Panama City is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Bay County, Florida Bay County is a county on the Emerald Coast in Northwest Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 175,216. Its county seat is Panama City. Bay County is included in the Panama City, Florida metropolitan area. History On February 1 ...

, United States. Located along U.S. Highway 98 (US 98), it is the largest city between

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of and the only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2024, the est ...

and

Pensacola Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only city in Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Pensacola metropolitan area, which ha ...

. It is also the most populated city and a principal city of the Panama City–Panama City Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area with around 200,534 in the metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 32,939, down from the figure of 36,484 at the 2010 census.

History

Name

The development in this once unincorporated part of

Northwest Florida The Florida panhandle (also known as West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida. It is a salient roughly long, bordered by Alabama on the west and north, Georgia on the north, and the Gulf of M ...

was created by combining the settlements and communities of Floriopolis, Harrison, Millville, Park Resort, and St. Andrews. In 1906, the development was named Panama City and it was first incorporated as Panama City in 1909. When Panama City was incorporated, its original city limits were 15th Street (Hwy 98) on the north, Balboa Avenue on the west and Bay Avenue on the east. According to the Panama City Public Library's ''A History of Panama City'', George Mortimer West hoped to spur real estate development in Bay County during a period of intense popular interest in the construction of the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

by changing the town's name from Harrison to Panama City, because a straight line between

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and the Central American country Panama's national capital intersected the Florida town. Additionally, since required meanders around land formations in a seaborne route to the canal added distance when starting at other ports, Panama City was the closest developed port in the US mainland to the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

entrance of the Panama Canal.

Geography

Panama City is located within the

Florida Panhandle The Florida panhandle (also known as West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida. It is a Salient (geography), salient roughly long, bordered by Alabama on the west and north, Georgia (U.S. state ...

, and along the

Emerald Coast The Emerald Coast is an unofficial name for the coastal area in the US state of Florida on the Gulf of Mexico that stretches about through five counties—Escambia County, Florida, Escambia, Santa Rosa County, Florida, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa Co ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city limits encompass an area of , of which is land and , or 17.39%, is water.

Climate

Panama City has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, with short, mild winters and long, hot and humid summers. In January, the average low is 42.6 °F (5.9 °C), and in July the average high is 91.1 °F (32.8 °C). Due to its location on the Gulf Coast, the city is susceptible to tropical cyclones. Panama City was directly hit by

Hurricane Michael Hurricane Michael was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that became the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous United States since Andrew in 1992. It was the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane to make ...

on October 10, 2018, which made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane. The storm caused catastrophic damage to the city and surrounding communities, with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) at landfall. The city previously suffered significant indirect impacts from Hurricane Ivan (2004) and Hurricane Opal (1995). Panama City is also no stranger to tornadoes, having recently been affected by an EF3 tornado on January 9, 2024 and an EF2 tornado on March 18, 2022.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 32,939 people, 15,733 households, and 8,856 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 36,484 people, 15,419 households, and 8,893 families residing in the city. As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, the population density was . There were 17,438 housing units at an average density of . In 2010, there were 15,419 households, out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.3% were headed by

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28, and the average family size was 2.91. In 2010, in the city, the population was 20.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males. As of the 2000 census, the city's median household income was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The city's

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $17,830. About 12.1% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Industry

Two military bases make the federal government the largest employer. As of 2024, industrial employers in the Bay County area include Eastern Shipbuilding Group, L-3 Technologies, Oceaneering,

Florida Power & Light Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), the principal subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc. (formerly FPL Group, Inc.), is the largest power utility in Florida. It is a Juno Beach, Florida-based power utility company serving roughly 5 million customer ...

Trane Trane is a manufacturer of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, along with building management systems and controls. The company is a subsidiary of Trane Technologies, a company focused on manufacturing HVAC and refrigera ...

, and Jensen-Group.

Military

Tyndall Air Force Base Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt. Frank Benjamin Tyndall. The base operating unit and host wing is the 325th Fighter Wing (3 ...

to the east, is undergoing a $5.3 billion rebuild to make it the "installation of the future" after Hurricane Michael hit the base in 2018.

