Port Panama City is a growing regional port that handles over two million tons of cargo annually. Located on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, the port provides full terminal and handling services for a diverse mix of containerized, breakbulk, and bulk cargoes. The port also supports two on-port heavy manufacturing companies and supports several large manufacturers in the region with vital port services.
The port continues to invest in modern port infrastructure, promote global trade, and support industrial development initiatives on the local, state, and regional levels. The port’s largest growth project has been the development of the East Terminal and the deepening of the East Channel and turning basin, completing Phase One in 2020. The port has begun permitting for additional warehouse, berth, and turning basin capacity improvements as part of the future Phase Two expansion. The port also remains focused on expanding container handling capacity to support its growing regional container trade.
Capacity expansion projects completed in 2023 highlight Port Panama City’s continued investment to support long-term cargo growth. The port completed construction of a 20,000-ton capacity storage dome, increasing bulk cargo handling capabilities to handle 300,000 additional tons of biomass exports per year. Additional projects included capacity upgrades to the rail corridor connecting the East Terminal to the Bay Line Railroad, and the development of 54 additional acres of industrial sites at the Intermodal Distribution Center.
The port is actively engaged in regional economic development efforts, working closely with the Bay County Economic Development Alliance and Florida’s Great Northwest. As part of its commitment to attracting manufacturing and distribution companies to the region, the port developed a modern Intermodal Distribution Center (IDC) to promote warehousing and distribution services, provide facilities for the transfer of bulk and neo-bulk commodities between rail and truck, and provide a portfolio of improved industrial sites for new industries. The sites are shovel ready, rail-served, and ready to attract additional manufacturing and distribution companies to the region. The IDC is strategically located 15 miles inland from both port terminals, connected to US HWY 231, the main truck corridor connecting Panama City to I-10 and I-65, and direct rail service to CSX and Norfolk Southern is provided by the Bay Line Railroad.
The port generates $1.6 billion in economic value for the region, with port and cargo activity supporting 10,790 jobs in the state of Florida.