Panama City Beach, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Panama City Beach, Florida
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Town
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View of the beach looking northwest from
St. Andrews State Park |
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| Nickname(s):
PCB, Capital of Redneck Riviera, Crystal Sands, Spring Break Capital of The World
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| Motto(s):
The World's Most Beautiful Beaches
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 Panama City Beach, Florida
Location in Florida
Panama City Beach, Florida
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Florida |
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| County | Bay | ||
| Incorporated | 1970 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 19.53 sq mi (50.57 km2) | ||
| • Land | 19.32 sq mi (50.05 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.20 sq mi (0.52 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 18,094 | ||
| • Density | 936.40/sq mi (361.55/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC– 06:00 (Central (CST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC– 05:00 (CDT) | ||
| ZIP |
32401, 32407, 32408, 32413, 32417
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| Area code(s) | 850, 448 | ||
| FIPS code | 12-54725 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0308451 | ||
Panama City Beach is a fun resort town in the Florida Panhandle. It is a main city in the Panama City area. This town is a very popular place for vacations, especially for people from the Southern United States. It is part of the beautiful "Emerald Coast" region.
Panama City Beach is known for its amazing, sugar-white sandy beaches. This is why its slogan is "The World's Most Beautiful Beaches." In 2020, about 18,094 people lived here. The town is also a popular spot for spring break because of its beaches and how easy it is to reach from many southern states.
It's important to know about rip currents when swimming here. These are strong currents that can pull swimmers away from the shore. If you get caught in one, don't try to swim straight back to the beach. Instead, stay calm and swim sideways, parallel to the shore. This will help you get out of the current safely. Lifeguards use double red flags to warn swimmers when rip currents are very dangerous.
Contents
History of Panama City Beach
How Panama City Beach Grew
In the early 2000s, Panama City Beach saw a lot of new buildings. Older homes and motels were replaced with tall condominiums and bigger houses. This made beachfront views and affordable properties harder to find. At one point, beachfront land was worth much more than it was in 2000. In 2006, CNN/Money even called Panama City Beach the best real estate market in America for the next five years.
This building boom also helped Panama City Beach become a very well-known place for spring break.
Major Weather Events
On October 10, 2018, a very strong storm called Hurricane Michael hit nearby. It was a Category 5 hurricane, which is one of the strongest types. The hurricane caused a lot of damage to many buildings in the area, including parts of Panama City Beach.
Later, on February 15, a small tornado also caused some minor damage to the northwest part of the town.
Where is Panama City Beach?
Panama City Beach is located in the panhandle part of Florida, right on the Gulf of Mexico. It has about 9 miles (14.5 km) of shoreline along the Gulf.
Main Roads in Panama City Beach
US 98 is a major road that runs near the coast. It connects Panama City Beach to Panama City to the east and Destin to the northwest.
State Road 30, also called Front Beach Road, runs right along the coast. It also connects to Panama City and Rosemary Beach.
State Road 79 goes north from Panama City Beach. It leads to Interstate 10 and then to the Alabama state line.
State Road 392A, known as Hutichison Boulevard, runs a bit inland, parallel to Front Beach Road.
People of Panama City Beach
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 36 | — | |
| 1970 | 67 | 86.1% | |
| 1980 | 2,148 | 3,106.0% | |
| 1990 | 4,051 | 88.6% | |
| 2000 | 7,671 | 89.4% | |
| 2010 | 12,018 | 56.7% | |
| 2020 | 18,094 | 50.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Panama City Beach has grown a lot over the years! In 2010, about 12,018 people lived there. By 2020, the population had grown to 18,094 people. This shows that more and more people are choosing to live in this beautiful beach town.
Education in Panama City Beach
Students in Panama City Beach attend schools run by the Bay District Schools (BDS).
- Surfside Middle School is the main middle school.
- Arnold High School is the main high school.
For higher education, there are also colleges nearby in Panama City, just across the Hathaway Bridge:
- Gulf Coast State College
- Florida State University Panama City branch campus
Getting Around Panama City Beach
Airport Travel
The Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) is the airport for the area. It handles flights for people traveling to and from Panama City Beach. This airport is special because it was the first international airport built after the events of September 11.
Local Transportation
You can rent scooters to get around town. There are also taxi and shuttle services available. Panama City Beach also has a public bus system called Bayway. The Bayway buses run hourly from Monday to Saturday, helping both visitors and locals travel throughout Bay County.
Sports and Entertainment
Panama City Beach has been home to a soccer team called the Panama City Beach Pirates. They played from 2007 to 2015.
The city also hosted the very last WCW Nitro event for World Championship Wrestling. This was a big wrestling show before WCW was bought by their rival, WWF (now WWE).
Fun Things to Do in Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach offers many exciting activities and places to visit!
- Frank Brown Park is a huge park with lots of space. It has fields for baseball, softball, soccer, and t-ball. You can also find basketball and tennis courts, playgrounds, and even a fishing pond for kids. There are also special areas for dogs to play.
- Panama City Aquatics Center is located at Frank Brown Park. It has a large outdoor pool that's the size of an Olympic pool, plus a fun splash pool for younger kids.
- Publix Sports Park is a big sports complex with many fields. It has 13 fields for sports like soccer, lacrosse, and baseball. Nine of these fields have special artificial turf.
- St. Andrews State Park is a great place to explore nature. You can go swimming, boating, camping, snorkeling, or bicycling here. It offers many different outdoor adventures.
Images for kids
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The city lies on Florida's "Emerald Coast" of the Gulf of Mexico
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Clear waters as seen from Pier Park's pier
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"Ripley's Believe it or Not!" museum, a tourist attraction
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Looking down on Front Beach Road
See also
In Spanish: Panama City Beach para niños