Naval Support Activity Panama City Naval Support Activity Panama City (NSA PC), is a military shore installation of the United States Navy located in Bay County, in Panama City, Florida. Among its various tenant commands, it houses the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City D ...

and Coast Guard Station Panama City are just over the Hathaway Bridge in Panama City Beach. The 153rd Cavalry Regiment, part of the

Florida Army National Guard The Florida Army National Guard is Florida's component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. In the United States, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the federal army's available combat forces ...

, is headquartered in Panama City with units throughout the panhandle. Panama City is also approximately 100 miles south of

Fort Novosel Fort Rucker is a United States Army post located primarily in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was formerly named in honor of Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel, an Army aviator and Medal of Honor recipient. It was previously name ...

, Alabama, home to the U.S. Army's Aviation Center of Excellence.

Retail

The city's main retail center was the Panama City Mall until it was permanently closed after

. In August 2020, owners of the Panama City Mall released plans to demolish the mall and build a new commercial complex. The plans included a hotel, shops, and restaurants. As of 2023, those plans have not come to fruition. Another local retail center is the Bay City Pointe, on FL 368 (locally known as 23rd St.). Pier Park, on the beach across the Hathaway Bridge spanning St. Andrews Bay, is a third local retail center. Other retail areas in the Panama City Metro are the 15th Street Shopping Strip (A area between Harrison Ave/ US Highway 231 and Beck Ave/ US Bus 98/ State Road 390), 23rd Street Shopping Strip, Downtown Panama City, Historic St. Andrews, and Millville Historic District.

Education

Panama City's public schools are operated by

Bay District Schools Bay District Schools (BDS) is a school district headquartered in Panama City, Florida, United States with 48 schools, 26,199 students, and 1,700 teachers, ranking it number 16 in the state for size. The district serves all of Bay County except ...

. Charter schools include: * Bay Haven (K-8) * North Bay Haven (K-12) * Palm Bay Academy (6-12) * The Collegiate School * University Academy (K-8) Private schools in the city include: * Holy Nativity Episcopal School * St. John Catholic School * Jacob Austin Prep. Academy * Covenant Christian School

Gulf Coast State College Gulf Coast State College is a public college in Panama City, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System and offers the Associate of Arts degree, Associate of Science degree, certificates, and as of 2011, bachelor's degrees. History The ...

, formerly Gulf Coast Community College, is now a 4-year

state college State College is a borough and home rule municipality in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a college town, home to the University Park campus of The Pennsylvania State University. State College is the largest designated borou ...

. Florida State University Panama City Campus and a satellite campus of

Troy University Troy University is a public university in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was founded in 1887 as Troy State Normal School within the Alabama State University System, and is now the flagship university of the Troy University System. It was one ...

are located in the city.

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Embry may refer to: People * Aaron Embry (born 1975), American musician * Ashton F. Embry (born 1946), Canadian research scientist *Basil Embry (1902–1977), British air force commander * C. B. Embry (1941-2022), American politician *Eric Embry ...

has a satellite campus on

. Tom P. Haney Technical College is a local alternative to traditional college, offering a variety of vocational training programs. The school operates under the auspices of Bay District Schools. Public high schools in the Panama City metro-area include: * Rutherford High School * Bay High School * A. Crawford Mosley High School * Arnold High School * Deane Bozeman Learning Center * Rosenwald High School

Media

* ''The News Herald'', newspaper *

WJHG WJHG-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Panama City, Florida, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Gray Media alongside low-power broadcasting#Television, low-power dual CBS/MyNetworkTV affiliate WECP-LD (channel 21). The t ...

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

affiliate on channel 7 *

WMBB WMBB (channel 13) is a television station in Panama City, Florida, United States, affiliated with ABC. Its second digital subchannel serves as an owned-and-operated station of The CW (via The CW Plus). Owned by Nexstar Media Group, the station ...

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

affiliate on channel 13 with

The CW Plus The CW Plus is a secondary national broadcast television broadcast syndication, syndication service feed of The CW, whose controlling stake of 75% is owned by Nexstar Media Group, with Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery holding their ow ...

on DT2 *

WECP-LD WECP-LD (channel 21) is a low-power television station in Panama City, Florida, United States, affiliated with CBS, MyNetworkTV, and Telemundo. It is owned by Gray Media alongside NBC affiliate WJHG-TV (channel 7). The two stations share st ...

