Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It is a principal city of the Crestview–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's Emerald 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 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, over 80 percent of the Emerald Coast's 4.5 million visitors each year visit Destin. The city styles itself "The World's Luckiest Fishing Village" and claims to have the largest fishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida.
The city is located on a peninsula separating the Gulf of Mexico from Choctawhatchee Bay. The peninsula was originally a barrier 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.
History
thumb|left|upright|Beach at Destin, 1973
Destin is named after Leonard Destin, a New London, Connecticut fishing captain who settled in the area between 1845 and 1850. He built a New England colonial home at the location of the Moreno Point military reservation. Captain Destin and his descendants fished the area for decades. Many sources claim that the current pass was dug by hand 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 from Spanish, French, and English surveyors, such as Thomas Jefferys's 1775 map The Coast of West Florida and Louisiana. Frequent dredging is required to keep East Pass navigable. 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 a sand spit named Holiday Isle; many condominiums have been built along the harbor since the 1970s.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (7.95%) is water.
Climate
Environmental issues
A 2013 study identified the city as one of the cities in Florida most at risk of inundation. A 2019 report by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection listed sections of the beach as "critically eroded".
The city received $11 million from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement.
| align = right
| align-fn = center
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable"
|+Destin racial composition<br> (Hispanics excluded from racial categories)<br> (NH = Non-Hispanic)<br>
!Race
!Pop 2010
!Pop 2020
!% 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 or Alaska Native (NH)
|31
|46
|0.25%
|0.33%
|-
|Asian (NH)
|248
|320
|2.02%
|2.30%
|-
|Pacific Islander or Native 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
|
|
|-
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Destin had a population of 13,931. The median age was 43.3 years. 17.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.7% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males age 18 and over.
There were 6,111 households in Destin, of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.0% were married-couple households, 21.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 13,726 housing units, of which 55.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 43.6%.
2000 census
As of the census and there are 12 beach access points in the city. Among the access points is Henderson Beach State Recreation Area. A portion of the Gulf 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. The sand comes from the Appalachian Mountains, and is made of finely ground quartz crystal giving the appearance of sugar. Residue flows down the Apalachicola River and is deposited into the Gulf of Mexico.<!-- There should be no commercial special interest links, here. Consider only linking to this page, instead. -->
Several events also take place throughout the year as well. For the month of October, the annual Destin Fishing Rodeo draws anglers to Destin each year since 1948. Also in the month of October is the Destin Seafood Festival, where fresh seafood and local artists gather for one weekend every October.
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In addition to an assortment of hotels and motels, many high-rise condominiums are located in Destin. The first condominiums in Destin were built in the 1970s,
Destin's surroundings include other popular tourist destinations. Sandestin, located to the east in Walton County, is a popular golf and beach resort. Further east along the coast are the master-planned community of Seaside, filming location of the 1998 movie The Truman Show; Grayton Beach, Florida; and Rosemary Beach, Florida. To the west are Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach, and the Civil War fortification Fort Pickens is located at the western end of Santa Rosa Island. Many celebrities own homes in the area.thumb|upright|Destin Library
Libraries
Destin Library was founded in 1940. It is part of the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative.
Government
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ Presidential election results in Destin
|-
! style="text-align:center;" | Year
! style="text-align:center;" | Democratic
! style="text-align:center;" | Republican
! style="text-align:center;" | Others
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2020
| style="text-align:center;" |25.0% 2,327
| style="text-align:center;" |73.3% 6,813
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.6% 151
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2016
| style="text-align:center;" |20.2% 1,674
| style="text-align:center;" |74.8% 6,195
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.0% 417
|}
The city has a council–manager form of government that consists of a mayor, seven-member city council, city clerk, city manager, and a city attorney.
Education
Okaloosa County School District operates public schools, including:
- Destin Elementary School
- Destin Middle School
- Destin High School (which is a public charter school)
Notable people
- Emeril Lagasse, celebrity chef
- Joe A. Rector, artist
References
External links
<!-- please do not add commercial links to this list. They will be removed. -->
- City of Destin