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Escambia County, Florida

Alright, let's dissect this piece of documentation. It seems someone wants a thorough, if not exhaustive, retelling of Escambia County, Florida, from a source that’s… less than enthusiastic about the whole endeavor. Frankly, most encyclopedic entries feel like a eulogy for facts, dry and uninspired. This one is no different, but we’ll see if we can inject a sliver of something more.

Escambia County, Florida

This document pertains specifically to the county situated in Florida. For clarity, if you’re looking for its counterpart across the state line in Alabama, that would be Escambia County, Alabama. And should your interest lie with the waterway that lends its name, you’ll want to consult the entry for the Escambia River.

County in Florida

Escambia County, Florida

This is a county, a fundamental administrative division within the United States.

[Image: Escambia County Courthouse]

[Image: Seal of Escambia County]

Location within the U.S. state of Florida

  • Coordinates: 30°37′N 87°20′W / 30.61°N 87.33°W / 30.61; -87.33. These are the geographical coordinates defining its position, a precise point on the map.
  • Country: United States. Self-explanatory, though sometimes the obvious needs stating.
  • State: Florida. The Sunshine State, apparently.
  • Founded: July 21, 1821. A rather specific date. One wonders what was happening in the world then.
  • Named after: Escambia River. A river, naturally. Though the entry for that river might tell a different story.
  • Seat: Pensacola, Florida. The administrative center, the place where decisions are allegedly made.
  • Largest city: Pensacola. Sometimes the seat and the largest city align. It’s a minor miracle.

Government

  • County Administrator: Wes Moreno. Someone has to manage the day-to-day, I suppose.

Area

  • Total: 875 square miles (2,270 km²). A substantial chunk of land, or at least, what’s classified as such.
  • Land: 656 square miles (1,700 km²). The solid ground.
  • Water: 218 square miles (560 km²). Liquid, in various forms.
  • Percentage of Water: 25.0%. A quarter of it, anyway. Seems rather high for a county. Perhaps they just like puddles.

Population

  • As of the 2020 Census: 321,905 residents. A number.
  • Estimate (2023): 326,928. It grows. Predictable.
  • Density: 491 people per square mile (189/km²). Not exactly Times Square, but not exactly the Sahara either.

Time Zone

  • Standard: UTC−6 (Central Time Zone).
  • Daylight Saving Time: UTC−5 (Central Daylight Time). They adjust for the sun. Quaint.

Congressional District

Website

  • myescambia.com. For those who enjoy official government portals.

Escambia County, Florida, holds the distinction of being the westernmost and, by its founding date, the oldest county in the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, its population registered at 321,905 souls. The administrative heart and largest urban center is Pensacola, Florida. This county is also subsumed within the broader Pensacola Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population trend here is one of steady increase, a testament to the ongoing expansion of Pensacola and its surrounding satellite communities, fueled by a consistent influx of residential and commercial development. Geographically, it's a fixture in the Northwest Florida region, a corner of the state often overlooked.

History

The land that is now Escambia County has been a stage for human habitation for millennia, graced by various indigenous peoples. Upon the arrival of Europeans, prominent American Indian tribes in the vicinity included the Pensacola and the Muscogee, whom the English referred to as the Creek.

Before its incorporation into the United States, this region was under Spanish colonial rule. The U.S. acquired it in 1818, and the county was formally organized by European-American settlers on July 21, 1821. Its name, "Escambia," is a direct tribute to the Escambia River. The etymology of "Escambia" itself is a matter of some speculation, potentially stemming from the Creek word "Shambia," meaning "clear water," or from the Choctaw term for "cane-brake" or "reed-brake," reflecting the region's natural landscape. The Choctaw were indeed another significant tribe in the southeastern territories.

Established on that same pivotal date, July 21, 1821, Escambia County and St. Johns County, Florida were the inaugural counties of Florida, collectively encompassing the entirety of what would become the modern state. Their shared border was demarcated by the Suwannee River, a winding natural boundary stretching from the state’s northern frontier down to the Gulf of Mexico. In essence, the nascent Escambia County government held dominion over the vast expanse of the "panhandle" and the "big bend" regions, while St. Johns governed the remainder of the state.