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

affiliate on channel 21 with

MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV (stylized as mynetworkTV; unofficially abbreviated MNT or MNTV) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its Fox Television Stations ...

on DT2 *

WPGX WPGX (channel 28) is a television station in Panama City, Florida, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. The station is owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group, and maintains transmitter facilities on Blue Springs Road in unincorporated You ...

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

affiliate on channel 28 * WFSG,

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

affiliate on channel 56 (satellite of WFSU-TV, Tallahassee) * WPCT –

Public-access television Public-access television (sometimes called community-access television) is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is Narrowcasting, narrowcast through cable tele ...

cable TV Cable television is a system of delivering television broadcast programming, programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This ...

* WGSX, 104.3 ESPN Northwest Florida, Sports Talk *

WASJ WASJ (105.1 FM, "Bob FM 105.1") is a radio station broadcasting an adult hits music format, under the Bob FM branding. Licensed to Panama City Beach, Florida, United States, the station is currently owned by Roberta Fagan, through licensee RoRo ...

, Bob FM 105.1, 1980s/1990s/2000s * WBPC, Beach 95.1, Oldies *

WFLF-FM WFLF-FM (94.5 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Parker, Florida, and serving the Panama City area of the Florida Panhandle. It airs an active rock radio format and is owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc. In morning drive time, ...

Fox News Radio Fox News Radio is an American radio network owned by Fox News. It is syndicated to over 500 AM and FM radio stations across the United States. It also supplies programming for three channels on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. History In 2003, ...

* WFSW,

public radio Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive ...

WFSY WFSY (98.5 FM) is a radio station which normally broadcasts an adult contemporary format but during the holidays, broadcasts Christmas music. Licensed to Panama City, Florida, United States, the station also serves the Dothan, Alabama, market. ...

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

* WILN, Island 106,

Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...

* WKGC-FM,

WKNK WKNK (103.5 FM broadcasting, FM) is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Callaway, Florida, United States, the station serves the Panama City area. The station is currently owned by Roberta Fagan, through licensee RoRo ...

, Kick'n Country,

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

* WPAP,

* WPFM,

K-Love K-Love (stylized as K-LOVE) is an American Christian radio network. Owned by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF), a non-profit Christian ministry, it primarily broadcasts contemporary Christian music. As of June 2019, the network's progr ...

Contemporary Christian music Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music, is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christianity, Chri ...

WRBA WRBA (95.9 FM, "B95.9") is a radio station city of license, licensed to Springfield, Florida. Owned by Roberta Fagan, through licensee RoRo Investments, LLC, it broadcasts a classic rock format serving the Panama City, Florida, Panama City marke ...

, Classic Rock 95.9,

Classic Rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

* WYOO, Talk Radio 101,

Talk Radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...

* WYYX, 97X, "Panama City's Rock Station" * WAYP-FM, 88.3 WAY-FM

Christian Hit Radio Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music, is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith an ...

Infrastructure

Transportation

Major highways

* * * * *

Roads

The two main east–west thoroughfares in Panama City proper are 23rd Street and

US 98 U.S. Route 98 (US 98) is an east–west United States Highway in the Southeastern United States that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola, Florida, Pensacola and Apalachicola, ...

. SR 368 runs east–west across the northern part of the city as a bypass. US 98 runs east–west through the city itself, leading southeast to Mexico Beach and west to

Panama City Beach Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

. The two main north–south thoroughfares in the city are Martin Luther King Boulevard, otherwise known as SR 77 and

US 231 U.S. Route 231 (US 231) is a north–south U.S highway that is a parallel route of US 31. It runs for from St. John, Indiana, at US 41 to south of US 98 in downtown Panama City, Florida. One of its most notable landmark ...

. SR 77 leads north to the Panama City

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

of Lynn Haven. US 231 begins its national journey northward in the city, leading northeast to Dothan,

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. Other more local highways run through the city, including many

county roads A county highway (also county road or county route; usually abbreviated CH or CR) is a road in the United States and in the Canadian province of Ontario that is designated and/or maintained by the County (United States), county highway departm ...

