Why visit Valparaiso
Townapedia lists 20 museums and landmarks, 23 parks and trails, 24 places to eat and 5 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Air Force Armament Museum, Camp Pinchot Historic District and Turkey Creek Park - South.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 38°F.
Weather in Valparaiso
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Valparaiso
Valparaiso is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 4,752, down from 5,036 at the 2010 census.
From the Wikipedia article Valparaiso, Florida (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks20
Air Force Armament Museum
Museum · 3.2 mi
Museum in Florida, United States
100 Museum Dive, Eglin Air Force Base
Mo-Sa 09:30-16:30
Camp Pinchot Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
Historic district in Florida, United States
Eglin Field Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic district in Florida, United States
McKinley Climatic Laboratory
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Laboratory in Valparaiso, Florida
8 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds23
11 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes24
The Wharf 850
Restaurant · Seafood, Sandwich, Pasta, Steak House · 2.5 mi
821 Bayshore Drive, Niceville
We-Su 11:00-21:00
Standing Room Only Bar & Grill
Bar and pub · 2.5 mi
339 West John Sims Parkway
Su-Th 18:00-27:00; Fr-Sa 18:00-28:00
12 more on the map.
Where to stay5
History
Valparaiso was named after Valparaiso, Indiana (which in turn, was named after Valparaiso, Chile) and is a twin city also with its neighboring city, Niceville. The name of the city is Spanish, and translates to "paradise vale" or "paradise valley".
Chicago businessman James E. Plew, who relocated to the Florida Panhandle of Northwest Florida in 1922, became "one of Northwest Florida's pioneer developers," and settled on Valparaiso "as the most likely spot for development.
In 1924, he founded the Bank of Valparaiso, constructed the Valparaiso Inn, organized the Chicago Country Club which constructed the Valparaiso Country Club golf course, and was instrumental in many other development activities in the community."
"Other interests of Mr. Plew included the founding of the Shalimar Winery, which was established to use the surplus grape crop of the county. He also founded the Valparaiso Novelty Company, helped to establish a knitting mill in the community and was interested in a number of other enterprises to which he made investments to help their development."
Plew thought that a military payroll would boost the depression-stricken economy of the region. He leased from the city of Valparaiso the Valparaiso Airport, an arrowhead-shaped parcel of 137 acres (0.55 km2) cleared in 1933 as an airdrome.
From the History section of Valparaiso, Florida on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship16
Crosspoint United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 2.7 mi
214 South Partin Drive, Niceville
Faith Independent Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 3.0 mi
1309 Valparaiso Boulevard, Niceville
First Pentecostal Church
Church · Pentecostal · 2.4 mi
1217 Finck Road, Niceville
Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 2.8 mi
1200 Valparaiso Boulevard, Niceville
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 2.8 mi
1100 Palm Boulevard South
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries21
Collegiate High School At Northwest Florida State College
School · 4.1 mi
100 College Blvd E, Niceville
Healthcare4
Map of Valparaiso
120 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61°F | 38°F | 5.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 65°F | 41°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 70°F | 46°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 76°F | 53°F | 6.0 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 84°F | 61°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 69°F | 6.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 72°F | 8.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 72°F | 9.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 87°F | 68°F | 7.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 80°F | 56°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 71°F | 45°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 64°F | 41°F | 5.7 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Niceville (3 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, 1 miles away.
- Eglin AFB 3 mi southwest, about 5 min by car
- Niceville 4 mi northeast, about 6 min by car
- Lake Lorraine 5 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- Destin 7 mi southeast, about 11 min by car
- Ocean City 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Fort Walton Beach 8 mi southwest, about 13 min by car
- Wright 8 mi southwest, about 13 min by car
- Mary Esther 10 mi southwest, about 16 min by car
- Miramar Beach 13 mi southeast, about 20 min by car
- Hurlburt Field 13 mi west, about 21 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
- City Hall of Valparaiso, Florida, Skye Marthaler, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Northbound FL85 at College Blvd, Valparaiso, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Southbound FL85 at College Blvd, Valparaiso, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MOAB glide bomb, Greg Goebel, CC BY-SA 2.0
- F-117 on ice at McKinley Climatic Laboratory 022808-F-0000P-064, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- HABS 207430pv, Historic American Buildings Survey, Public domain
- Camp Pinchot Historic District pano, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Valparaiso FL Heritage msm01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- GBU-72B Advanced 5K Penetrator test by 96th Test Wing 1, Samuel King Jr., Public domain
- ISS047-E-13303 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-50553 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-319466 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-151584 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS037-E-14918 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS018-E-34892 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS018-E-35178 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-53383 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Southbound FL85 approaching FL123, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Southbound FL85 at FL123, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- US Navy 100125-N-8041M-002 Explosive Ordnance Disposal students train in the water, U.S. Navy photo by Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 1st Class Tyler Morgan, Public domain
- Eglin Air Force Base DVIDS245093, Photo by: Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Morgan, Public domain
- MVIMG 20191228 172249, I photographed owned artwork, Public domain
- Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II 09-5002 EG (10508425275), Alan Wilson, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II 08-0746 EG 58FS (10508435786), Alan Wilson, CC BY-SA 2.0
- US Navy 120111-M-ZZ999-001 The first F-35B aircraft, the Marine Corps variant of the F-35 Lightning II, arrives at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla, U.S. Marine Corps photo, Public domain
- Lightning strikes twice for 2nd MAW, Marine Corps welcomes first F-35B aircraft to its fleet DVIDS508701, Unknown author, Public domain
- USMC-120111-M-00000-001, COURTESY PHOTO, Public domain
- N309NV @ VPS, 2018-10-23, Steve Knight, CC BY 2.0
- Northbound FL85 at FL397, Niceville, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Walker's Ace Hardware on John Sims Parkway, Niceville, Florida, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Waffle House, Niceville, Florida, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- N222NV @ VPS, 2019-08-22, Tim, CC0
- Southbound FL85 passes under FL123, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Comfort Suites, Niceville, Florida, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Papa's Smokehouse, Niceville, Florida, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Turkey Creek Park, Niceville, Florida, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Taco Bell, Niceville, Florida, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AutoZone, Niceville, Florida, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ruby Tuesday, Niceville, Florida, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Burger King, Niceville, Florida, The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0
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