Crestview, Florida
Encyclopedia
Okaloosa County, Florida
Okaloosa County is a county located in the state of Florida. Located in northwest Florida, it extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. As of the 2000 census, the population was 170,498. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 182,172. The 2009 estimate for the...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Crestview’s name was chosen because of its location on the peak of a long woodland range between the Yellow and Shoal rivers which flow almost parallel on the east and west side of the City.
It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Okaloosa County
Okaloosa County, Florida
Okaloosa County is a county located in the state of Florida. Located in northwest Florida, it extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. As of the 2000 census, the population was 170,498. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 182,172. The 2009 estimate for the...
. With an elevation of 235 feet (71.6 m) above sea level, it is one of the highest points in the state; it receives 65 inches (165.1 cm) of rainfall annually, the second-most of any city in the state of Florida, next to Fort Walton Beach with 69 inches. The town was once known as "the icebox of Florida", due to it having the coldest winters in the state. Today it goes by a more popular nickname as the "Hub City" of Northwest Florida. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2010, the city had a population of 18,987. Crestview is one of Florida's fastest growing cities, residential developments, shopping, and land area to grow. It has, as of July 2007, become the largest city in Okaloosa County. In 2007, George Whitehurst, who had been mayor for nearly 20 years, resigned, leading to the election of David Cadle. Cadle had recently retired as the long-time director of the Crestview High School
Crestview High School (Florida)
Crestview High School is the only high school in the city of Crestview, Florida. It is the largest in Okaloosa County. The mascot of the school is the bulldog. In January 2007, Ed Coleman replaced Andy Johnson as principal after serving as vice principal at Niceville High School...
band, The Big Red Machine.
As part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure round, Crestview will experience further population growth as the U.S. Army's 7th Special Forces Group relocates from Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
to a newly built cantonment facility on the northern end of the Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
reservation, approximately six miles south of the city.
Crestview is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin
Destin, Florida
Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Crestview was largely an outgrowth of the coming of railroad service to the west Panhandle of Florida. The Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad CompanyPensacola and Atlantic Railroad
The Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad was incorporated by an act of the Florida Legislature on March 4, 1881, to run from Pensacola to the Apalachicola River near Chattahoochee, a distance of about . No railroad had ever been built across the sparsely populated panhandle of Florida, which left...
, chartered in 1881, opened its line between Pensacola
Pensacola
Pensacola is a city in the western part of the U.S. state of Florida.Pensacola may also refer to:* Pensacola people, a group of Native Americans* A number of places in the Florida:** Pensacola Bay** Pensacola Regional Airport...
and Apalachicola
Apalachicola, Florida
Apalachicola is a city in Franklin County, Florida, on US 98 about southwest of Tallahassee. The population was 2,334 at the 2000 census. The 2005 census estimated the city's population at 2,340...
in January 1883. Soon two express passenger trains, the Atlantic Express and the Gulf Express, and a local accommodation train that stopped everywhere, were in daily operation. The expresses took about six hours to make the run, the local, thirteen hours. When the railroad company was unable to cover the interest owed bondholders, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
covered the shortfalls until 1885, and then foreclosed, merging the route into their system as the L & N's Pensacola and Atlantic Division.
In 1894, sawmill operator W. B. Wright opened the 26 miles (41.8 km) Yellow River Railroad between Crestview and Florala, Alabama
Florala, Alabama
Florala is a city in Covington County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,964.-Geography:Florala is located at . According to the U.S...
via Auburn, Campton, and Laurel Hill
Laurel Hill, Florida
Laurel Hill is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 549 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 576...
. The L & N
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
supplied the line with freight cars, and in 1906, purchased the operation. This line, without any major shippers on it to make it profitable, was used for freight car storage for a time in the early 1980s and then was abandoned with 25.3 miles of the route lifted after May 1985, although the right of way still exists, with some portions paved as local streets.
