Fort Walton Beach, Florida

About Fort Walton Beach

Set in the northwestern part of Florida, Fort Walton Beach is a close-knit town counting 21,188 people who proudly call it home.

Fort Walton Beach holds the status of an incorporated city with its own municipal government. The community covers 7.64 square miles, giving it a balanced suburban layout with room to breathe at roughly 2,773 residents per square mile.

📰 Fort Walton Beach News Today

• Fort Walton Beach to celebrate all things dogs with Dog Daze celebration WKRG · Aug 18
• Fort Walton Beach area man charged in fatal stabbing on Lovejoy Road - WEAR-TV WEAR-TV · Aug 17
• Fort Walton Beach man arrested after fatal stabbing mypanhandle.com · Aug 17
• Video - Regional leaders discuss Highway 98 solutions at Hurlburt traffic roundtable DVIDS · Aug 18
• 11 Best Places To Call Home In Florida's Emerald Coast In 2026 WorldAtlas · Aug 18

Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.

What Makes Fort Walton Beach Unique

• The only place in America named Fort Walton Beach — a truly one-of-a-kind name among 32,000+ US communities.
• Positioned in northwestern Florida, convenient to the region's corridors and crossings.
• Part of the fabric of Florida — one of 956 recognized communities statewide.

Why People Love It Here

• Big enough for services and schools, small enough to feel like home.
• Local businesses and schools anchored by a stable resident base of 21,188.
• Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 2 miles.

🍽️ Where to Eat in Fort Walton Beach

• Golden Corral — american
• Pizza Hut — pizza
• Blue Collar Café (café)
• Ocean Buffet — chinese
• Olive Garden — italian
• Ruby Tuesday — american
• SoiBistro — sushi
• Thai Spice — thai
• Thai Town Restaurant

Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.

🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Fort Walton Beach

• Briarwood Park reviews ★
• Ceclia Park reviews ★
• Emerald Promenade Beachwalk reviews ★
• Mike Mitchell Beachwalk reviews ★
• Oakland Heights Park reviews ★
• Prestoon Hood Athletic Complex reviews ★
• Seabreeze Park reviews ★
• Sound Park reviews ★
• Sunset Park reviews ★
• Triangle Park reviews ★
• Vesta Heights Park reviews ★

Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.

🏫 Schools in Fort Walton Beach

• ANNETTE P. EDWINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• CHOCTAWHATCHEE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
• ELLIOTT POINT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• FORT WALTON BEACH HIGH SCHOOL
• KENWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• LIZA JACKSON PREPARATORY SCHOOL
• MAX BRUNER JUNIOR MIDDLE SCHOOL
• NORTHWEST FLORIDA BALLET ACADEMIE
• OKALOOSA ACADEMY
• OKALOOSA TECHNICAL COLLEGE
• OKALOOSA VIRTUAL FRANCHISE
• SILVER SANDS-EXCEP. CHILDREN
• W. C. PRYOR MIDDLE SCHOOL
• WRIGHT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.

🏥 Hospitals & Healthcare

• Hca Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital ★★★ (3/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER

Medicare-registered hospitals with official CMS star ratings.

⚡ Quick Facts

🗺️ Map of Fort Walton Beach

🏘️ Nearby Communities