Everything about Jacksonville Florida totally explained
Jacksonville is the largest city in the state of
Florida and the
county seat of
Duval County. In 1968, Jacksonville replaced
Oklahoma City as the
largest city in land area in the
contiguous United States; this resulted from the
consolidation of the city and county government, along with a corresponding expansion of the city limits to include almost the entire county. It is also the fourth largest city in land area in the United States.
In 2007, Jacksonville ranked as the United States' twelfth
most populous city, with 794,555 residents. It is the principal city in the
Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area, a region with a population of 1,300,823, the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state, as of the 2006
Census Bureau estimates. Jacksonville is the third most populated city on the
East Coast, after
New York City and
Philadelphia.
About south of the
Georgia border, Jacksonville is in the
First Coast region of northeast Florida and is centered on the banks of the
St. Johns River. The settlement that became Jacksonville was founded in 1791 as
Cowford because of its location at a narrow point in the river where cattle once crossed. The city was renamed in 1822 for
Andrew Jackson, the first
military governor of the
Florida Territory and eventual seventh
President of the United States.
History
The history of Jacksonville spans hundreds of years. Ossachite, the name given by anthropologists to the first settlement in the area, was made over 6,000 years ago by the
Timucua Indians in the vicinity of modern-day downtown Jacksonville.
European explorers first arrived in 1562, when
French Huguenot explorer
Jean Ribault charted the
St. Johns River.
René Goulaine de Laudonnière established the first European settlement at
Fort Caroline two years later. On September 20, 1565, a Spanish force attacked Fort Caroline from the nearby Spanish settlement of
St. Augustine, and killed all the French soldiers defending it (except Catholics). The Spanish renamed it Fort San Mateo. With the destruction of Fort Caroline, St. Augustineˈs position as the most important settlement in Florida was solidified.
Spain ceded Florida to the
British in
1763, who then gave control back to Spain in
1783. The first permanent settlement in modern Jacksonville was settled as "Cowford" in
1791, at a narrow point in the St. Johns River where cattlemen could
ford their livestock across. The
Florida Territory was ceded to the
United States in
1821, and in
1822, Jacksonville's current name had come into use. U.S. settlers led by
Isaiah D. Hart authored a charter for a town government, which was approved by the Florida Legislative Council on
February 9,
1832.
During the
American Civil War, Jacksonville was a key supply point for hogs and cattle leaving Florida and aiding the
Confederate cause. The city was blockaded by the
Union, changing hands several times. Though no battles were fought in Jacksonville, the city was left in a considerable state of disarray after the war.
During
Reconstruction and the
Gilded Age, Jacksonville and nearby St. Augustine became popular winter resorts for the rich and famous. Visitors arrived by
steamboat and later by
railroad. The city's tourism, however, was dealt major blows in the late 1800s by
yellow fever outbreaks and the extension of the
Florida East Coast Railway to south Florida.
On
May 3,
1901, downtown Jacksonville was ravaged by a fire that was started at a fiber factory. Known as the "
Great Fire of 1901", it was one of the worst disasters in Florida history and the largest ever urban fire in the Southeast; it destroyed the business district and rendered 10,000 residents homeless in the course of eight hours. It is said the glow from the flames could be seen in Savannah, Georgia and the smoke plumes in Raleigh, North Carolina. Famed New York architect
Henry John Klutho was a primary figure in the reconstruction of the city. More than 13,000 buildings were constructed between 1901 and 1912.
In the 1910s, New York-based moviemakers were attracted to Jacksonville's warm climate, exotic locations, excellent rail access, and cheap labor. Over the course of the decade, more than 30 silent film studios were established, earning Jacksonville the title "Winter Film Capital of the World". However, the city's conservative political climate and the emergence of
Hollywood as a major film production center ended the city's film industry. One converted movie studio site (Norman Studios) remains in
Arlington; It has been converted to the Jacksonville Silent Film Museum at Norman Studios.
During this time, Jacksonville also became a banking and insurance center, with companies such as
Barnett Bank, Atlantic National Bank, Florida National Bank, Prudential, Gulf Life, Afro-American Insurance, Independent Life and American Heritage Life thriving in the business district. The
U.S. Navy also became a major employer and economic force during the 1940s, with the construction of three naval bases in the city. Jacksonville, like most large cities in the United States, suffered from negative effects of rapid
urban sprawl after
World War II.
Geography
Topography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 874.3 square miles (2,264.5
km²), making Jacksonville the largest city in land area in the
contiguous United States; of this, 757.7 square miles (1,962.4 km²; 86.66%) is land and 116.7 square miles (302.1 km²; 13.34%) is water. Jacksonville completely encircles the city of
Baldwin.
Nassau County lies to the north,
Baker County lies to the west, and
Clay and
St. Johns County lie to the south; the
Atlantic Ocean lies to the east, along with the
Jacksonville Beaches. The
St. Johns River divides the city. The Trout River, a major tributary of the St. Johns River, is located entirely within Jacksonville. The city is almost three times the area of
New York City but with just under 800,000 people, Jacksonville has a low population density.
Climate
Jacksonville has a
humid subtropical climate (Koppen
Cfa), with mild weather during winters and hot weather during summers. High temperatures average 64 to 91 °F (18-33 °C) throughout the year. High
heat indices are not uncommon for the summer months in the Jacksonville area. High temperatures can reach mid to high 90s with heat index ranges of 105-115 °F. The highest temperature ever recorded in Jacksonville was 105 °F (43 °C) on July 21, 1942. It is common for daily thunderstorms to erupt during a standard summer afternoon. These are caused by the heating of the land and water, combined with extremely high humidity.
