HOME WEB NEWS IMAGES CLASSIFIEDS YELLOW PAGESPOLLS - SURVEYS WIKI COUNTRIES PHOTOS US UK INDIA
Cities Stocks Weather Movies Coupons Travel Blogs Health Horoscope Maps ASIA EUROPE Classifieds Yellow Pages
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Jacksonville" redirects here. For other uses, see Jacksonville (disambiguation).
Jacksonville is the largest city in the state of Florida and the county seat of Duval County.Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. Since 1968, Jacksonville has been 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.
In 2007, Jacksonville ranked as the United States\' twelfth most populous city, with 794,555 residents.US Census July 1, 2006 est. It is the principal city in the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area area, a region with a population of 1,277,997,Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006. US Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-11-03. 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 across which cattle were once driven. 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.
Contents
|
The history of Jacksonville spans hundreds of years. The first settlement in the area, called Ossachite, was made over 6,000 years ago by the Timucua Indians in the vicinity of modern-day downtown Jacksonville.Timucua Village of Ossachite. The Historical Text Archive. Retrieved on 2007-11-03.
European explorers first arrived in 1562, when French Huguenot explorer Jean Ribault charted the St. Johns River. René Goulaine de Laudonnière established the first European settlement at Fort Caroline two years later. On September 20, 1565, a Spanish force attacked Fort Caroline from the nearby Spanish settlement of St. Augustine, and killed all the French soldiers defending it (except Catholics).Exploring Florida.com: Pedro Menendez de Aviles Claims Florida for Spain The Spanish renamed it Fort San Mateo. After the initial destruction of Fort Caroline, St. Augustine became the most important settlement in Florida.
Spain ceded Florida to the British in 1763, who then gave control back to Spain in 1783. The first permanent settlement in modern Jacksonville was settled as "Cowford" in 1791, at a narrow point in the St. Johns River where cattlemen could ford their livestock across. The Florida Territory was ceded to the United States in 1821, and in 1822, Jacksonville\'s current name had come into use. U.S. settlers led by Isaiah D. Hart authored a charter for a town government, which was approved by the Florida Legislative Council on February 9, 1832.
During the American Civil War, Jacksonville was a key supply point for hogs and cattle leaving Florida and aiding the Confederate cause. The city was blockaded by the Union, changing hands several times. Though no battles were fought in Jacksonville, the city was left in a considerable state of disarray after the war.
During Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, Jacksonville and nearby St. Augustine became popular winter resorts for the rich and famous. Visitors arrived by steamboat and later by railroad. The city\'s tourism, however, was dealt major blows in the late 1800s by yellow fever outbreaks and the extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to south Florida.
On May 3, 1901, downtown Jacksonville was ravaged by a fire that was started at a fiber factory. Known as the "Great Fire of 1901", it was one of the worst disasters in Florida history and the largest ever urban fire in the Southeast; it destroyed the business district and rendered 10,000 residents homeless in the course of eight hours. It is said the glow from the flames could be seen in Savannah, Georgia and the smoke plumes in Raleigh, North Carolina. Famed New York architect Henry John Klutho was a primary figure in the reconstruction of the city. More than 13,000 buildings were constructed between 1901 and 1912.
In the 1910s, New York-based moviemakers were attracted to Jacksonville\'s warm climate, exotic locations, excellent rail access, and cheap labor. Over the course of the decade, more than 30 silent film studios were established, earning Jacksonville the title "Winter Film Capital of the World". However, the city\'s conservative political climate and the emergence of Hollywood as a major film production center ended the city\'s film industry. One converted movie studio site (Norman Studios) remains in Arlington; It has been converted to the Jacksonville Silent Film Museum at Norman Studios.The Jacksonville Silent Film Museum at Norman Studios. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
During this time, Jacksonville also became a banking and insurance center, with companies such as Barnett Bank, Atlantic National Bank, Florida National Bank, Prudential, Gulf Life, Afro-American Insurance, Independent Life and American Heritage Life thriving in the business district. The U.S. Navy also became a major employer and economic force during the 1940s, with the construction of three naval bases in the city. Jacksonville, like most large cities in the United States, suffered from negative effects of rapid urban sprawl after World War II.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 874.3 square miles (2,264.5 km²), making Jacksonville the largest city in land area in the contiguous United States; of this, 757.7 square miles (1,962.4 km²; 86.66%) is land and 116.7 square miles (302.1 km²; 13.34%) is water. Jacksonville completely encircles the city 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. The city is almost three times the area of New York City but with just under 800,000 people, Jacksonville has a low population density.
