Population:                  19,973

Elevation:                    18 feet above sea level

Land Area:                   7.4 square miles

Location:                     Located on the Gulf of Mexico in the Florida Panhandle

Time Zone:                  Central Time Zone (when it’s noon in Fort Walton Beach, it’s 1:00pm in New York City and 10:00am in Los Angeles

Weather:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Average temp. (°F)

49.4

52.6

58.7

64.8

72.5

78.8

81.4

81.0

77.5

67.4

58.8

51.7

High temperature (°F)

61.4

65.0

70.9

77.7

84.4

89.8

91.4

91.0

88.3

80.4

71.4

63.8

Low temperature (°F)

37.4

40.2

46.6

51.9

60.6

67.8

71.3

70.9

66.8

54.3

46.1

39.5

Precipitation (in)

5.9

5.3

6.6

4.2

4.4

6.3

8.9

6.8

6.4

4.3

4.6

4.4

 Climate:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Days with precip.

10

9

9

6

7

10

14

13

9

5

8

9

Wind speed (mph)

9.0

9.3

9.8

9.5

8.6

7.6

6.9

6.7

7.6

7.9

8.2

8.8

Morning humidity (%)

82

82

84

86

87

84

86

87

85

82

82

81

Afternoon humidity (%)

65

61

62

60

62

61

65

66

63

57

61

65

Sunshine (%)

48

53

61

63

67

67

57

58

60

71

64

49

Days clear of clouds

8

9

9

10

9

7

4

6

10

13

11

9

Partly cloudy days

7

7

8

9

11

15

17

15

11

9

8

7

Cloudy days

16

13

14

11

11

8

10

10

9

9

11

16

Snowfall (in)

0.1

0.1

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Local Seasons:                       

Fort Walton Beach has a very moderate climate year round due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and its western Florida location.  Winter and summer are the two busiest times of year, although late February and the entire month of March become quite crowded when thousands of spring break students hit the area.  In the winter, people from the north enjoy coming south for the warmer temperatures and numerous activities the city has to offer.  Even in January the temperature averages a comfortable 50 F., with highs approaching 70 F.  Summer is busy as many people visit the area for its relaxing atmosphere, entertainment, and proximity to the beach, not to mention temperatures averaging a warm  81 F. Perfect for a day of watching dolphins display their “dancing” abilities in their natural surroundings while you sip on a cool drink.

How to Get There:

By Air:

The Okaloosa County Regional Airport 1701 Hwy 85 North Eglin AFB, FL  32542 850-651-7160

The Okaloosa Regional Airport (VPS), situated on Eglin Air Force Base, provides essential scheduled commercial air passenger service for a large proportion of the Northwest Florida area. It is served by most of the major airlines connection carriers. It does not provide service for private aircraft, due to its location on Eglin Air Force Base.

By Car:

Easily accessible from the east or west via Interstate 10.  Take I-10 to U.S. Highway 85 south to U.S. Highway 98.

By Train:

Fort Walton Beach is not served by Amtrak

By Bus:

Greyhound

101 Perry Ave. SE Ft Walton Beach FL 32548

850-243-1940

Getting Around:

Free Local shuttle bus service for tourists and residents June – September 

Hours of Service: Every day: 8am - 10pm 850-833-9168

National Holidays:

New Year’s Day, January 1

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the third Monday in January

President’ Day, the third Monday in February

Memorial Day, the last Monday in May

Independence Day, July 4

Labor Day, the first Monday in September

Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday in November

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, December 24 and 25

New Year’s Eve, December 31