Choctawhatchee Bay

Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee bay map fl
Satellite image of the Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay is located in Florida
Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay
Coordinates30°26′22″N 86°18′40″W / 30.43944°N 86.31111°W / 30.43944; -86.31111
Primary inflowsChoctawhatchee River
Primary outflowsGulf of Mexico, Santa Rosa Sound
Catchment area5,405 square miles (14,000 km2)
Max. length27 miles (43 km)[1]
Max. width6 miles (9.7 km)
Surface area129 square miles (330 km2)
Max. depth43 feet (13 m)
SettlementsFort Walton Beach, Destin Santa Rosa Beach, Freeport, Niceville, Shalimar, Valparaiso

Choctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico and has a surface area of 334 square kilometres (129 sq mi).[2] It connects to Santa Rosa Sound in Fort Walton Beach, Florida to the west and to St. Andrews Bay in Bay County to the east, via the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. East Pass (also known as Destin Pass) is the only outlet of the bay flowing directly into the Gulf of Mexico, and is crossed by US 98.[3] The Choctawhatchee River flows into the bay, as do several smaller rivers and streams.[2][4] The tolled Mid-Bay Bridge (SR 293) crosses the bay, connecting the city of Destin to Niceville, Florida. The Judge Clyde B. Wells Bridge (US 331) crosses the eastern part of the bay, connecting Freeport to the coast.[5]

Aerial view of bay looking westward
Looking westward onto Choctawhatchee Bay
  1. ^ Ruth, Barbara; Handley, Lawrence R. (2006). "Choctawhatchee Bay" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b "GulfBase - Choctawhatchee Bay". Archived from the original on 2007-11-30. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
  3. ^ "EAST PASS INLET MANAGEMENT STUDY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION" (PDF). Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-03-08. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
  4. ^ "Choctawhatchee Info - HISTORICAL". Retrieved 2007-11-25.
  5. ^ "Bridge Dedication Ceremony for Judge Clyde B. Wells". 14 July 2017.