Duval County is located in the northeastern part of Florida. It is a county with an estimated population of just over 900,000. Its northern end is just 10 miles from the Georgia border, and its county seat is the city of Jacksonville, which sits in the middle of the county on the banks of St. Johns River.
Before the area was inhabited by Europeans, the county was home to several different tribes of Native Americans. It wasn’t until 1822, when the settlement of Jacksonville, then called Cowford, began to gain a larger population, that the county of Duval was established. It was named after the governor of Florida at the time, William Pope Duval.
The county is filled with natural beauty. Duval County is home to two national protected areas, the Fort Caroline National Memorial, and the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. These expansive areas stretch between rivers that spider their way across the countryside. Also in the area is the Bit Talbot Island State Park and the Little Talbot Island State Park which both feature trails, beaches, and scenic drives.
Duval County is home to some of the most intriguing and old archaeological sites in the United States. Located within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve are the excavation sites of ancient pottery that is believed to have been from indigenous people who lived in the area as far back as 2500 BC.
The land that makes up Duval County is enchantingly varied. Travelers through the area will find rolling hills, swamps, rivers, plains, and beaches in a terrain that constantly surprises and delights
Duval County Cities and Towns
Jacksonville
Atlantic Beach
Baldwin
Neptune Beach