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 Bay County |
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. . . where the good life has always been. Sixteenth century Spanish explorers recognized the natural splendor of St. Andrews Bay when they arrived seeking gold. Eighteenth century homesteaders saw it in the tranquil Gulf of Mexico with land rich enough to support farms and families.
Pioneer families began arriving by 1850, and after the Civil War, the area became a retirement settlement for veterans. In the early 1900s, the Creek Indians left Georgia and the Carolinas for northwest Florida. They found the area rich in game, fish, shellfish, nuts and berries. |
| One of the area’s first settlers, George M. West, arrived around the beginning of the century. He is credited with naming Panama City, inspired by the construction of the Panama Canal. |
| Since those early times, the area’s |
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| opportunity for economic growth has continued. More and more “settlers” are discovering the world’s most beautiful beaches, moderate temperatures, natural splendor, rural tranquility and a cost of living index well below that of most U.S. metropolitan areas. |
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| Early Cities |
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| In the early days there were three municipalities: St. Andrews incorporated in 1908, Panama City in 1909 and Millville in 1913. In 1926, they were consolidated into Panama City. |
| The area’s chamber of commerce was founded in 1913, and its priority was to establish a new county. This came about in 1913, when the Florida legislature created Bay County from parts of Washington and Calhoun counties. |
| A paper mill was built on St. Andrews Bay in 1931, contributing to the area’s economy |
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| and Bay County’s growth steadily continued. A large hotel and public office buildings were built in Panama City, and port facilities were expanded. Military personnel began arriving during World War II. |
| Tyndall Field officially opened in December 1941, and the Naval Coastal Systems Station was established in September 1945. The military population brings a cosmopolitan air to Bay County, contributing to the social and cultural flair of the area. Their combined estimated economic impact in the local area is more than $850 million annually. |
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| Tourism |
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| Tourism is the second largest contributor to the economy. The official tourist season begins Memorial Day and ends Labor Day, with northern “snowbird” visitors beginning their stay mid-October through April. The tourist industry is also expanding to include conventions and business meetings along with the college community and family trade already established. There has been an influx of northern visitors during the winter months, expanding the tourist trade into a year-round business. |
| Other sources of employment include paper manufacturing, chemicals, plastic products, auto parts, boat manufacturing, back office operations and lumber. Retail sales are becoming more important to the local economy as more and more shopping centers spring up. Downtown Panama City is experiencing a shopping resurgence as |
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| experiencing a shopping resurgence as restoration and renovation of the historic district continues. |
| If you are relocating permanently, being transferred to one of the military installations or taking a well-earned vacation, you’ll love Bay County! |
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| Activities |
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| There is no lack of things to do in Bay County. From amusement parks to quiet strolls along the beach—it’s all here. Water sports abound in the Gulf and the surrounding lakes in the area: boating, sailing, snorkeling, water skiing, windsurfing or just swimming. Anglers can enjoy freshwater fishing or try their luck for a trophy-sized game fish on deep sea fishing trips. World-class golf courses and numerous tennis facilities are also available. |
| Indoor activities range from gospel concerts to rock bands at beach nightspots, amateur theater to lectures at Gulf Coast Community College and Florida State University; and for readers there is an extensive public library with four branches. In addition to the area’s natural attractions, Panama City Beach offers an amusement park, water theme park, a marine life park and a zoo for vacationers’ enjoyment. |
| Many marinas have deep-sea charter and party boats to transport visitors out on the Gulf of Mexico for fishing. Grouper, snapper and other bottom-feeding fish are plentiful. |
| The Panama City Marine Institute is partly responsible for the quality of fishing in the area’s waters because of the artificial reefs they have built. As part of its rehabilitative program for troubled minors, the Panama City Marine Institute began a program of artificial reef building in the 1970s. These reefs have created prolific breeding places for fish and shelters for all forms of marine life. They also offer a variety of dive sites off Panama City Beach, which many |
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| enthusiasts believe are the best in the northern Gulf of Mexico. |
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The northbound Gulf Stream and southbound Mississippi River water, called the Loop Current, bring tuna, marlin and sailfish into our fishing area. Deep-sea charter boats carry six people as far as 100 miles offshore to troll for sailfish, marlin, amberjack, tarpon, wahoo, tuna, bonita and barracuda. One of the best bill-fishing spots in the world is the DeSota Canyon, a 1,000-foot drop in the Gulf floor, south of Panama City. These waters have produced record-breaking blue marlins.
