Welcome to Jacksonville!
Jacksonville, the largest city in area in the continental United States, is a rapidly growing metropolitan city in Northeast Florida, with approximately 850,000 residents. Under its "strong mayor" form of government, residents elect a mayor and a 19-member City Council, with five at-large members and 14 members elected by district. John Peyton is Jacksonville's sixth mayor since the consolidation of Duval County and City of Jacksonville governments in 1968.
Due to its convenient location, mild climate, reasonable cost of living, high quality of life and a business-friendly government, Jacksonville is a popular location for corporate expansions and relocations. Its status as an intermodal transportation hub is another incentive, and the city is also a leading distribution center, with a transportation network embracing port and air cargo facilities, rail and trucking routes. Millions of tons of raw materials and manufactured goods move through the city annually.
This momentum continues to boost Jacksonville's stature in the national and international marketplace. In fact, Jacksonville is consistently rated one of the "Hottest Cities in America" for business expansions and relocations in an annual poll featured in Expansion Management magazine. Ranked number eight in 2006, it has been in the top 10 for six straight years and is the only city to claim the number one spot three times. Meanwhile, Jacksonville ranked 11th in Inc. magazine's list of "Best Cities for Doing Business" for 2006.
As a rapidly growing municipality, Jacksonville is recognized as a national leader in managing development. Peyton formed a growth management task force in 2005 and is now focused on the committee's research and planning recommendations, which form a vision for the next 25 years. The overall strategy involves balancing commercial and residential development with transit and infrastructure capacity and the preservation of green space.
One of Jacksonville's many natural assets is one of the largest urban park systems in the country. The active and passive parks and preservation lands are a key part of Jacksonville's quality of life. So are the miles of beaches and waterways, a major symphony orchestra, a sports and entertainment complex downtown and a myriad of special events that this sports-loving city hosts each year. The home of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, the city welcomed its first Super Bowl in 2005.
With a growing population, a strong economy, diverse cultural and recreational opportunities and abundant natural resources, Jacksonville continues to distinguish itself as one of the nation's most dynamic and progressive cities.
We invite you to learn more about Jacksonville by clicking on the links at left or click here to see a slide show of Downtown Jacksonville.
For more information about Jacksonville's downtown area, vacation and business opportunities, check out Downtown Vision, Inc., Jacksonville & the Beaches Convention and Visitor's Bureau and the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.