BeachesWith
Aerial view of Public Beach in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, shoreline and surroundings, USDA NAIP imagery from May 2023
Aerial imagery: USDA NAIP 2023 via USGS National Map, public domain (source)

Public Beach

Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Ocean beach in Santa Rosa Beach, facing south, with parking and restaurants within walking distance.

  • Restaurants and bars
  • HoursNot on file
  • Parking1 lot within 1,310 ft
  • DirectionsGoogle Maps
4.6/ 10Fair
How we score beaches
Calm water
6.3 of 10
Water
87 Ftoday
Sunset
6:56 pmover land
Parking
Mapped1 within 1,310 ft
Rip risk
Moderaterest of today
Families
Fair
85of 100

Today, Thursday, Sep 10

Good beach day

Calm water · very warm water · light wind. Watch: 25% rain chance, moderate rip current risk.

80 Fovercast
High
88 F
Sea temperature
87 F
Waves
1.2 ftup to 1.3 ft
Wind
2 mphup to 11 mph
Rain chance
25%
UV index
7high
Sun
6:26 am to 6:56 pm
Surf zoneNWS Tallahassee forecast for South Walton, issued 11:46 am CDT, Wed Sep 9
  • Rip current riskModeraterest of today
  • SurfAround 1 ft
  • Rip risk thursdayModerate
Tidesnext low at 2:57 am
  1. Low2:57 am0.4 ft
  2. High1:06 pm0.8 ft
  1. 8:00 am81 Fmostly clear, 10% rain, 6 mph
  2. 11:00 am · best86 Fmostly clear, 9% rain, 5 mph
  3. 2:00 pm88 Fovercast, 14% rain, 8 mph
  4. 5:00 pm86 Fovercast, 25% rain, 8 mph

Forecast for Thursday, Sep 10, local time (GMT-5). Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, refreshed hourly. Sea temperature and waves are model values for the nearest offshore point. Tides from NOAA CO-OPS station Driftwood Point, Choctawhatchee Bay (8729425), 5.3 mi from the beach, heights above MLLW. Rip current risk and surf from the National Weather Service Surf Zone Forecast for the zone; a low risk still means rip currents near piers, jetties, and inlets.The rating rule is on the methodology page. Planning a future date? See typical weather by month.

Great for

  • FamiliesFairCalm water 6.3, no bathrooms mapped
  • SwimmingGoodWaves around 2.4 ft, sea 74 F on average
  • SunsetsLimitedsets over land
  • ConvenienceFair1 parking lot, 1 places to eat
How the Beach Score is calculated: 4.6 of 10

The score is the sum of the components below. Clear water counts only where a clarity source exists. Rankings never take revenue as an input.

ComponentPointsFact
Facilities1.8 of 3Within walking distance: parking, restaurants.
Calm water1.3 of 2Mean daily maximum wave 2.4 ft.
Warm water0.5 of 1Mean sea temperature 74 F.
Sunset over water0.0 of 1The shore faces away from the sunset all year.

Ranks #57 of 67 for restaurants and bars in Florida, #89 of 124 for parking in Florida, #157 of 168 for warm water in Florida. All beaches in Florida.

Verdicts on the cards come from the same facts. Sources: OpenStreetMap (Sep 10, 2026), Open-Meteo (Sep 10, 2026). The formula is on the methodology page.

Amenities

  • Parking1 nearby
  • Free parkingNo
  • BathroomsNo
  • ShowersNo
  • Restaurants and bars1 nearby
  • Beachfront hotelsNo
  • Hotels nearbyNo
  • Beachfront campingNo
  • Camping nearbyNo
  • PierNo
  • BoardwalkNo

Water, sand, and nature

  • Calm water6.3 of 10
  • Warm water5.4 of 10

Nearby means within walking distance of the beach centre (980 ft to 1,640 ft, by kind), from OpenStreetMap. Scores are 0 to 10. Sources: OpenStreetMap (Sep 10, 2026), Open-Meteo (Sep 10, 2026); the method for each is on the methodology page.

Hours, fees, and rules

Hours and fees are not on file yet. No operator page found yet.

Address
West County Highway 30A, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

Address from OpenStreetMap (nearest road, approximate).

Sunset and sunrise

The shore faces south (198 degrees). The sun sets over land all year.

Computed from the OpenStreetMap coastline and the sunset azimuth for each month.

