St. Joseph Bay is a bay

Headlands and bays

Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...

 on the Gulf Coast

Gulf Coast of the United States

The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...

 of the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, located in Gulf County

Gulf County, Florida

Gulf County is a county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 13,332. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 13,975 . Its county seat is Port St. Joe.- History :...

 between Apalachicola

Apalachicola, Florida

Apalachicola is a city in Franklin County, Florida, on US 98 about southwest of Tallahassee. The population was 2,334 at the 2000 census. The 2005 census estimated the city's population at 2,340...

 and Panama City

Panama City, Florida

-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...

. Port St. Joe

Port St. Joe, Florida

Port St. Joe is a city located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and State Road 71 in Gulf County, Florida, United States. As of 2007, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,579. The population was 3,644 as of the 2000 census. Port St. Joe became the county seat of Gulf County...

 is located on St. Joseph Bay.

St. Joseph Bay is bounded on the east by the mainland

Mainland

Mainland is a name given to a large landmass in a region , or to the largest of a group of islands in an archipelago. Sometimes its residents are called "Mainlanders"...

, on the south by Cape San Blas

Cape San Blas

Cape San Blas is part of a peninsula in Gulf County, Florida extending westward from the mainland of Florida, separating St. Joseph Bay to the north from the Gulf Of Mexico to the south. The St. Joseph Peninsula extends northward from the west end of Cape San Blas. It is approximately 10 miles...

, and on the west by the St. Joseph Peninsula

St. Joseph Peninsula

The St. Joseph Peninsula is located in Gulf County, Florida in the panhandle of Florida, at coordinates . It is an 15-mile long spit, extending northward from Cape San Blas between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and Saint Joseph Bay to the east. It is 6 miles west of Port St. Joe at its closest...

. The north end of the bay is a relatively narrow opening to the Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...

. The bay is approximately 15 miles long north to south, and 6 miles wide at its widest point. The St. Joseph Peninsula forms the T.H. Stone Memorial-St. Joseph Peninsula State Park

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is a Florida State Park near Port St. Joe. It is located off U.S. 98.-Recreational activities:The park has such amenities as beaches, birding, boating, cabins, canoeing, fishing, hiking, kayaking, picnicking areas, snorkeling, wildlife viewing and full camping...

, while the bay itself includes the St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve and the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve.