Jacksonville is a city in

Onslow County, North Carolina Onslow County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 204,576. Its county seat is Jacksonville. The county was created in 1734 as Onslow Precinct and gained county status in 1739. Onslo ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,723, which makes Jacksonville the 14th-largest city in North Carolina. Jacksonville is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

and most populous community of Onslow County, which is coterminous with the

Jacksonville, North Carolina metropolitan area The Jacksonville Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of one county – Onslow – in North Carolina, anchored by the city of Jacksonville. As of the 2020 census, the MSA had ...

. Demographically, Jacksonville is the youngest city in the United States, with an average age of 22.8 years old, which can be attributed to the large military presence. The low age may also be in part due to the population drastically going up over the past 80 years, from 783 in the 1930 census to 72,876 in the 2021 Census estimate. It is the home of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune () is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( Wilming ...

and New River Air Station. Jacksonville is located adjacent to North Carolina's

Crystal Coast In North Carolina, the Crystal Coast is an 85-mile stretch of coastline that extends from the Cape Lookout National Seashore, which includes 56 miles of protected beaches, southwestward to the New River. The Crystal Coast is a popular area with ...

area.

History

After the end of the

Tuscarora Tuscarora may refer to the following: First nations and Native American people and culture * Tuscarora people **''Federal Power Commission v. Tuscarora Indian Nation'' (1960) * Tuscarora language, an Iroquoian language of the Tuscarora people * ...

wars in 1713 and the forced removal of Native American tribes was followed by permanent settlement of the regions between

New Bern New Bern, formerly called Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 29,994 as of 2019. It is the county seat of Craven County and t ...

and Wilmington. The New River became a major production center for naval stores like

turpentine Turpentine (which is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, terebenthene, terebinthine and (colloquially) turps) is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. Mainly used as a special ...

. The downtown waterfront park is built on the site original site of Wantland's Ferry. In 1752, a devastating hurricane destroyed the county seat of Johnston, and Wantlands Ferry, located further up the New River, at the present site of Jacksonville, was chosen as the site of the new county courthouse. The area was later known as Onslow Courthouse. In 1842, the town was incorporated and renamed Jacksonville in honor of former U.S. President

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

. The town was briefly captured and occupied in November 1862 by a raiding party led by

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

Lt.

William B. Cushing William Barker Cushing (4 November 184217 December 1874) was an officer in the United States Navy, best known for sinking the during a daring nighttime raid on 27 October 1864, for which he received the Thanks of Congress. Cushing was the youn ...

. Jacksonville and Onslow County continued to rely on naval stores, lumber, and tobacco crops for industry. In 1939, Colonel George W. Gillette of the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

surveyed and mapped the area from

Fort Monroe, Virginia Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virg ...

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battl ...

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

which included the Onslow County coastline and the New River. The map is believed to have fostered the interest of the War and Navy Departments in establishing an amphibious training base in the area. Congressman Graham Arthur Barden of New Bern lobbied

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

to appropriate funds for the purchase of about along the eastern bank of the New River. The establishment in 1941 of Marine Barracks, New River, later renamed Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base, led to the relocation of 700 families. While the landowners were compensated, many of the families displaced were sharecroppers who did not own the land on which their houses were built, and did not receive compensation for their structures. Some African American families were able to purchase property from Raymond Kellum and established the community of Kellumtown. Other displaced families established communities in Georgetown, Pickettown, Bell Fork, and Sandy Run. The latter communities have since been absorbed by Jacksonville. Colonel Gillette had planned to retire near the small village of Marine, ironically named after a local family whose surname was Marine, but lost his land to the acquisition, as well. Construction of Camp Lejeune caused a population explosion in the small town of about 800 inhabitants, as new workers migrated to the area. Growth continued to be fueled by both young Marine families and military retirees. Today, Jacksonville's primary industry is retail sales and services. The primary migration draw continues to be the U.S. Marine Corps. The Bank of Onslow and Jacksonville Masonic Temple, Mill Avenue Historic District, and Pelletier House and Wantland Spring are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. In 2016, Jacksonville became the first jurisdiction to adopt a paid holiday honoring the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which made slavery in the United States and its territories illegal. The resolution of adoption mentions "the prevention of the modern slavery" which it describes as "human trafficking", including child labor and military service.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which are land and (1.51%) is water. It is approximately 60 minutes from Wilmington and 15 minutes from the Intracoastal Waterway. Three public golf courses provide recreation for those who reside in or visit Jacksonville: Rock Creek, Swingin' Things, Paradise Point (located aboard MCB Camp Lejeune).