Jacksonville has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa), with mild weather during winters and hot weather during summers. High temperatures average 64 to 91 °F (18-33 °C) throughout the year.Climate Information for Jacksonville, Florida. ClimateZone.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-23. High heat indices are not uncommon for the summer months in the Jacksonville area. High temperatures can reach mid to high 90s with heat index ranges of 105-115 °F. The highest temperature ever recorded in Jacksonville was 105 °F (43 °C) on July 21, 1942. It is common for daily thunderstorms to erupt during a standard summer afternoon. These are caused by the heating of the land and water, combined with extremely high humidity.
During winter, the area can experience hard freezes during the night. Such cold weather is usually short lived, as the city averages only 15 nights below freezing NOAA/National Climatic Data Center: Table-Mean Number of Days With Minimum Temperature 32 Degrees F or Less. The coldest temperature recorded in Jacksonville was 7 °F (-14 °C) on January 21, 1985, a day that still holds the record cold for many locations in the eastern half of the US. Even rarer in Jacksonville than freezing temperatures is snow. When snow does fall, it usually melts before touching the ground, or upon making contact with the ground. Most residents of Jacksonville can remember accumulated snow on only one occasion—a thin ground cover that occurred a few days before Christmas of 1989.
Jacksonville has suffered less damage from hurricanes than most other east coast cities. The city has only received one direct hit from a hurricane since 1871, although Jacksonville has experienced hurricane or near-hurricane conditions more than a dozen times due to storms passing through the state from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean.Jacksonville,Florida\'s history with tropical systems. HurricaneCity. Retrieved on 2006-07-23. The strongest effect on Jacksonville was from Hurricane Dora in 1964, the only recorded storm to hit the First Coast with sustained hurricane force winds. The eye crossed St. Augustine, with winds that had just barely diminished to 110 mph (180 km/h), making it a strong Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.
Rainfall averages around 52 inches a year, with the wettest months being June through September.
| Weather averages for Jacksonville, Florida | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F | 64 | 67 | 73 | 79 | 84 | 89 | 91 | 89 | 86 | 79 | 73 | 66 | 78 |
| Average low °F | 42 | 44 | 50 | 55 | 63 | 69 | 72 | 72 | 69 | 60 | 51 | 44 | 58 |
| Precipitation inch | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 5.4 | 6.0 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 3.9 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 52.4 |
| Average high °C | 18 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 29 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 26 | 23 | 19 | 26 |
| Average low °C | 6 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 14 |
| Precipitation cm | 9.4 | 8.1 | 9.9 | 7.9 | 8.9 | 13.7 | 15.2 | 17.5 | 20.1 | 9.9 | 5.8 | 6.6 | 133 |
| Source: USTravelWeather.comHistorical Jacksonville Weather Data. Retrieved on Jul 19, 2007. July 19, 2007 | |||||||||||||
Downtown Jacksonville has a memorable skyline with the tallest building being the Bank of America Tower, constructed in 1990 as the Barnett Bank Center. It has a height of 617 ft (188 m) and includes 43 floors. Other notable structures include the 37-story Modis Building (once, with its distinctive flared base, the defining building in the Jacksonville skyline), originally built in 1972-74 by the Independent Life and Accident Insurance Company, and the 28 floor Riverplace Tower which, when completed in 1967, was the tallest precast, post-tensioned concrete structure in the world. [1] Tallest Buildings in Jacksonville
| Rank | Name | Street Address | Height feet / meters | Floors | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bank of America Tower | 50 North Laura Street | 617 / 188 | 43 | 1990 |
| 2 | Modis Tower | 1 Independent Drive | 535 / 163 | 37 | 1974 |
| 3 | AT&T Tower | 424 North Pearl Street | 447 / 136 | 32 | 1983 |
| 4 | The Peninsula at St. Johns Center | 1401 Riverplace Boulevard | 437 / 133 | 36 | 2006 |
| 5 | Riverplace Tower | 1301 Riverplace Boulevard | 432 / 132 | 28 | 1967 |
| 6 | Jacksonville Center | 76 South Laura Street | 357 / 109 | 24 | 1989 |
| 7 | The Strand at St. Johns Center | 1401 Riverplace Boulevard | 328 / 100 | 28 | 2006 |
| 8 | One Prudential Plaza | 841 Prudential Drive | 309 / 94 | 22 | 1954 |
| 9 | Two Prudential Plaza | San Marco Boulevard | 305 / 93 | 21 | 1985 |
| 10 | One Enterprise Center | 225 Water Street | 299 / 91 | 21 | 1986 |
For more details on this topic, see List of tallest buildings in Jacksonville.
