Port St. Joe is a city and the county seat of Gulf County, Florida. It is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and State Road 71. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,357.

History

St. Joseph was founded in 1835 by businessmen from nearby Apalachicola, which was troubled by legal conflict over land titles. It was mostly abandoned in 1841, after a yellow fever epidemic; a storm surge produced by a hurricane in 1844 destroyed what structures remained. During the Civil War, Florida was a leading producer of salt for the Confederate army. On September 15, 1862, a Union army officer on board the USS Kingfisher wrote that he and his men had sent a demand to the extensive salt works at Saint Joseph that they cease production. When the work was not halted, the Kingfisher went into Saint Joseph bay, sent at least 50 men inland, and destroyed the salt works. In the early 20th century, a new settlement was founded close to the original after the arrival of the Apalachicola Northern Railroad in 1909. It appears that the more informal "Port St. Joe" was adopted for official use around this time. The community was extensively damaged by Hurricane Michael on October 10, 2018.

Geography

Port St. Joe is located in southern Gulf County at 29.80806°N, -85.29778°W (29.807968, –85.297684), within the Florida Panhandle and along the Emerald Coast. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.3 km2, of which 24.5 sqkm is land and 6.8 sqkm, or 21.86%, is water. The city limits extend into St. Joseph Bay, an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. Route 98 passes through Port St. Joe as Monument Drive in the north and Constitution Drive in the south. US 98 leads northwest along the Gulf shore 36 mi to Panama City and southeast 23 mi to Apalachicola. Florida State Road 71 (Cecil G. Costin Sr. Boulevard) leads northeast 24 mi to Wewahitchka. Port St. Joe averages only 3 ft above sea level. At its highest point it is only 8 ft above sea level. This portion of the town has been dubbed "Highland View".

Climate

The City of Port St. Joe is part of the humid subtropical climate zone with a Köppen Climate Classification of "Cfa" (C = mild temperate, f = fully humid, and a = hot summer).

Demographics

2010 and 2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,357 people, 1,494 households, and 999 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 3,445 people, 1,544 households, and 946 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,644 people, 1,402 households, and 1,030 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,097.4 PD/sqmi. There were 1,571 housing units at an average density of 473.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 68.52% White, 30.10% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population. In 2000, there were 1,402 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.94. In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $33,800, and the median income for a family was $39,489. Males had a median income of $30,244 versus $21,111 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,205. About 11.2% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Port St. Joe is served by Gulf County Schools.

Public and private schools

Colleges and universities

Library

The Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library is a part of the Northwest Regional Library System. The library is co-located with the senior citizens center, sheriff's office, courthouse, and animal shelter off State Road 71.

Points of interest

Local media

Radio

Newspaper

Transportation

Water

The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), a federally maintained canal with a channel of 12 ft deep by 125 ft wide, connects Port St. Joe to Panama City and Apalachicola. The Port of Port St. Joe shipping channel is congressionally authorized to a depth of 35 ft and connects to the shipping lanes of the Gulf of Mexico. Existing facilities include a manufacturer of chemical lime from dolomite, a chemical plant, a 9 million ton/year dry bulk barge-to-rail transloading terminal, and a builder of dive-cruise ships.

Rail

The AN Railway previously served the industries and port of Port St. Joe and had a history of transporting a variety of products including wood chips and other forest products, chemicals, and coal. In light of the latter, most of its 96 mi mainline consisted of heavy duty, 140 lb rail on concrete ties. The AN connected with the Class I CSX Transportation at Chattahoochee, Florida. There is currently no rail service in Port St. Joe.

Highway

U.S. Route 98 along the coast and through Port St. Joe providing a route west to Panama City and east to Apalachicola. State Road 71 connects Port St. Joe northward toward Alabama and Georgia, including providing access to Interstate 10 which is 72 miles (116 km) away.

Notable people