Living on Pensacola Beach

Location
Pensacola Beach is located in the Northwest corner of Florida, just thirty miles from the Alabama state border. It occupies 7.5 miles of world-famous Santa Rosa Island, a 40-mile barrier island of shimmering white sand. It is commonly said the island is the second longest unbroken barrier island in the world. Pensacola Beach is surrounded on two sides by water -- Santa Rosa Sound and the Gulf of Mexico -- and on the other two by miles of Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Escambia County
All of Pensacola Beach is owned by Escambia County, which is bound by a deed from the United States Department of Interior to administer the territory in the public interest. Parcels are leased to individuals or businesses for varying periods up to 99 years. A majority of leases also contain a renewal clause. In lieu of property taxes leaseholders pay equivalent "lease fees" to the county plus an assortment of other fees and assessments for county services.

Presently, the community of Pensacola Beach is considered an "unincorporated area" of Escambia County. It is separated from the rest of the county by several miles of water and the city of Gulf Breeze. Indeed, neighboring Santa Rosa County divides Pensacola Beach from the rest of Escambia County.

Island Government
State law requires Escambia County to share authority over Pensacola Beach with a quasi-independent administrative unit known as the Santa Rosa Island Authority. Five of six S.R.I.A. board members are political appointees of the individual county commissioners. A sixth position is elected by beach residents every two years. The county retains the power to override any decision of the SRIA, although it rarely does so.

To learn more about legal and government matters specific to Pensacola Beach, visit the Pensacola Beach Leaseholders and Residents website.

Access
Two toll bridges give access to the beach from the mainland. The "Bob Sikes Bridge" ($1) spans Santa Rosa Sound from Gulf Breeze to the beach. Annual passes are available for $35 per vehicle. The amount of the fee is changeable by county commissioners. Every year the Island Authority mails windshield stickers to residents of Pensacola Beach who have paid their county M.S.B.U. fees. The sticker is used for vehicle identification when returning after a hurricane evacuation, should it become necessary to temporarily limit access of the general public.

Utilities
Electric power is supplied by Gulf Power. LP tanks are permitted on the island, although natural gas lines are not. Sewage and water services are provided by Escambia County Utilities Authority.

Education
Pensacola Beach families enjoy good schools. There is one school on the Island - Pensacola Beach Elementary School which is part of Escambia County School District. It has around 140 students and always ranks at the top of the county and the state for student test scores. Middle school attend classes in nearby Gulf Breeze, which is part of the Santa Rosa County School District. Beach middle school students can seek enrollment in Brown Barge Middle School - a magnet program in Pensacola. High school students may attend Gulf Breeze High or seek enrollment in Pensacola magnet schools such as the International Baccalaureate program.