During winter, the area can experience hard freezes during the night. Such cold weather is usually short lived, as the city averages only 15 nights below freezing . The coldest temperature recorded in Jacksonville was 7 °F (-14 °C) on January 21, 1985, a day that still holds the record cold for many locations in the eastern half of the US. Even rarer in Jacksonville than freezing temperatures is snow. When snow does fall, it usually melts before touching the ground, or upon making contact with the ground. Most residents of Jacksonville can remember accumulated snow on only one occasion—a thin ground cover that occurred a few days before Christmas of 1989.
Jacksonville has suffered less damage from
hurricanes than most other east coast cities. The city has only received one direct hit from a hurricane since 1871, although Jacksonville
has experienced hurricane or near-hurricane conditions more than a dozen times due to storms passing through the state from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, or passing to the north or south in the Atlantic and brushing the area. The strongest effect on Jacksonville was from
Hurricane Dora in
1964, the only recorded storm to hit the First Coast with sustained hurricane force winds. The eye crossed St. Augustine, with winds that had just barely diminished to, making it a strong Category 2 on the
Saffir-Simpson Scale.
Rainfall averages around 52 inches a year, with the wettest months being June through September.
Cityscape
Tallest buildings
Downtown Jacksonville has a memorable skyline with the tallest building being the Bank of America Tower, constructed in
1990 as the Barnett Bank Center. It has a height of 617 ft (188 m) and includes 43 floors. Other notable structures include the 37-story Modis Building (once, with its distinctive flared base, the defining building in the Jacksonville skyline), originally built in 1972-74 by the Independent Life and Accident Insurance Company, and the 28 floor Riverplace Tower which, when completed in 1967, was the tallest precast,
post-tensioned concrete structure in the world.
| Rank |
Name |
Street Address |
Height
feet / meters |
Floors |
Year |
| 1 |
Bank of America Tower |
50 North Laura Street |
617 / 188 |
43 |
1990 |
| 2 |
Modis Tower |
1 Independent Drive |
535 / 163 |
37 |
1974 |
| 3 |
AT&T Tower |
424 North Pearl Street |
447 / 136 |
32 |
1983 |
| 4 |
The Peninsula at St. Johns Center |
1401 Riverplace Boulevard |
437 / 133 |
36 |
2006 |
| 5 |
Riverplace Tower |
1301 Riverplace Boulevard |
432 / 132 |
28 |
1967 |
Neighborhoods
As the largest city in land area in the contiguous United States, Jacksonville’s official website divides the city into six major sections:
(External Link
)
- Greater Arlington (Arlington) is situated east and south of the St. Johns River and north of Beach Blvd.
- North Jacksonville, (Northside) officially considered to be everything north of the St. Johns & Trout Rivers and east of US 1.
- Northwest Jacksonville is located north of Interstate 10, south of the Trout River and surrounds the downtown section.
- Southeast Jacksonville (Southside), referring to everything east of the St. Johns River and south of Beach Blvd.
- Southwest Jacksonville (Westside) consists of everything west of the St. Johns River and south of Interstate 10.
- Urban Core (Downtown) includes the south & north banks of the narrowest part of the St. Johns River east from the Fuller Warren Bridge and extending roughly 4 miles north and east.
With the rapid growth in the eastern part of Duval County, the
Intracoastal/Beaches/Ponte Vedra area is viewed by many as a major section as well, but isn't generally included in a Jacksonville list since they lie outside of the Jacksonville city limits. There is also a distinct part of the city known as "Eastside" which those unfamiliar with Jacksonville's overall geography sometimes mistakenly regard as one of the major divisions of town, rather than the localized neighborhood which it is.
Today, what distinguishes a "section" of Jacksonville from a "neighborhood" is primarily a matter of size and divisibility. However, definitions are imprecise, and sometimes not universally agreed upon. Each of these sections not only encompasses a large area, but also, each is divided into many neighborhoods. Each of these neighborhoods, in turn, has its own identity. Some, such as
Mandarin,
LaVilla and
Bayard had existed previously as independent towns or villages, prior to consolidation, and have their own histories.
Demographics
Jacksonville is the most populous city in Florida, and the
twelfth most populous city in the
United States. As of the
census estimates of 2005, there were 782,623 people, 284,499 households, and 190,614 families residing in the city. However, it's perhaps misleading to compare Jacksonville's population to other major cities. As a result of the 1968 consolidation of Jacksonville and Duval County, most of the
suburban communities of Jacksonville were absorbed within the city limits of Jacksonville proper. It may be a more accurate comparison to compare the
metropolitan area of Jacksonville to the
Metropolitan area of other cities.
The
population density was 374.9/km² (970.9/mi²). There were 308,826 housing units at an average density of 157.4/km² (407.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.48%
White, 34.03%
Black or
African American, 0.34%
Native American, 2.78%
Asian, 0.06%
Pacific Islander, 1.33% from
other races, and 1.99% from two or more races. 4.16% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race. The largest ancestries include:
German (9.6%),
American (9.3%),
Irish (9.0%),
English (8.5%), and
Italian (3.5%). Jacksonville has, as named by the
United States Census the 10th largest
Arab population in the
United States. Also Jacksonville has a large
Filipino population, in part related to their tradition of service with the Navy.
There were 284,499 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were
married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The
median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $40,316, and the median income for a family was $47,243. Males had a median income of $32,547 versus $25,886 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $20,337. About 9.4% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.
Languages
As of 2000,
English spoken as a
first language accounted for 90.60%, while
Spanish was at 4.13%, and
Tagalog spoken as a
mother tongue made up 1.00% of the population. In total, all languages spoken other than English were at 9.39%.
Religion
Jacksonville has a diverse religious population. The city is estimated to contain 265,158
Evangelical Protestants and 89,649
Mainline Protestants who attend a total of 794 churches. Several of these are
megachurches, including
First Baptist Church downtown and
Christ's Church (formerly Mandarin Christian Church) on Greenland Road. There are 162,329
Roman Catholics who attend 51 Catholic churches within the
Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine. Since 1906, the city's
Unitarian Universalists have worshipped at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville The
Episcopal Diocese of Florida has its
see in
St. John's Cathedral, the current building dating from 1906. There is a good representation of various Lutheran Synods, as well. The greater metropolitan area also has a
Jewish population of 14,000, mostly residing in the neighborhood of
Mandarin.
