Community Description
Short Description: At 840 square miles, Jacksonville, “Where Florida Begins,” is the largest city in the continental United States and the only consolidated city/county government in Florida. The city center is 40 miles south of Georgia state line. The City of Jacksonville and Duval County merged in 1968, so Jacksonville's government structure consists of a single entity covering all of Duval County with the exception of the beach communities Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach and Baldwin. Jacksonville is the most populous city in the state and Florida's most industrialized city.
Jacksonville sits 12 miles from the mouth of the 310-mile St. Johns River that empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Mayport. Also known as "The River City," two of the Spanish names for the area can be translated as "pass of San Nicolas." It was also called "the place where the cows cross" by the Timucuan Indians.
Jacksonville's downtown district is a workable combination of business, industry and public facilities and services including a Mayo Clinic facility and international trade. The community is located at the crossroads of two transcontinental highways, a major port, the insurance and financial center of Florida, US Navy bases and the home of the National Football League's Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jacksonville metropolitan area includes Duval Jacksonville, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties.
The Navy at Mayport covers 3,409 acres and is the third largest Naval Facility in the continental United States. Since commission in December 1942, Naval Station Mayport has grown to become the third largest fleet concentration area in the United States.
Under the British flag, Jacksonville was known as Cowford, until the purchase of Florida by the United States, when the town was renamed for Andrew Jackson. Following the Seminole War, the city emerged as a prosperous and boisterous harbor town. The community was occupied by Union troops four times during the Civil War, but emerged during the Reconstruction period as a popular winter resort.
The city of Jacksonville operates the largest urban park system in the United States, providing park services at more than 350 locations on more than 6,000 acres.
Local attractions include the 61-acre Jacksonville Zoological Gardens, Times-Union Center for Performing Arts, the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, Jacksonville Art Museum, the Museum of Science and History, the Florida Theater, the 1.2-mile Southbank Riverwalk, Jacksonville Landing and the 1,000-foot long fishing pier.
Community events include the Spring Music Fest, International Sea & Air Spectacular, Gator Bowl Game, Florida-Georgia football, Kingfish Tournament, Bausch and Lomb Tennis Championships, Players Championship Golf Tournament, Dellus Festival held in the first week of March, Riverside Art Festival held in mid or late September and the Jacksonville Jazz Festival held in early November in Metropolitan Park.
Nearby communities include Orange Park (11 miles), Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace (11.5 miles), Lakeside (14.5 miles), Fruit Cove (15.5 miles), Nassau Village-Ratliff (16.5 miles), Atlantic Beach (17.5 miles), Neptune Beach (17.5 miles) and Jacksonville Beach (18.5 miles).
Population: 796,000
Year of Incorporation: 1832
Location: North Eastern Florida
Median Home Price: $127,800
Taxes Levied (per capita): $45.26
Total Area: 841 square miles
City Hall: City of Jacksonville
117 West Duval St, Ste 400, Jacksonville FL 32202
904.630.177; 904.630.2391 Fax
Email Contact
Chamber of Commerce:
3 Independent St, Jacksonville, FL 32202
904.366.6600
550 Water St. Ste 1000, Jacksonville, FL 32202
800.733.2668 (tollfree); 904.798.9111; 904.798.9103 Fax
Library:
| Jacksonville Public Library |
122 N. Ocean St |
Jacksonville, FL 32202 |
904.630.2665 |
| Bradham Brooks Northwest Branch |
1755 Edgewood Ave W. |
Jacksonville, FL 32208 |
904.765.5402 |
| Brentwood Branch |
3725 Pearl St. |
Jacksonville, FL 32206 |
904.630.0924 |
| Brown Eastside Branch |
1390 Harrison St. |
Jacksonville, FL 32206 |
904.630.5466 |
| Graham Branch |
2304 N. Myrtle Ave |
Jacksonville, FL 32209 |
904.630.0922 |
| Highlands Branch |
1826 Dunn Ave |
Jacksonville, FL 32218 |
904.757.7702 |
| Mandarin Branch |
3330 Kori Rd. |
Jacksonville, FL 32257 |
904.262.5201 |
| Murray Hill Branch |
918 Edgewood Ave S. |
Jacksonville, FL 32205 |
904.384.2665 |
| Regency Square Branch |
9900 Regency Square Blvd |
Jacksonville, FL 32225 |
904.726.5142 |
| San Marco Branch |
1565 Hendricks Ave |
Jacksonville, FL 32207 |
|
| Southeast Branch |
10599 Deerwood Park Blvd. |
Jacksonville, FL 32256 |
904.996.0325 |
| Webb Wesconnett Branch |
6887 103rd St. |
Jacksonville, FL 32210 |
904.778.7305 |
| Westbrook Branch |
2809 Commonwealth Ave |
Jacksonville, FL 32254 |
904.384.7424 |
| Willowbranch Branch |
2875 Park St. |
Jacksonville, FL 32205 |
904.381.8490 |
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