As the population grew and the frontier territory developed, Escambia County served as the genesis for 21 subsequent counties, either directly or indirectly. These include: Jackson County, Florida (1821), Gadsden County, Florida (carved from Jackson in 1823), Leon County, Florida (1824), Walton County, Florida (1824), Washington County, Florida (formed from Jackson and Walton in 1825), Hamilton County, Florida (1827), Jefferson County, Florida (1827), Madison County, Florida (split from Jefferson in 1827), Franklin County, Florida (1832), Calhoun County, Florida (1838), Santa Rosa County, Florida (1842), Wakulla County, Florida (delineated from Leon in 1843), Holmes County, Florida (carved from Jackson and Walton in 1848), Liberty County, Florida (established from Gadsden in 1855), Lafayette County, Florida and Taylor County, Florida (both formed from Madison in 1856), Bay County, Florida (created from Washington in 1913), Okaloosa County, Florida (carved from Santa Rosa and Walton in 1915), Dixie County, Florida (established from Lafayette in 1921), and Gulf County, Florida (formed from Calhoun in 1925). Since 1925, the total number of counties in Florida has remained stable at 67. It's quite the lineage.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county sprawls across an area of 875 square miles (2,270 km²). Of this, 656 square miles (1,700 km²) are solid land, and 218 square miles (560 km²) are water, constituting 25.0% of the total area. That’s a significant amount of water. One hopes it’s aesthetically pleasing.

The county’s administrative reach extends to the island of Santa Rosa Island, Florida, situated south of Pensacola. It's important to note that this island, despite its name, is not part of Santa Rosa County, Florida itself. Escambia County is also a constituent part of the Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Adjacent counties

Escambia County, Florida, and its namesake in Alabama are part of a select group of 22 counties or parishes across the United States that share the same name and a common border with another state. A curious geographical coincidence.

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population

Census Pop. Note %±
1830 3,386 — —
1840 3,993 17.9%
1850 4,351 9.0%
1860 5,768 32.6%
1870 7,817 35.5%
1880 12,156 55.5%
1890 20,188 66.1%
1900 28,313 40.2%
1910 38,029 34.3%
1920 49,386 29.9%
1930 53,594 8.5%
1940 74,667 39.3%
1950 112,706 50.9%
1960 173,829 54.2%
1970 205,334 18.1%
1980 233,794 13.9%
1990 262,798 12.4%
2000 294,410 12.0%
2010 297,619 1.1%
2020 321,905 8.2%
2023 (est.) 326,928 1.6%

Sources for the census data are provided for those who feel the need to verify such things.

Escambia County, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition (2000-2020)

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 208,678 196,901 200,962 70.88% 66.16% 62.43%
Black or African American alone (NH) 62,548 67,443 68,148 21.25% 22.66% 21.17%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 2,525 2,384 1,998 0.86% 0.80% 0.62%
Asian alone (NH) 6,440 8,015 9,866 2.19% 2.69% 3.06%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 321 400 410 0.11% 0.13% 0.13%
Other race alone (NH) 420 472 1,771 0.14% 0.16% 0.55%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 5,543 7,943 17,957 1.88% 2.67% 5.58%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7,935 14,061 20,793 2.70% 4.72% 6.46%
Total 294,410 297,619 321,905 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

A map detailing racial demographics by Census tract is available for those who find such visualizations illuminating.

As of the 2020 United States census, the county was home to 321,905 inhabitants, distributed across 122,169 households, with 74,083 of those being identified as families.