As the largest city in land area in the contiguous United States, Jacksonville’s official website divides the city into six major sections:[2]
With the rapid growth in the eastern part of Duval County, the Intracoastal/Beaches/Ponte Vedra area is viewed by many as a major section as well, but is not generally included in a Jacksonville list since they lie outside of the Jacksonville city limits. There is also a distinct part of the city known as "Eastside" which those unfamiliar with Jacksonville\'s overall geography sometimes mistakenly regard as one of the major divisions of town, rather than the localized neighborhood which it is.
Today, what distinguishes a "section" of Jacksonville from a "neighborhood" is primarily a matter of size and divisibility. However, definitions are imprecise, and sometimes not universally agreed upon. Each of these sections not only encompasses a large area, but also, each is divided into many neighborhoods. Each of these neighborhoods, in turn, has its own identity. Some, such as Mandarin, LaVilla and Bayard had existed previously as independent towns or villages, prior to consolidation, and have their own histories.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 1,000 | ||
| 1890 | 17,000 | ||
| 1900 | 28,000 | 64.7% | |
| 1910 | 58,000 | 107.1% | |
| 1920 | 92,000 | 58.6% | |
| 1930 | 130,000 | 41.3% | |
| 1940 | 173,000 | 33.1% | |
| 1950 | 205,000 | 18.5% | |
| 1960 | 201,030 | -1.9% | |
| 1970 | 504,000 | 150.7% | |
| 1980 | 540,920 | 7.3% | |
| 1990 | 635,230 | 17.4% | |
| 2000 | 735,617 | 15.8% | |
| Est. 2006 | 834,789 | 13.5% | |
Jacksonville is the most populous city in Florida, and the twelfth most populous city in the United States. As of the censusAmerican FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. estimates of 2005, there were 782,623 people, 284,499 households, and 190,614 families residing in the city. The population density was 374.9/km² (970.9/mi²). There were 308,826 housing units at an average density of 157.4/km² (407.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.48% White, 34.03% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 2.78% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.33% from other races, and 1.99% from two or more races. 4.16% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The largest ancestries include: German (9.6%), American (9.3%), Irish (9.0%), English (8.5%), and Italian (3.5%). Jacksonville has, as named by the United States Census the 10th largest Arab population in the United States.
