Jacksonville Beach is the closest city to Jacksonville, Florida, with a population of at least 20,000. Located on the northeast coast of Florida, it is a quintessential coastal town that sums up the charm of the Sunshine State. If you're looking for a home in Jacksonville, Florida, this year, exploring nearby cities might be your best bet. These neighboring cities offer a unique combination of coastal charm and urban convenience, and offer a variety of options for both renters and buyers.
Live close to Jacksonville's vibrant culture and beautiful beaches while enjoying more affordable housing options. In this Redfin article, you can compare rental and housing costs, learn about travel times, and find something that fits your budget and preferences. Augustine, known as the oldest city in the U.S. UU.
The city is famous for its well-preserved Spanish colonial architecture and for its historic monuments such as the Castillo de San Marcos, a 17th-century Spanish stone fortress with views of the St. The vibrant city center is filled with quaint shops, restaurants, and museums, making it a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. The local economy is driven by the tourism, education and health sectors, and Flagler College is a major contributor. Residents enjoy a relaxed lifestyle with easy access to beautiful beaches, parks, and cultural events, such as the annual Nights of Lights festival.
Augustine is also known for its strong community spirit and for its diverse initiatives to preserve its rich history and natural beauty. Orange Park is a suburban city located just south of Jacksonville, offering a quiet and welcoming environment. The city is known for its excellent schools, parks, and recreational facilities, making it an ideal location for those seeking a suburban lifestyle. The Orange Park Mall is a popular shopping destination, featuring a variety of retail stores, dining options and entertainment venues.
The local economy is supported by the retail, healthcare and education sectors, and several hospitals and schools offer employment opportunities. Residents enjoy a tight-knit community with numerous events and activities throughout the year, such as the annual fall festival and the farmers market. Orange Park's proximity to the St. Johns also offers opportunities for boating, fishing and other water activities. Fernandina Beach, located on Amelia Island, is a picturesque coastal town known for its beautiful beaches and charm historic.
The city's historic district features Victorian-era architecture, boutiques and cosy cafés, creating a quaint and welcoming atmosphere. Popular attractions include Fort Clinch State Park, which offers hiking trails, fishing and a well-preserved 19th-century fort. The local economy thrives thanks to tourism, hospitality and maritime industries, and the port of Fernandina plays an important role. Residents enjoy a relaxed lifestyle with plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities, such as golfing, boating and strolling around the beach.
Fernandina Beach is also known for its vibrant arts scene, where events such as the annual Isle of Eight Flags shrimp festival and several art exhibitions are held throughout the year. Ponte Vedra Beach is an exclusive coastal community known for its luxurious homes, pristine beaches and world-class golf courses. The area is home to the famous TPC Sawgrass, home to The Players Championship, which attracts golf enthusiasts from around the world. The community offers a range of high-end services, including exclusive clubs, elegant restaurants, and boutique stores.
Middleburg is a rural community located southwest of Jacksonville, offering a quiet and affordable living environment. The area is known for its natural beauty, with numerous parks, forests and waterways that provide ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing and horseback riding. Black Creek, a popular spot for kayaking and canoeing, runs through the heart of Middleburg. The local economy is based on agriculture, retail and small businesses, and many residents commute to nearby cities to Work.
Middleburg's close-knit community and slower pace of life attract those seeking a more relaxed, rural lifestyle. The city hosts several community events throughout the year, encouraging a strong sense of camaraderie among residents. Atlantic Beach is a charming coastal city located just east of Jacksonville, known for its beautiful beaches and vibrant community. The city offers a relaxed beach lifestyle with a variety of outdoor activities, such as surfing, swimming and beach volleyball. The Beaches Town Center is a popular destination for shopping, dining and entertainment, with a mix of boutiques, restaurants and local bars.
The local economy is driven by the tourism, retail and hospitality industries, and many residents work in nearby Jacksonville. Atlantic Beach residents enjoy a tight-knit community with numerous events and festivals throughout the year, such as the annual Dancin' in the Streets festival. The city's well-maintained parks, bike trails, and recreational facilities make it an ideal spot for those looking for style active and outdoor-oriented living. Green Cove Springs is a picturesque town located along the St.
Johns, known for its natural springs and historic sites. The town that bears its name, Green Cove Spring, is a popular attraction that offers a picturesque park with a pool fed by the crystal clear waters of the spring. The historic district has charming architecture, local shops, and cozy cafés, which create a welcoming atmosphere. The local economy is supported by agriculture, tourism and small businesses, and many residents move to nearby cities in search of work.
Green Cove Springs residents enjoy a slower pace of life, with a strong sense of community and numerous events throughout the year, such as the annual RiverFest Memorial Day. The city's natural beauty and historic charm make it an attractive location for those seeking a quiet and picturesque living environment. Yulee is a growing suburban community located north of Jacksonville, offering a welcoming environment and a variety of amenities. The area is known for its excellent schools, parks, and recreational facilities, making it an ideal location for those seeking a suburban lifestyle.
