Moving to Jacksonville, Florida: The River City Relocation Guide

Perfectly positioned along the Atlantic Ocean and the banks of the scenic St. Johns River, Jacksonville is often regarded as the perfect destination for anyone who’s looking for a beautiful, romantic and affordable place to get genuinely inspired and, hopefully, to start calling the largest city in Florida their new home.

The following Relocation Guide will highlight the major reasons why a local or cross country move to Jacksonville, Florida will be nothing short of an awesome idea.

Jacksonville is the largest city in the state of Florida (pop. 842,583) and the 13^th most populous city in the United States. Located 25 miles (40 km) south of the state line with Georgia and some 340 miles (550 km) north of Miami, the River City is settled on the banks of the St. Johns River and a stone’s throw from the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, it’s easy to see the refreshing enjoyment Jacksonvillians and the city’s lucky visitors get from the surrounding natural beauty.

Climate

Jacksonville has a humid subtropical climate which basically means hot and wet summers with common thunderstorms accompanied by torrential rains, and mild and sunny winters with no more than 15 nights at or below the freezing mark. The lowest temperature of 7 °F (−14 °C) was recorded on January, 1985, while the highest one 104 °F (40 °C) was experienced in 1872 and then again in 1879.

Economy

The economic strength of Jacksonville comes from the wide diversification of its industrial sectors. The industries with the highest impact on the city’s economy are distribution, financial and information services, manufacturing, insurance, logistics and tourism.

The city is an important and well-recognized transportation and distribution center in the country, and the Port of Jacksonville is the second largest deep-water port on the East Coast. The major exports are lumber, paper, cigars and phosphate while the main imports are automobiles and coffee.

A great number of large corporations and organizations call Jacksonville their home, including the principal offices of four Fortune 500 companies. Also, the city is home to several military facilities (Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Naval Station Mayport and Blount Island Command) which makes it the place with the third largest naval presence in the U.S. Unsurprisingly, the military is the biggest employer with an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion.

Tourism, especially the one related to golf, is significant as it accounts for nearly 3 million visitors a year, supports about 43,000 jobs and has an estimated economic impact of $1.6 billion. The PGA Tour – the principal organizer of the majority of professional golf tournaments in the United States – is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach (part of the Jacksonville Beaches).

Main Sights And Attractions

Downtown Jacksonville Skyline

Downtown Jacksonville is the city’s central business district and historic center. It features many prominent landmarks that have made The River City’s skyline highly distinctive.

• St. Johns River – with its winding 310 miles (500 km), it is the longest and most significant river in Florida with a total of 7 bridges spanning its “lazy” waters in the River City. Also, it is one of a handful of U.S. rivers that flows north.
• Main Street Bridge – opened in July 1941, this lift bridge carries four lanes of traffic and remains the most famous and recognizable bridge in Jacksonville.
• Bank of America Tower – at 617 ft (188 m), the 42-floor skyscraper, completed in 1990, is the tallest building in Jacksonville.
• Wells Fargo Center – completed in 1974, the city’s second tallest building (535 ft, 163 m) has a notable sloping base and corner frames which earned their architects the Honor Award for Outstanding Achievement in Design by the American Institute of Architects. The structure has a four story atrium of tropical vegetation which is open to the public.

Friendship Fountain

Located in St. Johns Park, Jacksonville’s signature attraction was the largest and tallest fountain in the world when it opened in March 1965. The combined 750 horsepower of the fountain’s three pumps can shoot water streams up to ten stories in height, while its basin, 200 feet (61 m) in diameter, can hold 500,000 gallons (1,900,000 liters) of water.

In 2011, the fountain and the surrounding park were renovated and modernized at a cost of $3.2 million.

Other notable attractions and events in Jacksonville, FL, include:

• Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens: established in 1961, the museum exhibits European and American paintings (more than 6,000 works of art). Also, the museum possesses a huge collection of Meissen porcelain and three flower gardens, one of which dates back as far as 1903.

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  Museum of Science and History (MOSH): opened in 1969 and located on the Southbank Riverwalk, this science and local history museum features a state-of-the-art Planetarium and is Jacksonville’s most visited museum.

• Jacksonville Jazz Festival: a large annual admission-free jazz festival that is held on various downtown venues on Memorial Day Weekend.

• The Jacksonville Film Festival: founded in 2002, this annual film festival features a broad spectrum of independent films, documentaries and shorts. The screenings are held at 7 historic venues throughout the city.

Moving To Jacksonville, Florida

Hiring Professional Relocation Services

Hiring the services of a professional moving company is your best bet for a smooth full-service and stress-free move to Jacksonville, Florida. Calculate your relocation costs easily with this free moving cost estimator so that you’re mentally prepared in advance for your upcoming relocation to Jacksonville.

How To Reach Jacksonville

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  By road: conveniently located at the crossroads of Interstate 10 and Interstate 95 (the busiest intersection in the area with more than 200,000 vehicles every single day), the city of Jacksonville is easily accessible from any direction. Also, the entire region can be access via a complex network of highways that includes U.S. 1, U.S. 17, U.S. 90 and U.S. 301.

• By air: The Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) is situated 15 minutes north from downtown Jacksonville and offers more than 80 departures each day to around 30 non-stop destination cities in the United States.
• By rail: The national passenger rail system Amtrak offers daily service at the Jacksonville Amtrak Station where two trains make a stop – the Silver Meteor and the Silver Star – both running from New York City to Miami, Florida.

Help Settling Down

• Utilities: When you move to Jacksonville, Florida, one of the first things you may need to do is connect to the basic utilities in the city. The company JEA is responsible for water, sewer and electric, People’s Gas supplies the natural gas, Comcast is the local cable provider, while AT&T will provide the local phone service. You can request a city service through this website.
• Vehicle registration: You can renew or replace your Florida driver license, ID card and motor vehicle registration here.
• Pets: Regardless of whether you need to license your loved one or you’ve decided to adopt a new pet online, the City of Jacksonville, FL will help you arrange it problem-free.
• Waste management: Learn more about Jacksonville’s waste collection and recycling programs here.

 Interesting Facts About Jacksonville, Florida:

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  Jacksonville was established in 1822 and named after Andrew Jackson – the 7^th President of the United States.

• With a total area of 874.6 sq mi (2,265 km²), the city of Jacksonville is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States.
• The city’s highest point is only 40 feet (12.2 m) above sea level, which makes the area susceptible to flooding.
• 500! This is the mind-blowing number of neighborhoods within the city limits of Jacksonville.
• Jacksonville Jaguars (National Football League) is the only major league sports team in the city.
• The city manages the largest urban park system in the country. Hemming Plaza is the first and oldest park, followed by Riverside Park and Memorial Park.

Useful links:

• Official Website of the City of Jacksonville
• Visit Jacksonville
• University of North Florida
• Jacksonville University
• Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
• Jacksonville Port Authority
• Maps of Jacksonville

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