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Jacksonville Jaguars | |||
Current season | |||
Established 1995 Play in and headquartered in EverBank Field Jacksonville, Florida |
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National Football League (1995–present)
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Team colors | Teal, Black, Gold, White
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Mascot | Jaxson de Ville | ||
Personnel | |||
Owner(s) | Shahid Khan | ||
President | Mark Lamping | ||
General manager | Gene Smith | ||
Head coach | Mike Mularkey | ||
Team history | |||
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Jags, Cardiac Cats | |||
Championships | |||
League championships (0) | |||
Conference championships (0) | |||
Division championships (2)
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Playoff appearances (6) | |||
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The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Jaguars, along with the Carolina Panthers, joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1995.
The club plays all of their home games at EverBank Field, located near the St. Johns River in downtown Jacksonville. The team headquarters is also located in the stadium. The Jaguars hold training camp and practice during the season in the stadium and on adjoining practice fields. They are the only team in the "big four" sports leagues to play in the city of Jacksonville. Since their inception the Jaguars have won two division championships and have made six playoff appearances.
Since 1933 Jacksonville has been the site of the annual Florida vs. Georgia Football Classic, a major college football rivalry game between the University of Florida Gators and the University of Georgia Bulldogs, and since 1946, the city has hosted the Gator Bowl, one of the oldest annual college football bowl games. Until 1994, these games were played in the Gator Bowl Stadium, a structure originally built in 1927. Over the years, the stadium was expanded several times to accommodate larger crowds.
With a football-hungry population, Jacksonville's civic leaders craved something more than just two games a year for their large stadium. The city hosted the American Football League All Star Game in 1967 and 1968, but after the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, Jacksonville was shut out. When new professional leagues started up to challenge the NFL's post-merger monopoly on professional football, Jacksonville was ready to join. First, in the 1970s, there were the Jacksonville Sharks of the World Football League. Then, in the 1980s, the Jacksonville Bulls of the United States Football League took the field. The USFL Bulls were one of that league's more well-attended teams, benefiting from the Gator Bowl's last expansion in 1982. The success of the Bulls reinforced the belief that the city could support an NFL franchise.
Jacksonville attempted to lure the Baltimore Colts in 1979; Colts owner Robert Irsay famously landed a helicopter in the stadium as thousands of Jacksonville citizens urged him to move the team there. In the late 1980s, city leaders put on a more concerted effort to convince Houston Oilers owner Bud Adams to move to Jacksonville. Jacksonville mayor Tommy Hazouri offered Adams a city-backed guarantee that the "Jacksonville Oilers" would sell out every game in the 82,000 seat Gator Bowl for the first ten years.[1]
In 1992, the NFL announced that they planned to add two teams for the 1993 season. The league had not expanded since the 1976 addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; with the sport growing in popularity the NFL felt the time was right to create two additional franchises. Five cities were ultimately chosen as finalists for the two new teams: Charlotte, St. Louis, Baltimore, Memphis, and Jacksonville. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue noted that several owners favored expansion to one "old city" and one "new city".[2] By "old city" he meant a city that once had an NFL franchise but lost it; the old cities were St. Louis, which had lost the Cardinals, and Baltimore, which had lost the Colts.
From the beginning, Charlotte and St. Louis were considered the heavy favorites,[2] Florida already had two NFL teams: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Miami Dolphins. Additionally, any expansion team would also have to compete with Florida's three major college football teams—Florida, Florida State, and Miami, plus the Georgia Bulldogs. Jacksonville was also the only television market in the running not ranked in the top 50 Nielsen markets.[3][4]
However, the biggest potential obstacle for the Jacksonville bid was nonstop turmoil and conflict surrounding the potential ownership group. The group had formed in 1989, even before the NFL announced expansion plans. The group was called Touchdown Jacksonville! and they placed their formal application with the NFL in 1991. The original ownership group included future Governor Jeb Bush, former presidential Chief of Staff Hamilton Jordan, and Jacksonville developer and political kingmaker Tom Petway. Petway was largely regarded as the face of TD Jax, but like all of the members of the ownership group, Petway's stake was relatively small. This lack of a "big pockets" owner was a major obstacle in Jacksonville's bid. In 1991 this group announced that they would call their team the Jacksonville Jaguars.[citation needed] After some defections and mutinies, the group came to be led by J. Wayne Weaver, a shoe magnate who served as the first President of Nine West from 1978 until February 2, 1993, and later founder of Shoe Carnival.
From the time Touchdown Jacksonville! came to being, they faced several challenges. In April 1993, the NFL indicated to Jacksonville officials that additional renovations to the Gator Bowl would be needed.[5] After several weeks of negotiations, and at least one breakdown, an agreement was reached that capped the city's liability for construction and was sent to the City Council for approval. However, on July 21, 1993 the Council failed to approve the financing package, dooming the bid. Deposits on season tickets were refunded, and Touchdown Jacksonville!'s offices were shuttered.[6]
Largely due to being underwhelmed by the remaining suitors, the NFL and others encouraged Jacksonville interests to revisit the issue and resurrect their bid. About a month later negotiations between the city and Touchdown Jacksonville! resumed, and a slightly revised aid package was approved by a solid majority of the City Council. Officially back in the race, Jacksonville officials were energized, indicated by a drive to sell club seats that resulted in over 10,000 seats being sold in 10 days. The Jaguars also gained a high-profile investor when former NFL star player Deron Cherry signed on as a limited partner.
After Charlotte was unanimously granted the 29th franchise on November 1, the NFL announced they would name the 30th franchise on or before November 30, 1993. By this time, conventional wisdom was that St. Louis would get the 30th franchise. In fact, T-shirts of the "St. Louis Stallions" (the proposed new team name) briefly went on sale at some St. Louis area sporting goods shops. However, it was not to be.
At 4:12 p.m. (EST) on the afternoon of November 30, Jacksonville was announced as the winning franchise.[5] The next evening, 25,000 fans celebrated at the Gator Bowl as season ticket sales were kicked off. Within ten days, the Florida Times-Union announced sales had passed the 55,000 seat mark.
After the Gator Bowl game on December 31, 1993 the old stadium was essentially demolished and replaced with a reinforced concrete superstructure. All that remained of the old stadium was the west upper concourse and a portion of the ramping system. To accommodate construction, the 1994 and 1995 games of "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" were split between the home fields of Florida and Georgia, and the 1994 Gator Bowl was played at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. The new stadium (renamed Jacksonville Municipal Stadium) opened on August 18, 1995 with a preseason game against the St. Louis Rams.
New owner Wayne Weaver originally announced that he and team president David Seldin would look for a general manager and a head coach simultaneously. Much speculation centered on Jimmy Johnson, then the coach of the Dallas Cowboys, who was rumored to be feuding with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. There were reports that Weaver and/or Seldin had met secretly with Johnson in South Florida (one report placing the meeting on a boat in the Everglades), and the NFL officially warned the Jaguars front office[7] that contact with Johnson would be forbidden without Jerry Jones' permission, which Jones refused to give.
Weaver ultimately narrowed his choices down to three:[8] Mike Shanahan, an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, Tony Dungy, defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, and Tom Coughlin, head coach for Boston College. All three men would go on to be Super Bowl-winning head coaches, but not for Jacksonville.
Ultimately, Weaver made his choice based upon the "intensity" of the candidates,[8] and in January 1994, Tom Coughlin was hired as the first ever head coach of the Jaguars.[9] While he had previously had great success with Boston College, many at the time believed his hiring was a risky move. Coughlin had worked in the NFL as a position coach, but he had been neither a head coach nor a coordinator in the NFL.
The Jaguars' hiring of Coughlin contrasted with the hiring moves made by their fellow expansion team. The same month that Weaver hired Coughlin as his head coach, Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson went a more conventional route and hired a general manager, Bill Polian (the Panthers' head coach, Dom Capers, would not be hired until a full year after Coughlin). As it emerged that Weaver had no intention of hiring a general manager, it became apparent that Coughlin would have most of the authority regarding hiring decisions. Coughlin spent his year as "head coach without a team"[9] preparing for the personnel moves that would come from the expansion draft, free agency, and the rookie draft in the spring of 1995.
Along with the Carolina Panthers, the Jacksonville Jaguars entered the NFL as the first expansion teams in almost 20 years. Both teams participated in the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft, with the Jaguars taking Steve Beuerlein with the first pick. Beuerlein quickly lost his starting job to former Green Bay Packer backup Mark Brunell. The Jaguars finished their inaugural season with a record of 4–12. Both the Jaguars and the Panthers (7–9) broke the previous record for most wins by an expansion team (3) set by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968. The inaugural season featured many of the players who would lead Jacksonville into the playoffs in the team's next four seasons, including quarterback Mark Brunell (acquired in a draft day trade from Green Bay), offensive lineman Tony Boselli (drafted with the 2nd pick overall in the 1995 NFL Draft) running back James Stewart (also drafted in 1995), and wide receiver Jimmy Smith (signed as a free agent).
The team played its first regular season game at home before a crowd of 72,363[10] on September 3, 1995, a 10–3 loss against the Houston Oilers. The team picked up its first win in Week 4 as the Jaguars defeated the Oilers 17–16 on October 1 in Houston. The next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jaguars earned their first home win by defeating the eventual AFC Champions 20–16. The team's other two wins came in a season sweep of the Cleveland Browns including a Week 17 24–21 victory sealed by a Mike Hollis 34-yard field goal[11] in the Browns' final game before the team relocated to Baltimore and was renamed the Ravens.
Jacksonville's 1996 season was a marked success as they won six of their last seven games of the season and finished with a record of 9–7. The credit for this midseason turnaround probably lies in the demotion of wide receiver Andre Rison in favor of Jimmy Smith[citation needed] after a game against the St. Louis Rams in which Brunell threw 5 interceptions. The interceptions were blamed on Rison and he was benched. In the team's final game of the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons, needing a win to earn a playoff berth, the Jaguars caught a bit of luck when Morten Andersen missed a 30 yard field goal with less than a minute remaining that would have given the Falcons the lead.[12] The Jaguars clinched the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs.
Their first playoff game was against the Buffalo Bills at Buffalo. While many probably expected the Jaguars to just be happy to be there, the Jaguars won 30–27, and knocked Buffalo QB Jim Kelly out of what would turn out to be the last game of his career. Their next game was on the road against the Denver Broncos, who had earned the AFC's top seed with a 13–3 record and were widely regarded as the best team in the AFC, if not the NFL. While the Broncos scored two touchdowns early in the game, after the first quarter, the Jaguars largely dominated. In what often regarded as one of the three biggest upset in NFL playoff history,[13][14][15] the Jaguars defeated the Broncos, 30-27. Upon their return home, the Jags were greeted by an estimated 40,000 fans at the stadium. Many of these fans had watched the game on the stadium JumboTron displays and had stayed into the early hours of the morning when the team arrived. In the AFC Championship Game, the Jaguars miracle season came to an end, as they lost 20-6 to the New England Patriots, in Foxboro. Their fellow second-year NFC expansion team, the Carolina Panthers, also got to their conference championship game, where they lost 30–13 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.
In 1997, the franchise's third season, the Jaguars and the Steelers both finished the season with an 11–5 record, tops in the AFC Central Division. Pittsburgh won the division in a tiebreaker as a result of having higher net in division games than Jacksonville.[16] As a result, the Jaguars settled for 2nd place in the division, a Wild Card berth and the 5th seed in the AFC playoffs. The Jags postseason would end quickly as they fell in their first game, a 42–17 defeat against the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium. The Broncos, led by Terrell Davis, ran at will against the Jaguars, rushing for 5 touchdowns and over 300 yards.[17]
In 1998, the Jaguars again finished 11–5 and won their first AFC Central Division title. The team became the first NFL expansion team to make the playoffs three times in its first four seasons of play. In the wild card round, the Jaguars hosted their first home playoff game, a 25–10 win over the New England Patriots. The team's season ended the next week in the Divisional Round as the New York Jets defeated the Jaguars 34–24.
