Fort Walton Beach

Fort Walton Beach, city, Okaloosa county, northwestern Florida, U.S. It lies at the western end of Choctawhatchee Bay (an arm of the Gulf of Mexico), on Santa Rosa Sound (separated from the gulf by Santa Rosa Island), about 40 miles (65 km) east of Pensacola. The fort was established during the Seminole Wars and named for Col. George Walton, territorial secretary of West Florida (1821–22) and East-West Florida (1822–26). The settlement became known as Camp Walton during the American Civil War—when a Confederate contingent was organized there to guard the sound—and, after the war, as Brooks Landing for settler John Thomas Brooks. The settlement later evolved as a resort and yachting center. Created as a municipality called Fort Walton in 1937, it was reincorporated in 1941 as a town; it was rechartered in 1947 and in 1953, when it was renamed the City of Fort Walton Beach. Its population grew rapidly in the first few decades after World War II.

Eglin Air Force Base, established in 1935 and covering some 725 square miles (1,900 square km), is located north and west of the city and (together with adjacent Hurlburt Field) is a major factor in its economy. Tourism and manufacturing, particularly high-technology products, are also important. The Indian Temple Mound Museum is home to a Mississippian-period mound and a museum containing Native American artifacts. Other attractions in the area include the Air Force Armament Museum near the base and the Gulfarium, which exhibits marine life. The Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival, commemorating an 18th-century pirate of the region, is held annually in June. Gulf Islands National Seashore is west of the city, and several state parks and recreation areas are located eastward along the Gulf Coast and the shore of the bay. Fort Walton Beach is home to branch campuses of the University of West Florida and Troy State University, and Okaloosa-Walton Community College (1963) is at nearby Niceville. Pop. (2000) 19,973; Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin Metro Area, 170,498; (2010) 19,507; Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin Metro Area, 180,822.