Pensacola Beach, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pensacola Beach, Florida
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A lifeguard stand on Pensacola Beach
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 Pensacola Beach, Florida
Location in Florida
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| Country |  United States |
| States |  Florida |
| County | Escambia |
| Founded by | Tristan de Luna |
| Area | |
| • Total | 29.943 km2 (11.561 sq mi) |
| • Land | 29.660 km2 (11.452 sq mi) |
| • Water | 0.283 km2 (0.109 sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
32561
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| Area code(s) | 850 |
| Website | [1] |
Pensacola Beach is a cool community located on Santa Rosa Island in Florida, United States. This island is a barrier island, which means it's a long, narrow island that protects the mainland from ocean storms. Pensacola Beach is in Escambia County.
It sits south of the cities of Pensacola and Gulf Breeze. Bridges connect these cities to the island. Pensacola Beach is famous for its super white sand beaches. About 2,738 people lived here in the year 2000.
The land that Pensacola Beach is on was given to the county in 1947 by the United States Department of Interior. This was done so the land would be used for everyone's benefit. Because of this, businesses and people living here have long-term leases instead of owning the land directly. Pensacola Beach is part of a larger area called the Pensacola Metropolitan Statistical Area. This area includes all of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Contents
History of Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach has a long and interesting history! It goes way back to when Spanish explorers first came to North America.
Early Explorers and Settlements
In 1539, a Spanish explorer named Francisco Maldonado visited this area. He was a lieutenant for Conquistador Hernando de Soto. Maldonado's ships stayed in Pensacola Bay during the winter of 1539–1540.
Later, in 1559, Don Tristan de Luna y Arellano led the first group to settle here. He arrived with 11 ships and 1500 settlers. They set up a colony where Naval Air Station Pensacola is today. Soon after they arrived, on August 15, 1559, a friar named Domingo de la Anunciacion held what is thought to be the first Christian religious service in what is now the United States. A marker today shows where this important event might have happened.
Just a few weeks later, a huge hurricane hit the colony. It killed hundreds of people and sank five of the 11 ships. The settlers faced a long time of hunger and struggles. Because of this, the first settlement was left empty in 1561.
In 1722, a fort called a presidio was built on Santa Rosa Island. This was near where Fort Pickens is now. But hurricanes in 1741 and 1752 forced the fort to move to the mainland.
Growing as a Tourist Spot
For many years, Pensacola Beach didn't have much development. The first big tourist spot was the Casino Resort. It was built where Casino Beach is today. From the 1930s to the 1950s, this resort hosted many events. These included beauty pageants, fishing tournaments, and even boxing matches. It had a bar, tennis courts, bath houses, and a restaurant. It was a very popular place until it closed in the 1960s.
The entire island was first owned by the U.S. government. To help the island grow, the government leased the land to the Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA). The SRIA then leases the land to people who build homes there. This means that all buildings on the island have 99-year renewable leases with the SRIA. People don't actually own the land itself.
Geography of Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach is located at 30°20′00″N 87°08′15″W / 30.33333°N 87.13750°W. It's on the barrier island of Santa Rosa. To the south, it has the Gulf of Mexico. To the north, it has Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola Bay. On its east and west sides, you'll find the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Weather in Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach usually has more stable temperatures all year compared to inland areas. This means winter lows are warmer than in Pensacola city. Also, summer highs are generally cooler because of the surrounding water.
Like many islands, Pensacola Beach gets nice sea breezes. These breezes usually start around noon and end near sunset in the summer. Afternoon thunderstorms are also common. The average temperature is about 44 °F (7 °C) in January and 89 °F (32 °C) in July.
Hurricanes and Storms
Pensacola Beach is on a low-lying barrier island. This means it can be affected by hurricanes. Strong storms can push storm surge (a rise in sea level) over the island. This can damage buildings and cause beach erosion.
In 1995, two hurricanes hit the island. Hurricane Erin arrived in August. Then, Hurricane Opal hit just two months later. Opal flattened some sand dunes and destroyed many homes.
On September 16, 2004, Hurricane Ivan caused a lot of damage in Pensacola Beach. It destroyed over 650 homes and hurt many others. Ivan was the last hurricane to hit Florida in 2004. That year was one of the worst hurricane seasons in a long time.
On July 10, 2005, Hurricane Dennis made landfall nearby. But the damage on Pensacola Beach was not as bad as people thought it would be.
In 2020, Hurricane Sally hit Pensacola Beach hard. It brought strong winds, storm surge flooding, and over 20 inches (510 mm) of rain. A part of the Pensacola Bay Bridge was destroyed during Hurricane Sally.
Sometimes, people on the island have to follow mandatory evacuation orders during these hurricanes to stay safe.
Oil Spill Impact
In 2010, there was a big oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It happened when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, 2010. Almost 5 million barrels of oil leaked into the Gulf before it was stopped on August 4, 2010.
Oil from this spill reached Pensacola beaches on June 4, 2010. Crews quickly worked to clean up the oil found on the beaches. The oil spill affected tourism in Pensacola Beach during the summer of 2010. News reports said that swimmers "encountered an oil sheen and children picked up tar blobs as big as tennis balls."
