Panama City Beach, Florida
Panama City Beach is a city of 18,971 people in Bay County, Florida, founded in 1977.
Why visit Panama City Beach
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 91 places to eat, 41 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include The Grand 16 - Pier Park, Miracle Strip Amusement Park, Man in the Sea Museum and Panama City Beach Veteran's Memorial.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 42°F.
Weather in Panama City Beach
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach is a resort city in the Florida Panhandle, and principal city of the Panama City metropolitan area. Being located on the Emerald Coast area of Florida, it is a popular vacation destination. Panama City Beach had a population of 18,094 at the 2020 census, up from 12,018 in 2010. Panama City Beach's slogan is "the World's Most Beautiful Beaches" due to the unique, sugar-white, sandy beaches of the Florida Panhandle.
From the Wikipedia article Panama City Beach, Florida (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Miracle Strip Amusement Park
Monument and historic site · 4.3 mi
Former American amusement park
Museums and landmarks4
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Man in the Sea Museum
Museum · 1.0 mi
Maritime museum in Panama City Beach, Florida
17314 Panama City Beach Parkway, Panama City Beach
We-Sa 10:00-16:00
Panama City Beach Veteran's Memorial
Monument and historic site · 1.0 mi
Public memorial that honors all branches of the armed forces and those who have served. As mentioned on their website, memorial bricks...
West Pier Park Drive & L C Hilton Jr Drive, Panama City Beach
24/7
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Swampy Jack's Wongo Adventure
Sports field and stadium · 1.3 mi
284 Powell Adams Road, Panama City Beach
Mo-Su 17:00-23:00
Restaurants and cafes91
Angry Tuna Seafood Company
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.1 mi
701 South Pier Park Drive
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Buffalo Wild Wings
Restaurant · Wings · 1.1 mi
701 South Pier Park Drive, Panama City Beach
Mo-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr-Su 11:00-22:00
Dave & Buster's
Diner · American · 1.1 mi
15701 L.C. Hilton Jr. Drive, Panama City Beach
Mo-Th 11:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-01:00; Su 10:00-24:00
Dick's Last Resort
Diner · American · 1.2 mi
16210 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach
Mo-Su 11:00-22:00
Great White Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.2 mi
801 Pier Park Drive, Panama City Beach
Mo-Su 12:00-21:00
New York Pizza & Grill
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.1 mi
600 South Pier Park Drive, Panama City Beach
Mo-Sa 10:00-20:00; Su 10:00-18:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.2 mi
14100 Panama City Beach Parkway, Panama City Beach
Mo-Su 05:00-20:00
Margaritaville
Restaurant · 1.2 mi
16230 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
San Marco's Mexican Grill
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.0 mi
101 Bluefish Drive, Panama City Beach
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Shuckums Oyster Pub & Seafood Grill
Bar and pub · Seafood · 1.5 mi
15614 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach
Mo-Su 11:00-22:00
79 more on the map.
History
Panama City Beach was incorporated as a city in 1970 when a number of beachside communities merged, including the original Panama City Beach resort area founded by Gideon Thomas after the US 98 Hathaway Bridge across the west bay out of Panama City opened in 1929. Thomas purchased land along what became Thomas Dr in 1932 and opened for business in 1936. Also Long Beach Resort, created by J. E. Churchwell when he purchased land that was a former defunct beach resort owned by W.T. Sharpless (who was murdered after trying to collect tax from beachgoers in 1931) at the intersection of Thomas Dr and Front Beach Road in 1932 and opened for business in 1935. Other communities and resorts involved in the merger were Edgewater Gulf Beach, West Panama City Beach, Laguna Beach, Dutchville, Playville, and Julia.
From the History section of Panama City Beach, Florida on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay41
Days Inn by Wyndham Panama City Beach/Ocean Front
Motel and hotel · 3.6 mi
12818 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach
Embassy Suites by Hilton Panama City Beach Resort
Motel and hotel · 1.2 mi
16006 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach
Hampton Inn & Suites Panama City Beach-Beachfront
Motel and hotel · 1.6 mi
15505 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach
Hampton Inn & Suites Panama City Beach-Pier Park Area
Motel and hotel · 2.7 mi
13505 Panama City Beach Parkway, Panama City Beach
TownePlace Suites Panama City Beach Pier Park
Motel and hotel · 0.5 mi
16000 Panama City Beach Parkway, Panama City Beach
Hyatt Place Panama City Beach / Beachfront
Motel and hotel · 1.4 mi
15727 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach
Churches and places of worship5
St. Thomas by the Sea Episcopal Church
Church · 3.6 mi
20400 First Avenue, Panama City Beach
Shopping20
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Breakfast Point Academy
School · 4.6 mi
601 N Richard Jackson Blvd, Panama City Beach
Hutchison Beach Elementary School
School · 3.3 mi
12900 Middle Beach Rd, Panama City Beach
Healthcare1
AFC Urgent Care
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.2 mi
15415 Panama City Beach Parkway, Panama City Beach
Map of Panama City Beach
184 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63°F | 42°F | 4.7 in |
| Feb | 67°F | 45°F | 4.8 in |
| Mar | 72°F | 50°F | 5.2 in |
| Apr | 79°F | 56°F | 4.9 in |
| May | 86°F | 63°F | 3.0 in |
| Jun | 89°F | 71°F | 5.7 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 73°F | 6.8 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 74°F | 7.1 in |
| Sep | 88°F | 70°F | 5.1 in |
| Oct | 81°F | 59°F | 3.5 in |
| Nov | 73°F | 48°F | 4.2 in |
| Dec | 66°F | 44°F | 4.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Nw Florida Beaches Intl Ap (10 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Bay County has had 36 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-10-27: Hurricane Isaias (Tropical Storm)
- 2026-10-09: Hurricane Isaias (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-28: Hurricane Helene (Hurricane)
- 2024-09-24: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-10: Hurricane Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-03: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 10 miles away.
- Laguna Beach 5 mi west, about 8 min by car
- Upper Grand Lagoon 8 mi southeast, about 13 min by car
- Lower Grand Lagoon 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
- Pretty Bayou 11 mi east, about 18 min by car
- Lynn Haven 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Cedar Grove 15 mi east, about 24 min by car
- Springfield 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Parker 18 mi southeast, about 29 min by car
- Panama City 21 mi east, about 33 min by car
- Callaway 21 mi east, about 34 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Panama City Beach, Florida (J.S. Clark), j.s. clark / "Image by jsclark.net.", CC BY-SA 2.0
- PC Beach MOMITS thing02, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Miracle Strip Amusement Park, Postcard from 1970s, CC BY-SA 4.0
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