Gulf Breeze is the nearest city to Pensacola Beach, and provides utility services to the island, and most of South Santa Rosa County covering over 33 square miles.

The census designated places of Oriole Beach, Tiger Point, and Midway are considered to be a part of unincorporated Gulf Breeze by Santa Rosa County, and carry Gulf Breeze mailing addresses.

Live Oaks from the Gulf Breeze area were used for shipbuilding and blacksmiths set up ship repair shops in the town.

A Confederate camp and hospital was set up in the Deer Point area of Gulf Breeze during the Civil War.

In the late 1800s, a dry dock for ship repair was built on Deadman's Island (now a nature preserve).

The first bridge between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze was built by Johnson, Drake & Piper.

[9] Growth of the city itself is geographically restricted, surrounded by major water bodies on three sides; the eastern portion of Gulf Breeze is occupied by the Naval Live Oaks Reservation.

Before the Civil War, the wood of the live oak was the primary material of choice for shipbuilders, thus the protection and cultivation of the trees for the United States Navy was considered vital for defense in those turbulent times.

To the south of Highway 98 is a visitor center for the Gulf Islands National Seashore and several public beach areas.

Gulf Breeze is served by route 61 of Escambia County Area Transit.