Planning a trip

Early October is usually warm, with warm water and little rain.

Water
80 FWarm
High
79 FWarm
Rainy day
18%Rain is rare
Waves
2.1 ftModerate

What to expect

  • Warm swimming water, around 80 F
  • Moderate waves, around 2.1 ft
  • Rain is rare in October
  • October is within Atlantic hurricane season, at its peak
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, peak from mid-August to late October. Storm history near this beach

2 October storms within 62.1 mi since 1980, about one every 23 years, 2 at hurricane strength. Most recent in any month: Tropical Storm Fred, August 2021, 51.0 mi away. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks, counted at tropical storm strength or stronger. Season dates from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Public Beach through the year

Warm water
Low rain
Calm water

Darker is better: warmer water, fewer rainy days, calmer water. Monthly means, 2023-2025, from Open-Meteo. Values for a date blend the nearest two months; the bands and the rule are on the methodology page.

When to go

  • Best overallJuly to Octobervery warm water · calm water · warm days
  • Warmest waterJuly to September87 F average
  • DriestOctober5 rainy days a month
All monthly averages, 2023-2025Public Beach: sea and air temperature by monthMonthly mean sea surface temperature and daily maximum air temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.5060708090100JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSea temperature (F)Air, daily max
MonthSea tempAir maxRain daysWave height
Jan61 F (16 C)60 F (16 C)103.3 ft
Feb62 F (17 C)65 F (18 C)82.9 ft
Mar66 F (19 C)68 F (20 C)113.0 ft
Apr71 F (22 C)73 F (23 C)72.9 ft
May78 F (25 C)79 F (26 C)122.2 ft
Jun83 F (28 C)84 F (29 C)162.4 ft
Jul85 F (29 C)86 F (30 C)151.8 ft
Aug87 F (30 C)87 F (31 C)131.8 ft
Sep85 F (30 C)84 F (29 C)101.8 ft
Oct79 F (26 C)78 F (25 C)52.2 ft
Nov72 F (22 C)70 F (21 C)82.5 ft
Dec65 F (18 C)63 F (17 C)82.6 ft

Monthly means, 2023-2025. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com. Wave height is the mean of daily maximum significant wave height.

Explore Public Beach

Parking, food, stays, and facilities around the beach, mapped in OpenStreetMap within 0.7 mi.

All places near Public Beach as a list (9)

Beach access Beach access · Nearest parking 220 ft · Nearest food and drinks 390 ft · 1 min walk · Nearest showers 0.6 mi · 12 min walk

Distances are straight-line to the nearest point of the beach as mapped in OpenStreetMap; walking times assume 80 m a minute. Access points are where OpenStreetMap paths, steps, and boardwalks meet the beach. Coordinates 30.3522, -86.2512. Open this spot in OpenStreetMap or Google Maps. Missing or wrong? Fix it in OpenStreetMap and it appears here after the next weekly update.

Nearby beaches

Questions about Public Beach

Is there parking at Public Beach?

Yes. 1 mapped parking area within 1,310 ft. Source: OpenStreetMap.

How warm is the water at Public Beach?

Sea surface temperature averages 85 F (29 C) in July and 61 F (16 C) in January. Source: Open-Meteo marine model, monthly means.

Is the water calm at Public Beach?

Calm water scores 6.3 of 10. Mean daily maximum wave height is 2.4 ft. Source: Open-Meteo marine model.

Can you see the sunset over the water at Public Beach?

No. The shore faces away from the sunset all year.

When is hurricane season at Public Beach?

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, with the peak from mid-August to late October, per the NOAA National Hurricane Center. Since 1980, 15 named storms passed within 62.1 mi of the beach, 7 at hurricane strength, most in July, August and September. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks.

Sources

  • © OpenStreetMap contributors (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Storm tracks from the NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 archive, public domain (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Tide predictions from NOAA CO-OPS station Driftwood Point, Choctawhatchee Bay (8729425), public domain
  • Rip current risk, surf, and alerts from the National Weather Service TAE office for South Walton (FLZ108), public domain

Licenses and refresh dates for every dataset are on the data page. Something wrong? Every beach page has a report button; corrections are logged with a date.

© OpenStreetMap contributors. Beach location, shoreline, and amenity positions are from OpenStreetMap under the ODbL. Data updated Sep 10, 2026.