Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL Metro Area
The Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area is made up of 2 counties in Florida: Okaloosa and Walton. About 315,098 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 9.8% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 315,098 9.8% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 2, both central
- Land area
- 1,968 sq mi (5,098 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Florida
- CBSA code
- 18880
Counties in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okaloosa County | Central | 221,810 | 70.4% |
| Walton County | Central | 93,288 | 29.6% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. This area has no outlying counties: no neighboring county sends enough commuters to join it. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal cities, largest first
- Crestview28,773 people
- Fort Walton Beach21,025 people
- Destin14,077 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL Metro Area42 mi southwest
- Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL Metro Area72 mi southeast
- Dothan, AL Metro Area77 mi northeast
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.