Overview

Introduction to Valparaiso, Florida

Valparaiso, Florida, in Okaloosa county, is 43 miles E of Pensacola, Florida (center to center) and 216 miles E of New Orleans, Louisiana. The city benefits from easy access to the nearby cities and towns with which it shares the Fort Walton Beach metropolitan area. 

Valparaiso History

In the 1800s, the area now known as Valparaiso, was Federal Government-owned uninhabited forest land. Allen Brown, Jr. established his home here in 1901, and The Consolidated Land and Lumber Company purchased the entire region in 1909. Gradually, a sawmill near the north of Tom's Bayou became the center of a small community. John B. Perrine, a Chicago industrialist who visited the area and was impressed by its natural beauty, named it "Valparaiso," a Spanish word meaning "Vale of Paradise." The charter for the City of Valparaiso was granted in 1921. The Eglin Air Force Base, which was established in 1935, played an important role in the development of the city. Numerous World War II pilots were trained at this base, and many of them made Valparaiso their home. Today, the Eglin Air Force Base has become one of the largest air force installations in the world.

Valparaiso and Nearby Attractions

  • Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida.
  • Pensacola Museum of Art.
  • Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.
  • Boll Weevil Monument.
  • Grayton Beach State Park.
  • Gulfarium.

Things To Do In Valparaiso

Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida, located in the city of Valparaiso, displays documents, photographs and audio visual materials documenting the development of the region from an uninhabited forest and fishing area to a popular tourist destination and advanced technology military nexus. The Heritage Park and Cultural Center includes the Camp Walton Schoolhouse Museum, the Indian Temple Mound Museum, and the Garnier Post Office Museum. The Gulfarium houses dolphins and also organizes sea life shows. The Gulf World is a popular marine park near the city. At the Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park, visitors can enjoy swimming, camping, boating and fishing. Henderson Beach State Park has beaches, nature trails and facilities for fishing, swimming and camping. The Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, another popular park in the area, provides recreational facilities such as nature trails, beaches, biking and scuba diving.

Valparaiso Transportation

Pensacola Regional Airport is the closest major airport.

Valparaiso Higher Education

Pensacola Junior College, Okaloosa-Walton Community College and The University of West Florida are nearby colleges.

Demographics

People

Total Population5,035
Male Share of the Population49.6%
Female Share of the Population50.4%
Senior Citizens12.6%
Employed Population 16+2,814
Age of the Population29

Families

% of people married39.5%
Average household size3

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher22.8%
Median Earnings25+$31,894
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$0
Median Earnings With High School Degree$26,313

Wealth

Median Family Income$73,177
% Above Poverty Level84.7%
% Below Poverty Level15.3%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time18 minutes
% Working from Home2.2%
% Walking and Biking to Work10.1%
% Using Public Transportation%

Housing

People Living Alone26.5%
Median Gross Rent$1,127
Median House Value$213,100

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)39.5%
Irish13.7%
English8.2%
Italian5.9%
Scottish4.8%
French Except Basque3.5%
Norwegian1.1%
Polish0.9%
Dutch0.8%
Welsh0.8%
Swedish0.6%
Austrian0.5%
West Indian0.4%
Jamaican0.4%
Canadian0.3%
Czech0.3%
Swiss0.2%
Russian0.2%
Greek0.2%
Finnish0.2%
German0.1%
Romanian0.1%
Ukrainian0.1%
Danishn0.1%
African0.1%
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Valparaiso Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyOkaloosa County
Standard Zip Codes32580
Phone Area Codes850
Time ZoneAmerica/Chicago
Approximate Latitude30.49
Approximate Longitude-86.5

Valparaiso Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationNICEVILLE
Distance1.7 miles
Jan Temp37 to 61 F
Apr Temp51 to 78 F
Jul Temp71 to 91 F
Oct Temp54 to 81 F
Annual Precip69.2 inches
StationCRESTVIEW BOB SIKES AP
Distance19 miles
Jan Temp39 to 62 F
Apr Temp53 to 79 F
Jul Temp71 to 92 F
Oct Temp55 to 80 F
Annual Precip63.9 inches
StationWHITING FIELD NAS
Distance33.8 miles
Jan Temp41 to 61 F
Apr Temp55 to 78 F
Jul Temp73 to 92 F
Oct Temp57 to 80 F
Annual Precip67.3 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Crestview23,663$68,246
Destin13,469$93,093
Fort Walton Beach21,845$58,529
Mary Esther4,251$69,931
Niceville15,050$85,465
Shalimar892$98,375

Valparaiso Public Schools

Addie R. Lewis School
281 Mississippi Ave
ZIP: 32580
(850) 833-4130
Primary
Total Enrollment 611
Okaloosa Stemm Center
379 Edge Ave
ZIP: 32580
(850) 833-4120
Middle
Total Enrollment 182
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