South Walton Area Guide


SOUTH WALTON

History

Fostered from a unique blend of Native American and Scottish heritage, South Walton County was home to the Euchee and Creek Indians dating back to the early 1700s. Not long after the first native settlers moved into the area around Bruce Creek and Choctawhatchee Bay, Scottish pioneers also settled there. A peaceful co-existence was created between the two groups, with the Euchee teaching the colonists their ways of farming and hunting.

By the late 1800s the region had grown into not only an industrial area with timber mills, but also had its first inkling of its destiny to be a tourist destination with the platting of Grayton Beach.

Named for George Walton, secretary of the Florida territory from 1821 to 1826, Walton County was created in 1824 from portions of Okaloosa, Washington and Holmes counties. The first census taken in 1830 estimated the region’s population at 1,207 over a little less than 3,000 acres.

Today

One of the fastest growing regions along the Emerald Coast, South Walton County has taken full advantage of the more than 24 miles of pristine beaches marking its western coast with the development of 16 certified Blue Wave Beaches.

Blue Wave Beaches must meet 33 stringent standards of cleanliness, safety and environmental conditions to earn the coveted designation. There are only 48 beaches with this classification in all of Florida, and a third of them line the coast of South Walton County.

Blue Wave Beaches of South Walton include:

  • Blue Mountain
  • Deer Lake State Park
  • Dune Allen
  • Grayton
  • Grayton Beach State Park
  • Inlet Beach
  • Rosemary Beach
  • Santa Rosa
  • Seacrest
  • Seagrove
  • Seascape
  • Seaside
  • Topsail Hill State Preserve
  • WaterColor
  • Miramar
  • Sandestin

Along with its reputation as a premier tourist destination, and even more recently for its distinctive residential communities, South Walton’s reputation as a film location is also growing.

Seaside, a landmark residential development unencumbered by staid building restrictions, is familiar to moviegoers as the backdrop to “The Truman Show” - the award-winning movie starring Jim Carrey and Laura Linney.

Unique among other resorts in the Florida Panhandle, beach communities in South Walton capture the nostalgia of pedestrian-friendly, white picket-fenced hamlets where life was simpler and neighborhoods more serene.

Walton County also has the distinction of being one of a very few places on earth to have dune lakes. Described by the Florida Natural Area Inventory as “extremely rare,” 16 such lakes exist in Walton County. Exclusive to the U.S., other than Walton County, dune lakes are only found on the island nation of Madagascar, Australia and New Zealand.

Dune lakes are distinctive in that they have characteristics of both fresh and saltwater habitats. Formed as much as 10 thousand years ago by wind, these lakes are hidden behind dunes that often grow to over 30 feet high, producing hollow, arid regions that fill with rain and ground water. Shallow passes form as the lakes overflow linking them to the open Gulf. Salt water mingles with fresh water, continually mixing the two creating a unique ecosystem.

South Walton dune lakes include:

  • Stewart
  • Horseshoe
  • Fuller
  • Morris
  • Campbell
  • Stallworth
  • Allen
  • Oyster
  • Draper
  • Big Red Fish
  • Little Red Fish
  • Alligator
  • Western (Grayton)
  • Eastern
  • Camp Creek
  • Lake Powell

 

Weather

  • Average yearly temperature: 78
  • Hottest month: July and August – average high 91
  • Coldest month: Jan. – average low 37
  • Annual rainfall: 69 inches
  • Monthly average rainfall: 5.8 inches
  • Wettest month: July – 9.48 inches
  • Driest month: Apr. 4.25 inches
  • Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 each year
  • Major hurricanes (Category 3 and higher) that have struck the Northwest Gulf Coast of Florida in the past 154 years: 14

[As of 08/06/05 – Source NOAA]

Demographics

  • Population (2000 census) – 40,601 full time residents
  • Total Area – 1238 square miles: 1058 sq. miles land, 180 sq. miles water
  • Per capita income - $18,198
  • Median family income - $37,663
  • Median age - 40
  • Population ratio - (males: females) – 105:100
  • Major industry – tourism, agribusiness

 

Local Directory

Schools (Elementary)

  • Maude Saunders      
  • Freeport      
  • Van R. Butler
  • West DeFuniak     
  • Bay

Schools (K-12)

  • Paxton

Schools (Middle)

  • Walton         
  • Freeport
  • Emerald Coast
  • Seaside (charter school)

Schools (High)

  • Walton                             
  • South Walton         
  • Freeport
  • Walton Vo-Tech            

Law enforcement

  • Walton County Sheriff’s Office – 72 N. 6th St. – (850) 892-8186

Post offices

  • 100 S. 18th St., DeFuniak Springs – (850) 892-5714
  • 4757 US Hwy. 90, DeFuniak Springs – (850) 892-9540

Library         

  • 3 Circle Dr., DeFuniak Springs – (850) 892-3624

Fire station

  • Emergency Operations Center – 75 S. Davis Lane, DeFuniak Springs – (850) 892-8333

City Hall      

  • 71 Highway 90 West, DeFuniak Springs – (850) 892-8500
  • 1212 FL Hwy. 20W, Freeport – (850) 835-2822
  • 21871 Hwy. 331, Paxton – (850) 834-2489

Chamber of Commerce

  • 63 S. Centre Trail, Santa Rosa Beach – (850) 267-0683
  • 95 Circle Dr., DeFuniak Springs – (850) 892-3191

For Things to Do in South Walton, click here.

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