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| A saltwater fishing license is required. There are exemptions to some requirements; contact the Bay County tax collector’s office at (850) 784-4090 for more details. |
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| Freshwater Fishing |
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| For freshwater fishing, Dead Lakes and Deer Point Lake have the reputation of some of the best freshwater fishing in the nation. At both lakes, anglers will find large-mouth bass, bluegill, catfish, jackfish and shellcrackers. Freshwater anglers ages 15-65 are required to purchase a license. Licenses can be bought at the Bay County tax collector’s office, any of the marinas, bait-and-tackle shops or some larger department stores. Marinas and bait-and-tackle shops can also supply proper equipment, bait and advice about fishing spots, bag limits and size restrictions. |
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| Lagoon waters off St. Andrews Park are shallow with no boat traffic, making them ideal for snorkeling and beginning divers. An old tar barge was sunk just inside St. Andrews Bay in 18 feet of water where visibility ranges from five to 15 feet. This area has many beautiful shells and colorful tropical fish, and is ideal for underwater photography. |
| Striped, silvery and colorful butterfly and angelfish, along with octopus, sea urchins, sand dollars and starfish, live and feed near five steel-hulled lifeboats chained together and sunk in 25 feet of water in the bay. The tugboat Simpson is a good spot for beginners, resting at a depth of 25 feet, less than a mile from shore. |
| In 1977, the Department of Natural Resources sank the 41-foot Liberty to a depth of 70 feet. The Gray Ghost, a 105-foot tugboat, lies almost intact in 107 feet of water. These two artificial (^top of section) |
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| reefs attract a vast number and variety of fish and marine life. |
| Another favorite spot for fishermen and divers is the British tanker Empire Mica. It lies 24 miles off shore in 100 feet of water where a German U-boat torpedoed it during World War II. |
| Local dive shops give instructions in everything from spearfishing to underwater photography. Weather permitting, they offer daily tours for experienced divers. Opportunities for freshwater scuba diving are available in the many springs and rivers. |
| Bay County’s temperate climate affords golfers a chance to enjoy their game year round. Of the 10 area courses, three are public, two are private and five are semi-private. |
| St. Andrews State Park is located three miles east of Panama City Beach. Part of Shell Island is also part of the park area. Much of the 1,260 acres is preserved in its natural state with beaches, sand dunes, sand pine scrub with salt and freshwater marshes. |
| The Gulf of Mexico, St. Andrews Bay and Grand Lagoon bind the park. Fishing is the main attraction. Fishermen are in the middle of the action with a 450-foot long pier and jetties on the Gulf side, where they bring in catches of redfish, flounder, speckled trout, bluefish and Spanish and king mackerel. Visitors to St. Andrews State Park can enjoy swimming, boating, scuba diving, bicycling, bird watching and nature walks along the white, sandy beaches or shady wooded areas. Tours can also be taken through a reconstructed turpentine still, a relic from the turn of the century. |
| St. Andrews State Park opens at 8 a.m. and closes at sunset year round. The parking lot is usually full by 11 a.m. during the summer, which effectively closes the area to additional visitors. A boat ramp is located on Grand Lagoon and rentals are available during the summer season. In addition to excellent campgrounds, there are picnic areas equipped with tables and charcoal grills, playgrounds and rest rooms with showers. |
| Panama City and Bay County recreation departments maintain more than 50 city and county parks. These range from undeveloped natural settings to full recreational complexes complete with playgrounds, ball fields, picnic areas and rest rooms. Some of the parks have fishing and swimming facilities and nature walks. |
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| Arts |
