PANAMA CITY
History
Panama City’s natural geographic barriers discouraged European settlers, but the high bluffs and hardwood trees were an attractive refuge to native explorers who enjoyed the region’s rich sources of fish and oysters.
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| St Andrews State Park |
Little evidence of permanent early settlements can be found in the area, but relics dating back to prehistoric eras do indicate the region was a stopping place for native hunters and fishermen.
During the English occupation of Florida during 1763 to 1783, British settlers were encouraged to colonize this new world. These colonists were offered land grants in exchange for moving to the region to grow indigo, the primary source of blue dye used in manufacturing denim and other work clothes.
Agriculture continued to be a prosperous business in Northwest Florida through the 1800s, but a three-year drought in the mid-1860s gave the area a new distinction. Because of its location, St. Andrew’s Bay became an important salt-making site. This became important during the Confederacy’s blockade of the region that stopped the import of fresh food.
Panama City, located near St. Andrew’s, was incorporated as a municipality in 1909. It was named the county seat of Bay County, which was created by state legislature from portions of Washington, Calhoun, and Walton counties, four years later.
Today
With access to the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, the North Pacific Ocean and the Panama Canal, water remains a vital part of the area’s economy. Its 27 miles of coastline offer ample sites for fishing, swimming, boating, diving and snorkeling.
Panama City has earned the reputation as one of the
premier diving locations in the south. There are 50
artificial reefs and several sunken ships teeming with
marine life including small corals, colorful sponges,
mantas, crustacean of all kinds, and seemingly endless
schools of baitfish. Natural reefs, three to eight
feet high, stand no more than 110 feet offshore offering
the perfect spot to view native fish and other sea
creatures.
Known as the “Ship Wreck Capital,” the waters off Panama City also offer an abundance of wreck sites for diving including the SS Tarpon, a 95-foot cargo ship; the Gray Ghost, a110-foot tug boat; the Chickasaw, a 60-foot tug boat; and the Chippewa, a fully intact, 95-foot Navy tug. Empire Mica, a 465-foot British tanker, is perhaps the most famous shipwreck. Torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1942, it now rests in 110 feet of water 20 miles off Cape San Blas, just south of Panama City.
For novice divers, the shallow waters around St. Andrew’s jetties are the perfect jumping off point for beginners. The best time for diving in the waters off Panama City is April through September. The warm gulf waters can be enjoyed well into the cooler fall and even winter months.
For those few who are content to stay on land, the Travel Channel and Southern Living Magazine have designated the white sand beaches of Panama City as some of the best in the world.
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| F/A-22 Raptor Over the Florida Coast |
Panama City is also home to Tyndall Air Force Base and the Air Education and Training Command. The 325th Fighter Wing is responsible for training F-15 and F/A-22 pilots, along with air traffic and weapons controllers. The 20,000-acre military base employs more than 6,700 military and civilian personnel. The nearby Coastal Systems Station, one of the major research, development, test and evaluation laboratories of the U.S. Navy, employs an additional 2,200.
Weather
- Average yearly temperature: 71
- Hottest month: July and August – average high 89
- Coldest month: Jan. – average low 39
- Annual rainfall: 64.76 inches
- Monthly average rainfall: 5.4 inches
- Wettest month: July – 8.74 inches
- Driest month: Oct. - 3.5 inches
- Record high temperature: July 1980 – 101
- Record low temperature: Jan. 1985 – 1
- Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 each year
- Major hurricanes (Category 3 and higher) that have struck the Northwest Gulf Coast of Florida in the past 154 years: 14
[As of 08/06/05 – source NOAA]
Demographics
- Population (2000 census): 36,417 full time residents
- Total Area: 26.7 square miles – 20.5 sq. miles land, 6.2 sq. miles water
- Per capita income: $17,830
- Median family income: $40,890
- Median age: 37
- Population ratio (males: females): 94.4:100
- Major industry: Air Force and Navy, tourism
Local Directory
Schools (Elementary)
- Cedar Grove
- Hiland Park
- Hutchinson Bch
- Lucille Moore
- Merriam Cherry
- Millville
- Northside
- Oakland Terrace
- West Bay
- Parker
- Patronis
- Patterson
- St. Andrew
- Tommy Smith
- Bay Haven Charter Academy
Schools (K-12)
- Bozeman Learning Academy
Schools (Middle)
- Everitt
- Jinks
- Merritt Brown
- Rosenwald
- Surfside
Schools (High)
- Arnold
- Harris
- Bay
Colleges
- Gulf Coast Community College
- Florida State University – PC Campus
Law enforcement
- Bay County Sheriff's Dept. – (850) 747-4700
- Panama City Police - (850) 872-3100
Post offices
- Downtown – 421 Jenks Ave. – (850) 763-6509
- Eastside – 5310 E. Hwy 98 – (850) 871-5510
- Northside – 1315 W. 17th St. – (850) 914-2539
- Tyndall AFB – 730 Suwannee Rd. – (850) 283-3420
Library
- 25 West Government Street – (850) 872-7500
- 116 Arnold Road, P.C. Bch – (850) 233-5055 (voice + TDD)
Fire station
- 600 E. Business 98 – (850) 872-3030 (non-emergency)
City Hall
- 9 Harrison Ave. – (850) 872-3001
Community Center
- Martin Luther King Jr. - 705 East 14th Court – (850) 872-3085
- Glenwood - 722 East 9th Court – (850) 872-7255
- Oakland Terrace - 1900 West 11th – (850) 872-3095
Chamber of Commerce
- Bay County/Panama City - 235 West 5th Street – (850) 785-5206
Visitors’ Center
- PCB Convention & Visitor Bureau – 17001 Panama City Beach Pkwy. – (850) 233-5070
Airport
- Panama City/Bay Co. International Airport, 3173 Airport Rd. – commercial flights including Atlantic Southeast Airline (Delta), Comair (Delta Connection), Northwest Airlines, Chautauqua Airlines
For Things to Do in Panama City, click here.
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