Destin, Florida | |
|---|---|
| City of Destin | |
 View of Destin from the Destin Harbor | |
 Seal | |
| Nickname: "World's Luckiest Fishing Village" | |
 Location inOkaloosa County and the state of Florida | |
 Interactive map of Destin, Florida | |
| Coordinates:30°23′43″N86°29′15″W / 30.39528°N 86.48750°W /30.39528; -86.48750 | |
| Country | United States of America |
| State | Florida |
| County | Okaloosa |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.66 sq mi (19.83 km2) |
| • Land | 7.49 sq mi (19.41 km2) |
| • Water | 0.16 sq mi (0.42 km2) |
| Elevation | 20 ft (6.1 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 13,931 |
| • Density | 1,859.1/sq mi (717.82/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 32540-32541 |
| Area code | 850 |
| FIPS code | 12-17325[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404223[2] |
| Website | www.cityofdestin.com |
Destin is a city located inOkaloosa County, Florida, United States. It is a principal city of theCrestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,931 at the 2020 census, up from 12,305 at the 2010 census.
Located on Florida'sEmerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters. Originating as a small fishing village, it is now a popular tourist destination. According to theFlorida Department of Environmental Protection, over 80 percent of the Emerald Coast's 4.5 million visitors each year visit Destin.[4] The city styles itself "The World's Luckiest Fishing Village"[5][6] and claims to have the largestfishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida.[7]
The city is located on a peninsula separating theGulf of Mexico fromChoctawhatchee Bay. The peninsula was originally abarrier island. Hurricanes and sea level changes gradually connected it to the mainland. In the 1940s, it technically became an island again with the completion of the Choctawhatchee-West Bay Canal.
Destin is named after Leonard Destin, aNew London, Connecticut fishing captain who settled in the area between 1845 and 1850.[7][8][9] He built a New England colonial home at the location of the Moreno Point military reservation.[10] Captain Destin and his descendants fished the area for decades.[6]
Condominiums were first built in Destin during the 1970s,[11] although Destin was not incorporated as a municipality until 1984.[7][9] The city has experienced rapid growth since the 1980s.[4]
The city is located on a peninsula[4] separating theGulf of Mexico fromChoctawhatchee Bay. The peninsula was originally an island;hurricanes and sea level changes gradually connected the island to the mainland.[4]
Destin is near several other cities in the region. The city ofFort Walton Beach is located to the west at the inlet ofSanta Rosa Sound into Choctawhatchee Bay. North of Destin, across the bay isNiceville, with theMid-Bay Bridge linking the two by road.US 98 is the main route through the city, running from west to east. US 98 leads east 56 mi (90 km) toPanama City and west 48 mi (77 km) toPensacola.
At the western tip of the peninsula is East Pass (also known as Destin Pass), separating it fromSanta Rosa Island to the west. East Pass is the only outlet of Choctawhatchee Bay into the Gulf of Mexico,[11] Many sources claim that the current pass was dug by hand[4][8] with an inrush of water widening it within hours. The early pass appears (at the East end of Destin Harbor) in early maps and surveys fromSpanish,French, andEnglish surveyors,[12] such asThomas Jefferys's 1775 mapThe Coast of West Florida and Louisiana.[13] Frequentdredging is required to keep East Pass navigable.[8][11]
"Crab Island," was actually two islands made from sand that the Army Corps of Engineers dredged up from the East Pass. These islands were large enough to inhabit sea grass, small shrubs and nesting seabirds. It has been reduced to a significant sandbar, which appears only when the tide is out. It has become a popular anchorage[14] in the area. The entrance to Destin Harbor, a lagoon between the beaches and the main body of the western portion of the peninsula, is located just north of the East Pass jetty. The lagoon is formed by asand spit named Holiday Isle; many condominiums have been built along the harbor since the 1970s.[11] Norriego Point protects the harbor and was doubled in size in order to protect against coastal erosion.[15]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.2 square miles (21 km2), of which 7.5 square miles (19 km2) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) (7.95%) is water.
