Panama City dates to 1909, and 7 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 35% of U.S. towns · #138 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Most of Panama City was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1917 on, and the census since 1910.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1899.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Panama City’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Panama City is more historic than 35% of U.S. towns, #138 of 638 in Florida. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Panama City’s overall grade.
Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Panama City’s 2.9 sits above most of its state (78% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 10 historic buildings outnumber those of 76% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B. The pre-1940 share (±1.4 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1909.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Panama City’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The development in this once-unincorporated part of Northwest Florida was created by combining the settlements and communities of Floriopolis, Harrison, Millville, Park Resort, and St. Andrews. In 1906, the development was named Panama City and it was first incorporated as Panama City in 1909. When Panama City was incorporated, its original city limits were 15th Street/U.S. Highway 98 (US 98) on the north, Balboa Avenue on the west, and Bay Avenue on the east. According to the Panama City Public Library's A History of Panama City, George Mortimer West hoped to spur real estate development in Bay County during a period of intense popular interest in the construction of the Panama Canal by changing the town's name from Harrison to Panama City, because a straight line between Chicago and the Central American country Panama's national capital intersected the Florida town. Additionally, sinc…
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Panama City. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1943Panama City sheet · 1:31,680
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Panama City.
Every building
Panama City, building by building, 1917–1927
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1909, according to Wikidata. Panama City’s post office opened in 1899, and the census of 1910 counted 422 people here.
How does Panama City rank for history?
Panama City is more historic than 35% of U.S. towns, #138 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Panama City?
7 listings: 7 buildings, among them the Robert L. McKenzie House (listed 1986, the first). 10 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Panama City?
6% of Panama City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.4 points), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1976.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (10), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (7), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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