There are two
Reform, four
Conservative, and four
Orthodox synagogues, three of them
Chabad-affiliated,. There are over 3,000 members of various
Eastern Orthodox church jurisdictions in eight parishes or missions, and 18,050 of other religious affiliations. Within the city limits there are also seven Mormon church buildings housing twelve congregations of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a population of
Muslims centered around the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida,, a
Bahá'í center, and
New Age and
Neopagan communities.
Law and government
History
After
World War II, the government of the City of Jacksonville began to increase spending to fund new building projects in the boom that occurred after the war. Mayor
W. Haydon Burns'
Jacksonville Story resulted in the construction of a new city hall, civic auditorium, public library and other projects that created a dynamic sense of civic pride. However, the development of
suburbs and a subsequent wave of "
white flight" left Jacksonville with a much poorer population than before. Much of the city's tax base dissipated, leading to problems with funding education, sanitation, and traffic control within the city limits. In addition, residents in unincorporated suburbs had difficulty obtaining municipal services such as sewage and building code enforcement. In
1958, a study recommended that the City of Jacksonville begin annexing outlying communities in order to create the needed tax base to improve services throughout the county. Voters outside the city limits rejected annexation plans in six referendums between 1960 and 1965.
In the mid
1960s, corruption scandals began to arise among many of the city's officials, who were mainly elected through the traditional
good ol' boy network. After a
grand jury was convened to investigate, 11 officials were indicted and more were forced to resign. Consolidation, led by JJ Daniel and Claude Yates, began to win more support during this period, from both inner city blacks (who wanted more involvement in government) and whites in the suburbs (who wanted more services and more control over the central city). The simultaneous disaccredation of all fifteen of Duval County's public high schools in 1964 added momentum to the proposals for government reform. Lower taxes, increased economic development, unification of the community, better public spending and effective administration by a more central authority were all cited as reasons for a new consolidated government.
A consolidation referendum was held in
1967, and voters approved the plan. On
October 1,
1968, the governments merged to create the Consolidated City of Jacksonville.
Fire, police, health & welfare, recreation, public works, and housing & urban development were all combined under the new government.
The
Better Jacksonville Plan, promoted as a
blueprint for Jacksonville's future and approved by Jacksonville voters in 2000, authorized a half-penny sales tax to generate most of the revenue required for the $2.25 billion package of projects that included road & infrastructure improvements, environmental preservation, targeted economic development and new or improved public facilities.
Administrative structure
The most noteworthy feature of Jacksonville government is its consolidated nature. The Duval County-Jacksonville consolidation eliminated any type of separate county
executive or
legislature, and supplanted these positions with the Mayor of Jacksonville and the City Council of the City of Jacksonville, respectively. Because of this, voters who live
outside of the city limits of Jacksonville, but
inside of Duval County, are allowed not only to vote in elections for these positions, but to run for them as well. In fact, in
1995,
John Delaney, a resident of
Neptune Beach, was elected mayor of the City of Jacksonville.
Exceptions
In 1968, the small municipalities of Baldwin, Neptune Beach,
Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville Beach voted not to join the consolidated government. The four separate communities, which comprise only 6% of the total county population, provide their own
municipal services, while maintaining the right to contract the consolidated government to provide services for them. In December of 2005, the city council of
Baldwin, located in the far western portion of Duval County, voted to eliminate the Baldwin Police Department; accordingly, in March 2006, the JSO assumed policing responsibilities for the one-square mile town.
Executive
Mayor
Jacksonville uses the
Mayor-Council form of city government, also called the Strong-Mayor form, in which a mayor serves as the city's Chief Executive and Administrative officer. The mayor holds veto power over all resolutions and ordinances made by the city council, and also has the power to hire and fire the head of various city departments. The current mayor is
John Peyton.
Law enforcement
Jacksonville and Duval County historically maintained separate police agencies: the Jacksonville Police Department and Duval County Sheriff's Office. As part of consolidation in 1968, the two merged, creating the
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO). The JSO is headed by the elected Sheriff of Duval County, currently
John Rutherford, and is responsible for law enforcement and corrections in the county.
Crime
In 2006, based on the
United States Department of Justice,
FBI-
Uniform Crime Reports, Jacksonville reported 6,663
violent crimes including 110 murders. Violent Crime in Jacksonville was up 9.5% since 2005 but
property crimes were down. There has been an increase in
Gang activity over the past few years, but it isn't a significant problem—yet. The murder rate is the most troubling, and the majority of homicides involve
drug-related crime.
Based on the
Morgan Quitno Press 2006 national crime rankings, Jacksonville ranked as the 10th safest in the nation among the 32 US cities with a population of 500,000 or more.
As of Nov 19, 2007, Jacksonville ranked the 11th most dangerous city in Florida, safer than Orlando (1st), Miami (3rd), Tampa (6th), Tallahassee (7th) and Gainesville (8th).
Nationwide, Jacksonville was ranked as the 115th most dangerous city; Detroit was 1st.
Firefighting and Rescue
The
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) is responsible for all fire protection and rescue service (ambulance) in Duval County with exceptions. Jacksonville Beach has its own department, while Atlantic Beach provides a fire station facility that's staffed and equipped by JFRD. Baldwin has a (mostly) volunteer fire department and Neptune Beach relies on Atlantic Beach for fire protection. The current JFRD Fire Chief is
Richard A. Barrett; the current administrative Director is
Dan Kleman. Both positions are appointed by the Mayor.
