Fun Facts About Jacksonville, Florida That Will Actually Surprise You

Most people know Jacksonville as a Florida city with a beach and a football team. That's like saying New York is a city with a park and a basketball team. Technically accurate. Wildly incomplete.

Here are the facts about Jacksonville that actually make you stop and think.

It's the Largest City by Land Area in the Continental US

Jacksonville covers 747 square miles. That's larger than Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and New York City. Combined. Well, not quite combined, but you get the idea. The reason it's so large is a 1968 government consolidation that merged the city of Jacksonville with Duval County into one entity. The result is a city-county that absorbed all the surrounding suburban land and became geographically massive almost overnight.

The St. Johns River Flows North

Most rivers flow south toward the Gulf or the ocean. The St. Johns River flows north. It's one of the few major rivers in North America with a northward flow and one of only a handful in the entire world. It stretches 310 miles and drains into the Atlantic near Mayport.

Jacksonville Was Almost Called Cowford

Before it was Jacksonville, the settlement at the narrow ford across the St. Johns River was called Cowford. Cattle were driven across the river at that point, hence the name. The city was later named after Andrew Jackson — the full story of who Jacksonville is named after is more interesting than you'd expect. Cowford had a nice ring to it though.

It Has the Most Golf Courses Per Capita in the US

Jacksonville and the surrounding area, particularly Ponte Vedra Beach, has an extraordinary concentration of golf courses. Check our guide to the best golf courses in Jacksonville for where to play. The area around Ponte Vedra is home to the PGA Tour headquarters and TPC Sawgrass, which hosts The Players Championship annually. For a city of its size, the golf infrastructure here is legitimately world-class.

The Players Championship Happens Here

Speaking of which, TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach hosts The Players Championship every March. It's often called "the fifth major" in professional golf and the Stadium Course's 17th hole island green is one of the most iconic and photographed golf holes in the world. Tickets are widely available and it's worth attending at least once.

The Budweiser Building Is a Landmark

If you've driven into Jacksonville from the north on I-95, you've seen it. The old Budweiser brewery building with the giant neon sign is one of the most recognizable structures in the city skyline. The brewery itself closed but the sign and building have become an iconic part of Jacksonville's visual identity.

Jacksonville Was Partially Destroyed by Fire in 1901

The Great Fire of 1901 destroyed 146 city blocks and left 10,000 people homeless. It started on a Saturday morning in a fiber factory and spread rapidly through the wooden buildings of the downtown area. The rebuild transformed Jacksonville into a brick-and-mortar city — read the full history of Jacksonville for everything that came before and after.

It Has a Major Military Presence

Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jax) is one of the largest naval air stations in the Southeast. The military has a massive footprint in the Jacksonville economy and culture. The air show at NAS Jax, which features the Blue Angels periodically, draws enormous crowds.

Lynyrd Skynyrd Is from Jacksonville

The band that gave us "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird" was formed right here in Jacksonville. The founding members were all local and grew up in the Westside of the city. See our full list of famous musicians from Jacksonville for more — and our broader famous people from Jacksonville list if you want the full picture. Jacksonville takes its rock history seriously.

The City Hosts One of the Biggest College Football Parties in the Country

The Florida-Georgia Game, played annually in Jacksonville at EverBank Stadium, is nicknamed "the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party." It draws over 80,000 fans plus thousands more who come just for the surrounding events and tailgates. Get the full game-day guide in our Florida-Georgia Game guide. It's one of the most unique traditions in college football and it happens right here.

Want even more? Check out 50 things we love about Jacksonville for the full celebration.