Destin, Florida

Destin is named after Leonard Destin, a New London, Connecticut fishing captain who settled in the area between 1845 and 1850.[9][10][11] He built a New England colonial home at the location of the Moreno Point military reservation.[12] Captain Destin and his descendants fished the area for decades.[8]

Condominiums were first built in Destin during the 1970s,[13] although Destin was not incorporated as a municipality until 1984.[9][11] The city has experienced rapid growth since the 1980s.[6]

The city is located on a peninsula[6] separating the Gulf of Mexico from Choctawhatchee Bay. The peninsula was originally an island; hurricanes and sea level changes gradually connected the island to the mainland.[6]

Destin is near several other cities in the region. The city of Fort Walton Beach is located to the west at the inlet of Santa Rosa Sound into Choctawhatchee Bay. North of Destin, across the bay is Niceville, with the Mid-Bay Bridge linking the two by road. U.S. Route 98 is the main route through the city, running from west to east. U.S. Route 98 leads east 56 mi (90 km) to Panama City and west 48 mi (77 km) to Pensacola.

At the western tip of the peninsula is East Pass (also known as Destin Pass), separating it from Santa Rosa Island to the west. East Pass is the only outlet of Choctawhatchee Bay into the Gulf of Mexico,[13] Many sources claim that the current pass was dug by hand[6][10] with an inrush of water widening it within hours. The early pass appears (at the East end of Destin Harbor) in early maps and surveys from Spanish, French, and English surveyors,[14] such as Thomas Jefferys's 1775 map The Coast of West Florida and Louisiana.[15] Frequent dredging is required to keep East Pass navigable.[10][13]

"Crab Island," was actually two islands made from sand that the Army Corps of Engineers dredged up from the East Pass. These islands were large enough to inhabit sea grass, small shrubs and nesting seabirds. It has been reduced to a significant sandbar, which appears only when the tide is out. It has become a popular anchorage[16] in the area. The entrance to Destin Harbor, a lagoon between the beaches and the main body of the western portion of the peninsula, is located just north of the East Pass jetty. The lagoon is formed by a sand spit named Holiday Isle; many condominiums have been built along the harbor since the 1970s.[13] Norriego Point protects the harbor and was doubled in size in order to protect against coastal erosion.[17]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.2 square miles (21 km²), of which 7.5 square miles (19 km²) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) (7.95%) is water. Destin is located at 30°23′36″N 86°28′31″W.[18]

A 2013 study identified the city as one of the cities in Florida most in risk of inundantion.[20] A 2019 report by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection listed sections of the beach as "critically eroded".[21]

The city received $11 million dollars from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement.[17] This was used to address coastal erosion on Norriego Point which protects the important harbor.[17] Otherwise the city has not developed a plan to address sea level rise and coastal erosion.[17]

Beach at Destin, 1973

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 11,455 people, 4,437 households, and 3,135 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,477.1 inhabitants per square mile (570.1/km²). There were 10,599 housing units at an average density of 1,408.0 per square mile (543.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.21% White, 0.37% African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.66% of the population.

Beach in Destin showing Marshes

24.8% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.72.

The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $53,042, and the median income for a family was $60,498. Males had a median income of $42,218 versus $26,146 for females. The per capita income for the city was $32,048. About 3.0% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

Okaloosa County School District operates public schools, including:

• Destin Elementary School[34]
• Destin Middle School[35]

• Emeril Lagasse - Celebrity chef[36]
• Joe A. Rector - Artist[37]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Destin, Florida.

• Destin travel guide from Wikivoyage
• City of Destin
• My Access Florida