On a late-August Thursday, with Labor Day traffic beginning to stir and crude markets still jittery over the Strait of Hormuz, Panama City remains one of Florida’s bargains at the pump.
AAA’s official snapshot for Aug. 27 puts regular unleaded in the Panama City metro at $3.7507 a gallon. That is about 2 cents cheaper than Wednesday, 7 cents cheaper than a week ago, and more than 11 cents cheaper than a month ago.
It is also 21 cents under Florida’s statewide average of $3.9605 and 35 cents under the national average of $4.10. Midgrade here averages $4.22, premium $4.59, and diesel $5.36 — diesel being the sore spot, still well above last year’s $3.55 local average.
A year ago, the same metro averaged $2.89 for regular. The jump tracks the broader 2026 energy shock. Even so, the Panhandle continues to undercut South Florida, where West Palm Beach has recently hovered near $4.04. Panama City and Pensacola have spent much of August on AAA’s “least expensive metro” list.
Where the posted prices actually dip
Metro averages hide the hunt. Crowd-sourced boards and local aggregators updating Thursday cluster the lowest street prices in a tight band just below AAA’s $3.75 mark — mostly off the beach, on the mainland grid.The cheapest recent reports inside a 10-mile drive of downtown Panama City include:
- Hop N Pop 4, 1307 E. 5th St. — about a half-mile from downtown, flagged as the low pump on local listings today, with regular near $3.70–$3.75. Open 24 hours.
- Casey’s, 3333 Hwy. 77 — owner-reported regular around $3.71, a short hop toward Lynn Haven.
- Murphy USA, 2107 State Hwy. 77, Lynn Haven — also about $3.71, typically among the most competitive boxes next to Walmart. Walmart+ members often stack another dime off.
- Independents on the west side — a Chevron/Texaco-style stop at 1136 Beck Ave. was recently reported near $3.69; nearby 15th Street and 23rd Street stations (Murphy Express, CEFCO, cash-discount independents) usually sit in the high $3.60s to low $3.80s.
- Express Lane / Exxon, 1100 Jenks Ave. — closer to $3.80, with diesel recently listed near $5.20–$5.50.
Brand stations on Harrison, 11th Street, and Circle K locations were listing about $3.80 on aggregator maps — still a few cents under the Florida average, but not the day’s floor.
Stay off the sand if you want the deal
Drive west onto Panama City Beach Parkway or Front Beach Road and the tourist premium appears. Recent GasBuddy reports put a Chevron at 14111 Panama City Beach Parkway and a VP Racing stop on Hutchison Boulevard near $3.77, with neighboring pumps at $3.89.
That is still cheaper than Orlando or Miami, but it is not the Bay County floor. Far-west beach stations can slip outside a strict 10-mile radius from downtown Panama City; the better bet for a short hop is Callaway and Lynn Haven along Tyndall Parkway and State Road 77.
Membership clubs remain the wildcard. Sam’s Club at 1707 W. 23rd St. is a longtime local price leader, but it requires a card. Murphy USA next to Walmart is the no-membership cousin that locals mention first.
Why Panama City is cheaper — for now
North Florida sells conventional gasoline, not the pricier reformulated blends required in some metros. Inland stations also fight harder for commuters than beachfront shops aimed at vacationers.
AAA warned earlier this week that crude had climbed from the mid-$84s toward $87 a barrel and that wholesale gasoline futures were up; if that holds, pumps could tick higher into the holiday weekend even if Thursday still looks like a dip.
A 15-gallon fill at $3.70 instead of the national $4.10 saves about $6. Do that every week and the “drive three extra minutes to 5th Street or Highway 77” habit pays for a seafood platter by Labor Day.
Prices move by the hour. Confirm the board before you swipe — and if a station advertises a cash discount, the credit price may erase the bargain.eek and the “drive three extra minutes to 5th Street or Highway 77” habit pays for a seafood platter by Labor Day.
Prices move by the hour. Confirm the board before you swipe — and if a station advertises a cash discount, the credit price may erase the bargain.
