Jacksonville has a rich history of development. On October 1, 1968 the citizens voted for consolidation which means the, then current, two governments merged. The City of Jacksonville and the County of Duval became the same. For this reason, the land boundaries are the same making us the largest city in the continental US & 5th largest city by land mass. (747 square miles) The four larger cities are all in Alaska!
We have been a sleeping giant which seems to be awakening of late.
Jacksonville has had a rich history of courting financial & insurance industries but there is always a need for more business diversity. We have a river with an amazingly accessible port. We have amenities like world class golfing, fine clubs that offer tennis and other sports, wonderful boating and fishing all year, horse enthusiasts facilities of all types, an NFL football team & some of the most pristine, white, sandy beaches in the world. We are very proud of having the third largest military presence in the US. We have room to grow and we are long overdue for recognition as a leading city in this nation & our time has come to be top ranked.
The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission recently published this list:
Here is just a sample of Jacksonville's many rankings and accolades:
No. 2 “10 US cities where everyone wants to live right now” (Business Insider - 2017)
No. 7 “Best Cities for Job Seekers” (Indeed.com - 2017)
No. 1 "10 Hottest Real Estate Markets To Watch In 2017" (Trulia - 2016)
No. 36 in the top 200 best places for business and careers by Forbes (2016)
Selected as a top U.S. logistics hub by Global Trade magazine (2016)
No. 2 best city for tech (outside CA and NY) (Datafox - 2016)
“5 Surprising Foodie Cities to Visit Right Now” (Forbes Travel Guide - 2016)
No. 16 “24 Best Places to Live in the South…” (Business Insider – 2016)
No. 34 “The 50 best places to live in America” (Business Insider – 2016)
No. 2 “Best Airport by Region: North America Category” (Airport Council International – 2016)
Among the top cities and regions in the world for fostering successful startup businesses (USC – Marshall School of Business – 2016)
No. 2 city with the most vibrant employment scene by Forbes (2015)
Laura Street – “One of America’s Five Great Streets” (American Planning Association – 2015)
“Top Secretly Cool City Where You Can Still Get in on the Ground Floor” (Huffington Post - 2015)
Jacksonville ranks fifth best city to find work in the U.S. (Forbes – 2015)
Jacksonville ranks among top 15 North American ports based on port infrastructure capabilities and strength of industrial real estate market (CBRE Group, Inc.’s “North America Ports Logistics Annual Report” – 2015)
Jacksonville ranks No. 1 on list of “U.S. Cities Where Hispanics Are Doing The Best Economically” (Forbes - 2015)
Jacksonville was named the “Best U.S. City to Start a Business.” (Wallethub.com, 2014)
Jacksonville was ranked the second-best city to save money. (GoBankingRates.com, 2014)
GO JACKSONVILLE!