There were 284,499 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $40,316, and the median income for a family was $47,243. Males had a median income of $32,547 versus $25,886 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,337. About 9.4% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, English spoken as a first language accounted for 90.60%, while Spanish was at 4.13%, and Tagalog spoken as a mother tongue made up 1.00% of the population. In total, all languages spoken other than English were at 9.39%.Modern Language Association Data Center Results of Jacksonville, FL. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
Jacksonville has a diverse religious population. Since 1906, the city\'s Unitarian Universalists have worshipped at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville. Retrieved on 2007-07-19. The Episcopal Diocese of Florida has its see in St. John\'s Cathedral, the current building dating from 1906. There is a good representation of various Lutheran Synods, as well. The city is estimated to contain 265,158 Evangelical Protestants and 89,649 Mainline Protestants who attend a total of 794 churches. Several of these are megachurches, including First Baptist Church downtown and Christ\'s Church (formerly Mandarin Christian Church) on Greenland Road. There are 162,329 Roman Catholics who attend 51 Catholic churches within the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine.Diocese of Saint Augustine Statistical Overview. Retrieved on 2007-07-19. The greater metropolitan area also has a Jewish population of 14,000, mostly residing in the suburb of Mandarin, Florida. There are two Reform, four Conservative, and four Orthodox synagogues, three of them Chabad-affiliated,Chabad-Lubavitch Centers in Jacksonville, Florida. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.. There are over 3,000 members of various Eastern Orthodox church jurisdictions in eight parishes or missions, and 18,050 of other religious affiliations. Within the city limits there are also seven Mormon church buildings housing twelve congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Jacksonville, Florida. Retrieved on 2007-07-19. a population of Muslims centered around the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida,Islamic Center of Northeast Florida, Inc.. Retrieved on 2007-07-19., a Bahá\'í center,Jacksonville Bahá’í Community. Retrieved on 2007-07-19. and New Age and Neopagan communities.Metro Area Membership Report for Jacksonville, Florida. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
After World War II, the government of the City of Jacksonville began to increase spending to fund new building projects in the boom that occurred after the war. Mayor W. Haydon Burns\' Jacksonville Story resulted in the construction of a new city hall, civic auditorium, public library and other projects that created a dynamic sense of civic pride. However, the development of suburbs and a subsequent wave of "white flight" left Jacksonville with a much poorer population than before. Much of the city\'s tax base dissipated, leading to problems with funding education, sanitation, and traffic control within the city limits. In addition, residents in unincorporated suburbs had difficulty obtaining municipal services such as sewage and building code enforcement. In 1958, a study recommended that the City of Jacksonville begin annexing outlying communities in order to create the needed tax base to improve services throughout the county. Voters outside the city limits rejected annexation plans in six referendums between 1960 and 1965.
In the mid 1960s, corruption scandals began to arise among many of the city\'s officials, who were mainly elected through the traditional good ol\' boy network. After a grand jury was convened to investigate, 11 officials were indicted and more were forced to resign. Consolidation, led by JJ Daniel and Claude Yates, began to win more support during this period, from both inner city blacks (who wanted more involvement in government) and whites in the suburbs (who wanted more services and more control over the central city). The simultaneous disaccredation of all fifteen of Duval County\'s public high schools in 1964 added momentum to the proposals for government reform. Lower taxes, increased economic development, unification of the community, better public spending and effective administration by a more central authority were all cited as reasons for a new consolidated government.
A consolidation referendum was held in 1967, and voters approved the plan. On October 1, 1968, the governments merged to create the Consolidated City of Jacksonville. Fire, police, health & welfare, recreation, public works, and housing & urban development were all combined under the new government.
The Better Jacksonville Plan, promoted as a blueprint for Jacksonville\'s future and approved by Jacksonville voters in 2000, authorized a half-penny sales tax to generate most of the revenue required for the $2.25 billion package of projects that included road & infrastructure improvements, environmental preservation, targeted economic development and new or improved public facilities.
The most noteworthy feature of Jacksonville government is its consolidated nature. The Duval County-Jacksonville consolidation eliminated any type of separate county executive or legislature, and supplanted these positions with the Mayor of Jacksonville and the City Council of the City of Jacksonville, respectively. Because of this, voters who live outside of the city limits of Jacksonville, but inside of Duval County, are allowed not only to vote in elections for these positions, but to run for them as well. In fact, in 1995, John Delaney, a resident of Neptune Beach, was elected mayor of the City of Jacksonville.
Jacksonville uses the Mayor-Council form of city government, also called the Strong-Mayor form, in which a mayor serves as the city\'s Chief Executive and Administrative officer. The mayor holds veto power over all resolutions and ordinances made by the city council, and also has the power to hire and fire the head of various city departments. The current mayor is John Peyton.
The city council has nineteen members, fourteen of whom are elected from single-member districts, and five who are ostensibly elected at-large. However, although these five additional council members are elected at-large, they are required to meet an unusual residency requirement. In the early 1990s, because these five "at-large" members were generally all elected from the same area, voters approved a change in the city government which divided the city up into five districts unrelated to any other districts, solely for the purpose of electing these at-large council members. Thus, at-large council members are elected from each of these five districts by the voters of the county as a whole.
