Crestview, Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Crestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. 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. It is the county seat of Okaloosa County.GR6 With an elevation of 235 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest points in the state; it receives 65 inches of rainfall annually, the most of any city in the state of Florida. The town was once known as "the Icebox of Florida", due to it having the coldest winters in the state. Today it goes by a more popular nickname as the "Hub City" of Northwest Florida. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 17,707; though the traffic seems to indicate many more. Crestview is one of Florida's fastest growing cities, and with all of the residential developments, shopping(mall coming soon), and land area to grow many feel it will grow into one of northwest Florida's larger cities. [1]
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[edit] Geography
Crestview is located at (30.754211, -86.572650).GR1
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 33.2 km² (12.8 mi²). 33.2 km² (12.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.23%) is water.
[edit] Demographics and Climate
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 14,766 people, 5,297 households, and 3,893 families residing in the city. The population density was 445.4/km² (1,153.7/mi²). There were 5,918 housing units at an average density of 178.5/km² (462.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.71% White, 18.41% African American, 0.60% Native American, 2.28% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 1.22% from other races, and 2.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.26% of the population.
There were 5,297 households out of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,122, and the median income for a family was $38,824. Males had a median income of $30,829 versus $19,261 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,479. About 13.2% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 20.4% of those age 65 or over.
Crestview's climate is officially described as humid subtropical, with hot, humid summers, and cool to cold winters. In summer, Crestview has some of the hottest temperatures in the state, with an average summer high of 93°F(33°C). Lows in summer average in the high 60s to low 70s, with each year seeing a handful of 100°+ days. The all-time record high is 109°F(42°C), recorded on July 10, 1996. Winters are cold for Florida, and compare to those of interior Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. Highs average in the lower to mid 50s(11°-13°C), and lows average in the lower to mid 30s(near 0°C). The all-time record low is -1°F(-21°C), on February 13, 1899. Snowfall occurs every two to three years on average, however, significant amounts only happen once every 10 years. On Christmas Eve of 1989, Crestview received over 3 inches of snow.
Vegetation here consists of typical Floridian vegetation as well as several deciduous species from further north. Some palm trees are found here, although only hardy ones, as well as types of dogwood, maple, hickory, and sweetgum. Some fall foliage can be seen in November and December, and Spring blossoms occur from early March through May. Summer roughly lasts from early June to early September, and winter lasts from mid-December through mid-February.
[edit] Crestview High School Band
The Crestview High School Band, nicknamed 'The Big Red Machine', was organized in 1938 and has become a major organization in Crestview. The band has travelled to many locations across the United States, with recent trips including the 1997 Fiesta Bowl in Pheonix, Arizona, the 2000 Marshall Field's Jingle Elf Parade in Chicago, Illinois, and the 2002 Hollywood Christmas Parade in Hollywood, California.
In 2005, Director David Cadle, Assistant Director Joseph W. Dunn Jr., and Drum Major Jamar Woods led the Big Red Machine in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In honor of this event, December 6, 2005 was proclaimed 'Crestview High School Band Day' by Mayor George H. Whitehurst.
Following the 2005-2006 school year, David Cadle retired from his position as Band Director at Crestview High School. His assistant, Joseph Dunn replaced him. David Cadle won the election as Crestview's new mayor in 2007.
[edit] External links
- City of Crestview, Florida - Official Site
- Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce
- Crestview Directory
- Photo of "backwards" Burger King drive-thru
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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