Panama City Beach, Florida
Panama City Beach, Florida | |
|---|---|
Panama City Beach's skyline and 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 | United States |
| State | Florida |
| 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 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0308451 |
| Website | www |
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Panama City Beach is a resort town in the Florida Panhandle, and principal city of the Panama City Metropolitan Area. It is a popular vacation destination, especially among people in the Southern United States, and is located in the "Emerald Coast" area. Panama City Beach had a population of 18,094 at the time of 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.
The town is also a popular spring break destination, due to its beach and proximity to most of the Southern United States.
Panama City Beach has dangerous rip currents. Multiple people have drowned at Panama City Beach while struggling against rip currents. Sea conditions are particularly dangerous during periods when lifeguards have put up double red flags, indicating active rip currents. Drowning often occurs when people attempt to swim directly against a rip current. By attempting to directly return to the beach, against the rip current, swimmers get tired-out in the process and drown. 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.