Jacksonville FL Area Relocation Guide
Your Guide To Jacksonville Counties
If you are not from Jacksonville Florida, our Jacksonville FL Area Relocation Guide is your starting point on beginning your new adventure. Jacksonville is very much a growing area with a with a constant influx of new businesses relocating everyday. With over 874 square miles, Jax is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. Add in the outskirt areas like Fleming Island, St. Johns, St. Augustine and Amelia Island and it can be overwhelming. We know it can be intimidating searching for a new home and we want to help you get a lay of the land. Use this guide compliments of Convene Realty and let us know how we can help make your move as smooth as possible.
Nassau County Florida Real Estate
Home to Amelia Island
Directly to the north of Jacksonville, Nassau County is home to over 90,000 residents across 874 square miles. The landscape of the county varies from wide open countryside west of the intercoastal to the beach lifestyle of Amelia island in Fernandina Beach. Agricultural production, Industry and Commercial businesses have increased in the area over the last decade. With Nassau County being a subsidiary area of Jacksonville new residential construction continues at a rapid pace.
If you are looking for luxury beach condos in a casual beach atmosphere away from the city traffic, Amelia Island with its many gated condo communities may be your choice. Home to the Ritz Carlton and the Omni Hotel, be sure to check out the brunch at the Omni, but bring your appetite! This coastal resort town also draws visitors from near and far to annual events such as the Amelia Concours D'Ellgance Car Show held at the Amelia Island Golf Course every spring.
Located further west is the city of Yulee which has a more residential feel. One of the larger developments is Wildlight Community Development District (CDD) with amenities available to all residents. If you like visiting swimming pools, basketball courts, tennis & pickleball courts, dog parks and much more you may want to live in a CDD community.
Close proximity to military installations such as Mayport Navel Station, Navel Air Station Jacksonville (NAS-JAX) and Cecil Field Navel Air Station (Cecil Field - NAS) makes Nassau County a popular place to call home for Military personnel and their families.
Duval County Florida Real Estate
Home To Jacksonville
Duval County is home to Jacksonville which became the largest city in the continental United States when the county of Duval consolidated 747 square miles with the city of Jacksonville in 1968 to become one government. The other cities located in the county of Duval are Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Ponte Vedra. Due to Jacksonville’s large landmass, sub-names have been adopted for the different areas in Jax. The area nicknames can be confusing, but we can help you get a lay of the land.
Jacksonville’s easy access to rail, air and highway makes Jax Port a prime location for its extensive imports and exports. CSX headquarters is located right in Jax and is one of many major employers for Jacksonville. Running straight thru Jacksonville is the unique St Johns River that runs northward over 300 miles starting in Melbourne Florida opening up to the Atlantic Ocean and contributing to Jacksonville’s 1100 miles of navigable waterways.
One of the many cool things about living in Jax is the abundant diversity of natural resources it offers its residents and there is something for everyone. With an array of beaches on the Atlantic Ocean and live Jax Beach Amphitheater, the beaches area is always a fan favorite. The Gate River Run is the largest 15K in the USA and the final stretch ends just after the ‘Green Monster’ also known as the Hart Bridge. Sports enthusiasts can take a water taxi or bring their own boat to catch an event at the Jaguars stadium (TIAA). All the creeks shooting off of the St. Johns river and the intercoastal waterways allow for ample opportunity for other watersports such as boating, fishing, kayaking and paddle boarding. You will also want to catch the Blue Angels at the Jacksonville Airshow that alternates years at Jax Beach and NAS-Jax (Military base).
One last detail that anyone moving to the Jacksonville area should know. Duval is actually pronounced DOOOO-VAAAAL and should take all the air our your lungs.
Clay County Florida Real Estate
Lower Taxes and Future Growth
The major areas of Clay County are Orange Park, Fleming Island, Green Cove Springs, Oakleaf and Middleburg. It's said that Clay County is a great place to live, but a little quiet to vacation. Clay Residents enjoy nature trails, golf, easy access to amenities, residential neighborhoods with CDDs and outdoor recreation. Not only does Clay County border the St. Johns River it is also home to Doctor’s Lake and Black Creek. Doctor’s lake is actually an open inlet from the St. John’s River with 13 square miles and continues down Swimming Pen Creek by a local favorite, Whitey’s Fish Camp. Boaters enjoy an array of sports on Doctor’s lake including fishing tournaments, tubing, kayaking and paddle boarding. Black Creek is a popular place for smoother waters.