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| In 1978, Bay County Music Association, Art Association, Friends of the Library and Historical Society formed the Bay Arts Alliance to provide quality cultural events and programs to the community. Promotion of the arts in education and entertainment is an ongoing commitment of more than 500 individuals who comprise membership. Bay Arts Alliance is the management company for the Marina Civic Center and is Bay County’s link to the State of Florida’s Department of Cultural Affairs. |
| On-going projects of the Bay Arts Alliance include presenting a series of professional performing arts events to the general public, and in many cases, to Bay County school children. |
| Music lovers will find a wide range of concerts including classical, instrumental, orchestral and vocal programs presented by the Gulf Coast Community College and the Performing Artists’ Guild. |
| Bay County has five public libraries: the |
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| main library in downtown Panama City, (850) 872-7500; the Springfield Library on the east side, (850) 872-7510; Panama City Beach Library on the west side, (850) 233-5055; North Bay Public Library located in Lynn Haven, (850) 265-2781; and Parker Public Library, (850) 871-3092. Library services include materials for the handicapped, large-print books, books-on-tape, college courses on videocassette and story times for children. |
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| The Area |
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| Bay County covers about 764 square miles and is home to approximately 165,515 people. This figure is expected to climb 21 percent by 2020. |
| Panama City, the largest municipality in Bay County, covers 25 square miles with a population of 37,540, and is the county seat. The city’s economic base is two military installations, several growing industrial centers and tourism. The city boasts a fine public library, parks and playgrounds, two hospitals, family medical clinics, civic clubs, Gulf Coast Community College and a branch of Florida State University. |
| Luxury hotels and family-operated motels across the Hathaway Bridge provide accommodations for visitors to Panama City Beach. This municipality covers about 20 square miles, and more than 10,005 people make this their permanent residence. |
| Springfield, incorporated in 1935, is located east of Panama City, and comprises eight square miles with a population of 9,000. It has grown from a rural community to a modern city complete with a library, community center and medical clinics. |
| Callaway is a residential and business community, sharing a boundary and shopping centers with the city of Parker. Callaway covers 11 square miles and has a population of 14,789. Many of the residents are military retirees as the city is located seven miles west of Tyndall AFB. |
| The city of Parker is located between St. Andrews Bay and Martin Lake. It, too, is home for many military families. The total population of Parker is almost 5,000. The Callaway-Parker shopping center provides a |
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| good economic foundation for the communities. |
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One of the smallest municipalities in Bay County is Cedar Grove, with 1.4 square miles and a population of 5,600.
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| Lynn Haven, located six miles north of Panama City on North Bay, was originally a retirement community for Civil War veterans. Some 14,000 residents enjoy Lynn Haven’s closeness to open country. The city’s assets include a 200-acre industrial park, country club, public library and excellent recreational possibilities. It is also only four miles from the county’s largest shopping center. |
| Thirty miles east of Panama City, on the “other side” of Tyndall AFB, is Mexico Beach. It is a delightful, “laid-back” vacation community on the Gulf of Mexico where some 1,000-plus residents enjoy its 3.2 miles of Gulf coast year-round. It is noted for its safe beaches. Rental cottages and apartments are plentiful. Campgrounds for RVs and restaurants are also available for visitors. |
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| Residency Requirements |
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| There is no fixed waiting period to become a Florida resident. All that is required is to establish a home or permanent dwelling and demonstrate the intent to make Florida a permanent legal residence. However, |
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| newcomers are advised to establish proof of intent by filing a sworn statement with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Bay County. There is a small fee for recording the affidavit. |
