Gulf Coast Railway (formerly BNSF Railway, ex-Frisco Railway), the Bay Line Railroad, and the AN Railway. Air Major airports include: Pensacola International Airport Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport Tallahassee International Airport Bob Sikes Airport Destin Executive Airport DeFuniak Springs Airport Apalachicola Regional Airport Perry-Foley Airport Education The following institutions of higher learning are located in the Florida Panhandle. State University System: Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (Tallahassee) Florida State University (Tallahassee) University of West Florida (Pensacola) Florida College System: Chipola College (Marianna) Gulf Coast State College (Panama City) Northwest Florida State College (Niceville) Pensacola State College (Pensacola) Tallahassee Community College (Tallahassee) Religiously affiliated: Baptist College of Florida (Graceville) Pensacola Christian College (Pensacola) Politics The politics of the Florida Panhandle vary considerably depending on location. The western Panhandle, particularly the Emerald Coast, was one of the earliest areas to shake off its Yellow Dog Democrat roots, and since the 1990s has become the most Republican part of Florida. Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Destin and Panama City regularly give Republicans close to or over 70% margins in state and national elections. However, Tallahassee and Gadsden County tend to be strongly Democratic. In the 2008 Presidential election, John McCain received 421,287 votes (60.1%) in the Panhandle, while Barack Obama received 279,206 votes (39.9%). Culture and sports Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival Florida A&M Rattlers Florida State Seminoles Pensacola Blue Wahoos Pensacola Ice Flyers Red Hills Horse Trials Springtime Tallahassee Tallahassee Wine and Food Festival Counties The following counties west of the Apalachicola River are always included in references to the Panhandle: Bay County Calhoun County Escambia County Gulf County Holmes County Jackson County Okaloosa County Santa Rosa County Walton County Washington County Some or all of the following counties east of the Apalachicola, in the Big Bend subregion, are sometimes considered part of the Panhandle: Dixie County Franklin County Gadsden County Hamilton County Jefferson County Lafayette County Leon County Liberty County Madison County Taylor County Wakulla County Cities and towns Places marked with an asterisk (*) lie east of the Apalachicola River, and may not be considered part of the Panhandle by some residents or writers. Apalachicola Blountstown Bonifay Brent Callaway Carrabelle* Cedar Grove Century Chipley Crestview Cross City* DeFuniak Springs Destin Fort Walton Beach Gulf Breeze Jay Lynn Haven Madison* Marianna Mexico Beach Milton Niceville Panama City Panama City Beach Paxton Pensacola Port St Joe Quincy* Springfield Tallahassee* Valparaiso