1955 Map of Panama City Beach

About this map

The Gulf of Mexico coastline in the mid-1950s is defined by a string of early coastal developments and resorts that would later become a major vacation destination. Communities such as Panama City Beach and Long Beach Resort line the shore, alongside local landmarks like the Drive-in Theater and the Long Beach Ch. The map illustrates the transition from the marshy wetlands of West Bay and Botheration Bayou in the north to the sandy stretches of Florida Beach in the south. Between the residential clusters of Bid-A-Wee and Edgewater Gulf Beach, the landscape remains relatively open. To the east, the U S Naval Reservation and County Juvenile Home sit near the entrance to St Andrew Bay, highlighting the strategic and civic functions of the area during this era.