Welcome to Okaloosa County where we strive to keep our nine municipalities and our vibrant military communities connected. We live in a prosperous, growing community. Several national media have recognized that fact in recent years. This year Inc. Magazine ranked Crestview, Destin and Fort Walton Beach within the top 20 Boomtowns. This same area ranked second by Moody’s Economy Business Vitality Index. In Florida , Fort Walton Beach ranks number 1 in high-tech employment growth by the American Electronics Association. As an added bonus, Southern Living readers consistently vote our area “Best Family Vacation.” It’s amazing to me that 4.5 million people visit here annually, but we are lucky enough to call it home!

Situated along the Gulf of Mexico, Okaloosa County is comprised of a little more than 600,000 acres with the Eglin Air Force Base Reservation covering 240,000 of those acres. Okaloosa County ’s population is over 192,000 and around 60,000 of those are directly affiliated with the armed forces. Okaloosa County’s partnership with Eglin and Hurlburt enables us to work together to preserve much of our natural area while still building the infrastructure necessary to keep our vibrant economy growing.

So, what exactly is the role of county government and what do we do to serve and connect communities? Basically our role is divided into three categories: Public Safety, Essential Services and Quality of Life issues. We are governed by a board of five elected county commissioners who are dedicated to meeting the challenge of providing the proper balance of these services to you – the citizen.

Public Safety includes emergency management and law enforcement. Essential Services include such things as Water & Sewer and Public Works. Quality of Life services are those such as libraries, museums and parks. It is our goal to provide these types of services and to make living and working in Okaloosa County better all the time!

It is partnerships between Okaloosa County and the cities, the Air Force bases and the local schools that enhance our creativity, efficiency, possibilities and overall communities. Please visit our web site, utilize our services and let us know how we are doing – connect with us!