Pensacola to Panama City road trip: Distance, drive time & stops
The best road trip stops on the Pensacola to Panama City drive are Fort Walton Beach, Destin FL and Grayton Beach State Park. By car, the distance from Pensacola to Panama City is 103 miles, with a 2h13m driving time.
Planning a Pensacola to Panama City road trip itinerary
The Pensacola to Panama City drive connects two of the biggest cities on the Florida Panhandle.
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.
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.
Pensacola to Panama City distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Pensacola to Panama City is 103 miles. You can expect a driving time of around two hours and 13 minutes. The quickest route is along the US-98.
The best stops to add to a Pensacola to Panama City road trip itinerary are Fort Walton Beach, Destin FL and Grayton Beach State Park.
Best stops between Pensacola and Panama City: Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach is largely about fun in the sun, but there are some cultural attractions too. The Indian Temple Mound Museum investigates the Indigenous people of the area – the mound itself was built by the Pensacola culture between 800 and 1400 AD. The Emerald Coast Science Center, meanwhile, is hands-on and kid-friendly.
Other Fort Walton Beach activities include clear-bottom kayaking, a Crab Island booze cruise and jet ski tours.
Pensacola to Panama City road trip attractions: Destin FL
Destin is a beach town on the Florida Panhandle, with white sand beaches and several golf courses. The Destin Harbor Boardwalk tends to be the centre of activity, and there is plenty of activity to be in the centre of.
Top Destin experiences include a sunset tiki cruise, a Crab Island sandbar adventure, a dolphin-watching speedboat cruise and parasailing.
You can also try jetski rentals, the Maximum Magic show, Hydrojet sunset tours and banana boat rides.
If looking for Destin accommodation, the Comfort Inn and Suites offers good value and the plush Henderson Beach Resort has private beach access.
Pensacola to Panama City drive: Grayton Beach State Park
Grayton Beach is a strong contender for the title of Florida’s best beach. It gets a fraction of the visitors that those in the resort towns get, and the sand is a pristine white.
There are also coastal dune lakes for kayakers to enjoy, plus four miles of walking trails threading through the coastal forest. Sunset and sunrise are particularly spectacular in Grayton Beach State Park.
More Pensacola road trips
Atlanta to Pensacola | Biloxi to Pensacola | Birmingham AL to Pensacola | Dallas to Pensacola | Pensacola to Destin | Pensacola to Fort Lauderdale | Pensacola to Fort Walton Beach | Pensacola to Gulf Shores | Houston to Pensacola | Jacksonville to Pensacola | Memphis to Pensacola | Pensacola to Miami | Mobile to Pensacola | Nashville to Pensacola | Pensacola to New Orleans | Pensacola to Orange Beach | Pensacola to Orlando | Tallahassee to Pensacola | Tampa to Pensacola.
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 New Orleans | Panama City to Orlando | Tallahassee to Panama City | Tampa to Panama City.