What is 30A? It’s a question we hear a lot in these parts, though the reputation of this scenic piece of the country is growing by leaps and bounds. The term 30A has come to mean the geographic area of south Walton County, Florida between Panama City Beach and Destin, Florida.
How did 30A get its name?
It is named for Scenic Highway 30A which is a 26-mile road that hugs Florida’s Emerald Coast on the Gulf of Mexico. The Federal Highway Administration added Scenic Highway 30A to its elite list of scenic routes in America, bumping up Scenic Highway 30A from a state scenic route to a national one.
The the north of Scenic 30A is the Choctawhatchee Bay, so the area has the gulf to the south and a large bay to the north. 30A includes Seaside, Florida, Rosemary Beach, Grayton Beach, Alys Beach and many other beach communities along its route. While there are 15 unique beach communities, 30A encompasses only two zip codes, 32461 listed as Inlet Beach, and 32459 listed as Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. All of the beach towns are found within these two zip codes. Miramar Beach is a beach town located to the west of 30A.
Beginners Guide to 30A Florida
Though you won’t find it on a map, 30A is now ubiquitous as the beach destination for thousands of vacationers from all across the country. There is a 40 foot building height limit, so you won’t find high rise buildings on 30A, rather an eclectic mix of classic beach cottages, luxury homes, and everything in between. There is a heavy concentration of visitors from the southeast who visit and own second homes here.
Panhandle Getaways represents an exclusive inventory of vacation rental homes in the 30A area and offers exceptional service to our discerning guests. While there are a few small hotels in the 30A corridor, most guests prefer to stay at vacation rental homes when they visit 30A.