The Jacksonville Metropolitan Area, also called the First Coast, Metro Jacksonville, or Northeast Florida, is the

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...

centered on the principal city of Jacksonville, Florida and including the First Coast of North Florida. According to 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 ...

, the total population was 1,605,848. The Jacksonville–St. Marys–Palatka, FL–GA Combined Statistical Area (CSA) had a population of 1,733,937 in 2020 and was the 34th largest CSA in the United States. The Jacksonville metropolitan area is the 40th largest in the country and the fourth largest in the State of Florida, behind the Miami,

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

, and Orlando metropolitan areas.

Definitions

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

The Jacksonville Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is an area designated by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget used for statistical purposes by the United States Census Bureau and other government agencies. The metropolitan statistical area had a total population of approximately 1,605,848 as of 2020 and is the 39th largest in the United States and the fourth largest in the state of Florida. The OMB defines the Jacksonville MSA as consisting of five counties. The components of the metropolitan area with their estimated 2020 populations are listed below: *Jacksonville metropolitan statistical area (1,605,848) ** Duval County, Florida (995,567) **

St. Johns County St. Johns County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 273,425. The county seat and largest incorporated city is St. Augustine. St. Johns County is part of the ...

, Florida (273,425) **

Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman: * Clay County, Alabama * Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County) * Clay County, Flor ...

, Florida (218,245) ** Nassau County, Florida (90,352) ** Baker County, Florida (28,259)

Combined Statistical Area (CSA)

The OMB also defines a slightly larger region as a Combined Statistical Area (CSA). In 2012 the OMB also defined the Jacksonville–St. Marys–Palatka, FL–GA Combined Statistical Area, which included metropolitan Jacksonville as well as the Palatka, Florida and

St. Marys, Georgia St. Marys is a city in Camden County, Georgia, United States, located on the southern border of Camden County on the St. Marys River. The Florida border is just to the south across the river, Cumberland Island National Seashore is to the northea ...

Micropolitan Statistical Areas (comprising Putnam County, Florida and

Camden County, Georgia Camden County is a county located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 50,513. Its county seat is Woodbine, and the largest city is St. Marys. It is one of the original cou ...

). The CSA had a population of 1,733,937 in 2020 and was the 34th largest CSA. The components of the CSA with their estimated 2020 populations are listed below: *Jacksonville, FL Metropolitan Area (1,733,937) **Palatka, FL Micropolitan area (73,464) *** Putnam County, Florida (73,321) **St. Marys, GA Micropolitan area (53,044) *** Camden County, Georgia (54,768)

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,345,596 people, 524,146 households, and 350,483 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 69.9% White, 21.8% African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.4%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. 12.9% were Hispanic or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. The median income for a household in the MSA was $45,143, and the median income for a family was $51,327. Males had a median income of $35,537 versus $25,093 for females.

Education

Higher education

Higher education in the Jacksonville area is offered at many institutions. There are three public institutions in the area. University of North Florida (UNF), founded in 1969, is a public university in southeastern Jacksonville. It has over 17,000 students and offers a variety of bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), is a public

state college State College is a city in central Pennsylvania, United States. State College may also refer to: Related to State College, Pennsylvania * State College Area School District, a school district serving State College * State College Area High School ...

located in downtown Jacksonville with satellite campuses around the city. St. Johns River State College is a state college with campuses in

St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afri ...

, Orange Park, and Palatka. Many private schools are also located in the area. Edward Waters College, founded in 1866, is Jacksonville's oldest institution of higher education, as well as Florida's oldest historically black college. Jacksonville University (JU), established in 1934, is a private, four-year institution located along the

St. Johns River The St. Johns River ( es, Río San Juan) is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders twelve counties. The drop in eleva ...

with over 3,500 students. Flagler College is a liberal arts college located in St. Augustine. Noted for its campus, which includes

Henry Flagler Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil, which was first based in Ohio. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founde ...