The nearby Four Creeks State Forest offers opportunities for hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing. The local economy is supported by the retail, healthcare and education sectors, and several new developments and businesses contribute to the growth of the area. Yulee residents enjoy a tight-knit community with numerous events and activities throughout the year, such as the annual Christmas festival. The city's convenient location and affordable housing options make it a popular choice for those looking to live near Jacksonville.
Neptune Beach is a small coastal town located just east of Jacksonville, known for its beautiful beaches and vibrant community. Neptune Beach residents enjoy a tight-knit community with numerous events and festivals throughout the year, such as the annual Dancin' in the Streets festival. Marissa is a content marketing specialist on the Redfin content marketing team. He has been with Redfin for more than 3 years, where he has also contributed to real estate support operations.
Born in California and living in Los Angeles, Marissa loves to walk, enjoy the sunsets and relax with a good movie. Your dream home is a modern, cottage-style abode with a lush garden. Trying to see what would be the closest place I could drive to from here. I know it snows in the smoky mountains, but would that be the closest place? Consolidation between cities and counties considerably increased Jacksonville's official population and expanded its boundaries, placing most of the population of Duval County within the new municipal boundaries; Jacksonville grew to 900 square miles (2,300 km).
During World War II, the United States Navy became an important economic force and employer, building three naval bases in the city, while the Navy of the United States The Marine Corps established the Blount Island Command. On August 27, 1960, a white mob attacked civil rights demonstrators with clubs in Hemming Park. In 1962, a federal court ordered the city to prepare a plan to integrate public schools, in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling in the Brown v. A study revealed that the schools were in poor condition and ill-equipped.
In the mid-1960s, corruption scandals broke out among municipal and some county officials, who were mainly part of a traditional white Democratic network that had dominated politics for decades since the deprivation of the majority of African-Americans of the right to vote in the early 20th century, effectively weakening the Republican Party. After a grand jury was convened to investigate, 11 officials were charged and others were forced to resign. Daniel and Claude Yates began to gain more support during this period, both among inner-city blacks, who wanted greater participation in the government following the approval of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which provided for federal oversight and enforcement of their right to vote, and among suburban whites, who wanted more services and more control over the city center. Lower taxes, increased economic development, community unification, improved public spending, and effective administration by a more central authority were cited as reasons for a new, consolidated government. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 874.3 square miles (2,264 km), making Jacksonville the largest city by land area in the neighboring United States; of this, 86.66% (757.7 square miles or 1,962 km) is land and 13.34% (116.7 square miles or 302 km) is water.
Jacksonville completely surrounds the city of Baldwin. Nassau County is located to the north, Baker County to the west, and Clay and St. Johns, to the south. Jacksonville has a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean with Jacksonville beaches. The city developed on both sides of the St.
The Trout, a major tributary of the St. Johns, it's completely inside from Jacksonville. The Timucuan Reserve is a United States National Reserve comprising more than 46,000 acres (19,000 ha) of wetlands and waterways. It includes natural and historic areas such as Fort Caroline National Monument and Kingsley Plantation, the oldest standing plantation in the state.
The Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean proved to be fundamental to the growth of the city and its industry. Jacksonville has an important deepwater port, helping to make it a leading port in the U.S. Department of State for importing cars, as well as in the state's main transportation and distribution center. The strength of the city's economy lies in its wide diversification.
While the area once had many thriving dairies, such as Gustafson's Farm and Skinner Dairy, this aspect of the economy has been declining with the time. The area's economy is balanced between distribution, financial services, biomedical technology, consumer goods, information services, manufacturing, insurance and other industries. The Cecil Commerce Center is located in the former Cecil Field Naval Air Base, which closed its doors in 1999 following the decision to realign and close the base (BRAC) in 1993. With a total area of 22,939 acres (92.83 km), it was the largest military base in the Jacksonville area. The plot contains more than 3% of Duval County's total land area (17,000 acres (69 km)).
The center, divided into industrial and commercial zones, offers medium to large plots for development; it has excellent transportation and utility infrastructure, including the third longest runway in Florida. The USS Jacksonville, a Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered submarine, is a United States Navy ship that bears the name of the city. The ship's nickname is The Bold One and Pearl Harbor is its base port. The Florida Air National Guard is based at Jacksonville International Airport.
The Jacksonville Coast Guard sector is on the St. Johns, next to the Mayport Naval Base. The Jacksonville sector controls operations from Kings Bay, Georgia, south to Cape Canaveral. The CGC Kingfisher, CGC Maria Bray and CGC Hammer are stationed in the Sector.
The Mayport station shares a location with the Jacksonville sector and includes 25-foot (7.6 m) response boats and 47-foot (14 m) motor lifeboats. The most notable television series or television movies that have been shot partially or completely in Jacksonville include Inherit the Wind (198), Orpheus Descending (1990), Saved by the Light (199), The Babysitter's Seduction (199), First Time Felon (199), Safe Harbor (200), Recount (200), American Idol (200) and Ash vs Evil Dead (201). The LaVilla Museum opened in 1999 and presents a permanent exhibition of African works. American History.