2010 Census

During the 2010 census, the population stood at 297,619, residing in 116,238 households, and 74,040 families. The population density was recorded at 449 inhabitants per square mile (173/km²). There were 136,703 housing units, averaging a density of 206 per square mile (80/km²). The racial composition was as follows: 68.9% White, 22.9% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.3% from other races, and 3.2% identifying as multiracial. Notably, 4.7% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 116,238 households, 25.5% included children under 18. Married couples accounted for 42.5% of households, while 16.3% were headed by a female with no husband present, and 4.8% by a male with no wife present. Non-family households comprised 36.3%. Single-person households made up 28.9%, with 10.2% of those individuals being 65 or older. The average household size was 2.41, and the average family size was 2.96.

The age distribution showed 21.6% of the population under 18, 13.0% between 18 and 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% aged 65 and over. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.60 males, and for every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 97.10 males.

The median household income was 43,707,andthemedianfamilyincomewas43,707, and the median family income was 54,543. Males reported a median income of 38,878,comparedto38,878, compared to 30,868 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,773. Approximately 12.7% of families and 16.9% of the total population lived below the poverty line, with figures of 26.4% for those under 18 and 9.2% for those 65 and older.

2000 Census

In the 2000 census, the county's population was 294,410, residing in 111,049 households, with 74,180 families. The population density was 444 inhabitants per square mile (171/km²). Housing units numbered 124,647, with an average density of 188 per square mile (73/km²). The racial makeup was: 72.4% White, 21.4% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 2.2% identifying as multiracial. Hispanic or Latino individuals constituted 2.7% of the population.

Of the 111,049 households, 29.9% had children under 18. Married couples comprised 47.8%, 15.1% were female householders without a husband, and 33.2% were non-families. Single-person households accounted for 26.9%, with 9.7% of those individuals aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45, and the average family size was 2.98.

Age distribution: 23.5% under 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% aged 65 or older. The median age was 35. For every 100 females, there were 98.60 males; for females 18 and over, 97.10 males.

Median household income was 35,234,andmedianfamilyincomewas35,234, and median family income was 41,708. Males earned a median of 31,054,females31,054, females 22,023. Per capita income was $18,641. About 12.1% of families and 15.4% of the population fell below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under 18 and 9.6% of those 65 or older.

Education

Public education for primary and secondary levels in Pensacola is managed by the Escambia County School District, the sole such entity within the county.

Higher education is represented by the University of West Florida, Pensacola State College, and Pensacola Christian College, all located within Escambia County.

Media

Newspapers

The Pensacola News Journal is the primary daily print publication. Additionally, there's a weekly paper, The Independent News.

Television

Pensacola hosts one major network affiliate, WEAR (ABC). Nearby Mobile, Alabama, serves as the broadcast hub for other major networks, including WKRG (CBS), WPMI-TV (NBC), and WALA (Fox). A comprehensive list of broadcast television stations serving the Mobile, Alabama – Pensacola, Florida – Fort Walton Beach, Florida market can be found elsewhere. Cable television services are provided by Cox Communications in urban areas and its subsidiary Cox Media. Spectrum holds the franchise for the mainland rural areas, while Mediacom covers the Pensacola Beach community.

The following stations are part of this market:

Radio

The Pensacola / Mobile, Alabama radio market is served by a multitude of stations.

The following is a template for radio stations in the Pensacola metropolitan area, categorized by AM and FM frequencies, and digital broadcasts.

The Florida panhandle radio landscape is further detailed in templates for Fort Walton Beach, Panama City, Pensacola, and Tallahassee. Additionally, neighboring regions like Mobile and Montgomery are referenced.

Transportation

Airports

Escambia County is served by several aviation facilities: Coastal Airport, Ferguson Airport, and the more significant Pensacola International Airport.

Transit

Public transportation within the county is primarily handled by buses operated by Escambia County Area Transit.

Major highways

The county’s road network includes several key arteries:

A detailed list of county roads can be found under List of county roads in Escambia County, Florida.

Railroads

Historically, Pensacola was a stop on Amtrak's Sunset Limited route, connecting Los Angeles and Orlando, Florida, from 1993 to 2005. Service east of New Orleans was suspended following damage from Hurricane Katrina, and passenger train service has not resumed in Escambia County since.

