Carrabelle sits on Florida's Panhandle at the mouth of the Carrabelle River, where it meets St. George Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. It is one of two incorporated towns in Franklin County, a rural coastal county founded in 1832 and named for Benjamin Franklin. Located east of Apalachicola along the stretch of shoreline known as the Forgotten Coast, Carrabelle is the county's second-largest community. For much of its history, the town was a working port built on commercial timber and fishing. Franklin County long supported a timber and fishing economy, and Carrabelle's waterfront reflected that trade. In recent decades the area has shifted toward tourism and retirement, drawing visitors to its beaches, marinas, and maritime heritage sites while retaining a quiet, unpolished character that stands apart from Florida's more developed resort coasts. The town is known for several unusual and historic landmarks: the Crooked River Lighthouse, built in 1895; the World's Smallest Police Station, housed in an old telephone booth; and the Camp Gordon Johnston World War II Museum, which preserves the story of the region's amphibious training base. The Carrabelle History Museum documents the area's past. The surrounding county is largely forested and low-density, with state parks, rivers, and islands nearby. Fishing and boating remain central to daily life, and the town's harbor and seafood traditions keep its working-waterfront identity alive. Public schools are part of Franklin County Schools, and Tallahassee, the nearest city of any size, lies roughly 50 miles to the northeast. For residents and visitors alike, Carrabelle offers an authentic coastal Florida experience on a coast that has resisted large-scale development.