's former

Ponce de León Hotel The Ponce de Leon Hotel, also known as The Ponce, was an exclusive luxury hotel in St. Augustine, Florida, built by millionaire developer and Standard Oil co-founder Henry Flagler, Henry M. Flagler and completed in 1888. The hotel was designed i ...

, it is currently included in The Princeton Review's ''Best 366 Colleges'' Rankings.

Public schools

The

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

for Greater Jacksonville are all managed by school boards, with each county having its own board. The

Duval County School Board Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) is the public school district that serves the families and children residing in the urban, suburban, and rural areas of the City of Jacksonville and Duval County, Florida. As of 2015, the district had an enroll ...

is the largest in the area and the 22nd largest in the United States with over 155,000 students. In 2010, it was home to two of the top 20 high schools in the country,

Stanton College Preparatory School Stanton College Preparatory School is a preparatory high school in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Stanton College Preparatory School is a highly selective school that offers both the Advanced Placement and the International Baccalaureate ...

and

Paxon School for Advanced Studies Paxon School for Advanced Studies (PSAS) is one of four International Baccalaureate senior high schools (the others being Stanton College Preparatory School, Wolfson High School, and Terry Parker High School) in Duval County, Florida. Accordi ...

.Mathews, Jay
America's Best High Schools: The List
'' Newsweek'' magazine, June 13, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2011. The

St. Johns County School District St. Johns County School District (SJCSD) is the public school district for St. Johns County, Florida. It is the sole school district in the county. History *1866 – St. Joseph Academy was founded and is the oldest Catholic high school in Flor ...

, Clay County School District,

Nassau County School District Nassau County School District (NCSD) is a school district headquartered in Fernandina Beach, Florida. It serves all of Nassau County, Florida, Nassau County. The district serves five geographic areas: Fernandina, Bryceville, Florida, Bryceville, ...

, and Baker County School District manage the public schools in their respective counties.

Transportation

Airports

Greater Jacksonville is served by one major airport –

Jacksonville International Airport Jacksonville International Airport is a civil-military public airport 13 miles (21 km) north of Downtown Jacksonville, in Duval County, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority. History Construction star ...

, which handled approximately 7.2 million passengers in 2019. The airport has three concourses with only two being operational. Concourse B was demolished in 2009 due to a significant decrease in passengers and flights. It is scheduled to be rebuilt when traffic increases at the airport, which was projected to happen in 2013. The airport has gone through many changes over the recent years. Both Concourse A and Concourse C were both rebuilt with ten gates each and moving walkways. Future plans call for expanding the newly built concourses by 2020 and possibly adding a people mover system to the airport, and connecting the airport with the onsite Clarion Hotel via a moving walkway.

Seaports

The

Port of Jacksonville The Port of Jacksonville (Jaxport) is an international trade seaport on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. The 14th largest container port in the United States, it carries about 18 million short tons of cargo each year and has an annu ...

is located in Duval County on the

and is operated by

Jacksonville Port Authority The Jacksonville Port Authority (JPA) also known by its brand name, JAXPORT, is the independent government agency in Jacksonville, Florida, that owns and operates much of the seaport system at the Port of Jacksonville. History The Jacksonville P ...

, branded as JAXPORT. Over 100 countries import and export goods through the port. JAXPORT owns three cargo facilities: the Blount Island Marine Terminal, the Talleyrand Marine Terminal and the Dames Point Marine Terminal. The Port of Jacksonville imports the second largest amount of automobiles on the east coast. The port authority also operates a

cruise terminal A passenger terminal is a structure in a port which services passengers boarding and leaving water vessels such as ferries, cruise ships and ocean liners. Depending on the types of vessels serviced by the terminal, it may be named (for example) ...

. Opened in 2003 as a "temporary" terminal, cruise ships have set sail from the 63,000-square foot facility ever since. Current cruises from Jacksonville visit the Bahamas on four- or five-day voyages aboard the ''

Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

Elation''.

