First Coast

Understand

This is the northeastern corner of Florida, on the border with Georgia. While barrier islands continue into Georgia, the series of easily accessible islands changes once you cross the state lines. Therefore, this is one of the northernmost tourist beach destinations until you get to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina and some other places farther north on the East Coast.

Jacksonville and neighboring cities are united into a region by the St. John's River, which flows north from Central Florida, the western part of the Jacksonville/First Coast area, and out to the Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville. Jacksonville is the region's main city in terms of population, being a "consolidated city-county" — in plain English, a city that became large enough that itself and its county (Duval) are one. The merging of city and county, when cities such as Orlando and Tampa have seen suburban growth outside the city limits, gives Jacksonville the title of Florida's largest city, although in reality this is not true. It is around fourth largest in terms of metropolitan areas (so still large), after Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa/St. Pete. It is one of Florida's oldest cities, although Florida's population boom took place in the early 20th century, so this is not old like cities farther north such as Charleston and Savannah. However, there are some historic sites and of course Jacksonville Beach. Jacksonville metro is the location of the University of North Florida.

Going south is the small town of St. Augustine, the region's main tourist destination. Despite its small size, it is the oldest city on the Florida Peninsula and was for some time the largest settlement. Founded in 1565 by the Spanish, it is the oldest European settlement in the United States' current boundaries, and Spanish culture and historic sites abound in the town, making it a "must-see" for any tourist visiting the area.

Other towns include Flagler Beach and Palm Coast, both to the south. Flagler Beach is a small town, and Palm Coast is a growing suburb on I-95.

Like the Florida Panhandle, the First Coast experiences a winter unlike most other parts of the state. Flagler County in the south of this region is the beginning of the transition to the semitropical climate.

Cities

• Metro Jacksonville — North Florida's principal urban area, with a population of over 1.3 million, encompassing:

* Jacksonville * Callahan * Fernandina Beach * Green Cove Springs * Jacksonville Beach * Neptune Beach * Mayport * Orange Park * Ponte Vedra Beach

• Butler Beach — beach town and site of Frank Butler County Park
• Crescent Beach — beach town with views of the Intracoastal Waterway near Fort Matanzas
• Flagler Beach — beach town between St. Augustine and Ormond Beach
• Hammock Beach — beach community and resort northeast of Palm Coast
• Palm Coast — largest city in Flagler County; primarily residential
• St. Augustine — old Spanish city with beautiful streets and architecture
• Vilano Beach — beach town east of St. Augustine
• Yulee — small town near Jacksonville and Amelia Island

Other destinations

• Bulow Plantation
• Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve

Get in

By plane

• Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) has regular flights to many US cities with major carriers such as Delta, United, American, JetBlue, and Southwest.

Regional airports

• Northeast Florida Regional Airport UST, 4 mi north of St. Augustine, and about 30 mi south of Jacksonville.

By bus

• Greyhound/Flixbus, Jacksonville, serves Palm Coast, Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach from Jacksonville on their way towards South Florida. Going west they connect Jacksonville to Pensacola via Lake City, Tallahassee and Panama City.

By car

Major highways entering the region include I-10, I-95, US-1, US-90, and FL-A1A.

By train

• Amtrak, +1-800-872-7245. Service by the Silver Service/Palmetto lines to Jacksonville and Palatka.

By boat

The Marineland Marina offers over 20 slips for vessels as well as full customer service, including restrooms, showers, and laundry facilities.

Stay safe

As with most other regions of the USA, Northeast Florida has varying levels of crime. Jacksonville has much higher-than-average crime rates, and other large urban centers also have their share of crime.

Politically, this is one of the most staunchly Republican areas in the state.

Go next

• North Central Florida
• Volusia County
• Coastal Georgia