Fort Walton Beach is located at the head of the Choctawhatchee Bay. The city itself is primarily a tourist destination popular especially with residents of other parts of the South, with a long, built-up strip of beachside high-rise hotels. The beaches and ocean waters are particularly attractive and good places for fishing and other water activities, but the physical infrastructure and land assets aren’t the best in the state. The resort community of Destin, on the barrier island sheltering the bay, has become the more up-and-coming tourist magnet.

Nearby Eglin Air Force Base rounds out the economic picture, and Crestview, 15 miles inland, supports this installation and is located along I-10, the major east-west transportation corridor. Fort Walton Beach is one of the strongest Florida areas in job growth terms. The area took a fairly hard hit from Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and though most modern buildings survived intact, it did some damage to residential areas and tourist attractions. Downsides include the lack of cultural amenities, air service and the steady flow of tourists and some ugly infrastructure set up to cater to their needs.

Sandy coastal areas rise slightly inland, where forests of pine and live oak begin, but the area is mostly open and level. The Gulf of Mexico moderates winter cold and creates cool, refreshing daytime breezes in summer. Summer temperatures are in the 80’s and 90’s; temperatures may rise if sea breezes diminish. Winter highs are usually in the 50’s. There may be freezing temperatures, but extended cold waves are infrequent. Although distributed year-round, most rainfall occurs in July and August. Gulf hurricanes are a risk from early July to mid-October.