Jacksonville, Largest city by land area in Florida, US
The city sits in northeast Florida where the St. Johns River winds through marshland before reaching the Atlantic Ocean, with downtown towers rising along the southern bank. Residential neighborhoods, industrial zones, and nature preserves spread across a wide territory that extends inland and along the coast.
The settlement received its name in 1822 to honor Andrew Jackson, who served as the first military governor of the Florida Territory. Railroad expansion and port development in the late 1800s transformed it into a regional trade center, and consolidation with surrounding areas in the 1960s created one of the largest cities by land area in the nation.
Riverside neighborhoods come alive on weekends with farmers markets, outdoor concerts, and art walks where residents gather to browse local crafts and meet neighbors over coffee. The waterfront boardwalks fill with families fishing off public piers, watching boats pass by, and children feeding gulls that circle overhead.
The airport sits north of downtown and handles domestic and Caribbean routes, with rental cars and shuttles available to reach different parts of the city. Beaches along the Atlantic coast are about a 30-minute drive away, and downtown areas are walkable or reachable via a free automated peoplemover.
The city manages over 80,000 acres (32,000 hectares) of parkland and nature preserves, making it one of the largest urban park systems in the country. Some of these protected areas include coastal marshes and maritime forests where visitors can spot manatees, dolphins, and wading birds in their natural habitat.
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