Panama City to New Orleans drive: Time, distance & best stops
The best road trip stops on the Panama City to New Orleans drive are Pensacola FL, Mobile AL and Biloxi MS. The distance from Panama City to New Orleans by car is 327 miles, with a 5h10m driving time.
Planning a Panama City to New Orleans road trip itinerary
The Panama City to New Orleans drive takes you from Florida’s Gulf Coast to the most intoxicating city in Louisiana.
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.
New Orleans resolutely refuses to feel like any other American city. From the raucous hedonism of Bourbon Street to the European-influenced charm of the French Quarter, New Orleans is mesmerizingly unusual to hang out in.
Top New Orleans experiences include French Quarter food tours, haunted pub crawls, jazz cruises aboard the steamboat Natchez and cemetery walking tours.
For other attractions, try the National WWII Museum, the Vue Orleans observation deck and the urban enslavement tours at Hermann Grima House.
Panama City to New Orleans distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Panama City to New Orleans is 327 miles. This makes for a driving time of around five hours and ten minutes. The bulk of the drive is along the I-10.
The best stops on the Panama City to New Orleans road trip are Pensacola FL, Mobile AL and Biloxi MS.
Panama City to New Orleans road trip attractions: Pensacola FL
The westernmost city on the Florida Panhandle, Pensacola is home to a major US Naval Station. But for most visitors, interest will lie in the white sand beaches and barrier islands.
Top Pensacola activities include nighttime kayaking with colourful LEDs lighting up the kayaks, and dolphin-watching cruises around the bay.
Other ways of exploring include downtown food tours, ghost and graveyard tours, guided pub crawls, Segway tours and sunset cruises.
For beachside Pensacola accommodation with great guest reviews, take a look at the Pensacola Beach Resort and the SpringHill Suites Pensacola Beach.
Panama City to New Orleans drive: Mobile AL
The Alabama Gulf Coast port city of Mobile has a perhaps unexpected party spirit. This is best explored in the bars, or at the Mobile Carnival Museum.
You can also head on board the USS Alabama battleship or visit the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico. The latter includes a ship simulator, where you can have a go at steering a ship through the Gulf.
Mobile experience options include a downtown food tour and a wildlife kayaking tour.
Top Mobile accommodation picks include the personality-packed Fort Conde Inn and the riverside Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza.
Best stops between Panama City and New Orleans: Biloxi MS
Biloxi on the Mississippi coast is best known as a casino destination, but there’s plenty to keep non-gamblers interested. The Biloxi Lighthouse opened in 1848, and is now open for public tours. The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum covers the region’s history, and looks at just how big a business fishing is. You can also take a cruise on one of the schooners moored outside the museum.
Also in Biloxi is Beauvoir, the lavish home of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. The mansion is open for tours.
Excellent value Biloxi accommodation options include the Palace Casino Resort and Hotel Legends.
More Panama City road trips
Atlanta to Panama City | Birmingham AL to Panama City | Dallas to Panama City | Panama City to Destin | Dothan AL to Panama City FL | Panama City to Fort Walton Beach | Houston to Panama City | Jacksonville to Panama City | Panama City to Miami | Nashville to Panama City | Panama City to Orlando | Pensacola to Panama City | Tallahassee to Panama City | Tampa to Panama City.
More New Orleans road trips
Atlanta to New Orleans | Baton Rouge to New Orleans | New Orleans to Biloxi | Chicago to New Orleans | Cincinnati to New Orleans | Cleveland to New Orleans | Dallas to New Orleans | New Orleans to Destin FL | New Orleans to Galveston | New Orleans to Gulf Shores | Houston to New Orleans | Huntsville to New Orleans | Jackson MS to New Orleans | Kansas City to New Orleans | Memphis to New Orleans | Nashville to New Orleans | New Orleans to Orlando | Pensacola to New Orleans | New Orleans to San Antonio | Savannah to New Orleans | Tallahassee to New Orleans | Tulsa to New Orleans.