The Florida Guide
Fort Walton Beach, FL
Fort Walton Beach is an Okaloosa County city on Santa Rosa Sound, with a bayfront downtown and Gulf beaches on Okaloosa Island.
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Today in Fort Walton Beach
- Tonight Partly Cloudy 61°
- Thursday Mostly Sunny 75°
- Thursday Night Mostly Clear 46°
Forecast: National Weather Service
Tides
- High 2:20 AM 0.5 ft
- Low 1:34 PM 0 ft
Predictions: NOAA CO-OPS
Fort Walton Beach is a small city on Santa Rosa Sound with a real downtown, Gulf beaches on nearby Okaloosa Island and deep military roots. It is an easygoing base for beach time, with history and Air Force museums close by.
Where is Fort Walton Beach?
Fort Walton Beach is in southern Okaloosa County, about 8 miles west of Destin, on Central time. US 98 runs through town and crosses the Brooks Bridge over Santa Rosa Sound to Okaloosa Island, the county’s slice of Santa Rosa Island. Eglin Air Force Base wraps around the north side of the city, and Hurlburt Field sits just west. Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) is on Eglin near Valparaiso, about 20 minutes away. Okaloosa Island runs east along US 98 toward Destin, so the Gulf is only a few minutes from downtown.
Things to do in Fort Walton Beach
Head to Okaloosa Island for the beach, a public fishing pier and the Gulfarium, a marine park open since 1955. On the mainland, the Fort Walton Temple Mound is a National Historic Landmark about 1,000 years old, and the adjoining museum, open Monday through Saturday, covers thousands of years of Native American history and displays Spanish colonial artifacts. Landing Park sits on Santa Rosa Sound downtown, and the city has more than 30 parks.
Military history fans can visit the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin, which displays aircraft and weapons tested on the base. The Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival takes over town each spring.
When to visit Fort Walton Beach
Spring and fall bring warm water and lighter crowds. Summer is busiest on Okaloosa Island, and traffic backs up at the Brooks Bridge on weekends. Winter is quiet and mild, a good time for the museums.
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