Autonomous agencies
Some government services remained - as they'd been prior to consolidation – independent of both city and county authority. In accordance with Florida law, the school board continues to exist with nearly complete autonomy. Jacksonville also has several quasi-independent government agencies which only nominally answer to the consolidated authority, including electric authority, port authority, transportation authority, housing authority and airport authority. The main environmental and agricultural body is the
Duval County Soil and Water Conservation District, which works closely with other area and state agencies.
Legislative
City Council
The city council has nineteen members, fourteen of whom are elected from single-member districts, and five who are ostensibly elected at-large. However, although these five additional council members are
elected at-large, they're required to meet an unusual residency requirement. In the early 1990s, because these five "at-large" members were generally all elected from the same area, voters approved a change in the city government which divided the city up into five districts unrelated to any other districts, solely for the purpose of electing these at-large council members. Thus, at-large council members are elected
from each of these five districts
by the voters of the county as a whole.
Local Elected Officials
Constitutional Officers
| Office |
Name |
| Mayor |
John Peyton - Republican |
| Sheriff |
John Rutherford - Republican |
| Property Appraiser |
James N. Overton - Republican |
| Tax Collector |
Mike Hogan - Republican |
| Supervisor of Elections |
Jerry Holland - Republican |
Clerk of the Circuit and
County Courts |
Jim Fuller - Republican |
| State Attorney |
Harry Shorstein - Democrat |
| Public Defender |
Bill White - Democrat |
|
City Council Members
| District |
Name |
| 1 |
Clay Yarborough - Republican |
| 2 |
William Bishop - Republican |
| 3 |
Richard Clark - Republican |
| 4 |
Don Redman - Republican |
| 5 |
Art Shad - Republican |
| 6 |
Jack Webb - Republican |
| 7 |
Johnny Gaffney - Democrat |
| 8 |
E. Denise Lee - Democrat |
| 9 |
Warren A. Jones - Democrat |
| 10 |
Mia Jones - Democrat |
| 11 |
Ray Holt - Republican |
| 12 |
Daniel Davis - Republican |
| 13 |
Arthur Graham - Republican |
| 14 |
Michael Corrigan - Republican |
|
At-Large City Council Members
| District |
Name |
| Group 1 |
Ronnie Fussell - Republican |
| Group 2 |
Jay Jabour - Republican
election invalidated; resigned |
| Group 3 |
Stephen C. Joost - Republican |
| Group 4 |
Kevin Hyde - Republican |
| Group 5 |
Glorious J. Johnson - Republican |
|
Regional Representatives
Jacksonville is currently represented in the
U.S. House of Representatives by
Ander Crenshaw (
R) and
Corrine Brown (
D) and in the
U.S. Senate by
Bill Nelson (
D) and
Mel Martinez (
R), in the state senate by Jim King (R), Stephen R. Wise (R), Tony Hill (D), and in the state house by Aaron P. Bean (R), Jennifer Carroll (R), Terry L. Fields (D), Audrey Gibson (D), Stan Jordan (R), Dick Kravitz (R), Mark Mahon (R) and
Don Davis (R) (deceased).
As of April 2008, Jacksonville, as well as the rest of the State of Florida, are served by Governor
Charlie Crist (
R), who replaced term-limited Governor
Jeb Bush (
R).
Judiciary
Federal Court
Jacksonville is in the
United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. There are 15 authorized judgeships in the district who are appointed by the
POTUS and confirmed by the
Senate. Additionally, there are 7 judges with
Senior status who are eligible to hear cases.
Chief Judge of the District is
Patricia C. Fawsett.
A new Federal Courthouse in Jacksonville was completed in late 2002 and opened in 2003 to replace the old facility, built in 1933. On February 8th, 2005, the 492,000 ft² building at 300 North Hogan Street was named, the
John Milton Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse.
State Court
Jacksonville is in the
4th Judicial Circuit of Florida, which includes Duval, Clay and Nassau Counties. Circuit Courts have jurisdiction over
felonies, tax issues,
real property,
juvenile issues,
probate and determination of
competence.
There are 29 elected circuit judges for Duval county: (8) Civil, (1) Probate, (7) Family, (8) Criminal and (4) Juvenile.
Donald Moran is Chief Judge.
The State Attorney's Office has the responsibility for prosecuting persons charged with crimes. The position of State Attorney is an elected position and is currently held by
Harry Shorstein.
The Public Defender's Office has the responsibility for defending persons charged with crimes subject to incarceration and judged indigent. The position of Public Defender is an elected position and is currently held by
Bill White.
The existing courthouse was constructed in 1958 and the county's population grew by more than 50% in the past forty years. A new $190M
Duval County Courthouse was a key component of the
Better Jacksonville Plan, approved by voters in 2000. After eight years and several mis-steps, the (now) $350M complex should be completed in 2011.
County Court
County Courts primarily handle civil cases where the amount in controversy is less than $15,000,
Small claims court,
misdemeanors, violations of civil & municipal
ordinances and
traffic tickets. There are 17 elected county judges for Duval county.
Politics
Jacksonville, like most of North & Central Florida and the panhandle, was historically populated by Democrats, who still outnumber Republicans. In the last half of the twentieth century, large numbers of Northern Republicans retired and moved to coastal communities in South Florida. For the most part, they were not politically active. Until
John Delaney was elected in 1995, the last Republican mayor in Jacksonville was elected in 1887. Until
Bob Martinez was elected in 1986, the last Republican governor in Florida was elected in 1874*.
(Republican Claude Kirk, formerly a Democrat, was elected in 1966 when the liberals in South Florida refused to nominate incumbent Governor Haydon Burns as the Democratic candidate and split the party. Kirk was defeated for re-election and Democrats were subsequently elected for the next 20 years.)