In 1999, the Jaguars compiled a league best 14–2 regular season record, the best record in franchise history. The team's two losses were to the Tennessee Titans. The Jaguars won the AFC Central Division for the second straight year and clinched the #1 seed in the AFC. The Jaguars hosted the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Divisional playoffs, a 62–7 victory in what would be Dan Marino and Jimmy Johnson's last NFL game. Jacksonville's 62 points and 55-point margin are the second most ever in NFL playoff history, and Fred Taylor's 90-yard run in the first quarter is the longest ever in an NFL playoff game.[18] The Jaguars' bid for a Super Bowl title came to an end the next week in the AFC championship game. The Jags fell at home to the Titans 33–14 in a game that the Jaguars led 14–10 at halftime, before allowing 23 unanswered points in the 2nd half. The Jaguars finished the 1999 season 15–3, with all three of their losses coming against the Titans (the only time in NFL history that a 3-loss team had all of its losses to one team). The loss marked the end of an era that saw the Jaguars make the playoffs in four of the team's first five years and would be the team's last playoff appearance until the 2005 season.
These were the most disappointing years for the new franchise, due primarily to salary cap problems. In the 2000 season, veteran quarterback Mark Brunell and young running back Fred Taylor led the squad through a painful 7–9 season. The only highlights of the 2000 season were two wins over their division rival, the Cleveland Browns. The next two seasons in Jacksonville had worse records of 6–10 through the 2001 and 2002 seasons. This was mainly due to salary cap problems, meaning the team could not afford to keep a lot of talent. Coach Coughlin admitted that the team actually had more talent in its first year (1995) when it only won 4 games. This would be the last season he would coach the team. At the end of his tenure, he took out a full page ad in the Florida Times Union thanking the city of Jacksonville for "eight great seasons". He drafted great talent such as Tony Boselli, Tony Brackens, Fred Taylor, Donovin Darius, John Henderson, Marcus Stroud, and David Garrard. 2002 marked the last full season for Jaguars legend Mark Brunell, who was benched in the third game of 2003 in favor of Byron Leftwich. Brunell piled up over 25,000 yards as a Jaguar and earned three trips to the Pro Bowl.
In 2002 the NFL split up the two conferences into four divisions, sending the Jacksonville Jaguars to the AFC South. This put them in the same division as Indianapolis, Tennessee and Houston.
In 2003, the Jaguars hired Jack Del Rio as head coach. Del Rio was a linebacker during the late 80s and early 90s before retiring. He was formerly the Carolina Panthers' defensive coordinator, bringing the team's defensive ranking from 30th to second. Prior to that, Del Rio was the Baltimore Ravens linebackers coach, participating in that capacity on the Ravens' record setting championship 2000 defense. The Jaguars selected quarterback Byron Leftwich with the seventh pick of the NFL draft. The Jaguars had high hopes for their new quarterback. The team had many failures and heatbreaking moments, ending the 2003 season at 5–11 and missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Despite resolving their salary cap problems, the team's rebuilding was clearly taking longer than expected.
The 2004 season, the tenth season of the Jaguars franchise, resulted in a winning record of 9–7 with road victories against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field and the Indianapolis Colts at the RCA Dome. The Jaguars' defense was a strong suit, as it included two Pro Bowl players, defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson. Byron Leftwich enjoyed a solid year in 2004, helped by strong performances from holdovers Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith. Unfortunately, Taylor sustained a season-ending injury at Green Bay. The very next week the Jaguars fell to the Houston Texans, which would ultimately eliminate them from playoff contention. This denied them an opportunity to play the Super Bowl at their home stadium. In 2004, the Jaguars became the first NFL team to have three African-American quarterbacks on their roster. The quarterbacks were Byron Leftwich, David Garrard, and Quinn Gray.
The 2005 Jaguars hoped to challenge the Colts for the division title. However, due to their scintillating 13–0 start, including two victories against the Jaguars, the Colts easily clinched the AFC South title. With a 12–4 record, the Jaguars earned a wild card and their first playoff appearance since 1999. Among these 12 wins were a 23–20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on October 9, 2005 and a 23–17 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 16. While the Jaguars managed to win key games in 2005, nine of their final ten games were against opponents with losing records. Though these games were wins, key players Byron Leftwich, Mike Peterson, Akin Ayodele, Paul Spicer, and Rashean Mathis were hurt during this stretch. The Jaguars ended the season losing 28–3 to the two-time defending champion New England Patriots on January 7, 2006 in the AFC wild card playoff round.
Jacksonville looked like a team on the rise coming off of their 12–4 season, and was considered a playoff contender entering the season. But injuries plagued the team. Reggie Hayward, Greg Jones, Donovin Darius, Byron Leftwich, and Mike Peterson all suffered season-ending injuries. Marcus Stroud, Matt Jones, Paul Spicer, and Fred Taylor also faced injuries during the season. The team started off 2–0, defeating the Dallas Cowboys earning the NFL's highest winning percentage on opening days at .750 with a record of 9–3), and shutting out the defending champs Pittsburgh Steelers. But the team lost its next two games, and suffered embarrassing losses to the Houston Texans over the course of the season (Jacksonville has struggled against the Texans since Houston entered the league in 2002). They missed the playoffs with an 8–8 record, but there were some positives.
Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jaguars' second round draft pick, was one of the most surprising rookie sensations. He averaged 5.7 yards a carry, the highest in the league, and tied for 3rd in the NFL with 16 touchdowns. This season was also the first year the team played without their standout wide receiver Jimmy Smith as he decided to retire. His production was the wide receiver position is still missed as the Jaguars struggle to find an adequate replacement.
On April 28, 2007, the Jaguars used their first-round pick (21st overall) to select Florida safety Reggie Nelson. On June 15, 2007, the Jaguars released longtime strong safety Donovin Darius, who had seen diminished playing time in recent years due to mounting injuries. On August 31, 2007, the Jaguars announced that long time back-up quarterback David Garrard would start for the team, ahead of former 1st round draft pick, Byron Leftwich who was released in the team's final roster cuts. Garrard led the Jaguars to an 11–5 record and the playoffs. On January 5, 2008, the Jaguars defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31–29 to win their first playoff game in almost 8 years and their first road playoff win since 1997. It was also the first time in the 50+ year history of the Steelers that they had been beaten twice at home by the same team in the same season. However, in the divisional round, the Jaguars fell to the as of then undefeated New England Patriots; the teams were tied at halftime, but the Patriots pulled ahead and won 31–20. Tom Brady completed 22 of 24 passes in this game, being pressured by the Jaguars' defense only once, on the first play. This game, more than any other, gave the Jaguars' front office a strong desire to upgrade the pass rush during the offseason.
The team's offense in 2007 was largely a run-first offense, with Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor each putting up a lot of yards. David Garrard, however showed to be an accurate passer in 2007, throwing only 3 interceptions.
The 2008 season began with high expectations for the Jaguars. The team acquired free agent wide receiver Jerry Porter and rookie defensive ends Quentin Groves of Auburn and Derrick Harvey of Florida to address the team's most glaring needs. (Porter was released the following year and Groves was traded to Oakland in 2010.) Journalists including ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert predicted the Jaguars were poised to make a Super Bowl run.[19]
However, the Jaguars failed to live up to those expectations, struggling to a 5–11 finish, the franchise's worst record since 2003. The team's struggles were in part, the result of a rash of injuries to the team's offensive line. The Jaguars lost starting guards Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams for the season within the first quarter of the opening game. Tackle Richard Collier's career ended in early September when he was brutally attacked and shot 14 times.[20] Center Brad Meester missed the first two months of the season and guard Chris Naeole, signed to the roster mid-season in response to these injuries, was injured in pregame warmups before playing a single snap. Against teams with smaller defensive linemen, the 2008 Jaguars offense resembled the 2007 offense, because the line was able to dominate. An example is the 23–21 victory in Indianapolis against the Colts that saw David Garrard drive the Jaguars into field goal range in the final minute and Josh Scobee boot the game winning 51-yard field goal. However, the Jaguars struggled mostly, especially in the second half of the season as evidenced by a 19–21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals who entered the game with an 0–8 record.
2008 marked the end of running back Fred Taylor's 11 year career as a Jaguar. Taylor, who is considered to be one of the greatest Jaguars in the history of the franchise, rushed for over 10,000 yards in his time with Jacksonville and earned one trip to the Pro Bowl. In 2009, he signed with the New England Patriots. Taylor's departure opened up the door for Maurice Jones-Drew to become the team's feature running back. In 2011, Taylor signed a one-day contract so he could retire as a Jaguar.[21]
The Jaguars hoped to begin a new era in 2009 under general manager Gene Smith. Smith made his mark early on in the 2009 NFL Draft by acquiring talent such as Eugene Monroe, Terrence Knighton, Derek Cox, Eben Britton and Mike Thomas, who all made significant contributions in their rookie years. The Jaguars finished off this season 7–9 and did not manage to make the playoffs. In the offseason, the Jaguars parted ways with veteran players John Henderson and Reggie Hayward as part of the team's "youth movement".
However, 2009 also saw the team's attendance numbers plummet, leading to television blackouts and speculation that the team could eventually be moved or sold.[22] 2009 marked a low point, with the team's attendance averaging around 50,000,[23] causing seven of the eight home games to be blacked out, and leading NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to address the issue with owner Wayne Weaver.[22][24] Contributing to this decline in ticket sales is the fact that Jacksonville is one of the league's smallest markets, though its stadium is relatively large; since 2005 the team has covered nearly 10,000 of the stadium's 73,000 total seats with tarp in order to lower the stadium's official capacity to a more typical size and reduce blackouts.[25] 73,000 total seats still ranks as one of the largest in the NFL. From 2008 the team further suffered from the late-2000s recession, which hit Florida particularly hard, and structural changes within the NFL that disadvantage teams in smaller markets.[22] As such, various commentators speculated that the team may relocate in the future, perhaps to Los Angeles, California, or even London.[22]
To address this issue, in 2010 the team and the City of Jacksonville undertook several measures aimed at ensuring the franchise's continued viability in Jacksonville. Supporters began the "Team Teal" drive to drum up ticket sales.[26][27] The city negotiated a five-year, $16.6 million naming rights deal with Jacksonville-based EverBank to rename the stadium EverBank Field.[22][28] As a result the Jaguars' attendance increased dramatically in 2010. While attendance figures were stagnant for most of the NFL, Jacksonville saw an increase of 36.5%, by far the highest in the league, and had none of their home games blacked out.[29][30]
The 2010 season proved a big year for the Jaguars on the field as well. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew emerged as second in the league in rushing yards and David Garrard threw for 23 touchdowns, a franchise record. Marcedes Lewis went to his first pro bowl and the Jags had one of the best young defensive tackle duo with Terrance Knighton and rookie Tyson Alualu.[31] Heading into December, Jacksonville was at the top of the AFC South and in playoff contention. In Week 15, they lost to Indianapolis, 34–24, which placed the Colts back atop the AFC South. The Jaguars lost their last two games, placing themselves out of playoff contention. They finished the season with disappointing record of 8–8.
In the 2011 NFL draft, the Jaguars traded a first and a second round pick in order to move up to the 10th pick and select Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert. They also selected offensive lineman Will Rackley and wide receiver Cecil Shorts III in the 3rd and 4th round.[32]
On September 6, 2011, David Garrard was cut from the team just days before the start of the season; Luke McCown was named starter. The move was similar to the one that named Garrard himself the starter over Byron Leftwich in 2007. McCown started two games until he threw four interceptions in a 32–3 loss to the Jets and Blaine Gabbert was named the starter the following week. The Jaguars offense would continue to struggle under the rookie quarterback, losing the next 4 games in a row, until a miraculous upset against the Baltimore Ravens at home on Monday Night Football.
On November 29, 2011, owner Wayne Weaver announced the firing of head coach Jack Del Rio, whose record had been 3–8 through the first twelve weeks of the season and 68–71 over his nine year tenure. Del Rio was succeeded by defensive coordinator Mel Tucker on an interim basis. Weaver also announced that General Manager Gene Smith had been given a three year extension of his contract.