The State Attorney\'s Office for the 4th Judicial Circuit of Florida has the responsibility of prosecuting persons charged with crimes in Duval, Clay and Nassau Counties. The position of State Attorney is an elected position and is currently held by Harry Shorstein. The Public Defender\'s Office for the 4th Judicial Circuit of Florida has the responsibility for defending persons charged with crimes subject to incarceration and judged indigent in Duval, Clay and Nassau Counties. The position of Public Defender is an elected position and is currently held by Bill White.
Jacksonville and Duval County historically maintained separate police agencies: the Jacksonville Police Department and Duval County Sheriff\'s Office. As part of consolidation in 1968, the two merged, creating the Jacksonville Sheriff\'s Office (JSO). The JSO is headed by the elected Sheriff of Duval County, currently John Rutherford, and is responsible for law enforcement and corrections in the county.
In 2006, based on the United States Department of Justice, FBI-Uniform Crime Reports, Jacksonville reported 6,663 violent crimes including 110 murders. FBI 2006 Uniform Crime Report Violent Crime in Jacksonville was up 9.5% since 2005 but property crimes were down. There has been an increase in Gang activity over the past few years, but it is not a significant problem—yet. The murder rate is the most troubling, and the majority of homicides involve drug-related crime.
Based on the Morgan Quitno Press 2006 national crime rankings, Jacksonville ranked as the 10th safest in the nation among the 32 US cities with a population of 500,000 or more. Morgan Quitno rankings for the safest and most dangerous cities
As of Nov 19, 2007, Jacksonville ranked the 11th most dangerous city in Florida, safer than Orlando (1st), Miami (3rd), Tampa (6th), Tallahassee (7th) and Gainesville (8th). Nationwide, Jacksonville was ranked as the 115th most dangerous city; Detroit was 1st. Central Florida channel 13: Orlando Most Dangerous?
In 1968, the small municipalities of Baldwin, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville Beach voted not to join the consolidated government. The four separate communities, which comprise only 6% of the total county population, provide their own services, while maintaining the right to contract the consolidated government to provide services for them. In December of 2005, the city council of Baldwin voted to eliminate the Baldwin Police Department, a decision which was consummated in March of 2006. Since that time, the JSO has assumed policing responsibilities for the one-square mile town, located in the far western portion of Duval County.
The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) is responsible for all fire protection and rescue service (ambulance) in Duval County with exceptions. Jacksonville Beach has its own department, while Atlantic Beach provides a fire station facility that is staffed and equiped by JFRD. Baldwin has a (mostly) volunteer fire department and Neptune Beach relies on Atlantic Beach for fire protection. The current JFRD Fire Chief is Richard A. Barrett; the current administrative Director is Dan Kleman. Both positions are appointed by the Mayor.
Some government services remained - as they had been prior to consolidation – independent of both city and county authority. In accordance with Florida law, the school board continues to exist with nearly complete autonomy. Jacksonville also has several quasi-independent government agencies which only nominally answer to the consolidated authority, including electric authority, port authority, transportation authority, housing authority and airport authority. The main environmental and agricultural body is the Duval County Soil and Water Conservation District, which works closely with other area and state agencies.
|
Constitutional Officers
|
City Council Members
|
At-Large City Council Members
|
Jacksonville, like most of North & Central Florida and the panhandle, was historically populated by Democrats. In the last half of the twentieth century, hordes of Northern Republicans retired and moved to coastal communities in South Florida. For the most part, they were not politically active. Until John Delaney was elected in 1995, the last Republican mayor in Jacksonville was elected in 1887. Until Bob Martinez was elected in 1986, the last Republican governor in Florida was elected in 1874*. (Republican Claude Kirk was elected in 1966 when the liberals in South Florida refused to nominate incumbent Governor Haydon Burns as the Democratic candidate and split the party. Democrats were subsequently elected for the next 20 years.) In the years after Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1981, thousands of voters switched to the Republican Party. Additionally, thousands of Republicans moved to sunny Florida and Jacksonville from northern states or relocated from south Florida to avoid overcrowding, high prices and crime. Republican Party organizers saw Florida as a tremendous opportunity in the early 1990’s. While the Democrats were complacent, the Republicans energized their members, increased fundraising efforts and motivated fellow Republicans to get out and vote. Three of Florida’s last four governors were Republicans. The last three mayors of Jacksonville have been Republican** (Ed Austin was elected as a Democrat, but changed parties in mid-term.) In 2008, the Democrats are still trying to catch up.
