Destin Gulf Live Cam

The Emerald Coast which lies along Florida’s Northwest Panhandle, enjoys a semi-tropical climate with warm summers and mild winters. This region does not have four well-defined seasons, but rather it remains warm all year. It is the wettest region of the state and receives more than fifty inches of rain per year. Most of the rain occurs between May and September, but thunderstorms are generally quick with sunshine quickly returning.

However, the rain, along with the nearby Gulf of Mexico, creates high humidity in the summertime. Winter, spring and fall, by comparison, are much more pleasant and less humid. Due to its latitude and prevailing northerly winds, the Panhandle region is somewhat cooler in winter than the southern part of the state, especially at night. The hurricane season runs late August through October, but excellent forecasting generally gives plenty of warning time for these types of storms.

The Destin/Fort Walton area is rapidly earning a reputation as the “Technology Coast” of Florida. Many small to mid-size companies that design and manufacture products for military/industrial use have chosen this area for their home base. The business community of this region has the resources, workforce and infrastructure required to optimize business operations and promote growth and expansion.

Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Air Force Base and Duke Field all located in the region. The major industries in order are tourism/services, government, trade, real estate/finance/insurance, construction, manufacturing, utilities and agriculture. Okaloosa County, Florida was chosen by Forbes Business Institute for their “Top Ten List of Best Places for Business and Careers".

Okaloosa County is becoming a leader in the technology industry in Northwest Florida. Five important areas stand out when considering a move to the Destin/Fort Walton area: the high tech industry located here, the excellent educational opportunities, the lower cost of living, the military impact in the community and the life-style advantages, such as a warm climate and plentiful recreational opportunities. Real Estate in the area ranges from charming beachside cottages, condos/townhomes and single family homes. When considering a move to the Destin area, all of the surrounding communities should be taken into consideration, as well. The following is a brief description of some of them:

Okaloosa Island is the Gulf front beach community of Fort Walton Beach, located between Fort Walton Beach and Destin. It is known for its’ sugar white sand beaches, pier and boardwalk with nightly entertainment, restaurants, hotels and shops.

Fort Walton Beach is located on the Intercoastal Waterway and Choctawhatchee Bay. It has a Main Street Old Town Shopping Center, museums, outdoor activities, restaurants, the Santa Rosa Mall and Uptown Station Shopping Center.

The Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is the premier resort on the Gulf Coast spanning 2,400 acres and 7.5 miles of sugar white beach and bay front on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Seaside Beach is an up-scale, planned beach community with 200 Victorian/Post-Modernist architecture homes and cottages located in South Walton - halfway between Destin and Panama City Beach. The homes are situated around a town square with an outdoor amphitheater and art and clothing boutiques. Seaside is perhaps best known as the location for the movie, "The Truman Show" that featured Jim Carey.