Immediately following the announcement of Del Rio being fired, Weaver also announced that the team would be sold to Illinois businessman Shahid Khan.[33][34] Khan's assumption of ownership was approved a couple of weeks later by the NFL owners, and Khan took over full ownership on January 4, 2012. He immediately began the team's search for head coaching candidates.[35]
On January 10, 2012, former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey was named head coach of the Jaguars. On January 13, it was announced that interim head coach Mel Tucker would remain on the staff as defensive coordinator/assistant head coach and that former Falcons quarterbacks coach Bob Bratkowski would become offensive coordinator.[36] On January 20, 2012, hired John Bonamego, as special teams coordinator. They also hired running backs coach, Sylvester Croom, tight ends coach, Bobby Johnson, and wide receivers coach, Jerry Sullivan, to the coaching staff.[37]
The day after the NFL awarded the expansion team to Jacksonville, a triumphant Wayne Weaver held up the Jaguars' proposed silver helmet and teal jersey at the NFL owners' meeting in Chicago. The team's colors were to be teal, gold, and silver with black accents. However, this jersey and helmet design, with a gold leaping jaguar, created controversy. Ford Motor Company, then-parent of the automaker Jaguar, believed that the Jaguars' logo bore too much resemblance to the automaker's logo. Though no lawsuit was brought to trial, lawyers from the team and the auto maker negotiated an ultimately amicable agreement whereby Jaguar would be named the official car of the Jaguars, and the Jaguars would redesign their uniforms.
The new logo was a snarling jaguar head with a teal tongue, which Weaver said was his wife's touch. He also claimed that the teal tongue came from "feeding Panthers to our Jaguars" — an obvious jab at their expansion brethren. During the Jaguars' first ever preseason game teal-colored candies were handed out to all the fans who attended, turning their tongues a teal color just like on the logo. Additionally, raspberry lollipops were handed out by the "Candy Man" in section 142 to also turn the home fans' tongues teal.
In 2009, Weaver announced that he wanted to 'clean up' the team's image. This meant the elimination of the full-body crawling Jaguar logo, the clawing Jaguar, and the two previous wordmarks which bent the text around these logos.
Unused Logo (1993–94)
Alternate logo (1995–2008)
Script logo (1995–2008)
Script logo (2009–present)
Following the logo change, the redesigned uniforms feature an all-black helmet, white pants with teal, black, and gold stripes, and numbers with gold inner trim and black outer trim. The home jersey was teal with white numbers and the away jersey was white with teal numbers. Both jerseys had a black collar but no sleeve stripes.
A prowling jaguar on each sleeve replaced the leaping jaguar going across both shoulders in the original design. The Jaguars in 1995 were the first NFL team to have 2-tone borders on their numbers and lettering, and the first NFL team to show a complex logo (the crawling Jaguar) on the sleeve. Teams such as the Ravens, Bucs, and Eagles copied these innovations in the late 90s, driving up the cost of their jerseys. An authentic Jaguars jersey had been among the most expensive in the league for fans to buy.
Minor modifications were introduced to the Jaguars uniform during this time, most notably the font of the jersey numbers, replacing the original block numbers with a unique font. Two stripes were also added to the end of the sleeves below the prowling jaguar.
Until 2004, the Jaguars would always wear their white jerseys for afternoon games at home during the first half of the season.
During this period, the Jaguars made minor changes to their uniform, each time adding more black to the look.
The team introduced an alternate black jersey in 2002. During that same year, the team also started to wear black pants, with either the white or the teal jersey. After the black pants were introduced, the white pants would only be seen for the first few games of the year, presumably due to the heat. The black pants originally included two teal stripes down each side. The fan reaction to the extra black in the alternate jersey and alternate pants was positive, so in 2004 the Jaguars went through a formal uniform change, which teams are only allowed to do once every 5 years.
These changes were mostly to the away look. Before 2004, the white away jerseys had teal numbers with black and gold trim, but after, the white jerseys had black numbers with teal and gold trim. The black pants were also changed, the teal stripes replaced with the Jaguar logo on each hip. Teal almost disappeared from the road look.
The stripes on the white pants were altered in 2008 so that the center, thickest stripe was black, and its accents were teal. The black jersey was not used in 2008. In the 2008 year, the gold in the uniforms noticeably shifted from a bright yellow metallic appearance to more beige.
For most of their short history, the Jaguars did what many other NFL teams located in subtropical climates traditionally practice: wear their white jerseys at home during the first half of the season — forcing opponents to wear their dark ones under the sweltering autumns in Jacksonville. But in 2004 the Jaguars wore their colored uniforms for all home games. The Jaguars again wore their colored jerseys (all in teal) for all home games in 2008. Until 2004 (in 2005–2007 the Jaguars went back to wearing white at home for early season games) and then 2008, the Jaguars would always wear their white jerseys for afternoon games at home during the first half of the season. In the preseason, the Jaguars wear teal at home since these games are played at night when there is very little advantage with the heat. However, there have been games through the years where the Jaguars wore white at home in the preseason. Jacksonville last wore white at home for early season games in 2007. From 2008 until 2010 the Jaguars wore teal for all home games. The Jaguars wore white at home again in 2011. Jacksonville most recently wore white in their 2011 regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and for the 2011 regular season home opener wore all white against the Tennessee Titans.
The Jaguars uniform underwent many changes for the 2009 season.[38][39] Team owner Wayne Weaver reportedly wanted to "clean up" the look, feeling that the team had too many uniform styles.[39] The new uniforms were introduced in a press conference on April 22.[40] At this press conference, Weaver elaborated that different people had taken different liberties with the Jaguars' image over the years, singling out the 'All Black' look which the team wore for every prime-time home game from 2003 to 2007 as a point of regret. He also said that the team will continue to wear teal jerseys at home even on hot days, saying that the practice of choosing to wear white on hot days which ended in 2008 had also diluted the team's image.
Overall, the new jerseys have fewer features than the old ones. The collar and sleeve ends are now the same color as the rest of the jersey. The crawling jaguar is gone. The only feature on the sleeves that will remain is two standard Reebok logos. The numbers on the jerseys are now a simpler, block font with a thicker, single color border. After all of these subtractions, two features were added. The first is a "JAGUARS" wordmark underneath the NFL insignia on the chest; this mimics the Titans' and Eagles' uniforms, for instance. The second is two thin 'stripes' of off-color fabric which were added to each midseam of the jersey, curling up to the neckline on the front and below the number on the back. The stripe on the home jersey is a white line next to a black line, matching the color of the numbers, and the stripe on the away jersey is a black line next to a teal line, again matching the numbers. The pants have similar stripes, both for the home and away uniform. The away uniforms are still basically black pants and numbers on a white jersey, but they now have a little more teal overall; it is the only accent color. Before, gold was more prominent than teal on the away uniform.
The Jaguars' identity, in terms of colors, as of 2009 is exclusively teal and black, with gold only being used in the logo; just as the Steelers identity is gold and black, with red and blue only being used in the logo.
The final change made to the Jaguars' uniforms in 2009 was to the helmet. The new helmet and facemask are black just like the old ones, but when light hits the new ones a certain way, both the helmet and face mask will sparkle with a shiny teal appearance. These are the first helmets in professional football which change color with different angles of light. The logo and number decals also incorporate this effect.
Since his introduction in 1996, Jaxson de Ville has served as the Jaguars' mascot. Jaxson entertains the crowd before and during games with his antics. The mascot has established a reputation for making dramatic entrances including bungee jumping off the stadium lights, sliding down a rope from the scoreboard and parachuting into the stadium.
Jaxson's antics got him into trouble in 1998 and stemmed the changing of the NFL's mascot rules, and also caused him to calm down.[41] However, Jaxson was still seen, by some, as a mascot that gets in the way during the game. After the October 22, 2007 game against Indianapolis, Colts President Bill Polian complained to the NFL, and Jaxson was reprimanded again.[42][43]
Jaxson's first appearance was on August 18, 1996[44] and has been played by Curtis Dvorak since his inception.[45]
The Jacksonville ROAR is the professional cheerleading squad of the Jaguars. The group was established in 1995, the team's inaugural year, and regularly performs choreographed routines during the team's home contests.[46]
In addition of performing at games and pep rallies, members function as goodwill ambassadors of the team, participating in corporate, community and charitable events in the Jacksonville metropolitan area[47] where they sign autographs and pose for pictures. They also join NFL tours to entertain American servicemen and women around the world.[47][48]
EverBank Field (formerly known as Jacksonville Municipal Stadium and Alltel Stadium) is located on the north bank of the St. Johns River, and has been the home of the Jaguars since the team's first season in 1995. The stadium has a capacity of 67,246, with additional seating added during Florida-Georgia Game and the Gator Bowl.[49]
The stadium served as the site of Super Bowl XXXIX in addition to three Jaguar playoff games including the 1999 AFC Championship Game. It also hosted the ACC Championship Game from 2005–2007 and the River City Showdown from 2007–2008.
From 1995–1997 and again from 2006–2009, the stadium was named Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. From 1997–2006, the stadium was referred to as Alltel Stadium.[50] The naming rights were purchased by EverBank prior to the 2010 season.[51]
The Jacksonville Jaguars have three primary rivals: their divisional rivals (Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, and Houston Texans).[52] They have geographic rivalries with the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccanneers. The Jaguars also have a rivalry with their 1995 expansion brethren, the Carolina Panthers. The Jaguars also have rivalries with other teams that arose from the AFC Central days, most notably with the Pittsburgh Steelers.[53]
Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play.
Super Bowl Champions | Conference Champions | Division Champions | Wild Card Berth | League Leader |
Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason Results | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | ||||||||
1995 | 1995 | NFL | AFC | Central | 5th | 4 | 12 | 0 | |||
1996 | 1996 | NFL | AFC | Central | 2nd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Bills) 30–27 Won Divisional Playoffs (Broncos) 30–27 Lost Conference Championship (Patriots) 20–6 |
||
1997 | 1997 | NFL | AFC | Central | 2nd | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Broncos) 42–17 | ||
1998 | 1998 | NFL | AFC | Central | 1st | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Patriots) 25–10 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Jets) 34–24 |
||
1999 | 1999 | NFL | AFC | Central | 1st | 14 | 2 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Dolphins) 62–7 Lost Conference Championship (Titans) 33–14 |
||
2000 | 2000 | NFL | AFC | Central | 4th | 7 | 9 | 0 | |||
2001 | 2001 | NFL | AFC | Central | 5th | 6 | 10 | 0 | |||
2002 | 2002 | NFL | AFC | South | 3rd | 6 | 10 | 0 | |||
2003 | 2003 | NFL | AFC | South | 3rd | 5 | 11 | 0 | |||
2004 | 2004 | NFL | AFC | South | 2nd | 9 | 7 | 0 | |||
2005 | 2005 | NFL | AFC | South | 2nd | 12 | 4 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Patriots) 28–3 | ||
2006 | 2006 | NFL | AFC | South | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | |||
2007 | 2007 | NFL | AFC | South | 2nd | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Steelers) 31–29 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) 31–20 |
||
2008 | 2008 | NFL | AFC | South | 4th | 5 | 11 | 0 | |||
2009 | 2009 | NFL | AFC | South | 4th | 7 | 9 | 0 | |||
2010 | 2010 | NFL | AFC | South | 2nd | 8 | 8 | 0 | |||
2011 | 2011 | NFL | AFC | South | 3rd | 5 | 11 | 0 | |||
2012 | 2012 | NFL | AFC | South | |||||||
Totals | 138 | 131 | 0 | All-time regular season record (1995–2011) | |||||||
5 | 6 | - | All-time postseason record (1995–2011) | ||||||||
142 | 137 | 0 | All-time regular season and postseason record (1995–2011) |
* Season currently in progress
Although not officially retired, the number 71 worn by offensive tackle Tony Boselli, the Jaguars' first-ever draft pick, has not been worn since his retirement in 2002. According to team officials the number has been "taken out of service."[54]
A contest was held in July 2006 to name the club's ring of honor and "Pride of the Jaguars" was chosen with 36% of the vote.[55] It was unveiled during the 2006 season during a game against the New York Jets on October 8. Former left tackle Tony Boselli was the first player inducted. On January 1, 2012, team owner Wayne Weaver and his wife Delores were added the Pride of the Jaguars in their final game before the sale of the team to Shahid Khan.
|
Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2011 NFL season.