Bridges

Because of the city's position on St. Andrews Bay, bridges are very important to the area, and most directions into or out of the city require the use of one of three large bridges to cross parts of the bay. These are the Bailey Bridge to the north on Hwy 77, the Dupont Bridge to the south on Hwy 98 and the Hathaway Bridge to the west on Hwy 98. The largest of these is the Hathaway Bridge, which is the only direct connection between Panama City and Panama City Beach.

Rail

The

Bay Line Railroad The Bay Line Railroad is one of several short line railroad companies owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. It operates between Panama City, Florida, and Dothan, Alabama, including a branch from Grimes to Abbeville, Alabama, reached via trackage right ...

has an rail line running north to

Dothan, Alabama Dothan is a city in and the county seat of Houston County, Alabama, Houston County in the U.S. state of Alabama. A slight portion of the city extends into Dale County, Alabama, Dale and Henry County, Alabama, Henry counties. It had a population ...

, to a connection with

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...

and

Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

. Until some point between 1955 and 1956 the

Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railroad The Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railway , also known as the Bay Line, was a Class I railroad which operated in Alabama and Florida. The company was founded in 1906 and opened its mainline between Dothan, Alabama, and Panama City, Florida, in 1908. ...

ran passenger trains from Panama City to

. Additionally, the A&StA operated sleeping car service to Atlanta from Panama City.

Bus transportation

Local transit is handled by the

Bayway Bayway (formerly Bay Town Trolley) is the primary provider of mass transportation in Bay County, Florida. The system was previously known as the Bay Town Trolley, due to at one point where the majority of buses in the fleet were designed in the sty ...

. Service generally runs Monday–Saturday from 6 AM to 7 PM.

Air transportation

The city was served by the

Panama City-Bay County International Airport Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

(PFN) until May 22, 2010. It was replaced by the

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is a public airport northwest of Panama City, Florida, United States, in Bay County. The airport is owned by the Panama City-Bay County Airport & Industrial District, and is north of Panama ...

(ECP) with

Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Co., or simply Southwest, is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States that formerly operated on a low-cost carrier model. It is headquartered in the Love Field, Dallas, Love Field neighborhood ...

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, operating nine hubs, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being its ...

, and

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois that operates an extensive domestic and international route network across the United States and six ...

. In June 2018, ECP also added

American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...

. In 2020, ECP was ranked the fourth fastest growing airport in the U.S.

Port

The

Port of Panama City The Port of Panama City is a port on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in Panama City, Florida. The port is overseen by the Port Authority of Panama City, which was initiated in 1945. History The deed for the land of the Port Panama City was condu ...

is on St. Andrews Bay.

Hospitals

The city has two hospitals, Ascension Sacred Heart Bay (known as Bay Medical Sacred Heart until

destroyed a large portion of it) and HCA Florida Gulf Coast Medical Center.

Notable people

Robert A. Barth Robert August Barth (August 28, 1930 – March 26, 2020) was a United States Navy Chief Quartermaster, pioneering aquanaut and professional diver. He was the only diver to participate in all U.S. Navy SEALAB missions led by George F. Bond. Barth ...

, Naval diver * Mike Campbell, lead guitarist for

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band formed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1976. The band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer ...

* Jaye Chapman, former

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

pitcher *

Adam Cole Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989), known by the ring name Adam Cole, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Paragon (professional wrestling), ...

, professional wrestler * Donnie Craft, former

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

and

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division and five in the West Division. The CFL is the highest pr ...

player *

Clint Daniels Clint Allen Daniels (born August 24, 1974, in Panama City, Florida) is an American country music artist. Signed to Arista Nashville in 1998, Daniels charted two singles for the label. In 2003, Daniels signed to Epic Records, releasing a third si ...

, country music artist *

Daniel Davidson Daniel Gerome Davidson (born January 8, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Davidson is 6 ft 4in tall and weighs 225 lbs ...

, former

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

* Neal Dunn, member of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

* Javien Elliott, former

and

player *

Codi Galloway Codi Galloway is an American politician who served as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from the 15th district. Elected in November 2020, she assumed office on December 1, 2020. Early life and education Galloway was born in Panam ...

, member of the

Idaho House of Representatives The Idaho House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Idaho Legislature. It consists of 70 representatives elected to two-year terms. The state is divided into 35 districts, each of which elects two representatives to separate seats. ...

