Panama City (Florida)

Panama City, is on the Emerald Coast of Florida.

Note: Panama City and Mexico Beach sustained severe damage due to Oct 2018's Hurricane Michael. Travel is not advisable until the community has had a chance to rebuild.

Understand

Panama City is located adjacent to Panama City Beach, which tourists often confuse with Panama City. Panama City Beach is home to the beaches of the area and is a hugely popular destination for spring breakers and families alike. Panama City is much different, being the more established city in Bay County, and is therefore seen as the governmental, cultural, business, and educational capital of the county.

Panama City and the western portions of the Florida Panhandle are in the Central Time Zone, one hour behind the rest of the state.

Climate

Panama City is in the warm subtropical zone, which is not as warm as South Florida, but it is still has mild winters, hot summers, and pleasant spring and fall weather. The nearby waters of the Gulf of Mexico helps to moderate the climate. Panama City is also susceptible to hurricanes due to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Get in

By plane

Panama City is served by the Northwest Florida International Airport (ECP  IATA) , off Florida State Road 388 about midway between State Roads 79 and 77. Delta Air Lines offers daily non-stop service from Atlanta with MD-88's; and Delta Connection has service from both Atlanta and Memphis with Canadair Regional Jets. Southwest Airlines has service from Baltimore, Houston Hobby, Nashville, and Orlando with Boeing 737's.

Private pilots can also fly into Sandy Creek Airpark, located in the East Bay.

By car

Travelers headed to Panama City often drive to the destination, due to the strong regional appeal the area has. There are several routes to take depending on which direction a traveler is coming from. If coming from the North, US Highway 231, State Route 77, State Route 79 are all excellent roads into the area. US Highway 98 is the major East-West Highway along the and crosses through Panama City as 15th Street.

Arriving by SR 79, one will have to turn east onto US 98 in Panama City Beach and proceed across the Hathaway Bridge to reach Panama City.

If using Interstate 10 to reach Panama City, there will be several exits to take depending on your direction of travel. If arriving from the East, use the exit for US 231. From the exit it is a 50 mile drive to Panama City. One can also use the exit for SR 77, and it is also about 50 miles to Panama City.

By bus

Panama City has a Greyhound bus terminal located on Harrison Street/US 231.

Get around

See

Do

Buy

Eat
  • Black Angus Restaurant and Lounge, 4500 W Highway 98, ☎ +1 850 784-1788. 
  • Uncle Ernie's Bayfront Grill and Brew House. If you're looking for great, fresh seafood and a gorgeous view of the bay (remember, this is in the city, not on the beach), then look no further. This is where the locals eat when they want a view of the water and a fabulous meal. 

Drink

Sleep

See also Panama City Beach

Go next

The following locations are less than a 3 hour drive away, perfect for a day trip:

  • Apalachicola National Forest near Tallahassee.
  • Florida Caverns State Park in Marianna.
  • Destin, with 2 outlet malls for shopping and more great beaches.
  • Tallahassee, the state capital.
  • Falling Waters State Park - just north of Panama City on Hwy 77 in Chipley, you will find this State Park an amazing site. With sinkholes and a Waterfall which you can walk down into, this is a great location to visit for the day or even camp over night.
Routes through Panama City

Pensacola ← Fort Walton Beach ←  W  E  → Mexico Beach → Lakeland
Montgomery ← Dothan ←  N  S  → END


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