Name | Term | Regular Season | Playoffs | Awards | Reference | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | Win% | W | L | ||||
Tom Coughlin | 1995–2002 | 68 | 60 | 0 | .531 | 4 | 4 | [56] | |
Jack Del Rio | 2003–2011 | 69 | 73 | 0 | .486 | 1 | 2 | [57] | |
Mel Tucker (Interim) | 2011 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 0 | 0 | ||
Mike Mularkey | 2012–present | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
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Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
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|||||
The Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation was established in 1995, when the franchise deal was first announced. Since then, the Foundation has given over $20 million to area efforts in community improvement.[58] In recent years, there has been increasing emphasis on youth programs, such as Honor Rows and Fresh Futures. The Jaguars also have a program called Playbooks, which is designed to help stop illiteracy. Delores Barr Weaver, wife of majority owner Wayne Weaver, is Chairperson and CEO of the foundation, which grants over $1 million annually to organizations that assist "economically and socially disadvantaged youth and families", according to their mission statement.[59]
The Jaguar's first head coach, Tom Coughlin, established the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation in 1996 to help young cancer victims and their families with emotional and financial assistance. The charity remained in Jacksonville after Coughlin left to coach the New York Giants.[60]
Since their inaugural 1995 season, the Jaguars' flagship radio station has been WOKV.
Since 2007, WOKV simulcasts on both AM 690 and on 106.5 FM. Brian Sexton, Sports Director for WAWS & WTEV-TV, and a past contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, is the play-by-play announcer, Jeff Lageman is the color analyst, and Cole Pepper serves as the pre-game and post-game show host with former NFL star and Georgia Tech stand out Marco Coleman serving as post-game analyst. During preseason games, telecasts not seen nationwide are on WTEV channel 47, the CBS affiliate. Since 2007, the announcers were Paul Burmeister and former Jaguars Left Tackle Tony Boselli.
City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
---|---|---|
Cocoa | WMMV-AM | 1350 AM |
Daytona Beach | WELE-AM | 1380 AM |
Gainesville | WRUF-AM | 850 AM |
Jacksonville | WOKV-AM | 690 AM |
Jacksonville | WOKV-FM | 106.5 FM |
Lake City | WNFB-FM | 94.3 FM |
Melbourne | WMMB-AM | 1240 AM |
Orlando | WYGM-AM | 740 AM |
Port St. Lucie | WPSL-AM | 1590 AM |
St. Augustine | WAOC-AM | 1420 AM |
City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
---|---|---|
Brunswick | WHFX-FM | 107.7 FM |
Jesup | WIFO-FM | 105.5 FM |
|
City of Jacksonville, Florida | |||
---|---|---|---|
— Consolidated city–county — | |||
Top, left to right: Downtown Jacksonville, Riverplace Tower, statue of Andrew Jackson, Florida Theatre, Dames Point Bridge, Veterans Memorial Arena, EverBank Field, Friendship Fountain, Jacksonville Landing | |||
|
|||
Nickname(s): Jax, The River City, J-ville, The Bold New City Of The South | |||
Motto: Where Florida Begins | |||
Location in Duval County and the state of Florida | |||
|
|||
Coordinates: 30°19′N 81°40′W / 30.317°N 81.667°W / 30.317; -81.667 | |||
Country | United States | ||
State | Florida | ||
County | Duval | ||
Founded | 1791 | ||
Incorporated | 1832 | ||
Government | |||
• Type | Strong Mayor-Council | ||
• Mayor | Alvin Brown (D) | ||
• Governing body | Jacksonville City Council | ||
Area | |||
• Consolidated city–county | 885 sq mi (2,292.15 km2) | ||
• Land | 767 sq mi (1,986.53 km2) | ||
• Water | 116.6 sq mi (302.1 km2) | ||
Elevation | 16 ft (5 m) | ||
Population (2010)[1] | |||
• Consolidated city–county | 821,784 (11th) | ||
• Density | 1,061.6/sq mi (409.89/km2) | ||
• Urban | 913,125 | ||
• Metro | 1,345,596 | ||
Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
ZIP code | 32099, 32201-32212, 32214-32241, 32244-32247, 32250, 32254-32260, 32266, 32267, 32277, 32290. | ||
Area code(s) | 904 | ||
FIPS code | 12-35000[2] | ||
GNIS feature ID | 0295003[3] | ||
Website | http://www.coj.net/ |
Jacksonville (often called Jax), is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States.[4] It is the county seat of Duval County,[5] with which the city government consolidated in 1968. The consolidation gave Jacksonville its great size and placed most of its metropolitan population within the city limits; with a population of 821,784, it is the most populous city proper in Florida[6] and the Southeast, and the eleventh most populous in the United States. Jacksonville is the principal city in the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area, with a population of 1,345,596 in 2010.[7]
Jacksonville is in the First Coast region of northeast Florida and is centered on the banks of the St. Johns River, about 25 miles (40 km) south of the Georgia state line and about 340 miles (547 km) north of Miami. The Jacksonville Beaches communities are along the adjacent Atlantic coast. The area was originally inhabited by the Timucua people, and in 1564 was the site of the French colony of Fort Caroline, one of the earliest European settlements in what is now the continental United States. Under British rule, settlement grew at the narrow point in the river where cattle crossed, known as Wacca Pilatka to the Seminole and Cowford to the British. A platted town was established there in 1822, a year after the United States acquired the colony of Florida from Spain; it was named after Andrew Jackson, the first military governor of the Florida Territory and seventh President of the United States.
Harbor improvements since the late 19th century have made Jacksonville a major military and civilian deep-water port. Its riverine location facilitates two U.S. Navy bases and the Port of Jacksonville, Florida's third largest seaport.[8] Significant factors in the local economy include services such as banking, insurance, healthcare and logistics. As with much of Florida, tourism is also important to the Jacksonville area, particularly tourism related to golf.[9][10]
Contents |
The area of the modern city of Jacksonville has been inhabited for thousands of years. On Black Hammock Island in the national Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, a University of North Florida team discovered some of the oldest remnants of pottery in the United States, dating to 2500 BC.[11] In the 16th century, the beginning of the historical era, the region was inhabited by the Mocama, a coastal subgroup of the Timucua people. At the time of contact with Europeans, all Mocama villages in present-day Jacksonville were part of the powerful chiefdom known as the Saturiwa, centered around the mouth of the St. Johns River.[12] One early map shows a village called Ossachite at the site of what is now downtown Jacksonville; this may be the earliest recorded name for that area.[13]
European explorers first arrived in the area 1562, when French Huguenot explorer Jean Ribault charted the St. Johns River. In 1564, René Goulaine de Laudonnière established the first European settlement, Fort Caroline, on the St. Johns near the main village of the Saturiwa. On September 20, 1565, a Spanish force from the nearby Spanish settlement of St. Augustine attacked Fort Caroline, and killed nearly all the French soldiers defending it.[14] The Spanish renamed the fort San Mateo, and following the ejection of the French, St. Augustine's position as the most important settlement in Florida was solidified.
Spain ceded Florida to the British in 1763, after the French and Indian War, and the British soon constructed the King's Road connecting St. Augustine to Georgia. The road crossed the St. Johns River at a narrow point, which the Seminole called Wacca Pilatka and the British named the "Cow Ford", both names ostensibly reflecting the fact that cattle were brought across the river there.[15][16][17] Britain ceded control of the territory back to Spain in 1783, after its defeat in the American Revolutionary War, and The settlement at the Cow Ford continued to grow. After Spain ceded the Florida Territory to the United States in 1821, American settlers on the north side of the Cow Ford decided to plan a town, laying out the streets and plats. They soon named the town "Jacksonville", after Andrew Jackson. Led by Isaiah D. Hart, residents wrote a charter for a town government, which was approved by the Florida Legislative Council on February 9, 1832.
During the American Civil War, Jacksonville was a key supply point for hogs and cattle being shipped from Florida to aid the Confederate cause. The city was blockaded by Union forces, who gained control of the nearby Fort Clinch. From 1862, they controlled the city and most of the First Coast for the duration of the war. Though no battles were fought in Jacksonville proper, the city changed hands several times between Union and Confederate forces. Warfare and the long occupation left the city disrupted after the war.
During Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, Jacksonville and nearby St. Augustine became popular winter resorts for the rich and famous. Visitors arrived by steamboat and later by railroad. President Grover Cleveland attended the Sub-Tropical Exposition in the city on February 22, 1888 during his trip to Florida.[18] This highlighted the visibility of the state as a worthy place for tourism. The city's tourism, however, was dealt major blows in the late 19th century by yellow fever outbreaks. In addition, extension of the Florida East Coast Railway further south drew visitors to other areas. From 1893 to 1938 Jacksonville was the site of the Florida Old Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Home with a nearby cemetery.[19]
On May 3, 1901, downtown Jacksonville was ravaged by a fire that started at a fiber factory. Known as the "Great Fire of 1901", it was one of the worst disasters in Florida history and the largest urban fire in the southeastern United States. In just eight hours, it destroyed the business district and left approximately 10,000 residents homeless. It is said the glow from the flames could be seen in Savannah, Georgia, and the smoke plumes in Raleigh, North Carolina. Architect Henry John Klutho was a primary figure in the reconstruction of the city. More than 13,000 buildings were constructed between 1901 and 1912.
In the 1910s, New York–based filmmakers were attracted to Jacksonville's warm climate, exotic locations, excellent rail access, and cheap labor. Over the course of the decade, more than 30 silent film studios were established, earning Jacksonville the title of "Winter Film Capital of the World". However, the city's conservative political climate and the emergence of Hollywood as a major film production center ended the city's film industry. One converted movie studio site, Norman Studios, remains in Arlington; It has been converted to the Jacksonville Silent Film Museum at Norman Studios.[20]
During this time, Jacksonville also became a banking and insurance center, with companies such as Barnett Bank, Atlantic National Bank, Florida National Bank, Prudential, Gulf Life, Afro-American Insurance, Independent Life and American Heritage Life thriving in the business district. The U.S. Navy also became a major employer and economic force during the 1940s, with the construction of three naval bases in the city.
Jacksonville, like most large cities in the United States, suffered from negative effects of rapid urban sprawl after World War II. The construction of highways led residents to move to newer housing in the suburbs. After World War II, the government of the city of Jacksonville began to increase spending to fund new public building projects in the boom that occurred after the war. Mayor W. Haydon Burns' Jacksonville Story resulted in the construction of a new city hall, civic auditorium, public library and other projects that created a dynamic sense of civic pride. However, the development of suburbs and a subsequent wave of middle class "white flight" left Jacksonville with a much poorer population than before. The city's most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic white,[21] declined from 75.8% in 1970 to 55.1% by 2010.[22]
Much of the city's tax base dissipated, leading to problems with funding education, sanitation, and traffic control within the city limits. In addition, residents in unincorporated suburbs had difficulty obtaining municipal services, such as sewage and building code enforcement. In 1958, a study recommended that the city of Jacksonville begin annexing outlying communities in order to create the needed tax base to improve services throughout the county. Voters outside the city limits rejected annexation plans in six referendums between 1960 and 1965.
In the mid 1960s, corruption scandals began to arise among many of the city's officials, who were mainly elected through the traditional good ol' boy network. After a grand jury was convened to investigate, 11 officials were indicted and more were forced to resign. Consolidation, led by J. J. Daniel and Claude Yates, began to win more support during this period, from both inner city blacks, who wanted more involvement in government, and whites in the suburbs, who wanted more services and more control over the central city. In 1964 all 15 of Duval County's public high schools lost their accreditation. This added momentum to proposals for government reform. Lower taxes, increased economic development, unification of the community, better public spending and effective administration by a more central authority were all cited as reasons for a new consolidated government.