Getting Around Pensacola Beach
Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) provides bus transportation. You can use the bus seven days a week to get around.
Fun Things to Do in Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach offers many exciting attractions for visitors!
Casino Beach: The Heart of the Beach
Casino Beach is the main spot for beach activities in Pensacola Beach. It's named after an old casino that used to be here. This area has many restaurants and places for family fun. It's right next to the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier. This pier is 1,471 feet long, making it one of the longest piers on the Gulf of Mexico! Casino Beach has lifeguard stands, volleyball courts, a snack bar, and a big parking lot. During the summer, the Gulfside Pavilion hosts "Bands on the Beach" concerts.
Gulf Pier: Fishing and Sightseeing
The Gulf Pier is a very important part of Pensacola Beach for local people. Escambia County and the Santa Rosa Island Authority take care of it. You can go fishing here, or just enjoy watching marine wildlife. You might even see dolphins and stingrays! The pier has been closed and fixed many times because of damage from storms and hurricanes.
Blue Angels: Amazing Air Shows
Pensacola Beach is famous for flyovers by the Blue Angels demonstration team. They fly from the nearby Pensacola Naval Air Station. Every summer, they hold an amazing air show that you can watch from the beach!
Quietwater Beach Boardwalk: Shops and Fun
The Boardwalk is on the Santa Rosa Sound side of the island. It's right across from Casino Beach. Here, you'll find shops, restaurants, nightclubs, street musicians, and artists. The Boardwalk also has a large seashell stage. Concerts are held there several times a year.
Fort Pickens: A Historic Landmark
Fort Pickens is located at the far western end of Santa Rosa Island. It was finished in 1834 and used until World War II. By then, modern weapons made old coastal defenses less useful. Today, it's open to the public as part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. There's a small fee to enter, and you can even camp there for a fee.
Buildings and Landmarks
Pensacola Beach has some interesting buildings and unique landmarks.
Tall Buildings in Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach is home to some of the tallest buildings between Tallahassee and Mobile, Alabama. Here are some of them, listed by height:
- Portofino Towers (255 feet, 78 m)
- Verandas Tower (255 feet, 78 m)
- Beach Club (243 feet, 74 m)
- Hilton Pensacola Beach Resort (206 feet, 63 m)
- Santa Rosa Towers (206 feet, 63 m)
- Emerald Isle Condominium (206 feet, 63 m)
- Tristan Towers (194 feet, 59 m)
Famous Landmarks
Pensacola Beach Welcome Sign
The vintage Pensacola Beach Sign is another important landmark. It's just outside Pensacola Beach in Gulf Breeze. This sign from the 1960s used to have neon lights. It directs drivers to the beautiful views of the Gulf of Mexico, white sand beaches, motels, and restaurants. In 2019, the sign was updated to look just like the old one, but now it uses LED lights.
Beach Ball Water Tower
The beach ball painted water tower is a famous symbol of Pensacola Beach. This water tower is no longer used for water. But the city has kept it as a historical landmark.
Unusual Houses (Novelty Homes)
Pensacola Beach has some cool novelty houses. These are homes built with unusual shapes. They might be built for fun, to get attention, or to look like other famous buildings.
One of these is the "Dome of a Home." It was built in 2002. It's a large concrete dome designed to survive storm surges and strong hurricane winds of 133 metres per second (300 mph). It successfully stood strong during hurricanes Ivan and Dennis. Some people call it the "Flintstone Home" because it looks like a rock house.
Another unique house has a UFO-shaped Futuro attached as a second story. This "Spaceship House" was designed in the 1960s by a Finnish architect named Matti Suuronen. About a hundred of these were built around the world.
Schools in Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach has one school on the island. The Pensacola Beach Elementary School is part of the Escambia County School District (ECSD). It teaches children from kindergarten through fifth grade. This school usually has about 120 to 140 students. All elementary-school-aged children on Pensacola Beach can go to this school.
When the school first opened in 1977–1978, classes were held in an empty A-frame house. The Pensacola Beach Volunteer Fire Department also helped the teachers. In November 1977, four portable buildings were moved to the current school site. The school has won the "5 Star School award" every year since 1998.
In 2001, Pensacola Beach Elementary became a charter school. This means it has more freedom in how it operates. In September 2004, Hurricane Ivan destroyed an office and four classrooms. The principal believed that if it wasn't a charter school, the district might have closed it. It cost $1.5 million to fix the damage. The school is built on stilts next to the Gulf of Mexico. It's known as one of the best charter schools in Escambia County.
Even though Pensacola Beach is officially zoned for other ECSD schools (Suter Elementary, Workman Middle, and Pensacola High School), most middle and high school students from Pensacola Beach go to Gulf Breeze Middle School and Gulf Breeze High School. These schools are run by the Santa Rosa County School District. Some students also attend special magnet schools in the Pensacola area.
Churches on the Island
There are only two traditional churches on Pensacola Beach. Rules from the Santa Rosa Island Authority limit the number of churches on the island. However, since around 2011, some other churches have held outdoor meetings and services by the water on Sunday mornings.
