Why Gulf County | Gulf County Economic Development Coalition
Why Gulf County

Where opportunity meets the coast.

High-growth business opportunities and an exceptional quality of life, in the heart of the Florida Panhandle.

Our story

Gulf County is a community where high-growth business opportunities and an exceptional quality of life converge. Our sugar-white beaches draw visitors from around the world, but our economy runs on something deeper: a diverse and strengthening industrial base built for long-term resilience.

The coast

Sugar-white beaches and a world-famous bay

Our nationally recognized beaches and premier saltwater and freshwater fishing have long made Gulf County a sought-after destination for tourists and professionals alike.

St. Joseph Bay and the waters around it open the door to ecotourism, from the shoreline to the scallop beds.

Horseback riding on Cape San Blas
Fishing the bay
Commercial honey
Bay scallops
The working land & water

An economy rooted in what we produce

Gulf County’s economy is powered by a diverse and strengthening industrial base. A thriving agricultural sector includes livestock and commercial honey, alongside a historic seafood industry.

An abundance of natural resources, from cattle and timber to scallops and Tupelo honey, is part of everyday life and work here.

The port

A natural deep-water port with room to grow

The Port of Port St. Joe is a natural deep-water port with immense potential, offering the strategic infrastructure that industry needs to connect with markets by water, rail and highway.

The port is well suited for bulk and cargo shipments, with a bulkhead of nearly 1,900 linear feet at the ship channel turning basin.

Port of Port St. Joe1,900linear feetNearly 1,900 feet of bulkhead at the ship channel turning basin
Deep waterNatural deep-water seaport
Bulk & cargoWell suited for both
Rail accessConnected by rail
Gulf Intracoastal WaterwayPlus state and U.S. highways
Historic downtown Port St. Joe
The opportunity

Incentives and a lifestyle that keep people here

As a Northwest Florida Rural Area of Opportunity, Gulf County is eligible to offer additional incentives to new and expanding industries through Opportunity Florida.

Paired with our unique “destination” lifestyle, that makes Gulf County a place where both families and businesses thrive in the heart of the Florida Panhandle.

Community anchors

Strong partners already call Gulf County home

Education, healthcare, industry and life on the water are all close at hand for your business and your team.

EducationGulf Coast State College, Gulf/Franklin Campus

Gulf Coast State College’s Gulf/Franklin Campus in Port St. Joe opened in 1998 to meet the area’s workforce needs. It offers college credit, nursing, continuing education and workforce programs close to home. A new 12,000-square-foot multipurpose building, which broke ground in 2026, will add space for classes and workforce training and serve as an emergency shelter.

Workforce training since 1998
HealthcareAscension Sacred Heart Gulf

Opened in 2010, Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf is a community hospital in Port St. Joe serving Gulf and Franklin counties. It provides a 24-hour emergency department, inpatient and surgical care, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services and rehabilitation, plus a helipad for regional air ambulance transport.

24-hour emergency care
IndustryEastern Shipbuilding Group

Panama City-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group opened its Port St. Joe facility at the port in 2021. The 40-acre site has 1,000 feet of deepwater bulkhead with unrestricted access to the Gulf, and is dedicated to final outfitting, testing and topside repairs of commercial vessels.

40-acre shipyard at the port
RecreationPoint South Marina

Rebuilt from the ground up after Hurricane Michael and owned by The St. Joe Company, Point South Marina connects downtown Port St. Joe to St. Joseph Bay. The full-service marina offers 252 dry slips, 48 wet slips, a fuel dock, a 300-foot transient dock and an outfitter shop.

300 boat slips
Life in Gulf County

A place your team will want to call home

From the cypress of the Dead Lakes to dog-friendly beaches and fresh local seafood, there’s a lot to love about where you work.

Dead Lakes, Wewahitchka
Local seafood restaurants
Shopping downtown
Freshwater fishing
Surf fishing at sunrise
Dog-friendly beaches
Gulf County at a glance

Everything that makes this place work

  • Natural deep-water port
  • Rural Area of Opportunity incentives through Opportunity Florida
  • Ecotourism and a world-famous bay
  • Cattle, timber, scallops and Tupelo honey
  • A thriving seafood industry
  • Nationally recognized beaches
Ready to write your next chapter here? Jim McKnight, EDC Director, can walk you through sites and incentives.