Topography
Crestview is located at 30.754211°N 86.572650°W (30.754211, -86.572650).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 12.8 square miles (33.2 km²). 12.8 square miles (33.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.23%) is water.
Climate
Crestview's climate is officially described as humid subtropical, with hot, humid summers, and cool to cold winters. In summer, Crestview has some of the hottest temperatures in the state, with an average summer high of 92°F (33°C). Lows in summer average in the high 60s to low 70s, with each year seeing a handful of 100°F+ days. The all-time record high is 109°F (42°C), recorded on July 10, 1996.Winters compare to those of interior Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. Highs average in the lower to mid 60s (16°-19°C), and lows average upper 30s (almost 4°C). The all-time record low is -1°F (-21°C), on February 13, 1899. Snowfall occurs every three years on average, however, significant amounts only happen once every 10 years. On Christmas Eve of 1989, Crestview received over 3 inches (7.6 cm) of snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
.
Vegetation here consists of typical Floridian vegetation as well as several deciduous species from further north. Some palm trees are found here, although only hardy ones, as well as types of dogwood, maple, hickory, and sweet gum. Some fall foliage can be seen in November and December, and Spring blossoms occur from early March through May. Summer roughly lasts from early June to early September, and winter lasts from mid-December through mid-February.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 14,766 people, 5,297 households, and 3,893 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,153.7 people per square mile (445.4/km2). There were 5,918 housing units at an average density of 462.4 per square mile (178.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 74.71% White, 18.41% African American, 0.60% Native American, 2.28% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 1.22% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.26% of the population. The population estimate for 2005 was 17,707 people.
There were 5,297 households out of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,122, and the median income for a family was $31,824. Males had a median income of $27,829 versus $19,261 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,479. About 45.2% of families and 59.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 56.2% of those under age 18 and 30.4% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Bob Sikes AirportBob Sikes Airport
Bob Sikes Airport , named for Robert L. F. Sikes, is a public-use airport located northeast of the central business district of the city of Crestview in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned and supports a mix of general aviation and aerospace corporations...
is a public-use airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. It was established in 1941 as the CAA Airport.
Major highways through Crestview are U.S Route 90
U.S. Route 90
U.S. Route 90 is an east–west United States highway. Despite the "0" in its route number, U.S. 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route; it has always ended at Van Horn, Texas. A short-lived northward extension to U.S...
heading east-west and State Road 85
Florida State Road 85
State Road 85, or SR 85, is a north–south state highway that runs from US 98 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida north to State Route 55 at the Florida/Alabama state line.-Route description:...
heading north-south, intersecting each other north of I-10
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
, which also runs through Crestview.
From early 1993 through August 2005 Crestview was served by the tri-weekly Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
Sunset Limited
Sunset Limited
The Sunset Limited is a passenger train that for most of its history has run between New Orleans, Louisiana and Los Angeles, California, and that from early 1993 through late August 2005 also ran east of New Orleans to Jacksonville, Florida, making it during that time the only true transcontinental...
, but service east of New Orleans to Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
and Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
was suspended due to damage to the rail line of CSX during Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in 2005. Attempts are being made to have service restored. This was previously the route of the Gulf Wind
Gulf Wind
The Gulf Wind was a streamlined passenger train inaugurated on July 31, 1949 as a joint operation by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad...
operated by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
.
Nicknames
The town was once known as "the icebox of Florida", due to it having the coldest winters in the state. Crestview is now known as the "Hub City", because of the convergence of Interstate 10Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
, Florida State Road 85
Florida State Road 85
State Road 85, or SR 85, is a north–south state highway that runs from US 98 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida north to State Route 55 at the Florida/Alabama state line.-Route description:...
, U.S. Highway 90, the CSX railroad, and the Yellow River
Yellow River (Florida)
The Yellow River is a river in the southern United States which runs through Alabama and Florida. It empties into Blackwater Bay, an arm of Pensacola Bay....
and Shoal River in or near the city.