County · code 12005
Bay CountyFlorida
Bay County is a county in Florida with its seat in Panama City, formed on July 1, 1913.
- Founded1913
- County seatPanama City
- Named forSt. Andrews Bay
- Land area759 sq mi + 708 sq mi water
- Population175,216 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped134,848 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Bay on the map of Florida
Florida has 67 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1913 from Calhoun County and Washington County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Bay County was created from Calhoun County and Washington County on July 1, 1913. The county was named after St. Andrews Bay.
- 1913Bay County created Bay created from Calhoun and Washington. · Fla. Laws 1913, 14th sess., gen., ch. 6505, secs. 1, 24/pp. 347, 353; ch. 6506/p. 354; and ch. 6508/p. 359
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Bay
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 134,848 parcels from Bay County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Bay County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Bay by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Records
Permits
Zoning and code
GIS and maps
County government
- County government
The official website of Bay County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Bay County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Bay County
- When was Bay County founded?
- Bay County was founded in 1913, formed from Calhoun County and Washington County, and named after St. Andrews Bay.
- What is the county seat of Bay County?
- The county seat of Bay County is Panama City.
- Is there an online parcel map for Bay County?
- Yes. Bay County publishes a parcel map of 134,848 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Bay County's boundary or name changed?
- Bay County was created in 1913 from Calhoun County and Washington County. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records no boundary change since.
- Who issues building permits in Bay County?
- The county's page on building permits: Permit Requirements. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Bay County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby