Birmingham AL to Panama City: Distance, drive time & stops
The distance from Birmingham AL to Panama City is 266 miles, with a 5h driving time. The best road trip stops on the Birmingham AL to Panama City drive are Oak Mountain State Park, Montgomery and Falling Waters State Park.
Planning a Birmingham AL to Panama City road trip itinerary
The Birmingham AL to Panama City FL drive connects one of Alabama’s biggest cities to the Florida coast.
Birmingham, Alabama, has a rich civil rights heritage. This is best explored on a civil rights tour which links the key sites and, crucially, puts them into context. Other Birmingham experiences include ghost walks and multi-brewery beer tours.
For museums, you’ve got the McWane Science Center, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark and more.
The top-rated Birmingham accommodation picks are the Drury Inn and Suites Birmingham Grandview and the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Birmingham South.
There are military bases and industrial sites in Panama City, but for visitors it’s all about the beach.
Top things to do in Panama City include jetboat thrill rides, a sunset catamaran sail, and a dolphin and snorkelling cruise.
You can also swim with dolphins, try scuba diving for beginners and stand-up paddleboarding lessons.
Birmingham AL to Panama City distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Birmingham AL to Panama City is 266 miles. That makes for a driving time of around five hours.
The best stops to add to a Birmingham AL to Panama City FL road trip itinerary are Oak Mountain State Park, Montgomery and Falling Waters State Park.
Birmingham AL to Panama City drive: Oak Mountain State Park
Oak Mountain State Park is Alabama’s largest state park, covering 11,632 acres. There are more than 100 miles of trails for hikers and mountain bikers.
Other attractions include an aquapark obstacle course, a cable skiing zone, and 18 hole golf course, three fishing lakes and an elevated bird-watching boardwalk.
Come in summer, and it’s likely the picnic areas, playground and two beaches with swimming areas will get the most use.
Best stops between Birmingham and Panama City: Montgomery, Alabama
The main reason to visit Montgomery is the Civil Rights heritage. There are several ways to explore this, with the cheapest being a self-guided audio tour and the most in-depth being a three hour private tour.
Other fun Montgomery experiences include a party pedal boat cruise along the Alabama River,
If planning to blitz several attractions, a city pass might save you money.
For more suggestions, see the guide to the Birmingham to Montgomery drive.
Birmingham AL to Panama City road trip attractions: Falling Waters State Park
Florida’s highest waterfall is just a short detour off the I-10. In Falling Waters State Park, a small stream plunges into a 100ft-deep and 20ft-wide hole. The stream drops 73ft, and the really strange thing is that no-one really knows where the water ends up.
Within the state park are gentle walking trails, a picnic area and a butterfly garden. You can also go for a swim in the lake.
More Birmingham AL road trips
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