Gulf County, Florida
Gulf County is a small coastal county in the eastern Florida Panhandle with a population of approximately 15,000. Covering 564 square miles of land and water, the county is centered on St. Joseph Bay and the communities of Port St. Joe and Wewahitchka. Gulf County occupies a place of quiet distinction along what is known as the Forgotten Coast, offering some of the most pristine and undeveloped Gulf of Mexico beaches in the state, including the celebrated Cape San Blas, which has been consistently ranked among the best beaches in America.
Geography and Natural Features
St. Joseph Bay, a shallow, sheltered bay on the Gulf side of the county, is the defining geographical feature. The bay is one of the most ecologically pristine water bodies on the Florida Gulf Coast, supporting extensive seagrass beds that serve as critical habitat for scallops, sea turtles, and juvenile fish. Bay scalloping season in St. Joseph Bay is a major seasonal attraction, drawing thousands of visitors each summer.
Cape San Blas is a narrow peninsula that extends southward from the mainland, forming the western shore of St. Joseph Bay. The cape's beaches, protected in part by T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, feature towering sand dunes, crystal-clear Gulf waters, and minimal commercial development. The state park encompasses both Gulf-front beaches and bay-side marshes, and has been recognized as one of the finest beach parks in the United States. Indian Pass, to the south, offers additional remote beach access and is a traditional gathering point for local fishing communities.
Inland areas of the county are covered by pine flatwoods and the Dead Lakes, a unique flooded forest ecosystem created by sand deposits that dammed the Chipola River. Dead Lakes State Recreation Area provides access to this eerie and beautiful landscape of standing dead cypress trees surrounded by dark, tannic water. The county experienced severe damage from Hurricane Michael in October 2018, which devastated Port St. Joe and surrounding communities.
County Seat and Government
Port St. Joe, with a population of roughly 3,500, is the county seat and primary community. The town has historical significance as the site where Florida's first state constitution was drafted in 1838 at the Constitutional Convention held in St. Joseph, the predecessor settlement. The Constitution Convention Museum State Park commemorates this event. Gulf County operates under a commission form of government with a five-member Board of County Commissioners.
Economy and Employment
Gulf County's economy has evolved from its industrial and timber past to one increasingly centered on tourism, retirement, and government services. Port St. Joe was once home to a major St. Joe Paper Company mill that employed hundreds of workers; the mill closed in 1998, and the community has since reinvented itself around coastal tourism and residential development. The St. Joe Company, which evolved from the paper company into a major real estate and community development firm, remains a significant landowner in the region.
Tourism is the primary economic driver today, with Cape San Blas vacation rentals, scalloping, fishing, and beach recreation generating seasonal employment and revenue. Wewahitchka, in the northern part of the county, is known for tupelo honey, a premium honey produced from the blossoms of tupelo gum trees in the Apalachicola River swamps. Gulf County government and the Gulf County School District provide public-sector employment. Healthcare services are limited, with residents often traveling to Panama City for hospital care.
Community and Heritage
Gulf County's community character blends commercial fishing traditions, small-town Southern culture, and the growing presence of vacation and retirement residents. The annual Tupelo Honey Festival in Wewahitchka celebrates the unique product for which the area is known. The recovery from Hurricane Michael has strengthened community bonds and prompted updated building standards and resilience planning. The Gulf County School District serves approximately 2,000 students across a small number of schools.