Jacksonville is home to Jacksonville University, the University of North Florida, Florida Community College at Jacksonville, Edward Waters College, Art Institute of Jacksonville, Florida Coastal School of Law, Trinity Baptist College, Jones College, Florida Technical College, Logos Christian College, Brewer Christian College, Columbia College and the University of Phoenix.
Former mayor John Delaney has been president of the University of North Florida since leaving office in July 2003, parlaying his widespread popularity in the city into a position of leadership in the state university system.
Public Schools in Duval County are controlled by the Duval County School Board. The county is home to four of the nation\'s best high schools (Stanton College Preparatory School 3rd, Paxon School for Advanced Studies 17th, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts 380th, and Mandarin High School 831st) according to Newsweek Magazine in 2007 Newsweek Magazine: The Top of the Class 2007; The complete list of the 1,300 top U.S. schools.
Jacksonville, along with the standard district schools, is home to three International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme ("IB") high schools. They are Stanton, Paxon, and Jean Ribault High School. Jacksonville also has a notable magnet high school devoted to the performing and expressive arts, Douglas Anderson. The Advanced International Certificate of Education Program (""AICE") is available at Mandarin High School and William M. Raines High School.
The prestigious Bolles School and Episcopal High School are located in Jacksonville as are two Catholic secondary schools: Bishop Kenny High School and Bishop Snyder High School. http://www.bishopsnyder.org/ retrieved on May 12, 2007 There are a number of private Christian schools including University Christian and Trinity Christian.
. See also: List of high schools in Jacksonville
The Jacksonville Public Library had its beginnings when May Moore and Florence Murphy started the "Jacksonville Library and Literary Association" in 1878. The Association was populated by various prominent Jacksonville residents and sought to create a free public library and reading room for the city.Jacksonville Public Library: A History. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.
Over the course of 127 years, the system has grown from that one room library to become one of the largest in the state. Now featuring twenty branches - from the 54,000 sq ft (5,000 m²). West Regional Library (located on Chaffee Road in the western part of the city) to smaller neighborhood libraries like Westbrook and Eastside (located in the central part of the city) - the Library annually receives nearly 4 million visitors and circulates over 6 million items. Nearly 500,000 library cards are held by area residents.Jacksonville Public Library: Profile. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.
On November 12, 2005, the new 300,000 sq ft (30,000 m²). Main Library opened to the public, replacing the Haydon Burns Library, built in 1965. The largest public library in the state, this opening was a historic event for the library system and the City of Jacksonville. It marks the completion of an unprecedented period of growth for the system under the Better Jacksonville Plan.The Better Jacksonville Plan. Retrieved on 2007-07-19. It adds to the city\'s architectural and cultural landscape and provides a gathering place downtown for the entire community. The new Main Library offers specialized reading rooms, public access to hundreds of computers and extensive collection of books and other materials, public displays of art, and special collections ranging from the African-American Collection to the recently opened Holocaust Collection.Jacksonville Public Library: A History. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.
Jacksonville is home to dozens of events.
The Art Walk, a monthly outdoor art festival on the first Wednesday of each month, is sponsored by Downtown Vision, Inc, an organization which works to promote artistic talent and venues on the First Coast.
One of the most popular sporting events is the annual Gate River Run, the US National Championship 15K since 1994 and largest 15K race in the country. The 13,000+ recreational runners -- some running for the first time -- are joined by a few thousand more supporters, spectators and volunteers who make this Jacksonville\'s largest participation sporting event. The 9.3 mile race has taken place every March since 1977. News4Jax.com: Mar 11, 2006-10,000 Participate; Keflezighi Wins Gate River Run.
Also in March is the Blessing of the Fleet and the Great Atlantic Seafood and Music Festival.