When a consolidation referendum was held in 1967, voters approved the plan. On October 1, 1968, the governments merged to create the Consolidated City of Jacksonville. Fire, police, health & welfare, recreation, public works, and housing & urban development were all combined under the new government. In honor of the occasion, then-Mayor Hans Tanzler posed with actress Lee Meredith behind a sign marking the new border of the "Bold New City of the South" at Florida 13 and Julington Creek.[23]
The Better Jacksonville Plan, promoted as a blueprint for Jacksonville's future and approved by Jacksonville voters in 2000, authorized a half-penny sales tax. This would generate most of the revenue required for the $2.25 billion package of major projects that included road & infrastructure improvements, environmental preservation, targeted economic development and new or improved public facilities.[24]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 874.3 square miles (2,264 km2), making Jacksonville the largest city in land area in the contiguous United States; of this, 86.66% (757.7 sq mi, 1,962 km2) is land and ; 13.34% (116.7 sq mi, 302 km2) is water. Jacksonville completely encircles the town of Baldwin. Nassau County lies to the north, Baker County lies to the west, and Clay and St. Johns County lie to the south; the Atlantic Ocean lies to the east, along with the Jacksonville Beaches. The St. Johns River divides the city. The Trout River, a major tributary of the St. Johns River, is located entirely within Jacksonville.
The state of Florida, including Jacksonville, is a huge flat plateau with a high water table, and surface lakes are very shallow.[25] The United States Geological Survey states that the highest point in Jacksonville is only 40 feet (12.2 meters) above sea level, making the area susceptible to flooding and storm surge.[26] Soil composition is primarily sand and clay rather than limestone, so very few sinkholes develop; however deep, large diameter sinkholes do occur.[27]
Jacksonville has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa), with mild weather during winters and hot weather during summers. High temperatures average 64 to 91 °F (18 to 33 °C) throughout the year.[28] High heat indices are not uncommon for the summer months in the Jacksonville area. High temperatures can reach the mid and upper 90s with heat indices above 110 °F (43.3 °C) possible. The highest temperature ever recorded in Jacksonville was 104 °F (40 °C) on July 28, 1872 and July 11, 1879.[29] It is common for thunderstorms to erupt during a typical summer afternoon. These are caused by the rapid heating of the land relative to the water, combined with extremely high humidity.
During winter, there can be hard freezes during the night. Such cold weather is usually short lived, as the city averages only 10 to 15 nights below freezing.[30] The coldest temperature recorded at Jacksonville International Airport was 7 °F (−13.9 °C) on January 21, 1985, a day that still holds the record cold for many locations in the eastern half of the US. Even rarer in Jacksonville than freezing temperatures is snow. When snow does fall, it usually melts upon making contact with the ground. Most residents of Jacksonville can remember accumulated snow on only two occasions—-the first was a thin ground cover that occurred December 23, 1989.[31] The second event happened on December 26, 2010, when measurable snow fell for the first time in 21 years across metropolitan Jacksonville. Occurring in the morning, it also marked the first time since 1989 that the official National Weather Service recording equipment at Jacksonville International Airport picked up frozen precipitation.[32]
Jacksonville has suffered less damage from hurricanes than most other east coast cities, although the threat does exist for a direct hit by a major hurricane. The city has only received one direct hit from a hurricane since 1871, although Jacksonville has experienced hurricane or near-hurricane conditions more than a dozen times due to storms passing through the state from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, or passing to the north or south in the Atlantic and brushing past the area.[33] The strongest effect on Jacksonville was from Hurricane Dora in 1964, the only recorded storm to hit the First Coast with sustained hurricane force winds. The eye crossed St. Augustine with winds that had just barely diminished to 110 mph (180 km/h), making it a strong Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Jacksonville also suffered damage from 2008's Tropical Storm Fay which crisscrossed the state, bringing parts of Jacksonville under darkness for four days. Similarly, four years prior to this, Jacksonville was inundated by Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne, which made landfall south of the area. These tropical cyclones were the costliest indirect hits to Jacksonville. Hurricane Floyd in 1999 caused damage mainly to Jacksonville Beach. During Floyd, the Jacksonville Beach pier was completely destroyed. The rebuilt pier was later heavily damaged by Fay, but not destroyed. Tropical Storm Bonnie would cause minor damage in 2004, spawning a minor tornado in the process.[34]
Rainfall averages around 52 inches (1,300 mm) a year, with the wettest months being June through September.[35]
Climate data for Jacksonville, Florida (1981-2010 normals) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 84 (29) |
88 (31) |
91 (33) |
95 (35) |
100 (38) |
103 (39) |
104 (40) |
102 (39) |
98 (37) |
96 (36) |
90 (32) |
88 (31) |
104 (40) |
Average high °F (°C) | 64.8 (18.2) |
68.2 (20.1) |
73.6 (23.1) |
79.2 (26.2) |
85.6 (29.8) |
90.0 (32.2) |
92.0 (33.3) |
90.8 (32.7) |
86.9 (30.5) |
80.4 (26.9) |
73.5 (23.1) |
66.5 (19.2) |
79.29 (26.27) |
Average low °F (°C) | 41.5 (5.3) |
44.7 (7.1) |
49.7 (9.8) |
54.7 (12.6) |
62.6 (17.0) |
69.9 (21.1) |
72.6 (22.6) |
72.7 (22.6) |
69.4 (20.8) |
60.5 (15.8) |
50.9 (10.5) |
43.9 (6.6) |
57.76 (14.31) |
Record low °F (°C) | 7 (−14) |
19 (−7) |
23 (−5) |
31 (−1) |
45 (7) |
47 (8) |
61 (16) |
48 (9) |
48 (9) |
33 (1) |
21 (−6) |
11 (−12) |
7 (−14) |
Precipitation inches (mm) | 3.29 (83.6) |
3.18 (80.8) |
3.95 (100.3) |
2.64 (67.1) |
2.48 (63) |
6.45 (163.8) |
6.55 (166.4) |
6.79 (172.5) |
8.19 (208) |
3.93 (99.8) |
2.11 (53.6) |
2.80 (71.1) |
52.36 (1,329.9) |
Avg. precipitation days | 8.3 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 5.7 | 6.4 | 13.9 | 13.8 | 15.0 | 12.2 | 8.2 | 6.8 | 7.4 | 113.5 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 189.1 | 194.9 | 257.3 | 285.0 | 303.8 | 285.0 | 282.1 | 263.5 | 228.0 | 213.9 | 195.0 | 182.9 | 2,880.5 |
Source no. 1: NOAA [36] The Weather Channel (extremes, except for Jul record high)[37] | |||||||||||||
Source no. 2: HKO (sun, 1961-1990) [38] |
Downtown Jacksonville has a skyline with the tallest building being the Bank of America Tower, constructed in 1990 as the Barnett Bank Center. It has a height of 617 ft (188 m) and includes 42 floors.[39][40] Other notable structures include the 37-story Wells Fargo Center (with its distinctive flared base making it the defining building in the Jacksonville skyline), originally built in 1972-74 by the Independent Life and Accident Insurance Company, and the 28 floor Riverplace Tower which, when completed in 1967, was the tallest precast, post-tensioned concrete structure in the world.[41][42]
Rank | Name | Street Address | Height feet / meters |
Floors | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bank of America Tower | 50 North Laura Street | 617 / 188 | 42[39][40] | 1990 |
2 | Wells Fargo Center | 1 Independent Drive | 535 / 163 | 37 | 1974 |
3 | AT&T Tower | 301 West Bay Street | 447 / 136 | 32 | 1983 |
4 | The Peninsula at St. Johns Center | 1401 Riverplace Boulevard | 437 / 133 | 36 | 2006 |
5 | Riverplace Tower | 1301 Riverplace Boulevard | 432 / 132 | 28 | 1967 |
Bank of America, the tallest building in Jacksonville
Wells Fargo Center (1974)
AT&T Tower (1983)
Riverplace Tower (1967)
The Carling (1925)
121 Atlantic Place (1909)
There are more than 500 neighborhoods within Jacksonville's vast area.[43] These include Downtown Jacksonville and its surrounding neighborhoods, including LaVilla, Brooklyn, Riverside, Avondale, Springfield, Eastside, and San Marco.[44] Additionally, greater Jacksonville is traditionally divided into several amorphous areas, comprising large parts of Duval County. These are Northside, Westside, Southside, and Arlington, as well as the Jacksonville Beaches.[45]
There are four municipalities that have retained their own governments since consolidation; these are Baldwin and the three Jacksonville Beaches towns of Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Jacksonville Beach.[46] Four of Jacksonville's neighborhoods, Avondale, Ortega, Springfield, and Riverside, have been identified as U.S. historic districts and are in the National Register of Historic Places.[47]
Jacksonville operates the largest urban park system in the United States, providing facilities and services at more than 337 locations on more than 80,000 acres (320 km2) located throughout the city.[48] Jacksonville enjoys natural beauty from the St. Johns River and Atlantic Ocean. Many parks provide access for people to boat, swim, fish, sail, jetski, surf and waterski. Several parks around the city have received international recognition.
Tree Hill Nature Center is a nature preserve conveniently located five minutes from Downtown Jacksonville. Tree Hill is home to an environmental education center, a wildlife area, a Butterfly Center and 50 acres (200,000 m2) of nature trails surrounded by hilltop and wetland areas consisting of southern mixed hardwood forest, mixed hardwood swamp and freshwater streams. Serving the Jacksonville community for 40 years with important environmental education programs, Tree Hill also hosts a popular Butterfly Festival on the last Saturday of every April in the Joseph A. Strasser Amphitheater.
Hemming Plaza is Jacksonville's first and oldest park. It is downtown and surrounded by government buildings.
The Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens broke ground on a new center in April, 2007 and held their grand opening on November 15, 2008.
The Ronnie Van Zant Memorial Park in suburban Green Cove Springs was opened in 1996. Located on Sandridge Rd, the park is dedicated to the memory of rock legend Ronnie Van Zant, lead singer and songwriter of The Lynyrd Skynyrd Band. Killed in the tragic 1977 crash of the band's private plane along with guitarist Steve Gaines, back-up singer Cassie Gaines, assistant road mgr. Dean Kilpatrick and the plane's two pilots, Van Zant grew up on the west side of Jacksonville and graduated (along with most of the band) from Robert E. Lee High School. The park features a 27 hole disc golf course, tennis courts and several fishing ponds.
The Veterans Memorial Wall is a tribute to local servicemen and women killed while serving in US armed forces. A ceremony is held each Memorial Day recognizing any service woman or man from Jacksonville who died in the previous year.
The Treaty Oak is a massive, 250 year-old tree at Jessie Ball DuPont Park in downtown. Office workers from nearby buildings sit on benches to eat lunch or read a book in the shade of its canopy.
The Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail is a linear city park which runs 14.5 miles (23.3 km) from Imeson Road to a point past Baldwin, Florida.
The Florida Theatre, opened in 1927, is located in downtown Jacksonville and is one of only four remaining high-style movie palaces built in Florida during the Mediterranean Revival architectural boom of the 1920s.
Amity Turkish Cultural Center was established in 2006 as one of the major Dialogue and Cultural organizations in Jacksonville. Theatre Jacksonville was organized in 1919 as the Little Theatre and is one of the oldest continually producing community theatres in the United States.
Sun-Ray Cinema, formerly the 5 Points Theatre and Riverside Theatre, opened in 1927. It was the first theater equipped to show talking pictures in Florida and the third nationally. It is located in the Five Points section of town and was renamed the Five Points Theater in 1949.[49][50]
The Ritz Theatre, opened in 1929, is located in the LaVilla neighborhood of the northern part of Jacksonville's downtown. The Jacksonville music scene was active in the 1930s in LaVilla, which was known as “Harlem of the South”.[51] Black musicians from across the country visited Jacksonville to play standing room only performances at the Ritz Theatre and the Knights of Pythias Hall. Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong were a few of the legendary performers who appeared. After his mother died when he was 15, Ray Charles lived with friends of his mother while he played piano at the Ritz for a year, before moving on to fame and fortune. The Ritz Theatre was rebuilt and opened in October 1999.
The Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts consists of three distinct halls: the Jim & Jan Moran Theater, a venue for touring Broadway shows; the Jacoby Symphony Hall, home of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra; and the Terry Theater, intended for small shows and recitals. The building was originally erected as the Civic Auditorium in 1962 and underwent a major renovation and construction in 1996.
The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, which opened in 2003, is a 16,000-seat performance venue that attracts national entertainment, sporting events and also houses the Jacksonville Sports Hall of Fame. It replaced the outdated Jacksonville Coliseum that was built in 1960 and demolished on June 26, 2003.
The Alhambra Dinner Theatre, located on the Southside near the University of North Florida, has offered professional productions that frequently starred well-known actors since 1967. There are also a number of popular community theatres such as Players by the Sea at Jacksonville Beach. Atlantic Beach Experemental Theatre (ABET),[52] and Orange Park Community Theatre.[53]
In 1999, Stage Aurora Theatrical Company, Inc. was established in collaboration at Florida State College at Jacksonville (North Campus). Their goal is to produce theatre that enlightens, and it is the most popular theatre on the Northside, located at Gateway Town Center.[54]
Jacksonville native Pat Boone was a popular 1950s singer and teen idol. During the 1960s, the Classics Four was the most successful pop rock band from Jacksonville. Southern Rock was defined by the Allman Brothers Band, which formed in 1969 in Jacksonville. Lynyrd Skynyrd achieved near cult status and inspired Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet and .38 Special, all successful in the 1970s. The 1980s were a quiet decade for musical talent in Jacksonville.
The next local group to achieve national success was the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, formed in 1994. Other popular Hip Hop acts in the 1990s included 95 South, 69 Boyz and the Quad City DJ's. The bands Inspection 12, Cold and Yellowcard were also well known and had a large following. Following the millennium, Burn Season, Evergreen Terrace, Shinedown, Electric President, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Black Kids, Allele and The Summer Obsession, were notable bands from Jacksonville.
In the early 20th century, New York-based moviemakers were attracted to Jacksonville's warm climate, exotic locations, excellent rail access, and cheaper labor, earning the city the title of "The Winter Film Capital of the World". Over 30 movie studios were opened and thousands of silent films produced between 1908 and the 1920s, when most studios relocated to Hollywood, California.
Since that time, Jacksonville has been chosen by a number of film and television studios for on-location shooting. Notable motion pictures that have been partially or completely shot in Jacksonville since the silent film era include Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988), Brenda Starr (1989), G.I. Jane (1997), The Devil's Advocate (1997), Ride (1998), Why Do Fools Fall In Love (1998), Forces of Nature (1999), Tigerland (2000), Sunshine State (2002), Basic (2003), The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Lonely Hearts (2006), Moving McAllister (2007), The Year of Getting to Know Us (2008), The Ramen Girl and Like Dandelion Dust.[55]
Notable television series or made-for-television films that have been partially or completely shot in Jacksonville include Intimate Strangers (1986), Inherit the Wind (1988), Roxanne: The Prize Pulitzer (1989), A Girl of the Limberlost (1990), Orpheus Descending (1990), Pointman (1995), Saved by the Light (1995), The Babysitter's Seduction (1996), Sudden Terror: The Hijacking of School Bus #17 (1996), First Time Felon (1997), Gold Coast (1997), Safe Harbor (film) (2009), The Conquest of America (2005), Super Bowl XXXIX (2005), Recount (film) (2008), and American Idol (2009).
The NPR and PRX radio show, State of the Re:Union, hosted by performance poet and playwright, Al Letson, is headquartered and produced in Jacksonville.
Throughout the year, many annual events of various types are held in Jacksonville. In sports, the annual Gate River Run has been held annually since March 1977.[56] It has been the US National 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) road race Championship since 1994 and is the largest race of its distance in the country with over 13,000 runners, spectators, and volunteers, making it Jacksonville's largest participation sporting event.[57] In college football, the Gator Bowl is held on January 1. It has been continuously held since 1946. Also, the Florida–Georgia game (also known as the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party"), the annual college football game between the rival Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs has been held in Jacksonville almost yearly since 1933. For six days in July the Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament is held for fishermen of all skills. With $500,000 of prizes up for grabs, up to 1000 boats participate with almost 30,000 spectators watching.
A number of cultural events are also held in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Jazz Festival, held downtown, is the second-largest jazz festival in the nation,[58] while Springing the Blues, one of the oldest and largest blues festivals, has been held in Jacksonville Beach since 1990.[59] The World of Nations Celebration has been held in Metropolitan Park since 1993, and features a number of events, food and souvenirs from various countries. The Jacksonville Film Festival, held at seven historic venues in the city, has been held since 2003 and has featured a variety of independent films, documentaries and shorts.
Other events include the Blessing of the Fleet held in March since 1985 and the Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair in November at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds and Exposition Center featuring games, rides, food, entertainment and livestock exhibition. Holiday celebrations include the Freedom, Fanfare & Fireworks celebration on July 4, the lighting of Jacksonville's official Christmas tree at the Jacksonville Landing on the day after Thanksgiving and the Jacksonville Light Parade of boats the following day.
The city center includes the Jacksonville Landing and the Jacksonville Riverwalks. The Landing is a popular riverfront dining and shopping venue, accessible by River Taxi from the Southbank Riverwalk. The Northbank Riverwalk runs 2.0 miles (3.2 km) along the St. Johns from Berkman Plaza to I-95 at the Fuller Warren Bridge while the Southbank Riverwalk stretches 1.2 miles (1.9 km) from the Radisson Hotel to Museum Circle. Adjacent to Museum Circle is St. Johns River Park, also known as Friendship Park. It is the location of Friendship Fountain, one of the most recognizable and popular attractions for locals as well as tourists in Jacksonville. This landmark was built in 1965 and promoted as the “World’s Tallest and Largest” fountain at the time.
The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens is an art museum in Jacksonville's Riverside neighborhood. It was founded in 1961, following the death of Ninah Mae Holden Cummer, who willed her collection, home, and gardens to the museum. Its galleries display one of the world's three most comprehensive collections of Meissen porcelain as well as large collections of American, European, and Japanese art. The grounds also contain two acres of Italian and English gardens begun by Ninah Cummer.[60]
The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (MOCA Jacksonville) is a contemporary art museum funded and operated as a "cultural resource" of the University of North Florida. Tracing its roots back to the formation of Jacksonville's Fine Arts Society in 1924, it opened its current 60,000-square-foot (6,000 m2) facility next to the Main Library downtown in 2003. The museum features eclectic permanent and traveling exhibitions and a collection of over 700 works.[60]
The Museum of Science & History (MOSH), located in downtown's Southbank Riverwalk, specializes in science and local history exhibits. It features a main exhibit that changes quarterly, plus three floors of nature exhibits, an extensive exhibit on the history of Northeast Florida, a hands-on science area and the area's only astronomy theater, the Bryan Gooding Planetarium.[60][61][62]
Alexander Brest, founder of Duval Engineering and Contracting Co., was also the benefactor for the Alexander Brest Museum and Gallery on the campus of Jacksonville University. The exhibits are a diverse collection of carved ivory, Pre-Columbian artifacts, Steuben glass, Chinese porcelain and Cloisonné, Tiffany glass, Boehm porcelain and rotating exhibitions containing the work of local, regional, national and international artists.[63]
The Jacksonville Maritime Museum, located in the Jacksonville Landing, includes models of ships, paintings, photographs and artifacts dating to 1562.[61]
Three other art galleries are located at educational institutions in town. Florida State College at Jacksonville has the Kent Gallery on their westside campus and the Wilson Center for the Arts at their main campus. The University Gallery is located on the campus of the University of North Florida.[64]
The Jacksonville Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum is a branch of the world's largest private collection of original manuscripts and documents. The museum in Jacksonville is in a 1921 neoclassical building on the outskirts of downtown.[65][66] In addition to document displays, there is also an antique-book library, with volumes dating from the late 19th century.
The Catherine Street Fire Station building is on the National Register of Historic Places and was relocated to Metropolitan Park in 1993. It houses the Jacksonville Fire Museum and features 500+ artifacts including an 1806 hand pumper.
The LaVilla Museum opened in 1999 and features a permanent display of African-American history. The art exhibits are changed periodically.
There are also several historical properties and items of interest in the city, including the Klutho Building, the Old Morocco Temple Building, the Palm and Cycad Arboretum, and the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, originally built as Union Station train depot. The Jacksonville Historical Society showcases two restoration projects: the 1887 St. Andrews Episcopal Church and the 1879 Merrill House, both located near the sports complex.
The Art Walk, a monthly outdoor art festival on the first Wednesday of each month, is sponsored by Downtown Vision, Inc, an organization which works to promote artistic talent and venues on the First Coast.
The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens boasts the second largest animal collection in the state. The zoo features elephants, lions, and, of course, jaguars (with an exhibit, Range of the Jaguar, hosted by the former owners of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Delores and Wayne Weaver). It also has a multitude of reptile houses, free flight aviaries, and many other animals.
Adventure Landing is an amusement park with locations in Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach. The Jacksonville Beach location contains Shipwreck Island, Duval County's only waterpark.
Jacksonville has two fully enclosed shopping malls. The oldest is the Regency Square Mall, which opened in 1967 and is located on former sand dunes in the Arlington area. The other is The Avenues Mall, which opened in 1990 on the Southside, at the intersection of I-95 and US 1. The Orange Park Mall is another mall located just south of the city in the suburb of Orange Park, Florida, in Clay County, off of Blanding Boulevard (Florida State Road 21).
The end of the indoor shopping mall may be indicated by the opening of The St. Johns Town Center in 2005 and the River City Marketplace, on the Northside in 2006. Both of these are "open air" malls, with a similar mix of stores, but without being contained under a single, enclosed roof. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), only one enclosed mall has been built in the United States since 2006.[67]
The Avenues, Orange Park Mall, and St. Johns Town Center are all owned by Simon Property Group; Regency is owned by General Growth Properties; River City Marketplace is owned by Ramco-Gershenson.
Jacksonville is home to one major league sports team, the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). The Jaguars joined the NFL as an expansion team in the 1995 season; they play their home games at EverBank Field.[68] The PGA Tour, which organizes the main professional golf tournaments in the U.S., is headquartered in the suburb of Ponte Vedra Beach, where it holds The Players Championship every year.[69]
Jacksonville is also home to several minor league-level teams. The Jacksonville Suns, a class Double-A baseball team, have played in Jacksonville continuously since 1970, longer than any other Double-A team has been in its city, and are the top-selling franchise in the Southern League.[70][71] The Jacksonville Sharks, who began play in 2010, are the current champions of the Arena Football League.[72][73] The Jacksonville Axemen are a semi-professional rugby league team founded in 2006, and now play in the USA Rugby League.[74] The Jacksonville Giants basketball team started play in the new American Basketball Association in December 2010.[75][76][77] FC JAX Destroyers are a soccer team that launched a men's franchise in the USL Premier Development League in the 2011 season, and plans a women's franchise for 2012.[78] The Jacksonville Bullies indoor lacrosse team are scheduled to begin play in the North American Lacrosse League in its inaugural 2012 season.[79][80]
College sports, especially college football, are popular in Jacksonville. The city hosts the Florida–Georgia game, an annual college football game between the University of Florida and the University of Georgia, and the Gator Bowl, a post-season college bowl game. Jacksonville's two universities compete in NCAA Division I: the University of North Florida Ospreys and the Jacksonville University Dolphins, both in the Atlantic Sun Conference.[81][82]
Club | Sport | League | Venue |
---|---|---|---|
Jacksonville Jaguars | Football | National Football League (NFL) - AFC South | EverBank Field |
Jacksonville Suns | Baseball | Southern League - Southern Division | Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville |
Jacksonville Sharks | Arena football | Arena Football League | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena |
Jacksonville Giants | Basketball | ABA - Southeastern Division | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena |
Jacksonville Bullies | Indoor lacrosse | North American Lacrosse League | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena |
Jacksonville Axemen | Rugby league | USA Rugby League | Hodges Stadium |
FC JAX Destroyers | Soccer | USL Premier Development League (PDL) | Jacksonville University |
The Florida Times-Union is the major daily newspaper in Jacksonville and Jacksonville.com is its official website. Another daily newspaper focused on the legal community is the Financial News and Daily Record.
