Walton County has been inhabited for at least 3,000 years. Woodland and archaic civilization artifacts dating to 1,000 B.C. have been found in the Grayton Beach area. More recently, from the 15th to the 19th centuries the Choctaw Indians and the Euchee Indians of the Creek Nation, populated the area now known as Walton County. Throughout the county, Indian middens, including one that is carefully preserved at Sandestin, have become valuable archaeological sites. In 1808, the first non-Native American Settlers came to the area from Scotland. The county was founded in 1824 and included more than 2,900 square miles including parts of Okaloosa, Washington and Holmes counties. The first census in 1830 showed the county having a population of 1,207 people. In 1890, the sawmill town of Point Washington was founded marking the first economic engine in the area—timber. The same year, Grayton Beach was also platted, marking the next great economic engine that would eventually define the county — tourism.

Walton County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state of Florida. At the turn of the millennium, there were over 40,600 permanent residents throughout Walton County. In 2005, that number jumped to over 53,500 permanent residents. This is probably due to more and more people realizing how beautiful and scenic it is here, not to mention safe. Walton County is 1,066 square miles of beautiful pine forests, cool underground springs, marshlands, bays, and backwater bayous, nestled along the Emerald Coast in the Florida Panhandle. Walton County also has over 26 miles of sugarsand beaches, powdery-white dunes, and crystalline water of the Gulf of Mexico. The Coastal Dune Lakes that dot the coastline are so rare they are only found in Walton County and remote portions of Africa. Walton’s diverse ecosystem and population make the county an inviting place to live and work. Not only is this a gorgeous place to call home, tens of thousands of people visit and vacation here every year. The average temperature is 69 degrees with an average temperature in January of 53 degrees and 81 degrees in July. The county also boasts Florida’s highest point at 345 feet above sea level.

The Walton County Sheriff's Office has been serving the citizens and visitors of Walton County, dating back to its first Sheriff, Michael Vaughn, in the 1820s. As the county population grows, so does the Sheriff's Office to ensure that everyone stays safe. Currently, the Sheriff's Office employs over 200 people and has an operating budget of $14.6 million for FY2006. This is an increase from 2001, where there were about 150 employees and an operating budget of $8.8 million. The current employee structure consist of patrol deputies, criminal investigators, narcotics investigators, school resource officers, beach patrol, corrections officers, and support staff. Over 24% of the sworn officers have five or more years years of experience in law enforcement. The percentage of female sworn officers has grown from 6% in 2001 to 19% in 2006. Additionally, more deputies have college degrees than ever before. Approximately 13% have received an Associate's, 13% have received a Bachelor's, and 4.2% have received a Master's. Today's deputies are committed to higher education, with many of them currently taking classes, despite already receiving their respective degrees.

The Walton County Sheriff's Office handled over 71,725 calls for service in 2006. That is up from 58,474 in 2005. And up from 45,427 in 2001! Depending on the priority and severity of the call, the average response time is approximately three (3) to four (4) minutes. These calls range from traffic accidents to animal rescues to lost children to power lines being down. Also offered is a full range of civil assistance and paperwork, such as fingerprinting, criminal background checks, summons, subpoenas, Crimestoppers, Neighborhood Watch, and more. The main adminstration building is located at 72 North Sixth Street, just off of U.S. Highway 90, in DeFuniak Springs. There are substations located throughout the county, Santa Rosa Beach, Freeport, and Paxton. Should you need to speak to one of the administration staff, please call (850) 892-8186. Normal administration office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm, or visit us at the Main Administration Building in DeFuniak Springs.