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 72,723 people, 21,986 households, and 15,491 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, 66,715 people, 17,175 households, and 13,533 families resided in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 1,500.0 people per square mile (579.1/km). The 18,312 housing units averaged 411.7 per square mile (159.0/km). The

racial A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

composition of the city was 63.94% White, 23.96% African American, 2.07% Asian, 0.75% Native American, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 5.42% some other race, and 3.67% two or more races. As of 2009, the estimated population for the city was 80,542. Of the 17,175 households, 49.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were not families. About 16.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.8 In the city, the population was distributed as 24.3% under the age of 18, 36.3% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 8.8% from 45 to 64, and 4.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. Jacksonville has been named the youngest city in the nation (lowest median age) on various lists. For every 100 females, there were 156.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 178.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,544, and for a family was $33,763. Males had a median income of $17,121 versus $19,931 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $14,237. About 12.5% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 17.7% of those age 65 or over. The 2013 population estimate was 69,079, with 67.7% identifying as White and 20.0% identifying as Black or African-American. The median household income for 2009-2013 was $42,459.

Economy

Jacksonville economic development office

Top employers

According to the city's 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Law and government

The current mayor of Jacksonville is Sammy Phillips.

City council

* Brian H Jackson (ward 1) * Jerry Bitner (ward 2) * Michael Lazzara (ward 3 and mayor pro tem) * Angelia Washington (ward 4) * Randy Thomas (representative at-large) * Robert Warden (representative at-large) The current postmaster of Jacksonville is Jamie Thompson.

Education

Public schools

Onslow County Schools Onslow County Schools (OSC) is a school district headquartered in Jacksonville, North Carolina. It serves Onslow County, except for Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River, which are served by Department of Defense Education Activit ...

serves the city, except for

Marine Corps Air Station New River Marine Corps Air Station New River is a United States Marine Corps helicopter and tilt-rotor base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. In 1972, the airfield was named McCutcheon Field for General Keith B. McCutcheon ...

, which, along with

, is served by

Department of Defense Education Activity The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is a federal school system headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on behal ...

(DoDEA) schools. Alternative School *Onslow County Learning Center Elementary Schools * Bell Fork Elementary School * Blue Creek Elementary School * Carolina Forest Elementary School * Clyde Erwin Elementary School * Hunters Creek Elementary School * Jacksonville Commons Elementary School * MeadowView Elementary School * Morton Elementary School * Northwoods Elementary School * Parkwood Elementary School * Silverdale Elementary School * Southwest Elementary School * Stateside Elementary School * Summersill Elementary School * Thompson Elementary School * Dixon Elementary School Middle Schools * Dixon Middle School * Hunters Creek Middle School * Jacksonville Commons Middle School * Northwoods Park Middle School * New Bridge Middle School * Southwest Middle School High Schools * Dixon High School * Jacksonville High School * Northside High School * Richlands High School * Southwest High School * White Oak High School MCAS New River is zoned to Delalio Elementary School in MCAS New River and Brewster Middle School and Lejeune High School in Camp Lejeune.

Private schools

* Fellowship Christian Academy * Grace Baptist School * Infant Of Prague Catholic School * Jacksonville Christian Academy * Living Water Christian School * Montessori Children's School * St. Anne's Day School * Shiloh Institute of Learning * One World Montessori School

Public magnet schools

* Clyde Erwin Elementary School (year round school) * New Bridge Middle School * Northwoods Elementary School (year round school) * Onslow Virtual Secondary School

Higher education

Coastal Carolina Community College Coastal Carolina Community College is a public community college in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Roughly eight thousand students are enrolled at the institution. It is part of the North Carolina Community College System The North Carolina Comm ...

Miller-Motte Technical College Miller-Motte College, formerly Miller-Motte Technical College, is a University system, system of Private college, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit technical colleges throughout the southeastern United States.Mil ...

- Jacksonville branch *

University of Mount Olive The University of Mount Olive (UMO or Mount Olive) is a private university in Mount Olive, North Carolina. Chartered in 1951, the university is sponsored by the Original Free Will Baptist Convention and accredited by the Southern Association of C ...

- Jacksonville branch

Charter school

* ZECA School of Arts and Technology

Transportation

In 2009, the Jacksonville metropolitan statistical area ranked as the ninth-highest in the United States for ratio of commuters who walked to work (8.1%).

