Bay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Its county seat is Panama City. Bay County is a very popular Spring Break destination for college students. Bay County was created in 1913 and was named for the nearby Saint Andrews Bay. Bay County is the sole county in the Panama City-Lynn Haven MSA. Bay County has a total area of approximately 1,033 square miles of which 74% is land and 26% water. As of the 2000 census, there were 148,217 people, 59,597 households, and 40,466 families residing in Bay County, FL.