Jacksonville is the largest city in the continental United States by land mass at more than 800 square miles. It is also the fourteenth largest city in the US by population and the largest city in Florida. The City of Jacksonville operates the largest urban park system in the United States with more than 80,000 acres dedicated to parks and community areas. Here are some quick facts on Jacksonville, Florida for your next Q&A night!
Jacksonville facts and trivia
- Jacksonville was known as Cowford until 1822 because cattle were transported across the St. John’s River.
- Although the Great Fire of 1901 was the most destructive event in Jacksonville history, it was not the deadliest. Seven people died in the Great Fire. The deadliest event in Jacksonville history was the 1961 Roosevelt Hotel fire, which killed 22 people.
- Best-selling author John Grisham stays in Jacksonville frequently, usually at the Old Sea Turtle Inn in Jacksonville Beach (now renamed One Ocean Resort). The inn was featured in his novel The Brethren , along with Pete’s Bar, a local establishment.
- The annual Jacksonville Jazz Festival is the second largest jazz festival in the United States. The festival began in 1980. Over the years, artists such as Miles Davis and Tony Bennett have highlighted the event. In 2011, the headliner is Natalie Cole, daughter of Nat King Cole.
- Jacksonville was once a filmmaker’s paradise. It was known as the winter cinema capital of the world . The city featured more than 30 movie studios and thousands of silent movies were made. Due to political pressure, most of them immigrated to California.
- Elvis Presley performed his first indoor concert at the historic Florida Theater in 1957. Presley’s show was monitored by a judge to make sure his hip tremor didn’t get too spicy. The king stayed at the Crowne Plaza while in Jacksonville.
- Jacksonville is home to the oldest skate park in the US, Kona Skatepark in Arlington. Before becoming famous, Tony Hawk competed at the venue.
- The Dames Point Bridge, which connects downtown to the Arlington area, is the largest concrete cable-stayed bridge in the world.
- Jacksonville is known as the birthplace of the southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, but it has also produced several other notable artists, including Limp Bizkit, Cold, and Red Jump Suit Apparatus.
- Several notable movies have been filmed in Jacksonville, including The Creature from the Black Lagoon, GI Jane, Why Do Fools Fall in Love, The Manurichan Candidate (2004 remake), and The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking .
- The Riverside-Avondale Historic Area was named one of the 10 largest neighborhoods in the United States in 2010.
- Although Jacksonville has a large population, the surrounding areas are sparse. The city is the smallest television market in the US that is home to an NFL team.
