Fort Walton Beach, city (2020 pop.
20,922), Okaloosa co., NW Fla., on the Gulf of Mexico; inc. 1941. It is a
year-round beach and fishing resort east of Pensacola. Electronic equipment
and small boats are made, and military aircraft are modified here. Nearby
Eglin Air Force Base contributes significantly to the economy. The city grew
around a fort built during the Seminole War (1835–42), and expanded
during World War II. A national historic landmark here includes a museum of
Native American culture.
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