Jay Gainer Johnathan Keith Gainer (born October 8, 1966) is an American former Major League Baseball first baseman who appeared in 23 games for the Colorado Rockies in its 1993 season. He is an alumnus of the University of South Alabama. Career A member ...

, former MLB player *

Clarence Earl Gideon Clarence Earl Gideon (August 30, 1910 – January 18, 1972) was an impoverished American Homelessness in the United States, drifter accused in a Florida state court of Burglary, felony breaking and entering. While in prison, he appealed his cas ...

, the plaintiff in ''

Gideon v. Wainwright ''Gideon v. Wainwright'', 372 U.S. 335 (1963), was a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Supreme Court decision in which the Court ruled that the Sixth Amendment to the United S ...

'' * David Hart, actor * Hulon, famous

smooth jazz Smooth jazz is commercially oriented crossover jazz music. Although often described as a "genre", it is a debatable and highly controversial subject in jazz music circles. As a radio format, however, smooth jazz radio became the successor to e ...

saxophonist * David Herndon, former MLB pitcher with the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

* John James, former NFL player; 3×

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

, University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame *

Alonzo Johnson Alonzo Al Johnson (April 4, 1963 – February 1, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s. Johnson played colleg ...

, former NFL

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

* Brandon Jones, former MLB player *

Tasha K Latasha Kebe (born March 10, 1982), known professionally as Tasha K, is an American comedian, celebrity news broadcaster and online personality. She has been featured on The Shade Room, TMZ, Billboard, Daily Mail, Essence, New York Post, Radar On ...

, online personality * Eric Kelly, former NFL player *

Greg Kelser Gregory Kelser (born September 17, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player and current television color commentator. Nicknamed "Special K", Kelser was a key member of the 1979 NCAA Champion Michigan State Spartans and spent s ...

, former

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

player and commentator * Bob LeBlanc, former NFL player * Eric Lee, former NFL player * Cy McClairen, former NFL player * Robert Lee McKenzie, entrepreneur, real estate developer, first mayor of Panama City, and an important figure in the early history of

Bob Jones University Bob Jones University (BJU) is a private university in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. It is known for its Conservatism in the United States, conservative and Evangelicalism in the United States, evangelical cultural and religious posit ...

Carolyn Murphy Carolyn Murphy (born August 11, 1974) is an American model. Career In 1998, Murphy was named VH1/''Vogue''s Model of the Year. She played Dubbie in Barry Levinson's film ''Liberty Heights''. She was one of the 'Modern Muses' on the November 1999 ...

, model *

Chip Myers Phillip Leon "Chip" Myers (July 9, 1945 – February 23, 1999) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver who in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers. He played college ...

, former NFL player and coach * Doug Nettles, former NFL player *

Dan Peek Daniel Milton Peek () was an American musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the co-founder of the band America, and later a "pioneer" in contemporary Christian music. Early life Peek was born in Panama City, Florida, on November 1, 1 ...

, member of the soft rock band

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Blake Percival Blake Percival was the Director of Fieldwork Services, Western Pennsylvania (WPA), for USIS. He became a whistleblower in July 2011, when he filed a ''qui tam'' suit saying he was fired from USIS, for not ordering his subordinates to submit ca ...

whistleblower Whistleblowing (also whistle-blowing or whistle blowing) is the activity of a person, often an employee, revealing information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe, unethical or ...

who exposed USIS *

Blood Raw Bruce Stan Falson (born April 17, 1975), better known by his stage name Blood Raw, is an American rapper. He was part of the Atlanta-based rap-group U.S.D.A. until 2010. U.S.D.A bio Allmusic His debut album, '' My Life: The True Testimony'', pe ...

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...

with the group U.S.D.A and

Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music fo ...

Bert Reed Bert Reed (born June 1, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. College career Reed played wide receiver for Florida State. Professional career Cleveland Browns Reed signed with the Cleveland Browns practice squad on May 9, 2012, ...

