Crestview, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crestview, Florida
City
City of Crestview
Okaloosa County Courthouse (built 2018–2019)
Location in Okaloosa County and the state of Florida
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Okaloosa
Incorporated	1916
Government
• Type	Council–Manager
Area
• Total	44.74 km2 (17.27 sq mi)
• Land	44.11 km2 (17.03 sq mi)
• Water	0.63 km2 (0.24 sq mi)
Elevation	72 m (236 ft)
Population  (2020)
• Total	27,134
• Density	615.12/km2 (1,593.12/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	32536, 32539
Area code(s)	850
FIPS code	12-15475
GNIS feature ID	0281044

Crestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It's the biggest city in the county. In 2020, about 27,134 people lived there. This was a big jump from 20,978 people in 2010. Crestview is also the county seat of Okaloosa County, which means it's where the main government offices are.

The city is quite high up for Florida, at about 236 feet (72 meters) above sea level. This makes it one of the highest spots in the state. Crestview is also an important city in the larger area that includes Fort Walton Beach and Destin, Florida.

History of Crestview

Crestview grew a lot because of the railroad coming to western Florida. In 1883, the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad opened a new line. This line connected Pensacola and Apalachicola. Soon, passenger and local trains were running every day.

Later, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad took over this route. In 1894, a sawmill owner named W. B. Wright built the Yellow River Railroad. This 26-mile (42 km) line connected Crestview to Florala, Alabama. The L & N railroad bought this line in 1906. It was later used for storing freight cars and then closed in 1985. Some parts of the old railroad path are now paved streets.

By 1920, Crestview had about 938 people. In 1937, a clothing factory called Smith-Johnson Company opened. It had 250 machines and employed around 300 people.

A new bus station opened in Crestview in 1941. It served routes connecting to major cities like Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Memphis, and New York.

During World War II, nearby Eglin Field became a large military base. In 1941, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad built a special track in Crestview. This track helped bring in many oil tank cars. The oil was used to pave ten new airfields at Eglin. Trucks worked day and night to move the oil.

Also in 1941, a recreation center for soldiers from Eglin Field opened in Crestview. It was a place for military personnel to relax. In 1943, there was a brief time when soldiers from Eglin were not allowed in Crestview. This was due to a misunderstanding with local police. After city and military leaders talked, the issue was quickly resolved.

In 1949, a new passenger train called the Gulf Wind started running through Crestview. It connected New Orleans and Jacksonville. This train ran until 1971 when Amtrak took over most U.S. train services. In the 1960s, Crestview was also home to the Apache Records music label.

Crestview, Florida seen from above

Geography and Climate

Where is Crestview?

Crestview is located in Florida at coordinates 30.754211 degrees North and 86.572650 degrees West.

The city covers a total area of about 12.8 square miles (33.2 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a very small part (about 0.04 square miles or 0.1 square kilometers) being water.

What is Crestview's Climate Like?

Crestview has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters.

• Summers: It gets very hot in summer. The average high temperature is about 92°F (33°C). Sometimes, temperatures can even reach over 100°F (38°C). The highest temperature ever recorded was 105°F (41°C) in July 1980.
• Winters: Winters are mild, similar to other southern states. Highs are usually in the low to mid-60s°F (16-19°C). Lows average in the upper 30s°F (around 4°C). The lowest temperature ever recorded was -1°F (-18°C) in February 1899. It freezes about 40 nights a year, usually from November to March.
• Snow: Snow doesn't happen often, maybe once every three years. Big snowfalls are even rarer, happening about once every 10 years. For example, on Christmas Eve in 1989, Crestview got over 3 inches (7.6 cm) of snow!

The plants in Crestview are a mix of typical Florida plants and trees found further north. You can see palm trees, but only types that can handle cold weather. There are also trees like dogwood, maple, hickory, and sweet gum. Local crops include blueberries and strawberries. Fall colors can be seen in November and December, and spring flowers bloom from March to May. Summer usually lasts from late April to early October.

Population and People

How has Crestview's population changed?

In 2020, Crestview had 27,134 people living there. There were 8,984 households and 5,971 families. This shows a growing and changing community.

Arts and Culture

The Public Library

Crestview's first library opened in the 1940s. In 2002, a new library was built. It's called the Crestview Robert L. F. Sikes Public Library. It was named after a local congressman. This library is part of a larger group of libraries in Okaloosa County.

Education in Crestview

The public schools in Crestview are managed by the Okaloosa County School District.

High Schools

• Crestview School was the first school for African American students in the city. It was built in 1926. A new high school for Black students was built in 1945 and was later named Carver-Hill School. This was to honor George Washington Carver and Ed Hill.
• After schools became integrated in 1966, high school students moved to the previously all-white Crestview High School. Carver-Hill School then became a school for younger students until 1982. After that, it was used for administrative offices.

Middle Schools

• Davidson Middle School is in the northern part of Crestview.
• Shoal River Middle School is in the southern part of the city.

Elementary Schools

• Northwood Elementary School and Bob Sikes Elementary School are in the north.
• Riverside Elementary School is in the south.
• Walker Elementary School is in the central-east part of the city.

Transportation

Getting Around Crestview

Bob Sikes Airport is a public airport located about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of downtown Crestview. It opened in 1941.

Major roads that go through Crestview include:

• U.S. Route 90
• Florida State Road 85
• I-10 (a major interstate highway)
• FL-85

From 1994 to 2005, Crestview had passenger train service from Amtrak's Sunset Limited. This train connected New Orleans to Jacksonville and Orlando. However, service east of New Orleans stopped in 2005 because of damage from Hurricane Katrina. Before Amtrak, this route was used by the Gulf Wind passenger train.

Sister Cities

Crestview has one sister city:

• Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, France

See also

In Spanish: Crestview (Florida) para niños