northwest = [[Escambia County, Alabama]]
}}
{{Okaloosa County, Florida}}
{{Geography of Florida}}
{{North Florida}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Okaloosa County, Florida| ]]
[[Category:Florida counties]]
[[Category:1915 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:Florida placenames of Native American origin]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1915]]
[[Category:North Florida]]