Welcome To Jacksonville SAFeDATA

Jacksonville is the largest city in the state of Florida and the county seat of Duval County. Since 1968, Jacksonville has been the largest city in land area in the contiguous US; this resulted from the consolidation of the city and county government, along with a corresponding expansion of the city limits to include almost the entire county.

About 25 miles (40 km) south of the Georgia border, Jacksonville is in the First Coast region of Neast Florida and is centered on the banks of the St. Johns River. The settlement that became Jacksonville was founded in 1791 as Cowford, because of its location at a narrow point in the river across which cattle were once driven. The city was renamed in 1822 for Andrew Jackson, the first military governor of the Florida Territory and eventual seventh President of the US.

The history of Jacksonville spans 100`s of years. The first settlement in the area, called Ossachite, was made over 6,000 years ago by the Timucua Indians in the vicinity of modern-day downtown Jacksonville.

During the US Civil War, Jacksonville was a key supply point for hogs and cattle leaving Florida and aiding the Confederate cause. The city was blockaded by the Union, changing hands several times. Though no battles were fought in Jacksonville, the city was left in a considerable state of disarray after the war.

In the 1910s, New York-based moviemakers were attracted to Jacksonville`s warm weather, 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 "Winter Film Capital of the World". However, the city`s conservative political weather 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.

Jacksonville has a humid subtropical weather, with mild weather during winters and hot weather during summers. High temperatures avg 64 to 91 °F (18-33 °C) throughout the year. High heat indices are not uncommon for the summer months in the Jacksonville area. High temperatures can reach mid to high 90s with heat index ranges of 105-115 °F. The highest temperature ever recorded in Jacksonville was 105 °F (43 °C) on July 21, 1942. It is common for daily thunderstorms to erupt during a standard summer afternoon. These are caused by the heating of the land and water, combined with extremely high humidity.