Public transportation

Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is the public transit agency serving the Jacksonville area with

bus service Public transport bus services are generally based on regular operation of transit buses along a route calling at agreed bus stops according to a published public transport timetable. History of buses Origins While there are indications ...

, trolleys, paratransit, and a people mover. The people mover, known as the

JTA Skyway The Jacksonville Skyway is an automated people mover in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, operated by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). Opening in 1989 with three stations in Downtown Jacksonville, the Skyway was extended in 19 ...

, is located in downtown Jacksonville, and operates 8 stations along a track. Bus service as well as paratransit service is provided around Duval County and partially in Clay County. JTA operates three trolley lines in three different neighborhoods: Downtown, Riverside, and Jacksonville Beach. The entire JTA system has a daily ridership of over 42,000.

Roadways

The Jacksonville metropolitan area is served by four

interstate highways The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...

operated by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). I-95 runs north to south, starting in Nassau County and leaving in St. Johns County.

I-10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...

runs west to east, terminating in downtown Jacksonville at I-95. This intersection is the busiest in the area, with more than 200,000 vehicles traveling it each day.Hannan, Larry
"Jacksonville’s scrambled I-10/I-95 intersection transforming traffic until 2011"
Florida Times-Union, June 7, 2010 I-295 serves as a beltway routing around the city and connects to I-10 and I-95 while serving all areas of Jacksonville. I-795 is a future expressway that will connect the southeastern section of I-295 with I-95. Three other expressways also serve the area and are maintained by

FDOT The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of t ...

. Arlington Expressway (FL SR 115) connects downtown Jacksonville with the Arlington neighborhood via the

Matthews Bridge The Mathews Bridge is a cantilever bridge in Jacksonville, Florida, which spans the St. Johns River. Constructed in 1953, the bridge brings traffic along the Arlington Expressway between downtown Jacksonville and the Arlington neighborhood. It w ...

and travels eastward to

Atlantic Beach Atlantic Beach is the name of some places in the United States: *Atlantic Beach, Florida, a city *Atlantic Beach, New York, a village *Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, a town *Atlantic Beach, South Carolina Atlantic Beach is a town in Horry County, ...

. The Commodore Point Expressway connects downtown Jacksonville with the Southside at Beach Boulevard (US 90), which continues eastward to

Jacksonville Beach Jacksonville Beach is a coastal resort city in Duval County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated on May 22, 1907, as Pablo Beach, and would later change its name to Jacksonville Beach in 1925. The city is part of group of communities coll ...

. Butler Bouleveard (SR 202) begins in southeast Jacksonville at Philips Highway ( US 1) and ends in southern Jacksonville Beach at 3rd Street South ( SR A1A). The road has become the one of the busiest roads in the metro area.

Interstates

I-95 *

I-295 *

Florida State Road 9B State Road 9B (SR 9B) is a state highway on the south side of Jacksonville, Florida. It is a freeway for its entire length. Its southern terminus is at County Road 2209 (CR 2209) in St. Johns County. Its northern terminus ...

U.S. Routes

US 1 **

U.S. Route 1 Alternate (Jacksonville, Florida) Several special routes of U.S. Route 1 exist, from Florida to Maine. In order from south to north, separated by type, these special routes are as follows. Alternate routes Jacksonville alternate route U.S. Highway 1 Alternate is an alternate ...

U.S. Route 1 Business (St. Augustine, Florida) Several special routes of U.S. Route 1 exist, from Florida to Maine. In order from south to north, separated by type, these special routes are as follows. Alternate routes Jacksonville alternate route U.S. Highway 1 Alternate is an alternate ...

US 17 *

US 23 *

US 90 **

U.S. Route 90 Alternate (Jacksonville, Florida) A total of seven special routes of U.S. Route 90 exist. Texas All of the alternate and business routes within Texas are maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). U.S. Route 90 in Texas, U.S. ...