On the Gulf coast in the Panhandle Region of Florida (aka the Redneck Riviera), Escambia County was formed in 1821 as an original county in the newly acquired Florida Territory. In 1842, the eastern half of Escambia was split off to form Santa Rosa County. Escambia's county seat, Pensacola, is on I-10 about 15 miles east of the FL/AL border. Escambia is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico, Santa Rosa County, and the Alabama counties of Baldwin and Escambia.