Real Estate on Florida's Forgotten Coast

Florida's Forgotten Coast is the stretch of Gulf shoreline that runs from Mexico Beach east to St. Marks, through Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla counties. The name dates to the early 1990s, when the local chamber of commerce turned the area's absence from a state tourism map into a point of pride. More than thirty years later, it still describes a coastline with no high rises along most of the beachfront, small downtowns, working waterfronts and long stretches of protected state park land.

Selling the Coast Real Estate is based in downtown Port St. Joe, on Reid Avenue, and most of our work is in the 32456 ZIP code. That includes Port St. Joe, Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, St. Joe Beach and WindMark Beach. We also help buyers and sellers in Mexico Beach, Wewahitchka, Apalachicola and St. George Island.

What sets each area apart

• Port St. Joe is the Gulf County seat, with a downtown on St. Joseph Bay, a marina and the relocated Cape San Blas Lighthouse in George Core Park.
• Cape San Blas is the curving St. Joseph Peninsula, with the Gulf on one side, the bay on the other and T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park at the tip.
• Indian Pass sits at the end of County Road 30B, across the pass from St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge.
• St. Joe Beach lines US 98 between Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe and includes the Beacon Hill area.
• WindMark Beach is a master-planned community on St. Joseph Bay with a Village Center and boardwalks along the shore.
• Mexico Beach is a small city in Bay County that has rebuilt since Hurricane Michael in 2018.
• Wewahitchka is inland, near the Dead Lakes and the Apalachicola and Chipola rivers, and known for tupelo honey.
• Apalachicola is the Franklin County seat, a historic river and bay town with a long seafood tradition.
• St. George Island is a barrier island reached by a bridge of about four miles over Apalachicola Bay.

One local detail that surprises newcomers: Gulf County is split between two time zones. Port St. Joe, Cape San Blas, Indian Pass and St. Joe Beach are on Eastern Time, while Wewahitchka and next door Mexico Beach are on Central Time.

Buying real estate on the Forgotten Coast

Property types here include single-family homes, beach houses on pilings, bayfront and canal homes, townhomes, condos, vacant lots and acreage. Many coastal properties sit in FEMA flood zones, and some on Cape San Blas fall inside the federal Coastal Barrier Resources System, where federal flood insurance is generally not available for newer construction. Insurance options and costs vary by property, so we recommend getting quotes from a licensed insurance agent early in your search. If you are thinking about renting a property short term, rules differ by city and county, and rental results are never guaranteed.

Ready to look? Start with our Port St. Joe listings at sellingthecoastfl.com/listings/region/Port-St.-Joe/ or search the whole area at sellingthecoastfl.com/search/advanced_search/. To talk with Carla Ashabranner or one of our agents, call Selling the Coast Real Estate at (850) 201-6154.

FAQs

Where is Florida's Forgotten Coast? It is the Gulf coastline from Mexico Beach to St. Marks, covering parts of Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla counties in the Florida Panhandle.

Why is it called the Forgotten Coast? The name was adopted in the early 1990s by the local chamber of commerce after the area was left off a state tourism map. Locals kept the name.

Which time zone is Port St. Joe in? Port St. Joe is on Eastern Time. Wewahitchka and Mexico Beach are on Central Time, so it is worth checking the clock when you cross the county line or head north on State Road 71.

Does Selling the Coast Real Estate work outside Port St. Joe? Yes. Our office is in Port St. Joe and our main focus is the 32456 ZIP code, and we also help clients in Mexico Beach, Wewahitchka, Apalachicola and St. George Island.

Selling the Coast Real Estate | 402 Reid Ave, Suite A, Port St. Joe, FL 32456 | Office (850) 201-6154 | Carla Ashabranner, Broker, (850) 730-3278