, former NFL player * Jeff Richards,

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

coach who was best known for his tenure as interim head football coach at

Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State University (JSU or Jax State) is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in six academic schools leading to bachelor's degree, bachelor's, mas ...

in 1999. * Janarius Robinson, 2016 graduate of Bay High School, defensive end in the NFL for the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

* Kenny Saief, player for the

United States men's national soccer team The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT), officially recognized as USA by FIFA, represents the United States in men's international Association football, soccer. The team is governed by the United States Soccer Federation, which is ...

Tom Shields ] Thomas Allen Shields (born July 11, 1991) is an American competitive Swimming (sport), swimmer. He is a two-time Olympian and the current American record-holder in the short course 50-meter butterfly and 200-meter butterfly. At the 2016 Sum ...

, Olympic Swimming (sport), swimmer. He is a two-time

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

gold medalist and the current American record-holder in the short course 50-meter butterfly and 200-meter butterfly. * Anwar Stewart, former CFL

defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...

; two-time

CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award The Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award is annually awarded to the best defensive player in the Canadian football League. The winner of the award is selected by members of the Football Reporters of Canada along with the head coaches in the CFL. ...

winner, and current Defensive line coach at

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...

* Jim Still, former NFL player * Khyri Thornton, former NFL player *

Jay Trumbull Jay Norbert Trumbull (born February 21, 1989) is a Republican politician who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 6th District, which includes Panama City in southern Bay County, until 2022. He currently ...

, member of the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...

Thurop Van Orman Mark "Thurop" Ashton Van Orman (born April 26, 1976) is an American cartoonist, animator, writer, producer, director, and voice actor. He worked with Cartoon Network to create and produce the animated series '' The Marvelous Misadventures of F ...

, took inspiration from the city when living here as a kid to make

The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack ''The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack'' is an American animated television series created by Thurop Van Orman for Cartoon Network. The series premiered on June 5, 2008, and ended on August 31, 2010. It stars Van Orman as the voice of Flapja ...

* Jeremiah Warren, former NFL

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...

* Jonathan White,

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

leader of

Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (COMNAVMETOCCOM) or CNMOC, serves as the operational arm of the Naval Oceanography Program. Headquartered at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, CNMOC is an echelon three command reporting to ...

* Ray Wilson, former NFL

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

for the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

and

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

Stacy Wilson Stacy Eleanor Wilson (born May 12, 1965) is a Canadian author. She captained the Canada women's national ice hockey team, Canadian national women's hockey team, was assistant coach of the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs women's ice hockey, Minnesota D ...

, former captain of the

Canada women's national ice hockey team The Canadian women's national ice hockey team is the ice hockey team representing Canada in women's hockey. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation and participates in international competitions ...

, former

assistant coach An athletic coach is a person coaching in sport, involved in the direction, instruction, and training of a sports team or athlete. History The original sense of the word ''Coach'' is that of a Coach (carriage), horse-drawn carriage, deriving ul ...

, author, and former

head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...

of the

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. It was chartered in 1794. The main Bowdoin campus is located near Casco Bay and the Androscoggin River. In a ...

women's ice hockey team * William Witherspoon, 1998 graduate of Rutherford High School, former NFL

Twinned city

Panama City, Florida is twinned with one city: *

Mérida, Yucatán Mérida (, ) is the capital of the List of states of Mexico, Mexican state of Yucatán, and the largest city in southeastern Mexico. The city is also the seat of the Mérida Municipality, eponymous municipality. It is located slightly inland fro ...

(November 13, 2003)

References

External links

Panama City official website

Destination Panama City

fro
hurricanecity.com
* Historic newspapers for Panama City in the

Florida Digital Newspaper Library The Florida Digital Newspaper Library provides access to the news and history of Florida through local Florida newspapers. The Florida Digital Newspaper Library is supported by the University of Florida's George A. Smathers Libraries and hosted i ...

including th
''Panama City Pilot''
* {{Authority control 1909 establishments in Florida Cities in Bay County, Florida Cities in Florida County seats in Florida Populated places established in 1909 Populated places on the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida Port cities and towns of the Florida Gulf coast

History

Name

Geography

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Industry

Military

Retail

Education

Media

Infrastructure

Transportation

Major highways

Roads

Bridges

Rail

Bus transportation

Air transportation

Port

Hospitals

Notable people

Twinned city

See also

References

External links