Ponce de Leon, FL

Ponce de Leon is a Holmes County town in Florida's Panhandle, where the 2020 census counted 504 residents. Named for Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, it sits along U.S. Route 90 in southwestern Holmes County. The highway leads northeast to Bonifay, the county seat, and west toward DeFuniak Springs. Sandy Creek, the Choctawhatchee River, and Ponce de Leon Springs State Park give the surrounding area its strongest natural reference points.

ATTRCORVERA / Public domain

The town's small center works as a crossroads between farms, springs, and the longer routes across North Florida. The spring run flows into Sandy Creek and then the Choctawhatchee River, while the state park keeps the spring itself close to town life. U.S. 90 carries daily traffic through the business strip and links Ponce de Leon with Walton and Holmes counties. The name is grand, but the local map is grounded in a short main street, a river basin, and clear spring water nearby. Seasonal visitors add another rhythm to the roads around the springs and river.