Looking at the history of Panama City Beach, the area has developed into a well-trafficked tourist destination, and it’s no surprise as to why. With an impressive array of beaches all sporting that iconic, sugary white sand, it’s a location that anyone with a love for beach life is guaranteed to love.
How It All Started
The area we know today as Panama City was founded during the Revolutionary War, where it was used to run the prosperous industries of lumbering, naval stores, and indigo farming. It would continue to increase in size when it merged with the fishing village of St. Andrew, which had an abundance of fisheries and saltworks that were later destroyed by Union troops in the Civil War. Ultimately, the city would hit its industrial stride some time during World War II, accompanied by a huge population boom.
Of course, it wasn’t always known as Panama City or Panama City Beach until 1906. It went by a few names before finally settling on its current moniker, officially incorporating the city, and thereby its name, in 1909. The traffic that would ultimately bring Panama City into its glory was by no means an accident. Clever businessmen used the interest in the Panama Canal to drive real estate business out that way, and it helped that it was also the closest port to the Caribbean entrance of the Canal on the US mainland.
Modernizing Panama City Beach
It wasn’t until the early or mid-2000s that the area truly started becoming the Panama City we know today. Many of the older, smaller homes were being bought up to be replaced with much larger models and high-rise condominiums. This allowed a much larger volume of people to be accommodated in the same area, which is why the area is now able to host such massive Spring Break parties.
There’s a bit of a duality to the massive increase in property, though. While the new homes and condos are absolutely luxurious and state of the art, the more classic beachfront property has become harder to come by, but it’s certainly still out there.
At the height of this real estate market, it was common for many of the properties to have quadrupled in value. This continued at the same pace until the real estate bubble burst right around 2007, but it certainly didn’t depress the city. Instead, prices began to level out in the wake of another wave of condo construction and would more or less continue at this pace until today.
Experience the History of Panama City Beach with Us
Plenty of the areas mentioned above, such as historic St. Andrews, are still available for tours to this day. When you stay with Vacations Perfected, you’ll have all of the options available to you. Come stay in one of our high-rise condos or serene beachfront homes and come see Panama City history for yourself!