In the years after
Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1981, thousands of voters switched to the Republican Party. Additionally, thousands of Republicans moved to sunny Florida and Jacksonville from northern states or relocated from south Florida to avoid overcrowding, high prices and crime. Republican Party organizers saw Florida as a tremendous opportunity in the early 1990’s. While the Democrats were complacent, the Republicans energized their members, increased fundraising efforts and motivated fellow Republicans to get out and vote. Three of Florida’s last four governors were Republicans. The last three mayors of Jacksonville have been Republican**
(Ed Austin was elected as a Democrat, but changed parties in mid-term.)
In 2008, the Democrats are still trying to catch up.
Education
Higher education
Jacksonville is home to
Jacksonville University, the
University of North Florida,
Florida Community College at Jacksonville,
Edward Waters College,
The Art Institute of Jacksonville,
Florida Coastal School of Law,
The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies,
Trinity Baptist College,
Jones College,
Florida Technical College,
Logos Christian College,
Brewer Christian College,
Columbia College and the
University of Phoenix.
Former mayor
John Delaney has been president of the University of North Florida since leaving office in
July 2003, parlaying his widespread popularity in the city into a position of leadership in the
state university system.
Primary & secondary education
Public Schools in Duval County are controlled by the Duval County School Board.
The county is home to four of the nation's best high schools (
Stanton College Preparatory School 5th,
Paxon School for Advanced Studies 8th,
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts 158th, and
Mandarin High School 151st) according to
Newsweek Magazine in 2008.
Jacksonville, along with the standard district schools, is home to three
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme ("IB") high schools. They are Stanton, Paxon, and
Jean Ribault High School. Jacksonville also has a notable magnet high school devoted to the performing and expressive arts, Douglas Anderson. The
Advanced International Certificate of Education Program (""AICE") is available at
Mandarin High School and
William M. Raines High School.
The prestigious
Bolles School and
Episcopal High School are located in Jacksonville as are two Catholic secondary schools:
Bishop Kenny High School and
Bishop Snyder High School. There are a number of private Christian schools including University Christian and Trinity Christian.
.
See also: List of high schools in Jacksonville
Libraries
The
Jacksonville Public Library had its beginnings when May Moore and Florence Murphy started the "Jacksonville Library and Literary Association" in 1878. The Association was populated by various prominent Jacksonville residents and sought to create a free public library and reading room for the city.
Over the course of 127 years, the system has grown from that one room library to become one of the largest in the state. Now featuring twenty branches - from the . West Regional Library (located on Chaffee Road in the western part of the city) to smaller neighborhood libraries like Westbrook and Eastside (located in the central part of the city) - the Library annually receives nearly 4 million visitors and circulates over 6 million items. Nearly 500,000 library cards are held by area residents.
On November 12, 2005, the new .
Main Library opened to the public, replacing the
Haydon Burns Library, built in 1965. The largest public library in the state, this opening was a historic event for the library system and the City of Jacksonville. It marks the completion of an unprecedented period of growth for the system under the
Better Jacksonville Plan. It adds to the city's architectural and cultural landscape and provides a gathering place downtown for the entire community. The new Main Library offers specialized reading rooms, public access to hundreds of computers and extensive collection of books and other materials, public displays of art, and special collections ranging from the African-American Collection to the recently opened Holocaust Collection.
Culture
Annual events, fairs & festivals
Jacksonville is home to dozens of events.
The
Art Walk, a monthly outdoor art festival on the first Wednesday of each month, is sponsored by Downtown Vision, Inc, an organization which works to promote artistic talent and venues on the First Coast.
One of the most popular sporting events is the annual
Gate River Run, the US National Championship 15K since 1994 and largest 15K race in the country. The 13,000+ recreational runners -- some running for the first time -- are joined by a few thousand more supporters, spectators and volunteers who make this Jacksonville's largest participation sporting event. The 9.3 mile race has taken place every March since 1977. .
Also in March is the
Blessing of the Fleet and the
Great Atlantic Seafood and Music Festival.
The
Jacksonville Jazz Festival is held every April and is the second-largest jazz festival in the nation.
Springing the Blues is a free outdoor blues festival held in
Jacksonville Beach, also in April.
The
Jacksonville Film Festival is held every May and features a variety of independent films, documentaries, and shorts screening at seven historic venues in the city. Past attendees of the festival have included director
John Landis and
Academy Award nominee
Bill Murray and winner
Graham Greene, both of whom were awarded the Tortuga Verde Lifetime Achievement Award.
The
World of Nations Celebration is also in May. The
Spring Music Fest is a free concert Memorial Day weekend that's sponsored by the city that features some of today's most popular artists.
Every July 4 is the
Freedom, Fanfare & Fireworks celebration, one of the nation's largest fireworks displays, held at
Metropolitan Park and on the surface of the St. Johns River. A very large fireworks display is also held at Jacksonville Beach, centered on the rebuilt pier.
The
AT&T Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament is an annual event held in July. The first contest was held in 1981 and it has grown to be the largest Kingfish tournament in the United States. Participation is limited to 1,000 boats that compete for over $500,000 in prizes, attracting approximately 30,000 spectators.
The
Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair is held every November at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds & Exposition Center, featuring an array of carnival games & rides, food, live entertainment, vendor merchandise booths and agriculture/livestock exhibition & judging.
Planetfest, an annual corporate music festival in November, features a variety of musicians and is sponsored by Clear Channel™ radio station Planet 107.3.
Thanksgiving weekend is a busy time, with the lighting of Jacksonville's official Christmas Tree at the
Jacksonville Landing on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. The
Jacksonville Light Parade happens on Saturday night following Thanksgiving.
Jacksonville, Florida even has a local search engine, FastJax.net, in which residents and visitors use to help connect to information in the city. This feat really brings all areas of Jacksonville, Florida together. From 5 points to the beaches!!
