Jacksonville Beaches
Encyclopedia
The Jacksonville Beaches, known locally as the "Beaches" or simply the "Beach", is the collective name for the towns and communities on the northern half of an unnamed barrier island
on Florida
's First Coast
, all of which are suburbs or parts of the city of Jacksonville
. These communities are separated from the main body of the city of Jacksonville by the Intracoastal Waterway
. The Jacksonville Beaches are located in Duval
and northern St. Johns County
, and make up part of Jacksonville's metropolitan area. The population of the beaches in 2009 is 68,118. The main communities generally identified as part of the Beaches are Mayport, Atlantic Beach
, Neptune Beach
, Jacksonville Beach
, and Ponte Vedra Beach
.
defined by the Atlantic Ocean
to the east, the St. Johns River
to the north, and the Intracoastal Waterway
to the west. The island was actually originally a peninsula
until 1912, when a 10-mile channel was dug connecting the San Pablo and Tolomato Rivers, facilitating the Intracoastal Waterway and separating the land from the mainland. The island has no official name; beginning in the 21st century there has been a push to name it San Pablo Island.
The northernmost of the beach communities is Mayport, in Duval County. Since the consolidation
of the Jacksonville and Duval County governments in 1968, Mayport has been within the city limits of Jacksonville. Most of Mayport is currently occupied by Naval Station Mayport
, a major U.S. Navy base. Moving south along the coastline are three incorporated towns, also within Duval County: Atlantic Beach
, Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach. All three maintain their own municipal governments, however, residents receive county-level services from Jacksonville and vote for Jacksonville's mayor and City Council
. Continuing south into St. Johns County is Ponte Vedra Beach
. Typically, only the communities on the northern part of the island are considered the Beaches; areas to the south such as Vilano Beach
are usually not included. The Palm Valley
area of St. Johns County, much of which is also located on the island, is sometimes considered part of the Beaches.
The parts of Duval County on the other side of the Intracoastal are sometimes known as the West Beaches. Further inland are Jacksonville's Arlington and Southside areas.
. Like most of the Jacksonville area the region was inhabited by the Timucua
people at the time of European contact.
Mayport was the first part of the beaches to see any concentrated population growth, when a small community of fishermen and river pilots grew up there, especially following the U.S. purchase of Florida in 1821. However, the entire Beaches area remained very sparsely populated until the end of the 19th century, when they were developed as resort
s. Jacksonville Beach, originally known as Ruby and then as Pablo Beach, grew around the series of luxury hotel
s built in the area. Further growth was facilitated by a railroad connecting the town to Jacksonville. Atlantic Beach also grew as a resort community around a large hotel, and smaller hotels were built at Mayport. Neptune Beach seceded from Jacksonville Beach in 1931 and incorporated as its own town.
Ponte Vedra Beach and Palm Valley remained much more rustic into the 20th century. Palm Valley, especially, mostly consisted of farmland. In 1914 mineral deposits were discovered at Ponte Vedra, after which point it grew as the town of Mineral City. Following World War I
real estate development began in the area and the name was changed to Ponte Vedra Beach.
Relations between the Beaches and the Jacksonville city government have at times been tense. The three incorporated towns in Duval County have fought with the city over the ways taxes and government services are shared; this led to a lawsuit in 1979, which established an interlocal agreement. The Beaches governments took up a second lawsuit in 1993 alleging a breach of the agreement, and members of the Jacksonville City Council
sought to review the charter in 2006, angering locals. During much of this time the Beaches threatened forming their own county, "Ocean County", though this was resolved following the election of Neptune Beach resident John Delaney
as Mayor of Jacksonville in 1995.
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
on Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
's First Coast
First Coast
The First Coast is a region of Florida, in the United States. It extends along the Atlantic, or eastern, coast of the state, from the Georgia border, past the southern end of Anastasia Island, to Marineland....
, all of which are suburbs or parts of the city of Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. These communities are separated from the main body of the city of Jacksonville by the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
. The Jacksonville Beaches are located in Duval
Duval County, Florida
Duval County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2010, the population was 864,263. Its county seat is Jacksonville, with which the Duval County government has been consolidated since 1968...
and northern St. Johns County
St. Johns County, Florida
St. Johns County is a county located in northeastern Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 190,039. The county seat is St. Augustine. Due to the inclusion of Ponte Vedra Beach, it is one of the highest-income counties in the United States....
, and make up part of Jacksonville's metropolitan area. The population of the beaches in 2009 is 68,118. The main communities generally identified as part of the Beaches are Mayport, Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach, Florida
Atlantic Beach, a city in Duval County, Florida, is the northernmost of the Jacksonville Beaches communities. When the majority of communities in Duval County consolidated with Jacksonville, Florida in 1968, Atlantic Beach, along with Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Baldwin, Florida,...
, Neptune Beach
Neptune Beach, Florida
Neptune Beach is a beachfront city in Duval County, Florida, United States, located to the east of Jacksonville. When the majority of communities in Duval County consolidated with the city of Jacksonville in 1968, Neptune Beach, along with Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Baldwin, remained...
, Jacksonville Beach
Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Jacksonville Beach is a city on the Atlantic coast of Duval County, Florida, east of Jacksonville. It is part of the Jacksonville Beaches community, together with Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Ponte Vedra Beach...
