View an interactive movie of Jacksonville.

Jacksonville is one of the fastest growing cities in the Southeast.  A busy seaport with a strong economic base, the city is a diversified mix of trade and transportation, manufacturing, technology, retail, health, financial services and tourism. 

Jacksonville had its beginning as a spot on the St. John’s River where farmers and their livestock could ford.  Thus the settlement grew to be called Cowford. Just up the river was the town of Fernandina, named for Spain's King Ferdinand VII, a haven for pirates.

Florida became a US territory in 1821 and soon after Jacksonville was born.  The city was named after General Andrew Jackson, the first military governor of Florida.

In the early days Jacksonville and the surrounding area was populated by timber men, hunters and farmers.  Orange Park, part of an area originally owned by slave trader Zephaniah Kingsley, was named for its many orange groves.

The population grew modestly during the Civil War, but increased dramatically when the railroads brought numerous wintering tourists to Jacksonville and its Beaches.  Henry Flagler financed a train bridge across the St. John’s River and his Florida East Coast Railway could take visitors from New York to St. Augustine where he had built luxury hotels and resorts. 

Area waterways continued to play a major role in the city’s development. The building of the jetties in the late 1890’s helped to grow port business and the shrimping industry came alive in the early 1900’s in Fernandina. By the beginning of the 20th century Jacksonville was the most populated city in the state of Florida.

Then…on May 3, 1901, a fire destroyed the heart of the city; 466 acres were incinerated; 2,368 buildings were destroyed; 8,677 were left homeless and 7 people died in the fire.  The financial loss was $15 million by today’s standard the total would be $2 billion.

During the ragtime years, Jacksonville was a toddlin’ town.  The Ostrich Farm was a big tourist draw, race cars sped up and down the beach and the movie industry had discovered Jacksonville and by 1916 over 100 movie companies were based in the city.

The military, has always been a fixture.  Camp Johnston, now called Jacksonville Naval Air Station held 27,000 men during World War I.  Shipyards sprang up along the riverfront and churned out wartime vessels. 

Postwar Jacksonville saw a boom, Insurance companies came to town, new city buildings, auditorium and ballparks sprang to life.  A modern expressway was built and the world’s largest Sears Roebuck store opened.

TODAY, the city is a thriving metropolitan area.  Expansion Magazine has named Jacksonville its No.1 “hottest city”.  This is considered a bible for executives looking to expand or relocate their businesses. More than 50,000 new jobs have been created during the past five years. 

The U.S. Navy, with two major bases in Jacksonville, a center for thriving healthcare, insurance, grocery, railroad, financial, banking and telecommunication industries the city is a business hotbed.  Tourism contributes millions each year and Jacksonville’s deep-water port, the 14th largest in the United States operates three marine terminals on the St. Johns River. 

Over 1.1million people call Jacksonville home.  The cost of living is low, no state income taxes, homestead exemption, a great climate, diverse culture and plenty to see and do.