Gulf Breeze is a city in Santa Rosa County, Florida. It is located between Downtown Pensacola and Pensacola Beach, and is part of the Pensacola Metropolitan Area. The population was 6,340 at the 2020 census, up from 5,763 at the 2010 census.
Gulf Breeze is the nearest city to Pensacola Beach, and provides utility services to the island, and most of South Santa Rosa County covering over 33 square miles. The census designated places of Oriole Beach, Tiger Point, and Midway are considered to be a part of unincorporated Gulf Breeze by Santa Rosa County, and carry Gulf Breeze mailing addresses.
History
The area now known as Gulf Breeze was originally settled in the mid-18th Century by the British. Gulf Breeze's original name was Town Point. Live Oaks from the Gulf Breeze area were used for shipbuilding and blacksmiths set up ship repair shops in the town. A Confederate camp and hospital was set up in the Deer Point area of Gulf Breeze during the Civil War.
In the late 1800s, a dry dock for ship repair was built on Deadman's Island (now a nature preserve). The island was originally a major ship quarantine area used by Pensacola. Deadman's Island got its name from Deadman anchors. Deadman's Island later was host to a glue factory and fertilizer plant.
The five year period between 1928 and 1933 saw large road development in Gulf Breeze. The first bridge between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze was built by Johnson, Drake & Piper. Gulf Breeze's first paved road was U.S. Highway 98, completed in 1933. A wooden swing bridge was established between Pensacola Beach and Gulf Breeze in 1931. The swing bridge was replaced by a concrete toll bridge in 1946, which was converted into Bob Sikes fishing pier in 1973.
The name Gulf Breeze comes from the Gulf Breeze Cottages and Store, where the area's first post office was established in 1936. The city was incorporated on August 10, 1961 as a result of the expansion of Pensacola Bay Bridge. Gulf Breeze became famous after the 1987 Gulf Breeze UFO Incident and the Gulf Breeze Six desertions.
Geography
The city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Growth of the city itself is geographically restricted, surrounded by major water bodies on three sides; the eastern portion of Gulf Breeze is occupied by the Naval Live Oaks Reservation. As a result, new growth takes place east of the city limits along U.S. Highway 98.
Climate
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable"
|+Gulf Breeze racial composition<br> (Hispanics excluded from racial categories)<br> (NH = Non-Hispanic)<br>
!Race
!Pop 2010
!Pop 2020
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|White (NH)
|5,403
|5,573
|93.75%
|88.43%
|-
|Black or African American (NH)
|19
|19
|0.33%
|0.30%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native (NH)
|27
|18
|0.47%
|0.29%
|-
|Asian (NH)
|81
|98
|1.41%
|1.56%
|-
|Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)
|1
|3
|0.02%
|0.05%
|-
|Some other race (NH)
|10
|18
|0.17%
|0.29%
|-
|Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)
|70
|306
|1.21%
|4.86%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|152
|267
|2.64%
|4.24%
|-
|Total
|5,763
|6,302
|
|
|-
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Gulf Breeze had a population of 6,302. The median age was 48.3 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males age 18 and over.
There were 2,587 households in Gulf Breeze, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 55.7% were married-couple households, 13.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 5,763 people, 2,185 households, and 1,758 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the census
Education
Gulf Breeze Academic Plaza
The Gulf Breeze Academic Plaza is a complex of 14 buildings clustered around US Highway 98 in Gulf Breeze, Florida. The GBAP consists of Gulf Breeze Elementary School, Gulf Breeze Middle School, and Gulf Breeze High School. Also included in the complex is Dolphin Field at Gulf Breeze Stadium (football, soccer, lacrosse, track and field), Dolphin Stadium (baseball), and Gulf Breeze Softball Stadium (softball).
thumb|[[Gulf Breeze High School]]
- Gulf Breeze High School
- Gulf Breeze Middle School
- Gulf Breeze Elementary School
Infrastructure
Gulf Breeze is served by route 61 of Escambia County Area Transit.
Notable people
- Bob Armstrong (1939–2020), professional wrestler (longtime resident)
- Doug Baldwin (born 1988), American football player
- Ashley Brown (born 1982), singer and actress
- Ben Lively (born 1992), baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians
- Jason McKie (born 1980), American football player
- Frank Spellman (1922–2017), Olympic champion weightlifter
- Abigail Spencer (born 1981), actress; born and raised in Gulf Breeze
- Adrian Street (born 1940), professional wrestler (longtime resident)
See also
- Gulf Breeze UFO incident
- Third Gulf Breeze
References
External links
- City of Gulf Breeze
- Gulf Breeze Area Chamber of Commerce