In addition, art exhibits change periodically. The Jacksonville Jazz Festival has been going on for more than 40 years. It takes place over the three-day Memorial Day weekend and includes the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition. During the 1960s, Classics IV was Jacksonville's most successful pop rock band. Southern rock was defined by the Allman Brothers Band, which formed in 1969 in Jacksonville.
Lynyrd Skynyrd achieved an almost cult status and inspired Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet and. The 1980s were a quiet decade for musical talent in Jacksonville. In 1968, Jacksonville and Duval County consolidated their governments in the Jacksonville Consolidation. This suppressed the creation of an independent executive or legislative branch in the county and replaced these positions with those of the mayor of Jacksonville and the city council of Jacksonville, respectively.
Because of this, voters who live outside the Jacksonville city limits but within Duval County can vote in elections for these positions and run for them. In 1995, John Delaney, a resident of Neptune Beach, in Duval County, was elected mayor of the city of Jacksonville. Jacksonville is organized under the city's statutes and provides a strong form of municipal government with mayors and councils. The mayor of Jacksonville is elected to four-year terms and serves as the head of the government's executive branch.
The Jacksonville City Council is comprised of nineteen members, fourteen representing single-member constituencies with roughly equal populations, and five elected to general seats. The mayor oversees most of the city's departments, although some are independent or nearly independent. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, led by an elected sheriff, is responsible for law enforcement; public schools are overseen by Duval County public schools, and several services are provided by largely independent authorities. The mayor has the power to veto all resolutions and ordinances approved by the city council and also has the power to hire and fire the heads of various departments of the city.
The Jacksonville Housing Authority (JHA) is the nearly independent agency responsible for public housing and subsidized housing in Jacksonville. The Mayor and City Council of Jacksonville established the JHA in 1994 to create a public housing agency focused on community services with innovative ideas and a different attitude. The primary goal was to provide safe, clean, and affordable housing to eligible low- and moderate-income families, the elderly, and people with disabilities. The secondary objective was to provide effective social services, work with residents to improve their quality of life, promote employment and self-sufficiency, and help residents get out of assisted living. To that end, JHA works with HabiJax to help low and moderate-income families escape the public housing cycle and become successful and productive homeowners and taxpayers.
However, each of the cities of Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach retained responsibility for their own law enforcement and fire protection work. Starting in 1953, tolls were charged on the Hart, Mathews, Fuller Warren and Main Street bridges to pay for bridge construction, renovations, and many other road projects. As Jacksonville grew, toll booths created bottlenecks and caused delays and accidents during peak hours. In 1988, Jacksonville voters decided to eliminate toll collection and replace revenues with a ½ cent increase in local sales tax.
In 1989, the toll booths were removed. Jacksonville is home to two major freight railroads. CSX Transportation owns a large building on the riverbank in the center of the city, which is an important part of the skyline. Florida East Coast Railway also calls Jacksonville home.
The Jacksonville Port Terminal Railroad is also headquartered in Jacksonville. The Valdosta district of Norfolk Southern also serves Jacksonville. The other 20 maritime facilities not managed by the Port Authority move around 10 million tons of additional cargo in and out of the St. In terms of total tonnage, the Port of Jacksonville is ranked 40th nationally; within Florida, it ranks third behind Tampa and Port Everglades.
People's Gas is Jacksonville's natural gas provider. Comcast is Jacksonville's local cable provider. AT&T (formerly BellSouth) is Jacksonville's local phone provider, and its U-Verse service offers TV, Internet and VoIP phone services to customers served via fiber to the facility or fiber to the node through a VRAD. The city has a successful recycling program with separate collections for trash, yard waste and recycling. The collection is provided by several private companies under contract with the City of Jacksonville.
Among the major players in Jacksonville's healthcare industry are St. Vincent's HealthCare, Baptist Health and UF Health Jacksonville for local residents. In addition, Nemours Children's Clinic and Mayo Clinic Jacksonville attract patients regionally. In February 1864, Union forces abandoned Jacksonville and faced the Confederate army at the Battle of Olustee, where they were defeated. According to the Köppen climate classification, Jacksonville has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with hot, humid summers and warm to mild, dry winters.
In 1958, a study recommended that the city of Jacksonville begin annexing outlying communities to create the broader geographic tax base needed to improve services across the county. Located along the Atlantic coast, Jacksonville is a popular spot for beach lovers looking to soak up the sun. Jacksonville Naval Air Base is a military airport located 6 km south of the Central Business District. Its roots go back to the formation of the Jacksonville Fine Arts Society in 1924, and it opened its current 6000 m² facility in 2003, next to the main library in the city center.
Florida State University at Jacksonville (FSCJ) is a state university and member of the Florida University System, offering two-year associate degrees and some four-year bachelor's degrees. The Fernandina Beach suburb of Jacksonville is located in the northeastern corner of Florida, on the border with Georgia. The Florida Times-Union is the state of Florida's leading wide-format daily newspaper, headquartered in Jacksonville. On October 1, 1968, the city and county governments merged to create the Consolidated City of Jacksonville. Jacksonville was also a key supply point for hogs and cattle sent from Florida to feed Confederate forces.
