Pensacola, where the New World began, is an ancient explorer’s dream come true. The modern city is on the northern shore of the Gulf of Mexico.

In 1559, Don Tristan de Luna surveyed from the deck of his ship the sheltered harbor on the natural deepwater port and knew it was the perfect place for a settlement. As he pondered matters of defensibility and trade, his crew went overboard about the recreational opportunities. They leaped, horses and all, into the surf for days of water sport.

The reasons people come to Pensacola have not changed much in nearly five centuries, although the accommodations have improved considerably. Newcomers are attracted by the economic opportunities of a thriving port city that is home to a large military base.

Travelers still seek refreshment in its emerald waters and on its beaches. Newcomers come looking for a healthy place to raise a family. They also find excellent schools, hospitals, public utilities and cultural events. But the greatest discovery— the asset that turns first-time visitors into repeat visitors and year round residents—is Pensacola’s people.

These people include the store clerk who takes time to advise a visiting Northerner he needs a higher SPF sunscreen, the waitress who cheerfully helps a non-English speaker understand the menu and a taxi driver who helps locate “a little seafood place that was near the water when we honeymooned here in 1953.”

Festivals are a part of the fun activities Pensacola residents enjoy, and one of the most popular is the Fourth of July. They enjoy the two-week entertainment during the Fiesta of Five Flags, and they can run a marathon for charity. They volunteer to pick up litter or put on an opera. Upbeat, progressive and caring, the people of Pensacola are the heart of the Pensacola Bay Area.

LOCATION

For early Pensacola, location was everything. In fact, world powers fought intermittently for more than three centuries to control the prime property tucked safely behind a beautiful barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico. Located on the northern shore of Pensacola Bay, the city looks south past Santa Rosa Peninsula, Santa Rosa Sound and Santa Rosa Island to the Gulf, and to the west—Perdido Key.

Pensacola is the seat of Escambia County at the western end of Florida’s Panhandle. It is in the Central Time Zone. The county covers 661 square miles, from the coast up through rolling forests that once supplied timber for the world market. Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island is located in Escambia County. However, the peninsula that rests between the city and its beach belongs to neighboring Santa Rosa County.

City and county offices have remained downtown and make a sleek contribution to the waterfront skyline. The street plan was plotted by British cartographers during the 1700s, but the 25 square miles of modern Pensacola reach far beyond the original boundaries.

The majority of travelers enter via Interstate 10, which connects to Pensacola via the I-110 spur. For a slower-paced route, U.S. 90 and 98 also pass through from east to west. U.S. 29 provides north-south access. Many enter Florida from Alabama through Perdido Key on State Road 292.

Scenic Highway, the stretch of U.S. 90 that heads northeast from Pensacola toward Tallahassee, is designated an official Florida Scenic Highway. The bluffs of bright red clay offer views of Escambia Bay.