Panama City Beach, Florida | |
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Town | |
![]() View of the beach looking northwest from St. Andrews State Park | |
Nickname(s): PCB, Capital of Redneck Riviera, Crystal Sands, Spring Break Capital of The World | |
Motto: The World's Most Beautiful Beaches | |
![]() Interactive map outlining Panama City Beach | |
Coordinates: 30°10′36″N 85°48′20″W / 30.17667°N 85.80556°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
County | Bay |
Incorporated | 1970 |
Government | |
• City Manager | Drew Whitman (Republican)(2021–Present) |
• Mayor | Stuart Tettemer (Republican) (2024-Present) |
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) | |
• 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 |
Area code(s) | 850, 448 |
FIPS code | 12-54725[2] |
GNIS feature ID | 0308451[3] |
Website | www |
Panama City Beach is a resort town in Bay County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico coast. It had a population of 18,094 at the 2020 census, up from 12,018 in 2010.[4] It is a principal city in the Panama City—Panama City Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Panama City Beach is often mistakenly referred to as "Panama City". Panama City Beach's slogan is "The World's Most Beautiful Beaches" due to the unique,[5] sugar-white sandy beaches of northwest Florida.
Panama City Beach is a popular vacation destination, especially among people in the Southern United States. The town is also a popular spring break destination, due to its beach and proximity to most of the Southern United States. The first two seasons of MTV's Floribama Shore were filmed in the town.
Panama City Beach has dangerous rip currents.[6] Multiple people have drowned at Panama City Beach while struggling against rip currents.[6] Sea conditions are particularly dangerous during periods when lifeguards have put up double red flags, indicating active rip currents.[6] Drowning often occurs when people attempt to swim directly against a rip current.[7] By attempting to directly return to the beach, against the rip current, swimmers get tired-out in the process and drown.[7] Instead, swimmers caught in a rip current should relax, and swim parallel to the beach, until they are naturally carried out of the rip current.[7]