Jacksonville Beach

American Red Cross Volunteer Life Saving Corps Station, an Art Moderne landmark designed by Jefferson Davis Powell

Established in 1884, Jacksonville Beach has developed for over a century. The unique culture, history and traditions make this destination more than just your average beach stay. Celebrations like the Opening of the Beaches are deeply rooted in the city at large. Composed of an assortment of architectural styles giving the community a strong sense of place and an identity all its own.

Understand

The founding of what is now Jacksonville Beach took place in the 1880s in the lead-up to the tourist boom Florida would experience going into the 20th century. Permanent settlement began around 1885 and a highway was begun in 1892. A railway was built in the area around the time of the Spanish-American War, during which William J. Bryan used the beach for training of Nebraska's Third Regiment. The town was known as Pablo Beach from incorporation in 1907 until 1925, when it became Jacksonville Beach. During the early 20th century it was an important amusement park destination, with Little Coney Island being in operation during the early part of the century and a roller coaster in the mid-century.

The cities in its immediate (coastal) vicinity — including Ponte Vedra Beach and Neptune Beach — are part of the broader Jacksonville area, and Jacksonville Beach residents vote in elections for the mayor of Jacksonville. The beach town's population was 21,000 in 2010.

Get in

By car

The beach road (FL-A1A) provides access by highway as it does to most Florida towns. The eastern terminus of US-90 (Beach Boulevard) is in Jacksonville Beach.

By plane

• 1 Jacksonville International Airport (JAX ^IATA) is the primary commercial airport in Northeast Florida, with scheduled service offered by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, jetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. The airport is located approximately 15 miles north of downtown. The airport has one terminal building, with ticketing on the upper "Departures" level and baggage claim and ground transportation on the lower "Arrivals" level. There are two areas for ground transportation, at the center front for taxis and area hotel shuttles, and at the north end (outside of Baggage Carousel 1) for pre-arranged ground transportation, including limousines, rental cars, intercity buses/shuttles, and local JTA city buses. Airline gates radiate from three concourses, A, B, and C which all funnel through one central security screening area. Generally arriving one hour before a flight's scheduled departure is plenty of time, but during major holidays, such as Thanksgiving, allow 1½-2 hours.
• 2 Northeast Florida Regional Airport UST ^IATA, formerly St. Augustine Airport, is 4 miles north of St. Augustine, and about 30 miles south of Jacksonville. The airport no longer has scheduled commercial service.

Do

• 1 Oceanfront Park, 429 1st St S, ☏ +1 904 247 6236. Public park with beach access, a playground, and picnic shelters. (updated Nov 2020)
• 2 Jacksonville Beach Pier, 503 1st St N, ☏ +1 904 241-1515. Fishing pier with fish-cleaning stations and a bait shop. $3 for fishermen, $1 for visitors, and children free. (updated Nov 2020)
• 3 Adventure Landing, 1944 Beach Blvd, ☏ +1 904 246-4386. Water park with miniature golf, laser tag, and go-karts.  

Eat

• 1 Joe's Crab Shack, 6 Beach Blvd, ☏ +1 904 249-6160. Oceanfront seafood restaurant (updated May 2015)
• 2 Maple Street Biscuit Company, 410 3rd St N, ☏ +1 904 853-5688. (updated May 2015)
• 3 TacoLu Baja Mexicana, 1712 Beach Blvd. (updated May 2015)

Drink

• 1 Lynch's Irish Pub, 514 N First St. A well-known Irish pub. Many good imported pints on tap, with live music, and a raucous atmosphere. 

Sleep

• 1 Best Western Oceanfront, 305 N First St, ☏ +1 904 249-4949, info@jaxbeachhotels.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Oceanfront hotel offering a variety of room types to accommodate different budgets. They offer a complimentary breakfast, a swimming pool and free wired and wireless Internet access. 
• 2 Four Points by Sheraton Jacksonville Beachfront, 11 N First St, ☏ +1 904 435-3535, fax: +1 904 435-3536, info@fourpointsjacksonvillebeach.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. All oceanfront two-room suite hotel located in the center of town, offering spacious accommodations, a swimming pool and hot tub, pet friendly accommodations and free wireless Internet access. 
• 3 Holiday Inn Express - Jacksonville Beach, 1101 Beach Blvd, ☏ +1 904 435-3000, info@hiejaxbeach.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Newest hotel in town. Offers spacious accommodations, flat panel TVs, iPod clock radios, complimentary hot breakfast, a swimming pool, complimentary shuttle service to/from the beaches and the Mayo Clinic Hospital, hot tub, pet friendly accommodations and free wired and wireless Internet access. 

Go next

• Return to the main city in the region, Jacksonville proper.
• To the south is 16th-century Spanish colony of St. Augustine, with Flagler Beach and Palm Coast farther south.

Routes through Jacksonville Beach

Tallahassee ← Jacksonville ←	W  E	→ END
Jacksonville ← Neptune Beach ←	N  S	→ Ponte Vedra Beach → St. Augustine