The city's chief alternative newsweekly is Folio Weekly. Others include EU Jacksonville, Buzz Magazine and the Jacksonville Observer. The Jacksonville Business Journal is a weekly paper that focuses on the local economy and business community. The Jacksonville Free Press is a weekly paper serving the African-American community.
Jacksonville is the 47th largest local television market in the United States,[83] and is served by television stations affiliated with major American networks including WTLV (NBC/The Country Network), WJXX (ABC/NBC Weather Plus), WTEV (CBS/Cool TV), WAWS (Fox/My Network TV), WJCT (PBS),and WCWJ (CW). WJXT is a former longtime CBS affiliate that turned independent in 2002.
Jacksonville is the 46th largest local radio market in the United States,[84] and is dominated by the same two large ownership groups that dominate the radio industry across the United States: Cox Radio[85] and Clear Channel Communications.[86] The dominant AM radio station in terms of ratings is WOKV 690AM, which is also the flagship station for the Jacksonville Jaguars.[87] In September 2006, WOKV began simulcasting on 106.5 FM as WOKV FM. There are two radio stations broadcasting a primarily contemporary hits format; WAPE 95.1 has dominated this niche for over twenty years, and more recently has been challenged by WFKS 97.9 FM (KISS FM). WJBT 93.3 (The Beat) is a hip-hop/R&B station, WJGH 107.3 is an oldies station. WXXJ 102.9 is an alternative station, WFYV 104.5—Rock 105 Jacksonville Classic rock, WQIK 99.1 is a country station as well as WGNE-FM 99.9, WCRJ FM 88.1 (The Promise) is the main Contemporary Christian station operating since 1984, WHJX 105.7 and WFJO 92.5 plays music in Spanish like salsa, merengue, and reggaeton, and WJCT 89.9 is the local National Public Radio affiliate. Local Jones College also hosts an easy listening station, WKTZ 90.9 FM.
Historical populations | |||
---|---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± | |
1850 | 1,045 |
|
|
1860 | 2,118 | 102.7% | |
1870 | 6,912 | 226.3% | |
1880 | 7,650 | 10.7% | |
1890 | 17,201 | 124.8% | |
1900 | 28,429 | 65.3% | |
1910 | 57,699 | 103.0% | |
1920 | 91,558 | 58.7% | |
1930 | 129,549 | 41.5% | |
1940 | 173,065 | 33.6% | |
1950 | 204,275 | 18.0% | |
1960 | 201,030 | −1.6% | |
1970 | 528,865 | 163.1% | |
1980 | 540,920 | 2.3% | |
1990 | 635,230 | 17.4% | |
2000 | 735,503 | 15.8% | |
2010 | 821,784 | 11.7% | |
Source: 2010[88] |
Jacksonville is the most populous city in Florida, and the eleventh most populous city in the United States. As of 2010, there were 821,784 people and 366,273 households in the city. The largest ancestries include: German (9.6%), American (9.3%), Irish (9.0%), English (8.5%), and Italian (3.5%). Jacksonville has the country's tenth-largest Arab population, with a total population of 5,751 according to the 2000 United States Census.[89][90] Jacksonville has a large Filipino population, in part related to their tradition of service with the Navy. In addition, there is a large Serbo-Croatian population, located mostly on the south side of Jacksonville, and Russian population. Jacksonville also has a growing Puerto Rican population.
Jacksonville Demographics | |||
---|---|---|---|
2010 Census | Jacksonville | Duval County | Florida |
Total population | 821,784 | 864,263 | 18,801,310 |
Population, percent change, 2000 to 2010 | +11.7% | +11.0% | +17.6% |
Population density | 1,100.1/sq mi | 1,133.9/sq mi | 350.6/sq mi |
White or Caucasian (including White Hispanic) | 59.4% | 60.9% | 75.0% |
(Non-Hispanic White or Caucasian) | 55.1% | 56.6% | 57.9% |
Black or African-American | 30.7% | 29.5% | 16.0% |
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 7.7% | 7.6% | 22.5% |
Asian | 4.3% | 4.2% | 2.4% |
Native American or Native Alaskan | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Two or more races (Multiracial) | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.5% |
Some Other Race | 5.2% | 3.9% | 3.6% |
As of 2010, there were 366,273 households out of which 11.8% were vacant. As of 2000, 33.9% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $40,316, and the median income for a family was $47,243. Males had a median income of $32,547 versus $25,886 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,337. About 9.4% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.
As of the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, 88.1% of Jacksonville's population age five and over spoke only English at home while 5.2% of the population spoke Spanish at home. About 3.2% spoke other Indo-European languages at home. About 2.5% spoke an Asian language at home. The remaining 0.9% of the population spoke other languages at home.[91]
As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 90.60% of all residents, while those who spoke Spanish made up 4.13%, Tagalog 1.00%, French 0.47%, Arabic 0.44%, German 0.43%, both Vietnamese and Serbo-Croatian at 0.31%, Russian was 0.21% and Italian made up 0.17% of the population.[92]
Jacksonville has a diverse religious population. The largest religious group is Protestants; according to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), in 2000 the Jacksonville metropolitan area had an estimated 265,158 Evangelical Protestants, over 70% of whom were Southern Baptists, and 89,649 Mainline Protestants, attending around 700 congregations.[93] Several of these are megachurches, including Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, First Baptist Church downtown and Christ's Church (formerly Mandarin Christian Church) on Greenland Road. The Episcopal Diocese of Florida has its see in St. John's Cathedral, the current building dating to 1906.
Jacksonville is part of the Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine, which covers seventeen counties in North Florida and has 171,000 registered members attending 52 parishes.[94] One notable Catholic church in Jacksonville is the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.[95] There are also two Eastern Catholic parishes, one of the Syriac Catholic Church and one of the Maronite Church.[96] According to ARDA, in 2000 there were 3,090 Eastern Orthodox Christians representing seven churches in the Eastern Orthodox communion, as well as one congregation of 200 Syriac Orthodox Christians.[93]
There were also 7,734 members of the LDS Church (Mormons) and 404 Unitarian Universalists,[93] who have worshiped at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville since 1906.[97] The Jewish community, which numbered 7,300 in 2000,[93] is largely centered in the neighborhood of Mandarin.[98] There are two Reform, two Conservative, and four Orthodox synagogues (three of them Chabad-affiliated), and two more synagogues in St. Augustine.[99] The Muslim community numbered 2,182 in 2000, and had three congregations, including the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida, the region's largest mosque.[93][100]
The most noteworthy feature of Jacksonville government is its consolidated nature. The Duval County-Jacksonville consolidation eliminated any type of separate county executive or legislature, and supplanted these positions with the Mayor of Jacksonville and the City Council of the City of Jacksonville, respectively. Because of this, voters who live outside of the city limits of Jacksonville, but inside of Duval County, are allowed not only to vote in elections for these positions, but to run for them as well. In fact, in 1995, John Delaney, a resident of Neptune Beach, was elected mayor of the city of Jacksonville.
Jacksonville uses the Mayor-Council form of city government, also called the Strong-Mayor form, in which a mayor serves as the city's Chief Executive and Administrative officer. The mayor holds veto power over all resolutions and ordinances made by the city council, and also has the power to hire and fire the head of various city departments. The current mayor is Alvin Brown, who assumed office on July 1, 2011.[101][102]
Jacksonville and Duval County historically maintained separate police agencies: the Jacksonville Police Department and Duval County Sheriff's Office. As part of consolidation in 1968, the two merged, creating the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO). The JSO is headed by the elected Sheriff of Jacksonville, currently John Rutherford, and is responsible for law enforcement and corrections in the county.
In 2010, Duval County's crime rate was 5,106 per 100,000 people, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The county's murder rate had been the highest among Florida's counties with a population of 500,000 or more for eleven years in 2009, leading to widespread discussion in the community to deal with the problem. In 2010 Duval County's violent crime rate decreased by 9.3% from the previous year, with total crime decreasing 7.3%, putting the murder rate behind that of Miami-Dade County.[103]
Some government services remained — as they had been before consolidation – independent of both city and county authority. In accordance with Florida law, the school board continues to exist with nearly complete autonomy. Jacksonville also has several quasi-independent government agencies which only nominally answer to the consolidated authority, including electric authority, port authority, transportation authority, housing authority and airport authority. The main environmental and agricultural body is the Duval County Soil and Water Conservation District, which works closely with other area and state agencies.
Public primary and secondary schools in Jacksonville and Duval County are administered by Duval County Public Schools, which is governed by an elected, seven-member Duval County School Board. In the 2009-2010 school year the district enrolled 123,000 students. It administers 172 total schools, including 103 elementary schools, 25 middle schools, 19 high schools, 3 K-8 schools, and 1 6-12 school, as well as 13 charter schools and a juvenile justice school program.[104] Of these, 62 are designated magnet schools.[104]
Two of Jacksonville's high schools, Stanton College Preparatory School and Paxon School for Advanced Studies regularly appear at the top of Newsweek magazine's annual list of the country's top public high schools, coming in respectively at #3 and #8 in the 2010 edition.[105] Five other schools, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (#33), Mandarin High School (#97), Fletcher High School (#205) Sandalwood High School (#210), and Englewood High School (#1146) were also included in the list.[105]
The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine operates a number of Catholic schools in Jacksonville, including two high schools, Bishop Kenny High School and Bishop John J. Snyder High School.[106] Other private schools in Jacksonville include Arlington Country Day School, the Bolles School, and the Episcopal School of Jacksonville.[107]
|
The Jacksonville Public Library had its beginnings when May Moore and Florence Murphy started the "Jacksonville Library and Literary Association" in 1878. The Association was populated by various prominent Jacksonville residents and sought to create a free public library and reading room for the city.[108]
Over the course of 127 years, the system has grown from that one room library to become one of the largest in the state. The Jacksonville library system has twenty branches, ranging in size from the 54,000 sq ft (5,000 m2) West Regional Library to smaller neighborhood libraries like Westbrook and Eastside. The Library annually receives nearly 4 million visitors and circulates over 6 million items. Nearly 500,000 library cards are held by area residents.[109]
On November 12, 2005, the new 300,000 sq ft (30,000 m2) Main Library opened to the public, replacing the 40-year old Haydon Burns Library. The largest public library in the state, the opening of the new main library marked the completion of an unprecedented period of growth for the system under the Better Jacksonville Plan.[110] The new Main Library offers specialized reading rooms, public access to hundreds of computers and public displays of art, an extensive collection of books, and special collections ranging from the African-American Collection to the recently opened Holocaust Collection.[108]
Jacksonville is home to a number of institutions of higher education. The University of North Florida (UNF), founded in 1969, is a public institution and a member of the State University System of Florida. Former mayor John Delaney has been president of UNF since leaving office in July 2003. Jacksonville University (JU) is a private institution founded in 1934. Edward Waters College, established in 1866, is the oldest college in Jacksonville and the state's oldest historically black college. Florida State College at Jacksonville is a state college and a member of the Florida College System, offering two-year associate's degrees as well as some four-year bachelor's degrees. The University of Florida has its second campus of the J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center in Jacksonville.[10][111]
Other colleges and universities in Jacksonville include Fortis College, Florida Coastal School of Law, The Art Institute of Jacksonville, Keiser University at Jacksonville and Jones College.[112] Also in the area are St. Johns River State College, a state college with campuses in Clay, St. Johns, and Putnam Counties, and Flagler College in St. Augustine.[113]
Jacksonville's location on the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean proved providential in the growth of the city and its industry. The largest city in the state, it is also the largest deepwater port in the South (as well as the second-largest port on the U.S. East coast) and a leading port in the U.S. for automobile imports, as well as the leading transportation and distribution hub in the state. However, the strength of the city's economy lies in its broad diversification. While the area once had many thriving dairies such as Gustafson's Farm and Skinner Dairy, this aspect of the economy has declined over time. The area's economy is balanced among distribution, financial services, biomedical technology, consumer goods, information services, manufacturing, insurance and other industries.
