City of Jacksonville, Florida
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City of Jacksonville, Florida
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Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of land area, and the largest city by area in the continental United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968. The consolidation gave Jacksonville its great size and placed most of its metropolitan population within the city limits; as a result it is the most populous city proper in Florida and the thirteenth most populous in the United States. Jacksonville is the principal city in the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area, a region with a population of more than 834,228.
Jacksonville is located in the First Coast region of northeast Florida and is centered on the banks of the St. Johns River, about 25 miles south of the Georgia border and about 340 miles north of Miami. The Jacksonville Beaches communities are located along the adjacent Atlantic coast. The area was originally inhabited by the Timucua people, and in 1564 was the site of the French colony of Fort Caroline, one of the earliest European settlements in what is now the continental United States. During Florida's British period a community grew at the narrow point in the river where cattle crossed, known as Wacca Pilatka to the Indians and Cowford to the British. The settlement was incorporated as a town in 1822, a year after the United States acquired the colony of Florida from Spain, and renamed after Andrew Jackson, the first military governor of the Florida Territory and seventh President of the United States.
Harbor improvements since the late 19th century have made Jacksonville a major military and civilian deep-water port. Its riverine location facilitates two U.S. Navy bases and the Port of Jacksonville, Florida's third largest seaport. Significant factors in the local economy include services such as banking, insurance, and healthcare. As with much of Florida, tourism is also important to the Jacksonville area, particularly tourism related to golf.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 874.3 square miles, making Jacksonville the largest city in land area in the contiguous United States; of this, 86.66% (757.7 sq mi) is land and ; 13.34% (116.7 sq mi) is water. Jacksonville completely encircles the town 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.
There are more than 500 neighborhoods within Jacksonville's vast area. The city of Jacksonville divides its territory into six planning districts, each containing a number of neighborhoods and developments, with borders defined by a set of major roads and rivers that run through the city: the Urban Core, Greater Arlington, Southeast Jacksonville, Southwest Jacksonville, Northwest Jacksonville, and North Jacksonville.
The Urban Core includes Jacksonville's traditional downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods of LaVilla, Springfield, East Jacksonville, Fairfield, and Brooklyn, plus a section on the south side of the St. Johns River known as Southbank. Greater Arlington is centered on the area known as Arlington, located east and south of the river. Southeast Jacksonville, located south of Arlington and the St. Johns, includes most of the area typically known as Southside. The Southwest and Northwest districts together comprise the area known as West Jacksonville or Westside. These districts contain neighborhoods west of downtown and the river, as well the large tract of mostly rural land further inland. North Jacksonville or Northside includes some residential neighborhoods north of Downtown and the large, sparsely populated area to the north of the St. Johns.
Notable neighborhoods in Jacksonville include Downtown, LaVilla, San Marco, Mandarin, and Arlington. Four neighborhoods, Avondale, Ortega, Springfield, and Riverside, have been identified as U.S. historic districts and are in the National Register of Historic Places. Some neighborhoods were originally towns or communities prior to being annexed by the city. Additionally, Baldwin, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Jacksonville Beach retain their own municipal governments though they are represented in the Jacksonville City Council. Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville Beach are collectively known as the Jacksonville Beaches.
Jacksonville is the most populous city in Florida, and the twelfth most populous city in the United States. As of the census estimates of 2006, there were 799,875 people, 315,796 households, and 199,037 families residing in the city. However, it is 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 incorporated area of Jacksonville to the Metropolitan area of other cities.
Jacksonville is home to multiple military facilities, and with Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay nearby gives Jacksonville the third largest military presence in the country. Only Norfolk, Virginia and San Diego, California are bigger. The military is by far the largest employer in Jacksonville and its total economic impact is approximately $6.1 billion annually.
Naval Air Station Jacksonville is a military airport located four miles south of the central business district. Approximately 23,000 civilian and active-duty personnel are employed on the base. There are 35 operational units/squadrons assigned there and support facilities include an airfield for pilot training, a maintenance depot capable of virtually any task, from changing a tire to intricate micro-electronics or total engine disassembly. Also on-site is a Naval Hospital, a Fleet Industrial Supply Center, a Navy Family Service Center, and recreational facilities.
Naval Station Mayport is a Navy Ship Base that is the third largest fleet concentration area in the United States. Mayport's operational composition is unique, with a busy harbor capable of accommodating 34 ships and an 8,000-foot (2,400 m) runway capable of handling any aircraft used by the Department of Defense. Until 2007, it was home to the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy, which locals called "Big John". In January 2009, the Navy committed to stationing a nuclear-powered carrier at Mayport when the official Record of Decision was signed. The port will require approximately $500 million in facility enhancements to support the larger vessel, which will take several years to complete. The ship is projected to arrive in 2014.
Blount Island Command is a Marine Corps Logistics Base whose mission is to support the Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) which provides for rapid deployment of personnel to link up with prepositioned equipment and supplies embarked aboard forward deployed Maritime Prepositioning Ships (MPS).
USS Jacksonville, a nuclear powered Los Angeles class submarine, is the only US Navy ship named for the city. The ship's nickname is The Bold One and Norfolk, Virginia is her home port.
The Florida Air National Guard is based at Jacksonville International Airport.
The Jacksonville Housing Authority (JHA) is the quasi-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 an effective, community service oriented, public housing agency with innovative ideas and a different attitude. The primary goal was to provide safe, clean, affordable housing for eligible low and moderate income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. The secondary goal was to provide effective social services, work with residents to improve their quality of life, encourage employment and self-sufficiency, and help residents move out of assisted housing. To that end, JHA works with HabiJax to help low and moderate income families to escape the public housing cycle and become successful, productive, homeowners and taxpayers.
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