Museums and art collections
Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art (JMoMA) opened its facility in 2003, located adjacent to the Main Library downtown. Tracing its roots back to the formation of Jacksonville's Fine Arts Society in 1924, the museum features eclectic permanent and traveling exhibitions. In November 2006, JMOMA was renamed
Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (MOCA Jacksonville) to reflect their continued commitment to art produced after the modernist period.
The
Museum of Science & History (MOSH) is found on Jacksonville's Southbank
Riverwalk, and features a main exhibit that changes quarterly, plus three floors of nature and local history exhibits, a hands-on science area and the
Alexander Brest Planetarium.
Mr. Brest was also the benefactor for the
Alexander Brest Museum and Gallery on the campus of
Jacksonville University. The exhibits are a diverse collection of
carved ivory,
Pre-Columbian artifacts,
Steuben glass,
Chinese porcelain and
Cloisonné,
Tiffany glass,
Boehm porcelain and rotating exhibitions containing the work of local, regional, national and international artists.
The
Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens holds a large collection of European and American paintings, as well as a world-renowned collection of early
Meissen porcelain. The museum is surrounded by three acres of formal English and Italian style gardens, and is located in the
Riverside neighborhood, on the bank of the St. Johns River. There is also a hands-on children's section.
The
Karpeles Manuscript Library is the world’s largest private collection of original manuscripts & documents. The museum in Jacksonville is located in a 1921 neoclassical building on the outskirts of downtown. In addition to document displays, there's also an antique-book library, with volumes dating from the late 1800s.
The Catherine Street Fire Station building is on the
National Register of Historic Places and was relocated to Metropolitan Park in 1993. It houses the
Jacksonville Fire Museum and features 500+ artifacts including an 1806 hand pumper.
The
LaVilla Museum opened in 1999 and features a permanent display of African-American history. The art exhibits are changed periodically.
There are also several historical properties and items of interest in the city, including the Klutho Building, the
Old Morocco Temple Building, the
Palm and Cycad Arboretum, and the
Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, originally built as Union Station train depot.
.
See also: List of museums in Jacksonville
Performing arts
The
Florida Theatre, opened in 1927, is located in downtown Jacksonville and is one of only four remaining high-style movie palaces built in Florida during the
Mediterranean Revival architectural boom of the 1920s.
Theatre Jacksonville was organized in 1919 as the
Little Theatre and is one of the oldest continually producing
community theatres in the United States.
The
Ritz Theatre, opened in 1929, is located in the LaVilla neighborhood of the northern part of Jacksonville's downtown. Rebuilt and opened in October, 1999.
The
Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts consists of three distinct halls: the
Jim & Jan Moran Theater, a venue for touring Broadway shows; the
Jacoby Symphony Hall, home of the
Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra; and the
Terry Theater, intended for small shows and recitals. The building was originally erected as the Civic Auditorium in 1962 and underwent a major renovation and construction in 1996.
The
Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, which opened in 2003, is a 16,000-seat performance venue that attracts national entertainment, sporting events and also houses the Jacksonville Sports Hall of Fame. It replaced the outdated
Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum that was built in 1960 and demolished on June 26, 2003.
The
Alhambra Dinner Theatre, located on the Southside near UNF, has offered professional productions that frequently starred well-known actors for over forty years. Smaller, independent theaters are also available, such as
Players by the Sea at the Beach.
Jacksonville is also home to
The Teal Sound Drum and Bugle Corps, a junior team that competes in
Drum Corps International Division II competition.
Film and television
In the early 1900s,
New York-based moviemakers were attracted to Jacksonville's warm climate, exotic locations, excellent rail access, and cheaper labor, earning the city the title of "The Winter Film Capital of the World". Over 30 movie studios were opened and thousands of silent films produced between 1908 and the 1920s, when most studios relocated to
Hollywood, California.
Since that time, Jacksonville has been chosen by a number of film and television studios for on-location shooting. Notable motion pictures that have been partially or completely shot in Jacksonville since the silent film era include
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954),
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988),
Brenda Starr (1989),
G.I. Jane (1997),
The Devil's Advocate (1997),
Ride (1998),
Why Do Fools Fall In Love (1998),
Forces of Nature (1999),
Tigerland (2000),
Sunshine State (2002),
Basic (2003),
The Manchurian Candidate (2004),
Lonely Hearts (2006),
Monster House (2006),
Moving McAllister (2007),
The Year of Getting to Know Us (2008).
Notable television series or made-for-television films that have been partially or completely shot in Jacksonville include
Intimate Strangers (1986),
Inherit the Wind (1988),
Roxanne: The Prize Pulitzer (1989),
A Girl of the Limberlost (1990),
Orpheus Descending (1990),
Pointman (1995),
Saved by the Light (1995),
The Babysitter's Seduction (1996),
Sudden Terror: The Hijacking of School Bus #17 (1996),
First Time Felon (1997),
Gold Coast (1997),
Safe Harbor (1999),
The Conquest of America (2005), and
Super Bowl XXXIX (2005). In an episode of
NCIS, the
suspect/
criminal was stationed at
NAS Jax even though it wasn't really filmed there.
Media
The Florida Times-Union is the major daily newspaper in Jacksonville and Jacksonville.com is its official Web site. Another daily newspaper is
The Daily Record. Popular magazines include
Folio Weekly,
MetroJacksonville,
Jacksonville Free Press,
Jacksonville Business Journal,
The Florida Star,
Saint Augustine Catholic,
Arbus,
Hola News, and
Jacksonville Magazine.
Jacksonville is served by
television stations affiliated with major American networks including
WTLV (
NBC),
WJXX (
ABC),
WTEV (
CBS),
WAWS (
FOX/
My Network TV),
WJCT (
PBS),and
WCWJ (
CW).
WJXT is a former longtime
CBS affiliate that turned independent in
2002. WQXT channell 22 of St Augustine is an independent TV station serving Americas oldest city. WQXT began broadcasting in 1998. It's broadcast footprint covers Jacksonville.
