A quiet softer metropolitan style meets stunning natural beauty…Jacksonville is the essence of a lifestyle and landscape reflecting the real Florida. Discover and delight in the heart of the city or endless stretches of pristine beaches, while exploring the region’s unique shopping, numerous dining options and warm Southerncharm. With a moderate temperature year round, Jacksonville is home to numerous festivals, national and international sporting events, exceptional golf courses and world-class art and culture, get to know Jacksonville. Where Florida Begins.

Jacksonville is the largest city in land area 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.^[4] It is the principal city in the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area, a region with a population of 1,300,823,^[5] 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 25 miles (40 km) 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.

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