The City of Crestview received its charter from the Florida Legislature and was officially incorporated in 1916.Crestview’s name was chosen because its location on the peak of a long woodland range between the Yellow and Shoal rivers which flow almost parallel on the east and west side of the City.After Okaloosa County was formed by the State Legislature in 1915 from portions of the western Walton County and eastern Santa Rosa County, Crestview became the County Seat in 1917 and remains so today.

With a population of approximately 21,000 citizens, Crestview is located at the junction of three major highways (U.S. 90, State Road 85 and Interstate Highway 10) which resulted in its acclaimed designated as the “Hub City” of northwest Florida. The City is 50 miles east of Pensacola, 120 miles west of Tallahassee and 30 miles inland from the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. Crestview’s elevation of 235 feet above sea level places it as one of the highest points in the state. Also, it receives 65 inches of rainfall annually—the most in the State of Florida.

The CSX, Inc. Railroad runs through Crestview. Parallel with this railroad is the Old Spanish Trail which extends from Jacksonville west to El Paso, Texas thus being one of the great truck lines of the country and rich in tradition and history of the Indian, French, Spanish and English settlers in this nation.

If one should wonder what has happened to make Crestview the thriving, friendly, fast growing City we know today, it might be said that it was a fabled fountain of gold or silver. In actuality, it was the dreams and visions of the staunch and sturdy few who were living here in 1915. These early residents realized the natural advantages offered at this particular site for the building of a City and they set out to provide the foundation for such an undertaking.

Here in Crestview you will find an assortment of comfortable homes, churches, schools, recreational facilities, businesses and industries, all working together as a happy, growing City. The health, fire and police departments under a stable and prosperous City government working to make this City a wonderful place to live protect all these things.