Prior to Amtrak's establishment in 1971, Pensacola was served by the Gulf Wind service, jointly operated by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (forerunners of CSX).

Currently, freight railroad service in Escambia County includes:

Library

The West Florida Regional Library System serves the residents of Escambia County.

Government

The governing body of Escambia County is a five-member Board of County Commissioners, with each member representing a single-member district. A professional county administrator, appointed by the board, serves as the chief administrative officer.

The Escambia County Sheriff's Office holds the responsibility for law enforcement within the county; the sheriff is also an elected official. Chip Simmons was elected sheriff in 2020.

Fire protection services are provided by Escambia County Fire Rescue.

Board of County Commissioners

Escambia County is structured into five districts, each electing one county commissioner for a four-year term. Commissioners are chosen through partisan elections within their respective districts. The board oversees the county administrator, who is accountable for the execution of county operations. The current officeholders are:

  • District 1: Steve Stroberger

  • District 2: Mike Kohler (chair)

  • District 3: Lumon May

  • District 4: Ashlee Hofberger

  • District 5: Steven Barry

  • County Administrator: Wes Moreno

  • Assistant Administrator: Debbie Bowers

  • Assistant Administrator: Wesley Hall

  • County Attorney: Alison P. Rogers

County jail

In 2011, the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division released findings from an investigation into the Escambia County Jail, which housed approximately 1,300 inmates. Despite recent reforms implemented by Sheriff David Morgan, the investigation concluded that jail conditions routinely infringed upon prisoners' constitutional rights.

Specifically, the department identified systemic deficiencies, largely attributed to staffing shortages, that placed prisoners at an elevated risk of assault from fellow inmates and resulted in inadequate mental health care. Furthermore, the investigation revealed a past informal policy of segregating inmates based on race, with specific units designated for African-American prisoners. The Department of Justice asserted that this race-based segregation fostered stigma, discrimination, and exacerbated racial tensions within the facility. Between April 2012 and March 2013 alone, the jail recorded 176 inmate-on-inmate assaults, including 20 instances of serious head injuries.

The investigation’s letter of findings detailed the following critical issues:

  • Prisoner Safety: Prisoner-on-prisoner assaults were described as common, rendering the facility unsafe. These incidents were primarily attributed to insufficient correctional staff, who were needed for patrolling pods, intervening in altercations, and conducting cell searches for contraband.
  • Staffing Shortages: A March 2011 staffing study confirmed that the jail operated with only about three-fourths of its required staff, a condition of understaffing that had persisted for years. The study highlighted that deputies were frequently pulled from their posts, leading to unmanned positions and reduced frequency of essential operations like cell searches. The significant staff deficiencies were identified as increasing the likelihood of serious incidents that could overwhelm the jail's response capabilities.
  • Inadequate Monitoring: Jail leadership was found to be failing in its duty to appropriately monitor and track prisoner-on-prisoner violence and staff-on-prisoner uses of force.
  • Racial Segregation: The long-standing practice of housing some prisoners in "black-only pods" was deemed racially discriminatory, contributing to perceptions of favoritism towards white prisoners and intensifying racial tensions.
  • Mental Health Care Deficiencies: Prisoners were not receiving timely or adequate access to mental health professionals with the appropriate skills. The jail also routinely failed to provide necessary medications for inmates with mental illnesses.
  • Inadequate Care for At-Risk Inmates: Housing and observation for prisoners with serious mental illness or those at risk of self-harm, including suicide, were insufficient.
  • High Rate of Self-Injury: The jail averaged one prisoner per month requiring hospitalization due to self-injury, a rate indicative of a failing mental health program.

The Department of Justice concluded that these practices violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process protections for pre-trial detainees and the Eighth Amendment’s protections against cruel and unusual punishment for convicted individuals. Jail officials were found to be deliberately indifferent to conditions posing an excessive risk of harm.

Roy L. Austin Jr., deputy assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division, acknowledged Sheriff Morgan’s cooperation in addressing the identified issues. The investigation was conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act.