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| Medical Facilities |
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| Area hospitals include Columbia Gulf Coast Hospital and Bay Medical Center. The Joint Association on Accreditation of Hospitals accredits both. |
| Gulf Coast Hospital is the newest and, through its affiliation with Columbia Hospital Corp., one of the world’s most advanced medical diagnostic X-ray imaging systems was installed in 1986. The hospital also has a physician referral service. State-of-the-art care is offered by the hospital through the wellness center and maternity unit. |
| Bay Medical Center is the largest non-profit, |
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| acute care, full-service regional medical center. Its facilities include an outpatient surgery, a radiology center, and a heart catheterization laboratory. The hospital also has a hyperbaric department for the special oxygen treatment used in speeding the healing of cyanide poisonings, burns, gangrene and diving accidents. Some 50,000 patient’s worldwide have been treated by the lithotipter, a revolutionary non-surgical kidney stone treatment. The process fragments the stone through a concentration of shock waves, allowing it to pass through the urinary tract. |
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| Chamber of Commerce |
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| The Bay County Chamber of Commerce is always happy to serve newcomers and visitors. They can be contacted by writing: Bay County Chamber of Commerce, P.O. |
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| Economic Growth |
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| The Bay County area has many possibilities for economic growth. Florida’s tax incentives make relocating business and industry to the area especially tempting. Resources are abundant and inexpensive, and there is a diverse labor market. |
| Bay County’s economic base is a mixture of military, tourism, lumbering, trades, services, manufacturing, construction and commercial fishing. Business and industrial prosperity are vital for the long-term economic soundness of the area, so the chamber of commerce along with other public and private organizations fund the Economic Development Alliance. The purpose of this organization is to recruit new industry, stimulate a sound business climate, assist existing businesses and promote business growth. |
| An available labor force, job-training facilities, access to markets and adequate support services are a few of the many assets attractive to businesses. |
| Bay County’s civilian labor force in November 2006 was 81,971. Employment is in five primary categories in Bay County: Services, Retail and wholesale trade, Government Construction, and Manufacturing. |
| No discussion of Bay County’s economic base would be complete without mention of Tyndall AFB and the Navy Coastal Systems Station. The military is a vital part of Bay County’s economy. |
| These two military installations are the largest contributors to Bay County’s economic base. |
| The NSA is situated on 665 acres along St. Andrews Bay. About 3,000 military and civilian personnel work at the center, which is a major research and development facility in support of naval operations. The U.S. Navy School of Diving and Salvage, formerly based in Washington, D.C., is now located at NSA. Other operations include amphibious missions, diving, salvage and mine countermeasures. |
| Tyndall AFB encompasses more than 29,000 acres in Bay County. The surrounding communities within a 50-mile radius of Tyndall comprise the local economic impact area. Tyndall employs more than 4,000 military, 600 DoD and contact civilians, and 460 Non-Appropriated Fund and other employees. More than 2,160 secondary jobs are created by Tyndall AFB expenditures. |
| Tyndall serves nearly 10,000 retirees from all service branches. |
| Tyndall’s economic impact in (^top of section) |
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| the local area is more than $669 million annually. |
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Bay County’s school board employs more than 6,000 and is considered the next largest employer. The Bay and Gulf Coast medical centers employ about 2,800 people. A list of major employers in the area is available through the Bay County Chamber of Commerce.
