 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. Originating as a small fishing village, it is now a popular tourist destination – according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, over 80 percent of the Emerald Coast’s 4.5 million visitors each year visit Destin. The city styles itself “The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village”, and claims to have the largest fishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida. Destin is named after Captain Leonard Destin, a New London, Connecticut fishing master who settled in the area c. 1845 or 1850. The first condominiums were built in the 1970s, although Destin was not incorporated as a municipality until 1984. The city has experienced rapid growth since the 1980s. The city is located on a peninsula 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. As of the 1940s it technically became an island again with the completion of the Choctawhatchee-west bay canal. Destin has a total area of 8.2 mi². 17.5 mi² of it is land and 0.6 mi² of it (7.95%) is water. |
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 Agriculture was eventually introduced, and there are still signs of this early inhabitation in the area. Members of the Fort Walton Culture built a ceremonial mound in Fort Walton Beach.
Leonard Destin of New London, Connecticut was a fishing master who settled in this area of Florida circa 1845 or 1850. He built a New England colonial home at the location of the Monroe Point military reservation. Captain Destin and his descendants fished the area for decades. Condominiums were first built in Destin during the 1970s, although Destin was not incorporated as a municipality until 1984.The city has experienced rapid growth since the 1980s. |
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