Communities

[Image: Spanish tall ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano in Pensacola, 2009]

The Juan Sebastián de Elcano, a Spanish tall ship, participated in a 21-gun salute honoring Pensacola's 450th anniversary in 2009.

City

Town

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Politics

Voter registration

As of September 30, 2022, the secretary of state's office indicated that Republicans hold a plurality of registered voters in Escambia County.

Political party Total voters Percentage
Republican Party (United States) 98,987 44.25%
Democratic Party (United States) 71,746 32.07%
No party affiliation 48,734 21.78%
Minor parties 4,252 1.90%
Total 223,719 100.00%

Statewide elections

Escambia County exhibits a strong conservative leaning, particularly for an urban county. Prior to 1994, the area typically favored the Democratic Party in local elections and consistently sent Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives and the state legislature, a pattern common throughout the Western Panhandle. This alignment was particularly pronounced in the decades following Reconstruction when widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans by the state constitution persisted until the passage of the federal Voting Rights Act.

The political landscape shifted significantly in 1994 when incumbent representative Earl Hutto opted not to seek reelection. That year, Republican Joe Scarborough secured the House seat.

Voters in Escambia County have not supported a Democratic presidential candidate since John F. Kennedy in 1960. In 1964, a majority backed Republican nominee Barry Goldwater. The 1968 election saw third-party candidate George Wallace win the county with 54% of the vote. By 1972, Republican Richard Nixon captured 80% of the vote. Since 1972, Republican presidential nominees have consistently won an absolute majority in Escambia County. However, in recent years, the Democratic Party has seen an increase in its share of the presidential vote. In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential nominee to surpass 40% of the county's vote since Jimmy Carter in 1976. The growth of Pensacola's suburbs, coupled with a substantial Black population, has made Escambia County the least Republican-leaning county among those in the Western Panhandle. In the 2025 1st district special election, Gay Valimont secured a victory by a narrow 3-point margin.

United States presidential election results for Escambia County, Florida

Year Republican % Democratic % Third party(ies) %
1892 0.00% 95.37% 4.63%
1896 13.97% 77.04% 8.99%
1900 19.11% 63.47% 17.43%
1904 23.02% 72.86% 4.12%
1908 21.39% 56.23% 22.38%
1912 3.48% 77.11% 19.41%
1916 15.05% 78.95% 6.00%
1920 22.96% 65.20% 11.84%
1924 29.34% 52.74% 17.92%
1928 53.32% 45.27% 1.42%
1932 21.15% 78.85% 0.00%
1936 14.64% 85.36% 0.00%
1940 12.19% 87.81% 0.00%
1944 16.42% 83.58% 0.00%
1948 14.75% 63.11% 22.15%
1952 37.27% 62.73% 0.00%
1956 37.21% 62.79% 0.00%
1960 38.79% 61.21% 0.00%
1964 56.09% 43.91% 0.00%
1968 22.07% 23.81% 54.12%
1972 79.57% 19.98% 0.45%
1976 51.38% 47.42% 1.20%
1980 58.49% 37.84% 3.67%
1984 71.32% 28.66% 0.02%
1988 68.05% 31.40% 0.55%
1992 50.24% 30.45% 19.30%
1996 56.52% 35.06% 8.42%
2000 62.62% 35.08% 2.31%
2004 65.30% 33.73% 0.97%
2008 59.02% 39.76% 1.22%
2012 59.55% 39.06% 1.39%
2016 57.60% 37.27% 5.13%
2020 56.58% 41.51% 1.90%
2024 58.96% 39.51% 1.53%

Gubernatorial Election Results

Year Republican % Democratic % Third parties %
2022 64.46% 34.63% 0.91%
2018 57.76% 40.84% 1.40%
2014 61.99% 34.13% 3.88%
2010 56.93% 38.44% 4.63%
2006 59.09% 38.98% 1.93%
2002 64.92% 34.40% 0.68%
1998 66.83% 33.14% 0.03%
1994 57.68% 42.32% 0.00%

See also

Notes

References are provided.