City of Jacksonville

Jacksonville , also known as Jax, is the largest city in the state of Florida. It is also the county seat of Duval County. With a city area of 885 mi 2 and a population of 794,555 as of the Census Bureau statistics, it was named the third most populous city in the East Coast, and also ranked the twelfth most populous city in the United States in 2007. Located in the First Coast region of North East Florida, Jacksonville was founded in 1971 and was known as "Cowford" then, because of its location at a narrow point in the St. Johns River where cattlemen forded across their livestock.


The first settlers of the Jacksonville area were the Timucua Indians, 6000 years ago and that area was then called Ossachite. Following the appearance of Europeans in the 1500s, the Timucua numbers declined quickly as they succumbed to diseased introduced by European explorers and settlers and died in conflicts. By 1763, the Timucua were probably gone from the area completely.


Entertainment and recreation is a major part of Jacksonville. The Jacksonville beaches are a major attraction and region for entertainment and nightlife. The Atlantic Ocean and the St. Johns River adds unmatchable beauty to the city. With 57,373 acres of parks, including state and federal lands these wide variety of parks ranges from small neighborhood playgrounds for toddlers to biking, hiking and horse trails to athletic fields to boat ramps. Other attrations include Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, the Riverplace Tower, Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art, Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art etc.