<Li> Small portions of Bay County </Li> <P> The Apalachicola River is the largest river of the Panhandle . It is formed by the junction of several rivers, including the Chattahoochee and the Flint, where the boundaries of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida meet . From there, it flows southward to the town of Apalachicola . </P> <P> Major estuaries include, from west to east: Perdido Bay, fed by the Perdido River, which forms the western boundary of Florida; Escambia Bay and East Bay, fed by the Escambia River and Blackwater River, respectively; Choctawhatchee Bay, fed by the Choctawhatchee River; and St. Andrews Bay, fed by Econfina Creek . Pensacola Bay, a deepwater port, is formed by the joining of Escambia and East bays . The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, completed in 1949, traverses the lower Panhandle by means of bays, lagoons, sounds, and man - made canals . The barrier islands of Perdido Key and Santa Rosa Island extend from the Pandhandle's western extremity to Fort Walton Beach . </P> <P> Interstate 10 is the only interstate highway in the Panhandle, connecting the extreme west with North Florida and Jacksonville . Other older east--west routes include U.S. Highway 90 and U.S. Highway 98 . Important north--south routes west of the Apalachicola River include U.S. Highway 29, U.S. Highway 331, and U.S. Highway 231, all linking to Alabama and Interstate 65 . State Road 20 stretches from Niceville to Tallahassee . </P>

Why is florida panhandle not part of alabama