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| Gulf Coast Community College and Florida State University, Panama City campus; provide occupational and vocational training, as well as courses geared toward professional development that are of interest to business and industry. Both Haney Vocational Technical institute and GCCC offer flexible and customized training to area employers. |
| Bay County’s transportation network includes highways, waterways, railways and airways. U.S. Highways 231 and 98 are the main arteries for trucks hauling goods and raw materials in and out of the county. The Bay Line Railroad provides rail freight services to Bay County businesses and industry and to Port Panama City. The deep-water port is located on St. Andrews Bay and is one of the most economical ports on the Gulf or East Coast for import and export dealings in international trade. Foreign Trade Zone 65 is located in Port Panama City. |
| Bay County is served by Delta and Northwest Airlines, and two general aviation services offer private and charter flights, as well as service for privately owned aircraft. The Panama City airport has two lighted runways and a modern Federal Aviation Administration control tower. The airport is located adjacent to the industrial district, which was created in 1967. |
| The Economic Development Alliance continually seeks new businesses to locate to Bay County and the Tourist Development Council strives to increase fall and winter tourism. Beachside hotels offer excellent meeting facilities and space for exhibits, which are attracting conventions. |
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| General Information |
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| Area: Bay County covers a 764-square-mile area and the elevation average is 13 feet above sea level. |
| Climate: Bay County enjoys a moderate climate, rarely dropping below 40 degrees Fahrenheit in winter or rising above 90 degrees during the summer. The rainy season falls between April and August, with an annual precipitation of 57.8 inches. |
| Financial facilities: Bay County’s financial community provides a full range of financial services for residents and businesses through banks, credit unions and savings and loan associations. |
| Area government: The Bay County Board of County Commissioners administers the county’s unincorporated areas from the county seat in Panama City. Each of the eight incorporated municipalities has a mayor and city commissioner form of government. |
| Religion: The 150 churches in the communities represent religions of most denominations. Some provide schools for various grade levels and other social activities. |
| Housing: Bay County offers housing in new subdivisions and in older, established neighborhoods, with costs comparable to most metropolitan areas of its size in the Southeast. There are many one, two and three-bedroom homes, townhouses and apartments, furnished or unfurnished, available on the retail market. |
| Media: The Panama City News Herald, 501 West 11th St., (P.O. Box 1940), Panama City, FL 32402, (850) 747-5000, serves the region as the daily newspaper. |
| The area has four major televisions stations: WJHG (NBC), Channel 7; WMBB (ABC), Channel 13; WTVY (CBS), Channel 4; and WPGX (FOX), Channel 28. |
| Three large radio groups control most of the local airwaves: Magic Broadcasting, Clear Channel, and Panama City Radio. |
| Shopping: Bay County offers several fine shopping centers. The largest is the Panama City Mall, located between U.S. Highway 231 and 23rd Street. In addition to shops, the mall has a four-screen discount theater; food courts and presents educational and entertaining events. The downtown area offers a variety of shops, including clothing, furniture, antiques, jewelry, and more. |
| Taxes: Florida has no personal state income tax or inheritance tax. There is a 6.0 percent retail sales tax and a corporate tax. |
| Real estate taxes are a combination of city, county and school district levies, plus special assessments. Florida residents have a $25,000 exemption on the value of their property. Taxes are based on 100 percent of the assessed value of real and tangible personal property. |
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Utilities: Electric, gas, telephone and water companies require deposits for first-time service in area. The amount of the deposits varies. Garbage pick-up and sewer hook-up are required by the governmental jurisdictions which provide such service.
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Electricity:
Gulf Power Company: 800-225-5797
Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative:
850-265-3631
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Natural Gas:
TECO Peoples Gas: 1-877-832-6747
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Telephone:
BellSouth
Residential: 850-780-2355
Business: 850-780-2800
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Telephone and Cable:
Knology: 850-215-1000
Comcast Cable: 850-769-2929
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Phone Numbers
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Emergency Numbers:
| Fire/Police/Ambulance |
911 |
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Other Non-Emergency Numbers
(area code 850)
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Fire:
| Bay County |
747-4701 |
| Callaway |
871-0666 |
| Lynn Haven |
265-4111 |
| Mexico Beach |
769-7968 |
| Panama City |
872-3030 |
| Panama City Beach |
233-5120 |
| Parker |
871-4313 |
| Springfield |
872-7535 |
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Police:
| Bay County Sheriff |
785-4351 |
| Callaway |
871-1008 |
| Cedar Grove |
763-1578 |
| Lynn Haven |
265-4111 |
| Mexico Beach |
227-1115 |
| Panama City |
872-3112 |
| Panama City Beach |
233-5000 |
| Parker |
871-4100 |
| Springfield |
872-7545 |
| Highway Patrol |
872-4150 |
| Crime Stoppers |
785-8477 |
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Information:
| Poison Control |
(800) 282-3171 |
| Mental Health Emergency |
(850) 769-9481 |
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