This physiographic province of the northern Gulf Coast region is made up of sand, silt, and clay hills.

It does not conform to the state of Florida's section, township and range survey system, for two reasons.

The second reason for an irregular roadway and property boundary system is due to the community originally being built around the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (now the CSX railway).

U.S. Route 29 (US 29), a more modern highway, was constructed and moved many of the commercial operations west of the small original core of the community (now mostly located within the Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company Residential Historic District).

Century is the western terminus of State Road 4, which leads east to the communities of Jay, Munson, Baker, and Milligan.

These natural mineral deposits are essential to supporting the construction industries in nearby Pensacola and Mobile, especially for use as aggregate materials in concrete.

Nearby papermills at Cantontment, and Brewton, Alabama, provide a market for cut pulpwood.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,713 people, 739 households, and 413 families residing in the town.

[14] As of the 2010 United States census, there were 1,698 people, 699 households, and 449 families residing in the town.

A Florida prison known as Century Correctional Institution is the only major employer in the region.