| Climate data for Destin, Florida (Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1996–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 89 (32) | 81 (27) | 86 (30) | 89 (32) | 98 (37) | 102 (39) | 101 (38) | 104 (40) | 100 (38) | 93 (34) | 91 (33) | 85 (29) | 104 (40) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 74.1 (23.4) | 74.3 (23.5) | 79.6 (26.4) | 83.3 (28.5) | 91.1 (32.8) | 94.5 (34.7) | 95.2 (35.1) | 95.2 (35.1) | 93.5 (34.2) | 88.7 (31.5) | 81.1 (27.3) | 77.2 (25.1) | 97.3 (36.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 63.1 (17.3) | 65.8 (18.8) | 70.7 (21.5) | 76.2 (24.6) | 83.5 (28.6) | 88.9 (31.6) | 90.9 (32.7) | 90.6 (32.6) | 88.5 (31.4) | 80.9 (27.2) | 72.1 (22.3) | 65.6 (18.7) | 78.1 (25.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 54.2 (12.3) | 56.9 (13.8) | 62.2 (16.8) | 68.1 (20.1) | 75.8 (24.3) | 81.5 (27.5) | 83.6 (28.7) | 83.2 (28.4) | 80.5 (26.9) | 72.1 (22.3) | 62.6 (17.0) | 56.6 (13.7) | 69.8 (21.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 45.3 (7.4) | 47.9 (8.8) | 53.6 (12.0) | 60.1 (15.6) | 68.0 (20.0) | 74.1 (23.4) | 76.2 (24.6) | 75.8 (24.3) | 72.4 (22.4) | 63.2 (17.3) | 53.0 (11.7) | 47.5 (8.6) | 61.4 (16.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 28.6 (−1.9) | 33.2 (0.7) | 38.8 (3.8) | 49.5 (9.7) | 57.9 (14.4) | 69.3 (20.7) | 72.2 (22.3) | 72.5 (22.5) | 64.5 (18.1) | 49.0 (9.4) | 38.7 (3.7) | 35.0 (1.7) | 27.1 (−2.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 20 (−7) | 22 (−6) | 30 (−1) | 41 (5) | 49 (9) | 62 (17) | 66 (19) | 66 (19) | 55 (13) | 42 (6) | 30 (−1) | 22 (−6) | 20 (−7) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.52 (115) | 4.96 (126) | 4.70 (119) | 4.55 (116) | 3.22 (82) | 4.70 (119) | 5.77 (147) | 6.08 (154) | 5.18 (132) | 2.82 (72) | 4.13 (105) | 4.72 (120) | 55.35 (1,406) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 10.0 | 9.4 | 8.7 | 7.9 | 6.4 | 9.7 | 11.2 | 12.4 | 8.2 | 6.1 | 8.9 | 10.6 | 109.5 |
| Source: NOAA (mean maxima and minima 2006–2020)[16][17] | |||||||||||||
A 2013 study identified the city as one of the cities in Florida most at risk of inundation.[18] A 2019 report by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection listed sections of the beach as "critically eroded".[19]
The city received $11 million from theDeepwater Horizon oil spill settlement.[15] This was used to addresscoastal erosion on Norriego Point, which protects the important harbor.[15] Otherwise, the city has not developed a plan to addresssea level rise andcoastal erosion.[15]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8,080 | — | |
| 2000 | 11,119 | 37.6% | |
| 2010 | 12,305 | 10.7% | |
| 2020 | 13,931 | 13.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[20] | |||
| Race | Pop 2010[21] | Pop 2020[22] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 10,645 | 10,930 | 86.51% | 78.46% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 180 | 337 | 1.46% | 2.42% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 31 | 46 | 0.25% | 0.33% |
| Asian (NH) | 248 | 320 | 2.02% | 2.30% |
| Pacific Islander orNative Hawaiian (NH) | 13 | 10 | 0.11% | 0.07% |
| Some other race (NH) | 81 | 117 | 0.66% | 0.84% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 311 | 921 | 2.53% | 6.61% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 796 | 1,250 | 6.47% | 8.97% |
| Total | 12,305 | 13,931 |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 13,931 people, 6,377 households, and 3,576 families residing in the city.[23]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 12,305 people, 5,148 households, and 3,452 families residing in the city.[24]
As of thecensus[3] of 2000, there were 11,455 people, 4,437 households, and 3,135 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,477.1 inhabitants per square mile (570.3/km2). There were 10,599 housing units at an average density of 1,408.0 per square mile (543.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.21%White, 0.37%African American, 0.40%Native American, 1.03%Asian, 0.08%Pacific Islander, 0.37% fromother races, and 1.54% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.66% of the population.