Fleming Island isn’t actually an island, but a peninsula that can be accessed by one of three bridges. Fleming Island was once a sparse area and has grown immensely over the last 20 years with a variety of shopping and activities for locals and visitors alike. Runners and Cyclists enjoy the 8 mile track that crosses through Fleming Island with both paved and boardwalk stretches. It’s interesting to note the zip code for Fleming Island is 32003. You may still see some listings that show Orange Park, but if it has a zip code of 32003 - it’s actually Fleming Island.
Heading further west into Clay County will bring you a little more of a country feel with farms, bigger parcels of land, more golf courses and more developments continuing to build. There is a new highway under construction, US-23, that will connect US-10 In Northern Clay County to St Johns County by way of the Shand’s Bridge across the St Johns River. This project is scheduled to be completed in 2026-2027.
Being roughly 40 minute inwards from the Atlantic ocean and 2 hours to Disney it's no surprise that Clay County continues to grow and attract new homeowners locally and from out of state.
St Johns County Florida Real Estate
New Developments & Luxury Homes
St John’s County is the Home of The Players Championship hosted by Sawgrass Country Club and draws large crowds to see golf professionals play their hearts out. The county is also home to the oldest city in the US, St Augustine, which boasts an active and historic downtown area and one of the few beaches in Florida that you can still drive on.
St. John’s is the land of new developments of Luxury Resort Style communities. While CDD communities can be found all over the greater Jacksonville area, special recognition in this area is due to the two communities with the most impressive amenities. Nocatee is a Master Planned Coastal Community with amenities like pools, water slides, splash park, lazy river, zipline, tennis, pickleball, natural trails, dog parks, planned events, family oriented activities and much more. If this sounds like the lifestyle you are looking for, then you may want to also check out the 14 acre pool named Crystal Lagoon in the Beachwalk Community. That wasn’t a typo - the crystal lagoon/pool really is an impressive 14 acres with a swim up bar outfitted with large TVs so you don’t need to miss the game while you play in the sun. The life guards actually have a small powered watercraft so they get to a swimmer in duress quickly. Properties in this community range from condos to luxury lagoon front homes with more development underway for more shops and restaurants.
What is starting to be referred to as the Covid Migration, families from all across the nation have flocked to St. John’s County for its award winning schools. The population of St. John’s County has almost doubled since 2010 and while other markets across the country have slowed down, St Johns continues to rapidly grow as builders create more housing to accommodate the inventory shortfall.
Putnam County Florida Real Estate
Relaxed Low Country
Further south of the Jacksonville region things slow down a bit in this mostly rural area with a population less than 100,000. Palatka is the county hub and hosts a large paper mill and an array of restaurants along the St Johns River with Corky Bells Seafood at Gator Landing being a fan favorite. You can even enjoy a river cruise with ports at Palatka, Lake George, St Augustine and Ameila Island.
Putnam county is approximately 800 square miles and of that almost 100 square miles is water. On a leisurely boat ride along the several undisturbed creeks weaved from the St. John’s River you will find numerous gators sunning themselves along the shoreline. Quite fitting since Putnam County is halfway between Jacksonville and Gainesville, home of the University of Florida’s arena, “The Swamp”.
Most newly relocated residents that once had many concerns about alligators quickly learn that gators are not as big of a problem as they first feared. The important things to remember: NEVER EVER feed gators. These creators need to not think of humans as a food source. Keep small children and pets away from the water’s edge. NEVER EVER mess with a mother’s nest along a shoreline. Should you spot a gator, watch and admire from a distance, but let them be and they will offer you the same courtesy.
Understanding the Areas Within Duval County
Because the city of Jacksonville Florida is so large, you will hear different areas referred by sub area names. These are not city names, but areas within the city of Jacksonville. Some of the more common areas include:
Northside - More residential, but still close enough to get to downtown, the beaches and other areas.
Downtown/Springfield - The heart of Jacksonville is located in this area with an array of different community events.
Riverside - Historic homes with a high walkability to restaurants and the river front.
Avondale - Similar to Riverside with a super cute main stretch area of shops and restaurants.
Arlington - South side of the river with well established neighborhoods.
Southside - Home of the St. Johns Town Center with shops like Nordstroms, Pottery Barn and Louis Vuitton. There are some country club neighborhoods along with a wide range of condo communities.
Mandarin - Mostly established residential neighborhoods with an array of shopping to stores like Whole Food and Trader Joes.
Beaches - This is the only area in Duval that actually has separate cities other than 'Jacksonville.'
Main Jacksonville Areas 'Sub' Names
Main Jacksonville Area MLS Area Search Codes
South Jacksonville and St. Johns Counties MLS Area Search Codes
North Jacksonville and Nassau County MLS Area Search Codes
