Bay County, Florida

Bay County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 168,852. Its county seat is Panama City.Bay County is included in the Panama City, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is best known for its white sand beaches and emerald green water, where large pods of dolphins swim year-round. These beaches attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world each year.HistoryOn February 12, 1913, representatives from five towns on St. Andrews Bay met in Panama City to select a name for a proposed new county. The name Bay was selected because it was satisfactory to the majority of the citizens and was descriptive of the territory that would be included. On July 1, 1913, Bay County was created by the Legislature from portions of Washington, Calhoun and Walton counties.It was the site of Gideon v. Wainwright, which gave all persons accused of a crime the right to an attorney.GeographyAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (26.6%) is water.Adjacent countiesWashington County, Florida - northJackson County, Florida - northeastCalhoun County, Florida - eastGulf County, Florida - southeastWalton County, Florida - west