Jacksonville's radio market is dominated by the same two large ownership groups that dominate the radio industry across the United States:
Cox Radio and
Clear Channel Communications. The dominant AM radio station in terms of ratings is
WOKV 690AM, which is also the flagship station for the Jacksonville Jaguars. In September of 2006, WOKV began simulcasting on 106.5 FM as WOKV FM. There are two
radio stations broadcasting a primarily contemporary hits format;
WAPE 95.1 has dominated this niche for over twenty years, and more recently has been challenged by
WFKS 97.9 FM (KISS FM).
WJBT 93.3 (The Beat) is a
hip-hop/
R&B station,
WPLA 107.3 is a modern
rock and
alternative music station, WFYV 104.5—Rock 105 Jacksonville
Classic rock, WQIK 99.1 is a
country station as well as WGNE-FM 99.9, WCRJ FM 88.1 (The Promise) is the main
Contemporary Christian station operating since 1984, WHJX 105.7 and WFJO 92.5 plays music in
Spanish like
salsa,
merengue, and
reggaeton, and
WJCT 89.9 is the local
public radio station and
NPR affiliate. A local Jacksonville college, Jones College also hosts a station
WKTZ 90.9 FM.
. . For more details on this topic, see
Radio Stations in Jacksonville
People
Sports
Like most US cities its size, Jacksonville is home to a number of
professional sports teams, and, again like most cities its size, most of these teams don't compete in the "major leagues". The exception to this rule is the
Jacksonville Jaguars of the
National Football League (NFL), which has been a source of significant civic pride since 1995. Jacksonville also is home to two universities, a four year college, and the fourth largest
community college in the United States; all of these institutions field teams as well, garnering varying levels of public attention. Additionally, a number of college sports events are held on an annual basis in Jacksonville by teams and conferences not located within the city.
Professional sports
Football
Jacksonville's history with professional football goes back to the 1960s. In 1967 and 1968 the city hosted the
American Football League (AFL) All Star Game at the
Gator Bowl; Jacksonville was the only non-AFL city to host the game. It was presumed at the time that this was a prelude to Jacksonville getting an AFL
expansion team, but when the
AFL merged with the rival NFL in 1970 expansion plans were scrapped. Jacksonville had its first professional football teams with the
Jacksonville Sharks (1974) and
Jacksonville Express (1975) of the
World Football League; however, the WFL folded in 1975. In 1979 Jacksonville and the Gator Bowl was home for the AFA Jacksonville Firebirds, a minor league football team. They set attendance records across the country and later were crowned National Champions. There were three minor league teams, Sharks, Raiders, and Tigers that were playing in Jacksonville at the time. They played what was to be known as the first and only Summer League. In 1984 football returned for two seasons with the
Jacksonville Bulls of the
United States Football League (USFL). However, the USFL ceased operations after the 1985 season.
Several NFL teams flirted with moving to the city over the years. The owners of the
Baltimore Colts and
Houston Oilers
appeared to be serious about moving to Jacksonville, but it was just a ploy to obtain a better deal with their current cities. Other teams also mentioned Jacksonville as a relocation possibility, but no team ever did move to Jacksonville. It was only with the awarding of an NFL franchise to the city in 1995 that Jacksonville's dream of joining the NFL came true.
The Jaguars compete in the South Division of the
American Football Conference (or the AFC South) of the National Football League (in which two of their rivals are - coincidentally - the Colts and the former Houston Oilers, the
Tennessee Titans). Though the Jaguars have never played in the
Super Bowl, they've twice in their short history played for the
AFC championship—following the
1996 and
1999 seasons. As the team's fortunes have waned somewhat since the 1990s, the team has struggled with ticket sales, and local
blackouts have occurred.
Jacksonville also hosted
Super Bowl XXXIX, the third city in
Florida to host the annual event. As the smallest metropolitan area to ever host a Super Bowl, special accommodations were necessary, such as bringing in
cruise ships to serve as hotel rooms.
Outside of the NFL, there's also a Women's Football League team, the
Jacksonville Dixie Blues. The city was previously home to the
af2's
Jacksonville Tomcats from 2000 to 2002. A
National Indoor Football League expansion franchise, the
Green Cove Lions, played briefly in nearby
Green Cove Springs, Florida in 2007. There is also the [[Duval
Panthers]], a semi-pro football team, the Panthers are members of the Florida Football Alliance. They have a undefeated season and they're currently in the playoffs.
Golf
Though
golf is of course not a team sport, the Jacksonville area is "on the map" of the top level of
professional golf, primarily for the annual
Players Championship held just south of the city limits in
Sawgrass, in
St. Johns County. Many regard The Players as the most prestigious non-major tournament of the
pro tour. Additionally, the PGA tour also has its headquarters in
Ponte Vedra Beach. St. Johns County is also home to the
World Golf Village and the
Golf Hall of Fame.
The city and surrounding communities also boast an extraordinarily high number of
golf courses (64) including: 18 public, 18 semi-private, 15 private & 13 resort.
Quite a few tour players make the Jacksonville area their year-round home.
Baseball
Jacksonville hosts a
Double-A team, the
Jacksonville Suns. The Suns are currently a
farm team for the
Los Angeles Dodgers, and play in the
Southern League. The team has several Southern League championships, the most recent of which was won in 2005. The Suns played at
Sam W. Wolfson Baseball Park from 1955 until the park was demolished in 2002 and now play at the
Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, which is frequently cited as the finest baseball facility in Double-A baseball. Part of the reason for the high quality (cost $34M) of the ballpark is the hope of someday landing a
Triple-A team, though that's regarded as highly unlikely anytime in the foreseeable future.