, and Ponte Vedra Beach
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach is an unincorporated seaside community in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located eighteen miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville and north of St. Augustine, it is part of the Jacksonville Beaches area. It is an upmarket tourist resort area best known for its...
.
Area
The Jacksonville Beaches communities are all located on an unnamed barrier islandBarrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
defined by the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to the east, the St. Johns River
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant for commercial and recreational use. At long, it winds through or borders twelve counties, three of which are the state's largest. The drop in elevation from the headwaters to the mouth is less than ;...
to the north, and the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
to the west. The island was actually originally a peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
until 1912, when a 10-mile channel was dug connecting the San Pablo and Tolomato Rivers, facilitating the Intracoastal Waterway and separating the land from the mainland. The island has no official name; beginning in the 21st century there has been a push to name it San Pablo Island.
The northernmost of the beach communities is Mayport, in Duval County. Since the consolidation
Jacksonville Consolidation
The Jacksonville Consolidation was the city-county consolidation of the governments of the City of Jacksonville and Duval County, Florida. It was effected on October 1, 1968.-Background:...
of the Jacksonville and Duval County governments in 1968, Mayport has been within the city limits of Jacksonville. Most of Mayport is currently occupied by Naval Station Mayport
Naval Station Mayport
Naval Station Mayport is a major United States Navy base in Jacksonville, Florida. It contains a military airfield with one asphalt paved runway measuring 8,001 x 200 ft. ....
, a major U.S. Navy base. Moving south along the coastline are three incorporated towns, also within Duval County: Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach is the name of some places in the United States of America:*Atlantic Beach, Florida*Atlantic Beach, North Carolina*Atlantic Beach, New York*Atlantic Beach, South Carolina...
, Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach. All three maintain their own municipal governments, however, residents receive county-level services from Jacksonville and vote for Jacksonville's mayor and City Council
Jacksonville City Council
The Jacksonville City Council is the legislative governing body of the city of Jacksonville, Florida.-Composition:The Jacksonville City Council is composed of nineteen members who are elected to four-year terms and serve as part-time legislators...
. Continuing south into St. Johns County is Ponte Vedra Beach
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach is an unincorporated seaside community in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located eighteen miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville and north of St. Augustine, it is part of the Jacksonville Beaches area. It is an upmarket tourist resort area best known for its...
. Typically, only the communities on the northern part of the island are considered the Beaches; areas to the south such as Vilano Beach
Vilano Beach, Florida
Vilano Beach is a census-designated place in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,533 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Vilano Beach is located at ....
are usually not included. The Palm Valley
Palm Valley, Florida
Palm Valley is a census-designated place in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. The population was 19,860 at the 2000 census.-History:...
area of St. Johns County, much of which is also located on the island, is sometimes considered part of the Beaches.
The parts of Duval County on the other side of the Intracoastal are sometimes known as the West Beaches. Further inland are Jacksonville's Arlington and Southside areas.
History
The first inhabitants of the Jacksonville Beaches area were Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. Like most of the Jacksonville area the region was inhabited by the Timucua
Timucua
The Timucua were a Native American people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in that area and consisted of about 35 chiefdoms, many leading thousands of people. The various groups of Timucua spoke several dialects of the...
people at the time of European contact.
Mayport was the first part of the beaches to see any concentrated population growth, when a small community of fishermen and river pilots grew up there, especially following the U.S. purchase of Florida in 1821. However, the entire Beaches area remained very sparsely populated until the end of the 19th century, when they were developed as resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
s. Jacksonville Beach, originally known as Ruby and then as Pablo Beach, grew around the series of luxury hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s built in the area. Further growth was facilitated by a railroad connecting the town to Jacksonville. Atlantic Beach also grew as a resort community around a large hotel, and smaller hotels were built at Mayport. Neptune Beach seceded from Jacksonville Beach in 1931 and incorporated as its own town.
Ponte Vedra Beach and Palm Valley remained much more rustic into the 20th century. Palm Valley, especially, mostly consisted of farmland. In 1914 mineral deposits were discovered at Ponte Vedra, after which point it grew as the town of Mineral City. Following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
real estate development began in the area and the name was changed to Ponte Vedra Beach.
Relations between the Beaches and the Jacksonville city government have at times been tense. The three incorporated towns in Duval County have fought with the city over the ways taxes and government services are shared; this led to a lawsuit in 1979, which established an interlocal agreement. The Beaches governments took up a second lawsuit in 1993 alleging a breach of the agreement, and members of the Jacksonville City Council
Jacksonville City Council
The Jacksonville City Council is the legislative governing body of the city of Jacksonville, Florida.-Composition:The Jacksonville City Council is composed of nineteen members who are elected to four-year terms and serve as part-time legislators...
sought to review the charter in 2006, angering locals. During much of this time the Beaches threatened forming their own county, "Ocean County", though this was resolved following the election of Neptune Beach resident John Delaney
John Delaney
John Adrian Delaney is an American lawyer, politician and university administrator. He currently serves as the president of the University of North Florida. A member of the Republican Party, he served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1995 to 2003...
as Mayor of Jacksonville in 1995.