In 2000, 24.8% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% weremarried couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.72.
In 2000, the median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.4 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $53,042, and the median income for a family was $60,498. Males had a median income of $42,218 versus $26,146 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $32,048. About 3.0% of families and 5.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
The white beaches and emerald waters of the Destin area draw many tourists. Florida's Department of Environmental Protection estimates that more than 80 percent of the Emerald Coast's 4.5 million yearly visitors travel to the region to visit Destin.[4] Visitors can charter fishing vessels from the harbor,[25] and there are 12 beach access points in the city.[26] Among the access points isHenderson Beach State Recreation Area. A portion of theGulf Islands National Seashore, the Okaloosa Day Use Area, is just across East Pass on Santa Rosa Island.
The sand on Destin's beaches is some of the whitest in the world.[27] The sand comes from theAppalachian Mountains, and is made of finely ground quartz crystal giving the appearance of sugar.[28] Residue flows down theApalachicola River and is deposited into the Gulf of Mexico.[28] Because of the currents the sand drifts west along theGulf Coast and settles from east of Panama City to the Alabama coast.[29]
Several events also take place throughout the year as well. For the month of October, the annualDestin Fishing Rodeo draws anglers to Destin each year since 1948.[30] Also in the month of October is the Destin Seafood Festival, where fresh seafood and local artists gather for one weekend every October.[31][32]
In addition to an assortment ofhotels andmotels, many high-risecondominiums are located in Destin. The first condominiums in Destin were built in the 1970s,[11] and construction continues today.[4] Visitors play a large part in Destin's economy – the city's population of around 12,000 balloons to 40,000 during the tourist season.[4]
Real estate in Destin, Florida, is comprised in large part by privately owned vacation rentals, consisting of condominiums, beach homes, townhomes, resorts, studios, cottages, and a few bungalows. Most vacation properties are found on the south side of US Hwy 98 near the Gulf, while most locals live on the northern side of US Hwy 98 by the Choctawhatchee Bay.[33]
Destin's surroundings include other popular tourist destinations.Sandestin, located to the east inWalton County, is a popular golf and beach resort. Further east along the coast are the master-planned community ofSeaside, filming location of the 1998 movieThe Truman Show;[34]Grayton Beach, Florida; andRosemary Beach, Florida. To the west areNavarre Beach andPensacola Beach, and theCivil War fortificationFort Pickens is located at the western end of Santa Rosa Island. Many celebrities own homes in the area.[35]
Destin Library was founded in 1940.[36] It is part of the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative.[37]
| Year | Democratic | Republican | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 25.0%2,327 | 73.3%6,813 | 1.6%151 |
| 2016 | 20.2%1,674 | 74.8%6,195 | 5.0%417 |
The city has acouncil–manager form of government that consists of amayor, seven-membercity council,city clerk,city manager, and acity attorney.[39]
Okaloosa County School District operates public schools, including:
| Topics |  Map of North Florida | |
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| Counties | ||
| Major cities | ||
| Cities and towns 50k–100k | ||
| Cities and towns 10k–40k | ||
| Metro areas | ||
| Regions | ||
Municipalities and communities ofOkaloosa County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| International | |
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