Jacksonville is a rail, air, and highway focal point and a busy port of entry, with Jacksonville International Airport, ship repair yards and extensive freight-handling facilities. Lumber, phosphate, paper, cigars and wood pulp are the principal exports; automobiles and coffee are among imports. The city's manufacturing base provides just 4.5% of local jobs, versus 8.5% nationally.[114] According to Forbes in 2007, Jacksonville, Florida ranked 3rd in the top ten U.S. cities to relocate to find a job.[115] Jacksonville was also the 10th fastest growing city in the U.S.[116]
Jacksonville is home to many prominent corporations and organizations, including the headquarters of four Fortune 500 companies: CSX Corporation, Fidelity National Financial, Fidelity National Information Services and Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc..[117] In addition to CSX, the Florida East Coast Railway and the large short line railroad holding company RailAmerica are also based in Jacksonville.
Cecil Commerce Center is located on the site of the former Naval Air Station Cecil Field which closed in 1999 following the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decision. Covering a total area of 22,939 acres (92.83 km2), it was the largest military base in the Jacksonville area. The parcel contains more than 3% of the total land area in Duval County (17,000 acres (69 km2)). The industrial and commercial-zoned center offers mid to large-size parcels for development and boasts excellent transportation and utility infrastructure as well as the third-longest runway in Florida.
To emphasize the city's transportation business and capabilities, the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce filed Jacksonville America's Logistics Center as a trademark on November 9, 2007. It was formally registered on August 4, 2009.[118] Cornerstone began promoting the city as "Jacksonville: America's Logistics Center" in 2009. Signs were added to the existing city limit markers on Interstate 95.[119]
Jacksonville is home to multiple military facilities, and with Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay nearby gives Jacksonville the third largest naval presence in the country.[120] Only Norfolk, Virginia and San Diego, California are bigger. The military is by far the largest employer in Jacksonville and its total economic impact is approximately $6.1 billion annually.[121]
Naval Air Station Jacksonville is a military airport located four miles (6 km) south of the central business district. Approximately 23,000 civilian and active-duty personnel are employed on the base. There are 35 operational units/squadrons assigned there and support facilities include an airfield for pilot training, a maintenance depot capable of virtually any task, from changing a tire to intricate micro-electronics or total engine disassembly. Also on-site is a Naval Hospital, a Fleet Industrial Supply Center, a Navy Family Service Center, and recreational facilities.
Naval Station Mayport is a Navy Ship Base that is the third largest fleet concentration area in the United States. Mayport's operational composition is unique, with a busy harbor capable of accommodating 34 ships and an 8,000-foot (2,400 m) runway capable of handling any aircraft used by the Department of Defense. Until 2007, it was home to the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy, which locals called "Big John". In January 2009, the Navy committed to stationing a nuclear-powered carrier at Mayport when the official Record of Decision was signed. The port will require approximately $500 million in facility enhancements to support the larger vessel, which will take several years to complete. The ship is projected to arrive in 2014.[122]
Blount Island Command is a Marine Corps Logistics Base whose mission is to support the Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) which provides for rapid deployment of personnel to link up with prepositioned equipment and supplies embarked aboard forward deployed Maritime Prepositioning Ships (MPS).
USS Jacksonville, a nuclear powered Los Angeles class submarine, is a US Navy ship named for the city. The ship's nickname is The Bold One and Norfolk, Virginia is her home port.
The Florida Air National Guard is based at Jacksonville International Airport.
Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville is located on the St. Johns River next to Naval Station Mayport. Sector Jacksonville controls operations from Kings Bay, GA south to Cape Canaveral, FL. The CGC Kingfisher, CGC Maria Bray, and CGC Hammer are stationed at the Sector. Station Mayport is co-located with Sector Jacksonville and includes 25-foot (7.6 m) Response Boats, and 47-foot (14 m) Motor Life Boats.
The Port of Jacksonville, a seaport on the St. Johns River, is a large component of the local economy. Approximately 50,000 jobs in Northeast Florida are related to port activity and the port has an economic impact of $2.7 billion in Northeast Florida:[123]
In 2008, Jacksonville had approximately 2.8 million visitors who stayed overnight, spending nearly $1 billion. Research Data Services of Tampa was commissioned to undertake the study, which quantified the importance of tourism. The total economic impact was $1.6 billion and supported nearly 43,000 jobs, 10% of the local workforce.[124]
Major players in the Jacksonville health care industry include St. Vincent's HealthCare, Baptist Health and Shands HealthCare for local residents. Additionally, Nemours Children's Clinic and Mayo Clinic Hospital each draw patients regionally.
The Jacksonville Housing Authority (JHA) is the quasi-independent agency responsible for public housing and subsidized housing in Jacksonville. The Mayor and City Council of Jacksonville established the JHA in 1994 to create an effective, community service oriented, public housing agency with innovative ideas and a different attitude. The primary goal was to provide safe, clean, affordable housing for eligible low and moderate income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. The secondary goal was to provide effective social services, work with residents to improve their quality of life, encourage employment and self-sufficiency, and help residents move out of assisted housing. To that end, JHA works with HabiJax to help low and moderate income families to escape the public housing cycle and become successful, productive, homeowners and taxpayers.
The TaxExemptWorld.com website, which compiles Internal Revenue Service data, reported that in 2007, there are 2,910 distinct, active, tax exempt/non-profit organizations in Jacksonville which, excluding Credit Unions, had a total income of $7.08 billion and assets of $9.54 billion.[125] There are 333 charitable organizations with assets of over $1 million. The largest share of assets was tied to Medical facilities, $4.5 billion. The problems of the homeless are addressed by several non-profits, most notably the Sulzbacher Center and the Clara White Mission.
Basic utilities in Jacksonville (water, sewer, electric) are provided by JEA (formerly the Jacksonville Electric Authority). According to Article 21 of the Jacksonville City Charter,
"JEA is authorized to own, manage and operate a utilities system within and outside the City of Jacksonville. JEA is created for the express purpose of acquiring, constructing, operating, financing and otherwise have plenary authority with respect to electric, water, sewer, natural gas and such other utility systems as may be under its control now or in the future."[126]
People's Gas is Jacksonville's natural gas provider.
Comcast is Jacksonville's local cable provider.
AT&T (formerly BellSouth) is Jacksonville's local phone provider, and their U-Verse service offers TV, internet, and VoIP phone service to customers served by fiber-to-the-premises or fiber-to-the-node using a VRAD.
The city has a successful recycling program with separate pickups for garbage, yard waste and recycling. Collection is provided by several private companies under contract to the City of Jacksonville.
Interstate Highways 10 and 95 intersect in Jacksonville, forming the busiest intersection in the region with 200,000 vehicles each day.[127] Interstate 10 ends at this intersection (the other end being in Santa Monica, California). Additionally, Florida State Road 202 (J. Turner Butler Boulevard) connects Jacksonville to the beaches. Interstate 95 has a bypass route, with I-295, which encircles the downtown area. The major interchange at I-295 and SR 202 (Butler Blvd) was finally completed on December 24, 2008. SR 9B is underway and will connect I-295's southeast corner to the Bayard Area.[128]
US 1 and US 17 travel through the city from the south to the north, and US 23 enters the city concurrent with US 1. In downtown, US 23 splits from US 1 and quickly runs to its southern terminus. The eastern terminus of US 90 is in nearby Jacksonville Beach near the Atlantic Ocean. U.S. 23 other end is in Mackinaw City, Michigan.
Public transportation provided by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) includes regular and express bus service, downtown trolleys, JTA Connexion (paratransit) and the stadium shuttle. The JTA Skyway is a people mover which travels 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from the King Street parking garage across the St. Johns River and through the central business district, ending at the Convention Center or the Florida State College at Jacksonville downtown campus. Intermediate stops include the government center, central business area and two buildings on the southbank. It was not intended to serve the Jacksonville Sports complex (Stadium, Baseball Park or Arena) and is of limited help for most downtown commuters unless they live on the southside and work in a building close to a skyway station.
Jacksonville is the headquarters of two significant freight railroads. CSX Transportation, owns a large building on the downtown riverbank that is a significant part of the skyline. Florida East Coast Railway also calls Jacksonville home.
Amtrak serves Jacksonville by the daily Silver Meteor and Silver Star long distance trains. The current station is situated on Clifford Lane in the northwest section of the city.
Jacksonville was also served by the thrice-weekly Sunset Limited and the daily Silver Palm. Service on the Silver Palm was cut back to Savannah, Georgia in 2002. The Sunset Limited route was truncated at San Antonio, Texas as a result of the track damage in the Gulf Coast area caused by Hurricane Katrina on August 28, 2005. Service was restored as far east as New Orleans by late October 2005, but Amtrak has opted not to fully restore service into Florida. This appears to be more of a managerial and political issue than a physical one.[129] Advocates for the train's restoration have pointed to revenue figures for Amtrak's fiscal year 2004 (the last full year of coast-to-coast Sunset Limited service), noting that the Orlando-New Orleans segment accounted for 41% of the Sunset's revenue.[130]
Airports in Jacksonville are managed by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA). The commercial passenger facility is Jacksonville International Airport on the Northside. Smaller planes can fly to Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport in Arlington and Herlong Recreational Airport on the Westside. The JAA also operates Cecil Airport, the former NAS airfield at Cecil Commerce Center that is intended for the aerospace and manufacturing companies located there.
Public seaports in Jacksonville are managed by the Jacksonville Port Authority, known as JAXPORT. Four modern deepwater (38 ft) seaport facilities, including America's newest cruise port, make Jacksonville a full-service international seaport. In FY2006, JAXPORT handled 8.7 million tons of cargo, including nearly 610,000 vehicles, which ranks Jacksonville 2nd in the nation in automobile handling, behind only the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.[131]
The 20 other maritime facilities not managed by the Port Authority move about 10 million tons of additional cargo in and out of the St. Johns River. In terms of total tonnage, the Port of Jacksonville ranks 40th nationally; within Florida, it is 3rd behind Tampa and Port Everglades.
In 2003, the JAXPORT Cruise Terminal opened, providing cruise service for 1,500 passengers to Key West, Florida, the Bahamas, and Mexico via Carnival Cruise Lines ship, Celebration, which was retired in April, 2008. For almost five months, no cruises originated from Jacksonville until September 20, 2008, when the cruise ship Fascination departed with 2,079 passengers.[132] In Fiscal year 2006, there were 78 cruise ship sailings with 128,745 passengers.[133] A JaxPort spokesperson said in 2008 that they expect 170,000 passengers to sail each year.[134]
There are seven bridges over the St. Johns River at Jacksonville. They include (starting from furthest downstream) the Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge (Dames Point) (which carries Florida State Road 9A traffic), the John E. Mathews Bridge, the Isaiah D. Hart Bridge, the John T. Alsop Jr. Bridge (Main Street), the St. Elmo W. Acosta Bridge, the Fuller Warren Bridge (which carries I-95 traffic) and the Henry Holland Buckman Bridge (which carries I-295 North/South traffic).
Beginning in 1953, tolls were charged on the Hart, Mathews, Fuller Warren and the Main Street bridges to pay for bridge construction, renovations and many other highway projects. As Jacksonville grew, toll plazas created bottlenecks and caused delays and accidents during rush hours. In 1988, Jacksonville voters chose to eliminate toll collection and replace the revenue with a ½ cent local sales tax increase. In 1989, the toll booths were removed.
The Mayport Ferry connects the north and south ends of State Road A1A between Mayport and Fort George Island, and is the last active ferry in Florida. The state of Florida transferred responsibility for ferry operations to JAXPORT on October 1, 2007.
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Jacksonville has eight sister cities.[135] They are:
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Coordinates: 30°19′10″N 81°39′36″W / 30.3194°N 81.6600°W / 30.3194; -81.6600
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