Mary Esther, Florida
Mary Esther is a city of 4,061 people in Okaloosa County, Florida, founded in 1838.
Why visit Mary Esther
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 24 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Regal Santa Rosa 10, Fort Walton Mound and Governor Stone.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 45°F.
Weather in Mary Esther
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Mary Esther
Mary Esther is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,982 at the 2020 US census, up from 3,851 at the 2010 census.
From the Wikipedia article Mary Esther, Florida (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Fort Walton Mound
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Archaeological site in Florida, United States of America
Governor Stone
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Cargo freighter built in 1877
Gulfview Hotel Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic district in Florida, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
Restaurants and cafes24
El Paso Mexican Grill and Cantina
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.7 mi
Mary Esther Boulevard, Mary Esther
Yiota's Greek Deli
Restaurant · Greek
130 West Miracle Strip Parkway, Mary Esther
12 more on the map.
Where to stay5
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ft. Walton Bch - Hurlburt Area
Motel and hotel · 0.9 mi
522 Mary Esther Cut Off, Fort Walton Beach
Super 8 by Wyndham Ft Walton Beach
Motel and hotel · 1.4 mi
333 Miracle Strip Parkway Southwest, Fort Walton Beach
Churches and places of worship4
Saints Markella and Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
Church · Greek Orthodox · 0.7 mi
104 Bryn Mawr Boulevard, Mary Esther
Chapel of the Cross
Church · 0.9 mi
100 Jonquil Avenue Northwest, Fort Walton Beach
Shopping14
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries26
Annette P. Edwins Elementary School
School · 1.2 mi
7 Wright Pkwy Sw, Fort Walton Beach
Choctawhatchee Senior High School
School · 3.6 mi
110 Racetrack Rd Nw, Fort Walton Beach
Elliott Point Elementary School
School · 3.7 mi
301 Hughes St Ne, Fort Walton Beach
Liza Jackson Preparatory School
School · 3.6 mi
1123 Hospital Road, Fort Walton Beach
Max Bruner Junior Middle School
School · 1.6 mi
322 Holmes Blvd Nw, Fort Walton Beach
Northwest Florida Ballet Academie
School · 3.3 mi
310 Perry Ave Se, Fort Walton Beach
Healthcare2
1st Special Operations Medical Group - Hurlburt Field
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.4 mi
113 Lielmanis Avenue, Hurlburt Field
Map of Mary Esther
97 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63°F | 45°F | 4.5 in |
| Feb | 66°F | 48°F | 5.0 in |
| Mar | 71°F | 54°F | 4.7 in |
| Apr | 76°F | 60°F | 4.5 in |
| May | 84°F | 68°F | 3.2 in |
| Jun | 89°F | 74°F | 4.7 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 76°F | 5.8 in |
| Aug | 91°F | 76°F | 6.1 in |
| Sep | 88°F | 72°F | 5.2 in |
| Oct | 81°F | 63°F | 2.8 in |
| Nov | 72°F | 53°F | 4.1 in |
| Dec | 66°F | 48°F | 4.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Destin Ft Walton Ap (11 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Okaloosa County has had 30 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-10-27: Hurricane Isaias (Tropical Storm)
- 2026-10-09: Hurricane Isaias (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-28: Hurricane Helene (Hurricane)
- 2024-09-24: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-10: Hurricane Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-03: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Eglin Air Force Base/Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Fort Walton Beach 2 mi east, about 4 min by car
- Wright 2 mi northeast, about 4 min by car
- Ocean City 4 mi northeast, about 6 min by car
- Hurlburt Field 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Lake Lorraine 6 mi east, about 10 min by car
- Eglin AFB 7 mi northeast, about 12 min by car
- Valparaiso 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Destin 11 mi east, about 18 min by car
- Navarre 14 mi west, about 22 min by car
- Niceville 14 mi northeast, about 22 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Mary Esther City Hall, Skye Marthaler, CC BY-SA 4.0
- FortWaltonBeachTempleMound3, Infrogmation, CC BY 2.5
- FWB Gulfview Hotel01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- FWB Governor Stone01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Stereum sanguinolentum 183050720, Sarah DeLong-Duhon, CC BY 4.0
- Stereum sanguinolentum 30763452, Sarah DeLong-Duhon, CC BY 4.0
- Plethodon grobmani, iNaturalist user: evangrimes, CC BY 4.0
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