Baseball in Jacksonville began in 1904. The city had teams in lower classifications (mainly the Southern and South Atlantic Leagues) for many years, then joined the International League (AAA) in 1962. After the 1968 season the parent New York Mets moved their AAA team to the Norfolk, VA area and the city was without baseball for one season before joining the Southern League in 1970. Many of the players on the "Miracle Mets" of 1969 played in Jacksonville just before their breakthrough season.
Many great players have worn a Jacksonville uniform, including Hall of Famers Hoyt Wilhelm, Hank Aaron, Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan.
Rugby League
In
rugby league, the
Jacksonville Axemen play in the
American National Rugby League. Jacksonville is considered by many the home of Rugby League in the United States.
Basketball
The
Jacksonville Jam began playing as an
ABA expansion team in November of 2006. They have since moved to the
PBL, where they were replaced by the
Jacksonville Slam in early 2008. The Slam's status for the 2008-2009 season is unknown.
Hockey
The current
ice hockey team is the
Jacksonville Barracudas, of the
Southern Professional Hockey League. The Barracudas brought the city its only professional hockey championship with the
WHA2 President's Cup in
2004. The Barracudas are on a self-imposed one year hiatus so they can find a new arena. The city had several teams in the past, including the Jacksonville Rockets, who played in the Eastern Hockey League from 1964 to 1972. For the 1966 and 1967 seasons they were called the Florida Rockets, splitting home games between Jacksonville, St. Petersburg and West Palm Beach. The city also had the Jacksonville Barons of the American Hockey League from 1972-'74 after the team relocated from Cleveland, the Jacksonville Bullets of the Southern Hockey League for one season (1995-'96), and the Jacksonville Lizard Kings of the East Coast Hockey League from 1995-2000.
Tennis
Professional
tennis is in town each year when the
WTA holds the
Bausch & Lomb Championships at
Amelia Island Plantation near
Fernandina Beach, just north of Jacksonville. Additionally, the
Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has its American headquarters in
Ponte Vedra Beach.
College Sports
Jacksonville's football
bowl game, the
Gator Bowl—one of the oldest bowl games in existence—began in 1946. The
Florida Gators and
Georgia Bulldogs have played their annual
Southeastern Conference football game (commonly known as "
The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party") in Jacksonville every year since 1933, save a two-year hiatus caused by the razing of the Gator Bowl Stadium and construction of the
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. The
Florida State Seminoles have also held individual regular season games there, and in 1964 Georgia Tech and Navy played a regular season game there.
The
Atlantic Coast Conference has utilized Jacksonville as the host city for its championships in both football and baseball, held at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium and the Baseball Grounds, respectively.
On March 2006, Jacksonville was one of the sites for the first round of the
NCAA 68th Annual Division I Basketball Championship.
Jacksonville University was the host team, and the games were held in the
Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, JU's regular
home court.
Besides hosting outside teams and leagues, Jacksonville is also home to three four-year colleges and their teams.
The University of North Florida Ospreys have recently moved into the NCAA's Division I for all sports, with eligibility for post-season tournaments expected in the 2009-10 school year.
The Jacksonville University Dolphins compete in Division I in all sports. Football competes in the Championship Subdivision (Formerly Division I-AA) The JU basketball team has a storied past, particularly from the 1970s, when JU became the smallest college ever to make it to the NCAA championship game.
The Edward Waters College Tigers compete in a limited number of sports, including football, which was just added around the turn of the millennium. The Tigers are affiliated with the NAIA.
Recreation
Parks
Jacksonville operates the largest urban park system in the United States, providing facilities and services at more than 337 locations on more than 80,000 acres (320 km²) located throughout the city. Jacksonville gathers significant natural beauty from the St. Johns River and Atlantic Ocean and many parks provide access for people to boat, swim, fish, sail, jetski, surf and waterski. Several parks around the city have received international recognition. Kids Kampus, in particular, is a wonderful facility for families with young children.
Zoo
The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens boasts the second largest animal collection in the state. The zoo features elephants, lions, and, of course, jaguars (with an exhibit, Range of the Jaguar, hosted by the owners of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Delores and Wayne Weaver), as well as a multitude of reptile houses, free flight aviaries, and many other animals.
Outdoor attractions
The Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens broke ground on a new center in April, 2007 and expect to open late in 2008.
The Veterans Memorial Wall is a somber and moving tribute to local servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives for our country. A ceremony is held each Memorial Day recognizing any service woman or man from Jacksonville who died in the previous year.
The Treaty Oak is a massive, 200 year-old tree at Jesse Ball Dupont Park in downtown. Office workers from nearby buildings sit on benches to eat lunch or read a book in the shade of its canopy.
The city center includes the Jacksonville Landing and the Jacksonville Riverwalks. The Landing is a popular riverfront dining and shopping venue, accessible by River Taxi from the Southbank Riverwalk. The Northbank Riverwalk runs 2.0 miles along the St. Johns from Berkman Plaza to I-95 at the Fuller Warren Bridge while the Southbank Riverwalk stretches 1.2 miles from the Radisson Hotel to Museum Circle.
Adjacent to Museum circle is St. Johns River Park (aka Friendship Park), location of Friendship Fountain, one of the most recognizable and popular attractions for locals as well as tourists in Jacksonville. This landmark was built in 1965 and promoted as the “World’s Tallest and Largest” fountain.
Shipwreck Island in Jacksonville Beach is the only waterpark in Duval County. It opened in 1995 and changes rides every few years to keep the season passholders coming back.
Indoor attractions
Adventure Landing in Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach are the only amusement parks in Duval County. Dave & Buster's is a popular entertainment center designed for adults, while Chuck E. Cheese's is directed toward families with children. All 3 have video arcades.
Economy
Business Climate
Jacksonville's location on the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean proved providential in the growth of the city and its industry. The largest city in the state, it's also the largest deepwater port in the south (as well as the second-largest port on the U.S. East coast) and a leading port in the U.S. for automobile imports, as well as the leading 