The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is held every April and is the second-largest jazz festival in the nation.Superpages Travel reviews Springing the Blues is a free outdoor blues festival held in Jacksonville Beach, also in April.
The Jacksonville Film Festival is held every May and features a variety of independent films, documentaries, and shorts screening at seven historic venues in the city. Past attendees of the festival have included director John Landis and Academy Award nominee Bill Murray and winner Graham Greene, both of whom were awarded the Tortuga Verde Lifetime Achievement Award.
The World of Nations Celebration is also in May. The Spring Music Fest is a free concert Memorial Day weekend that is sponsored by the city that features some of today\'s most popular artists.
Every July 4 is the Freedom, Fanfare & Fireworks celebration, one of the nation\'s largest fireworks displays, held at Metropolitan Park and on the surface of the St. Johns River. A very large fireworks display is also held at Jacksonville Beach, centered on the rebuilt pier.
The AT&T Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament is an annual event held in July. The first contest was held in 1981 and it has grown to be the largest Kingfish tournament in the United States. Participation is limited to 1,000 boats that compete for over $500,000 in prizes, attracting approximately 30,000 spectators.
The Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair is held every November at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds & Exposition Center, featuring an array of carnival games & rides, food, live entertainment, vendor merchandise booths and agriculture/livestock exhibition & judging.
Planetfest, an annual music festival in November, features a variety of current musicians and is sponsored by Jacksonville radio station Planet 107.3.
Thanksgiving weekend is a busy time, with the lighting of Jacksonville\'s official Christmas Tree at the Jacksonville Landing on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. The Jacksonville Light Parade happens on Saturday night following Thanksgiving.
Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art (JMoMA) opened its 60,000-square-foot (6,000 m²) facility in 2003, located adjacent to the Main Library downtown. Tracing its roots back to the formation of Jacksonville\'s Fine Arts Society in 1924, the museum features eclectic permanent and traveling exhibitions. In November 2006, JMOMA was renamed Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (MOCA Jacksonville) to reflect their continued commitment to art produced after the modernist period.
The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) is found on Jacksonville\'s Southbank Riverwalk, and features a main exhibit that changes quarterly, plus three floors of nature and local history exhibits, a hands-on science area and the Alexander Brest Planetarium.
Mr. Brest was also the benefactor for the Alexander Brest Museum and Gallery on the campus of Jacksonville University. The exhibits are a diverse collection of carved ivory, Pre-Columbian artifacts, Steuben glass, Chinese porcelain and Cloisonné, Tiffany glass, Boehm porcelain and rotating exhibitions containing the work of local, regional, national and international artists. INUSA tourguide: Jacksonville, Florida
The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens holds a large collection of European and American paintings, as well as a world-renowned collection of early Meissen porcelain. The museum is surrounded by three acres of formal English and Italian style gardens, and is located in the Riverside neighborhood, on the bank of the St. Johns River. There is also a hands-on children\'s section.
The Karpeles Manuscript Library is the world’s largest private collection of original manuscripts & documents. The museum in Jacksonville is located in a 1921 neoclassical building on the outskirts of downtown. In addition to document displays, there is also an antique-book library, with volumes dating from the late 1800s.
The Catherine Street Fire Station building is on the National Register of Historic Places and was relocated to Metropolitan Park in 1993. It houses the Jacksonville Fire Museum and features 500+ artifacts including an 1806 hand pumper.
The LaVilla Museum opened in 1999 and features a permanent display of African-American history. The art exhibits are changed periodically.
There are also several historical properties and items of interest in the city, including the Klutho Building, the Old Morocco Temple Building, the Palm and Cycad Arboretum, and the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, originally built as Union Station train depot.
. See also: List of museums in Jacksonville
The Florida Theatre, opened in 1927, is located in downtown Jacksonville and is one of only four remaining high-style movie palaces built in Florida during the Mediterranean Revival architectural boom of the 1920s.
Theatre Jacksonville was organized in 1919 as the Little Theatre and is one of the oldest continually producing community theatres in the United States.
The Ritz Theatre, opened in 1929, is located in the LaVilla neighborhood of the northern part of Jacksonville\'s downtown. Rebuilt and opened in October, 1999.
The