Notable people

* Jason L. Keith, Greensboro N.C. Defense Attorney. White Oak High School, Class Of 1997.President Of Triad Hornets AAU Basketball Association * David Charles Abell, conductor (born in Jacksonville)Jacksonville city, North Carolina
/ref> *

Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left ...

, singer-songwriter, who frequently makes reference to Jacksonville in his songs *

Jones Angell Monrovie Jones Angell IV (born 1979, Sanford, North Carolina), known professionally as Jones Angell, is the current “Voice of the Tar Heels,” the play-by-play radio announcer for the North Carolina Tar Heels football and men’s basketbal ...

, play-by-play announcer for the North Carolina Tar Heels * Troy Barnett, former NFL

defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

* Art Bell, talk radio host *

David Braxton David Harold Braxton (born May 25, 1965) is a former American football linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the lin ...

, former NFL player * Levi Brown, former NFL

offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...

* Burke Day, Georgia state legislator and businessman * Edward B. Dudley, governor, congressman *

Dave Dunaway Dave Dunaway (January 19, 1945 – March 12, 2001) was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Biography Dunaway was born David Harry Dunaway on January 19, 1945, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He died March 12, 2001, at age 56 in ...

, former NFL player *

Jacob Evans Jacob Evans III (born June 18, 1997) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Cincinnati Bearcats. As a junior in 2018, he earned first-te ...

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

player *

Chad Fonville Chad Everette Fonville (born March 5, 1971) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Boston Red Sox between 1995 and 1999. Career ...

, former

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player for the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

, and

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

Mike Frier Michael Anthony Frier (March 20, 1969 – December 31, 2015) was a former American football defensive end/ defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played collegiately at Appalachian State University and professionally with the Ci ...

, former NFL player for the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

and

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

David Green David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

, former NFL and

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

player *

Sara Hickman Sara Hickman (born March 1, 1963) is an American singer, songwriter, and artist.Houston Folk Music Archive(Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University)Guide to the Houston Folk Music Archive(Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library ...

, singer * Marcus Jones, former NFL player for the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

* Christina Koch, engineer and

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

astronaut *

Qasim Mitchell Qasim Mitchell (born December 3, 1979) is a former American football offensive lineman. He was originally signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at North Carolina A&T. Mitchell was also a ...

, former NFL player *

Quincy Monk Quincy Omar Monk (January 30, 1979 – November 24, 2015) was an American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and the Houston Texans. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Gi ...

, former NFL player *

Donte Paige-Moss Donte Paige-Moss (born April 11, 1991) is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels. College career He played at North Carolina. Entering the 2011 season, he wa ...

, former AFL player * Michael R. Nelson, former mayor of

Carrboro Carrboro is a town in Orange County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 21,295 at the 2020 census.

and first openly gay mayor in North Carolina *

Dian Parkinson Dianna Lynn Batts (born November 30, 1944) is an American former model and actress. From 1975 to 1993, Parkinson served as a model on ''The Price Is Right''. Career history In 1965, while living in Falls Church, Virginia, Parkinson won the Mi ...

, television personality and model *

Danielle Peck Danielle Marie Peck (born September 14, 1978) is an American country music artist. Signed to the independent Big Machine Records label in 2005, Peck released her self-titled debut album, which produced the Top 30 country hits "I Don't", " Findin ...

, singer *

Andre Purvis Andre Purvis (born July 14, 1973) is a former American football defensive / offensive lineman. He played college football at North Carolina. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 5th round (144th overall) of the 1997 NFL draft. Early y ...

, former NFL player for the

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PurvAn20.htm. Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 24, 2018. *

A.J. Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...

, professional wrestler *

Tyrone Willingham Lionel Tyrone Willingham (born December 30, 1953) is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University (1995–2001), the University of Notre Dame (2002–2004), and the University of Washington (2005–2 ...

, former head football coach at University of Washington and the University of Notre Dame

References

External links

*
Jacksonville Daily News Website
{{authority control Populated places established in 1757 Cities in North Carolina County seats in North Carolina Cities in Onslow County, North Carolina 1757 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Populated coastal places in North Carolina

History

Geography

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

2000 census

Economy

Top employers

Law and government

City council

Education

Public schools

Private schools

Public magnet schools

Higher education

Charter school

Transportation

Notable people

See also

References

Further reading

External links