Direct Flights from Houston to Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach · Florida
Nonstop service from IAH and HOU to ECP on Southwest, United. Here's the schedule at a glance — plus what to do once you land.
Which airports fly this route
Houston has 2 airports with nonstop service to Panama City Beach. Fares differ by airport — each row opens that exact search on Kayak.
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- Find flights ↗IAHECPGeorge Bush Intercontinental
- Find flights ↗HOUECPWilliam P. Hobby
How rare is this nonstop?
Only 15 cities have a nonstop to Panama City Beach, so this is a route worth knowing about — most travelers connect to get there.
How long to go to Panama City Beach for, from Houston
1h 40m in the air, 571 miles — a Friday-evening departure still leaves you most of the evening in Panama City Beach. Two nights works.
With roughly 5 departures a day, you are not tied to one flight: if a meeting overruns or the weather turns, there is another one behind it.
About Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach is a town on the Emerald Coast of Florida. It is approximately halfway between the state capital, Tallahassee, and Pensacola.
Summary from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA).
Top things to do in Panama City Beach
- Eden Gardens State Park is a 163 acres (0.66 km2) Florida State Park and historic site located in Point Washington, south of Freeport, off U.S.
- St. Andrews State Park is a 1,200-acre (4.9 km2) Florida State Park located three miles (5 km) east of Panama City Beach Florida, off U.S. 98.
- Camp Helen State Park is a Florida State Park and historic site located west of Panama City Beach, in northwestern Florida. The park is south of U.S.
- Ponce de Leon Springs State Recreation Area is a Florida State Park in Holmes County, Florida, United States, located in the town of Ponce de Leon.
- Grayton Beach State Park is a Florida State Park located between Panama City Beach and Destin, near the unincorporated area of Grayton Beach, on CR 30A, in northwestern Florida. Its sister park is Deer Lake State Park.
- Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is a 1,640-acre (6.6 km2) Florida State Park located in Santa Rosa Beach, ten miles (16 km) east of Destin, off U.S. 98, in northwestern Florida. The address is 7525 W.
- The Walton County Heritage Museum is located at 1140 Circle Drive, DeFuniak Springs, Florida.
- The Man in the Sea Museum is a Military Diving Museum. Located at 17314 Panama City Beach PKWY, FL. It has exhibits and documents related to the history of diving. Some of these exhibits include U.S.
- SS Tarpon was a ship which sank in 1937 near Panama City, Florida, United States. The shipwreck is located 7.8 nautical miles (14.4 km) off the shore of Panama City.
- Deer Lake State Park is a Florida State Park located in Santa Rosa Beach, on CR 30A, in northwestern Florida. Its sister park is Grayton Beach State Recreation Area.
- Gulf World Marine Park was a dolphinarium located in Panama City Beach, Florida. It was open from 1970 to 2025, and was one of only a few institutes in the United States to house rough-toothed dolphins.
- The Vamar is a shipwreck near Mexico Beach, Florida, United States. It is located 3.7 miles offshore from Mexico Beach. It became the ninth Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserve when it was dedicated in 2004.
Attraction descriptions from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); place data from Wikidata (CC0).
Panama City Beach weather, compared with Houston
Within 1° of Houston on the annual average, so pack much as you would at home — but the two cities do not track each other month to month:
- January
- Panama City Beach 63°F · Houston 64°F · much the same
- April
- Panama City Beach 78°F · Houston 80°F · 2° colder
- July
- Panama City Beach 90°F · Houston 94°F · 4° colder
- October
- Panama City Beach 82°F · Houston 82°F · much the same
Daily highs averaged from Meteostat station records (CC BY 4.0), measured at each city's airport.
Planning a trip to Panama City Beach
- Best time to visit
- The best time to visit Panama City Beach is October–April, when daytime highs are a comfortable 63–82°F.
- How long to stay
- Panama City Beach rewards a longer visit — a full week lets you explore its many sights, from Eden Gardens State Park, St. Andrews State Park, and Camp Helen State Park and beyond.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a direct flight from Houston to Panama City Beach?
- Yes — you can fly nonstop from Houston (IAH, HOU) to Panama City Beach (ECP) on Southwest, United.
- Which airlines fly nonstop from Houston to Panama City Beach?
- Southwest, United fly nonstop between Houston (IAH, HOU) and Panama City Beach (ECP).
- Which Houston airport has nonstop flights to Panama City Beach?
- You can leave from 2 Houston airports: IAH (George Bush Intercontinental) on United; HOU (William P. Hobby) on Southwest.
- How many nonstop flights are there from Houston to Panama City Beach?
- There are about 5 nonstop departures per day (roughly 35 per week) from Houston to Panama City Beach.
- How far is Panama City Beach from Houston?
- Panama City Beach is about 571 miles from Houston by air.
- What is there to do in Panama City Beach?
- Popular things to do include Eden Gardens State Park, St. Andrews State Park, Camp Helen State Park, Ponce de Leon Springs State Park, and more.
More nonstop destinations from Houston near Panama City Beach
Airports near Houston
The closest other departure airports to Houston — each opens up more nonstop destinations.