Washington County, Florida

Washington County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida, in the Panhandle. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,318. Its county seat is Chipley. Washington County is included in the Panama City, Florida metropolitan area.

History

thumb|left|[[Washington County Courthouse (Florida)|Washington County Courthouse in Chipley]]

Washington County was created in 1825, and was nearly twice the size of the State of Delaware, stretching all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. After a century of boundary shifts, the county, with over of rolling hills covered in thick, stately pines and mixed hardwood forests, now covers a large portion of the central Florida Panhandle.

Over a span of more than 150 years, Washington County has seen Native American, Spanish and English cultural influences. The county's historical lore is rich with stories of the exploits of Andrew Jackson. There are numerous Native American mounds and evidence of strong settlements still being discovered.

Named after George Washington, the first US president, the area was first settled by those seeking both economic and political freedom in this frontier land of vast timber and mineral resources. Inland waterway transportation brought about heavy river settlements. The arrival of railroads in the late 1800s boosted economic, social and political developments.

Vernon, the geographical center of the county, is named for George Washington's Virginia home, Mt. Vernon. The pioneer town was also the site of a major Indian settlement.

The county courthouse was located in Vernon during the early part of this century, until a railroad town in northeastern Washington County, Chipley, became the new and present county seat in 1927.

Washington County was once a dry county, meaning that the sale of alcoholic beverages was banned in the county. In January 2022, this restriction was removed following a voter referendum in which about two-thirds of voters supported the removal.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (5.4%) is water.

The county became part of the Panama City metropolitan area in 2023.

Adjacent counties

Holmes County, Florida - north
Jackson County, Florida - northeast
Bay County, Florida - south
Walton County, Florida - west

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable"

|+Washington County racial composition as of 2020<br> (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Race

!Pop 2010

!Pop 2020

!% 2010

!% 2020

|White (NH)

|19,551

|19,484

|78.53%

|76.96%

|Black or African American (NH)

|3,698

|3,236

|14.85%

|12.78%

|Native American or Alaska Native (NH)

|296

|222

|1.19%

|0.88%

|Asian (NH)

|131

|132

|0.53%

|0.52%

|Pacific Islander (NH)

|15

|28

|0.06%

|0.11%

|Some other race (NH)

|14

|87

|0.06%

|0.34%

|Mixed/multi-racial (NH)

|458

|1,205

|1.84%

|4.76%

|Hispanic or Latino

|733

|924

|2.94%

|3.65%

|Total

|24,896

|25,318

|100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 25,318, with 9,124 households and 5,945 families residing in the county. The median age was 43.1 years; 20.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 113.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 115.6 males.

As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 78.2% White, 13.0% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.4% from some other race, and 5.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.6% of the population.

Less than 0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

The 9,124 households included 29.6% with children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.6% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2000, there were 20,973 people, 7,931 households, and 5,646 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,503 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the county was 81.72% White, 13.69% Black or African American, 1.54% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races, and 2.05% from two or more races. 2.30% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,931 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 24.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 105.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,922, and the median income for a family was $33,057. Males had a median income of $26,597 versus $20,198 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,980. About 15.40% of families and 19.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.90% of those under age 18 and 19.40% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Washington County School District includes:

Kate Smith Elementary School
Vernon Elementary School
Roulhac Middle School
Vernon Middle School
Chipley High School
Vernon High School

It is the sole school district in the county.

Washington Public Library System

Washington County Public Library system has four branches:

Washington County Public Library (Chipley Library)
Sam Mitchell Public Library
Wausau Public Library
Sunny Hills Public Library

Media

The Washington County News
Foster Folly News
The Chipley Bugle

Communities

thumb|The Washington County sign at [[Ebro, Florida on Florida State Road 79]]

Cities

Chipley
Vernon

Towns

Caryville
Ebro
Wausau

Unincorporated communities

Crow
Five Points
Gilberts Mill
Greenhead
Hinson's Crossroads
Holmes Valley
New Hope
Poplar Head
Red Head
Sunny Hills

Transportation

Airports

Washington County is served by Tri-County Airport, a general aviation airport 5.3 miles northwest of central Chipley. It has a 5398-foot runway, passenger terminal and two instrument approaches. Washington County appoints three of the nine-member board of directors which governs the airport.

Major highways

(Interstate 10)
(U.S. Highway 90)

<!--===Railroads===

Washington County has one railroad line. The primary one is the Florida Gulf and Atlantic Railroad, a former CSX line previously owned by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad that served Amtrak's Sunset Limited and was later designated as the P&A Subdivision. This service formerly went to New Orleans, but in 2005 service was truncated by the extensive damage in the Gulf area due to Hurricane Katrina. The line runs parallel to US 90 along the north side passing in and out of the county twice. Another former L&N line existed within the northeastern corner of the county. The Georgiana Branch entered the state and county from Caryville, Florida then ran through Vernon and later Eleanor before crossing SR 2 and leaving the county towards Graceville and Campbellton, where it had a junction with the Bay Line Railroad. were abandoned after restructuring of the railroad industry in the mid to late 20th century. -->

Politics

Notes

References

https://www.wjhg.com/2022/01/22/washington-county-dry-no-more/

External links

Washington County News - newspaper that serves Washington County, Florida available in full-text with images in Florida Digital Newspaper Library
Chipley Banner - newspaper that served Washington County, Florida from 1897 to 1900 available in full-text with images in Florida Digital Newspaper Library

Government links/Constitutional offices

Washington County Board of County Commissioners
Washington County Supervisor of Elections
Washington County Property Appraiser
Washington County Sheriff's Office
Washington County Tax Collector

Special districts

Washington District School Board
Northwest Florida Water Management District

Judicial branch

Washington County Clerk of Courts
Circuit and County Court for the 14th Judicial Circuit of Florida serving Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties

Community services

Washington County Council on Aging - provides senior and elderly services including meals on wheels, case management, respite, workshops and more to residents throughout Washington County
UF IFAS Extension Washington County - The Cooperative Extension Service is nationwide and was established by the Smith-Lever Act of 1914. It is a partnership between state land grant universities, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the county governments throughout the nation. In Florida, the Cooperative Extension Service is administered by the University of Florida. Thus, the Washington County Extension Service is a partnership between the USDA, the University of Florida and Washington County government. All of these groups share in the planning, financing, and operation of extension programs in the areas of Agriculture, Horticulture, Family and Consumer Sciences and 4H Youth Development.

Tourism links

Washington County Chamber of Commerce
Washington County Tourist Development Council