North Florida | |
---|---|
Country | United States |
State | Florida |
Largest city | Jacksonville |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 3,753,144 (approximate area) [1] |
North Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida comprising the northernmost part of the state. Along with South Florida and Central Florida, it is one of Florida's three most common "directional" regions. It includes Jacksonville and nearby localities in Northeast Florida, an interior region known as North Central Florida, and the Florida Panhandle. North Florida is considered to be part of the Southern United States, namely the Deep South, and contains the state capital of Tallahassee.
As with many vernacular regions, North Florida does not have any officially designated boundaries or status, and is defined differently in different sources. A 2007 study of Florida's regions by geographers Ary Lamme and Raymond K. Oldakowski found that Floridians surveyed identified "North Florida" as comprising the northernmost areas of the state, including both the peninsula and the Florida Panhandle. Additionally, two localized "directional" regions had emerged: North East Florida, also known as the "First Coast", representing the area around Jacksonville on the Atlantic coast, and North Central Florida, comprising the central area. [2] North Florida is one of Florida's three most common directional regions, along with Central Florida and South Florida. [3] The region includes smaller vernacular regions, particularly along the coast, including the Emerald Coast and the Big Bend on the Gulf Coast and the First Coast and Halifax area on the Atlantic. [2] Lamme and Oldakowski note that the directional region is more commonly used in the interior areas than on the coast. [3]
Enterprise Florida, the state's economic development agency, divides the state into three economic regions, used within the agency and other state and outside entities, including the Florida Department of Transportation. They identify three regions within the area identified as "North Florida" by Enterprise Florida: Northeast Florida, North Central Florida, and Northwest Florida (representing most of the Panhandle). [4]
The following regions are entirely or partly within Northern Florida:
Directional regions:
Metropolitan areas:
Vernacular regions:
Average High and Low temperatures for various North Florida Cities °F (°C) | ||||||||||||
City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Jacksonville [5] | 65/42 (18.3/5.5) | 66/45 (18.8/7.2) | 73/50 (22.7/10.0) | 79/55 (26.1/12.7) | 86/63 (30.0/17.2) | 90/70 (32.2/21.1) | 92/73 (33.3/22.7) | 91/73 (32.7/22.7) | 87/69 (30.5/20.5) | 80/61 (26.6/16.1) | 74/45 (23.3/7.2) | 67/44 (19.4/6.6) |
Pensacola [6] | 61/43 (16.1/6.1) | 64/46 (17.7/7.7) | 70/51 (21.1/10.5) | 76/58 (24.4/14.4) | 84/66 (28.8/18.8) | 89/72 (31.6/22.2) | 90/74 (32.2/23.3) | 90/74 (32.2/23.3) | 87/70 (30.5/21.1) | 80/60 (26.6/15.5) | 70/50 (21.1/10.0) | 63/45 (17.2/7.2) |
Tallahassee [7] | 64/39 (17.7/3.8) | 68/40 (20.0/4.4) | 72/47 (22.2/8.3) | 80/52 (26.6/11.1) | 87/62 (30.5/16.6) | 91/70 (32.7/21.1) | 92/72 (33.3/22.2) | 92/72 (33.3/22.2) | 89/68 (31.6/20.0) | 82/57 (27.7/13.8) | 73/48 (22.7/8.8) | 66/41 (18.8/5.0) |
Jacksonville is the largest metropolitan area in North Florida. Its cities include St. Augustine, Orange Park, and Fernandina Beach, this area is sometimes referred to as the First Coast. Other metropolitan areas include Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, Panama City-Lynn Haven, and Palm Coast. Important cities considered micropolitan areas include Lake City and Palatka.
City | 2020 population | 2010 population [8] | County |
---|---|---|---|
Jacksonville | 949,611 | 821,784 | Duval |
Tallahassee | 196,169 | 181,376 | Leon |
Gainesville | 141,085 | 124,354 | Alachua |
Palm Coast | 89,258 | 75,180 | Flagler |
Ocala | 63,591 | 56,707 | Marion |
Pensacola | 54,312 | 51,923 | Escambia |
Panama City | 32,939 | 36,484 | Bay |
Jacksonville Beach | 23,830 | 21,362 | Duval |
St. Augustine | 14,329 | 12,975 | St. Johns |
Lamme and Oldakowski's survey identifies several demographic, political, and cultural elements that characterize North Florida and distinguish it from other areas of the state. North Floridians considered North Florida to be part of the South and "Dixie". Additionally, residents of some parts of North Florida considered their area to be in the Bible Belt, while residents of other parts of the state did not. [2] A popular expression of people in this region of the state goes "In Florida, the farther north you go, the farther South you are."
Politically, in contrast to Central Florida, where a majority considered their part of the state moderate, and South Florida, which was more liberal, residents of North Florida overwhelmingly (76%) considered their part of the state conservative; 16% considered it moderate and 8% considered it liberal. [9] Lamme and Oldakowski's findings track with Barney Warf and Cynthia Waddell's studies of Florida's political geography during the 2000 Presidential election. [9] [10]
Lamme and Oldakowski's survey also found some cultural indicators that characterize North Florida. In general, North Florida was similar to Central Florida and differed from South Florida in these measures. In North and Central Florida, American cuisine was the most popular food, in contrast to South Florida, where ethnic foods were equally popular. [11] Additionally, while there was little geographical variation for most styles of music, there was regional variation for both country and Latin music. Country was popular in North and Central Florida, and less so in South Florida, while Latin was less popular in North and Central Florida, and more so in South Florida. [11]
Lamme and Oldakowski noted that North Florida's economy was much more diversified than Central and South Florida, where tourism was by far the most significant industry. While tourism was a significant factor in North Florida's economy, particularly in the Emerald Coast, other important industries included agriculture in rural areas, education in Tallahassee and Gainesville, and military and finance in Jacksonville. [12]
Major military bases in the region include the Pensacola Naval Air Station, Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Camp Blanding, Naval Station Mayport, Corry Station Naval Technical Training Center, Naval Support Activity Panama City, Blount Island Command, Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field.
Major attractions include the Big Kahuna's, Marineland of Florida, Florida State Capitol, World Golf Village, Historic Pensacola Village, and historic sites in St. Augustine. North Florida also has a wide variety of natural attractions including the Ravine Gardens State Park, Big Lagoon State Park, Osceola National Forest, and Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. North Florida also has three major zoos, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park and Gulf Breeze Zoo.
Major malls and shopping districts include The Avenues, Butler Plaza, Five Points, Gateway Town Center, Governor's Square, Jacksonville Landing, The Oaks Mall, Orange Park Mall, Paddock Mall, Pier Park, Regency Square, River City Marketplace, St. Johns Town Center and University Town Plaza.
The following are major central business districts:
Thousands of companies are headquartered in North Florida. Among those, the following 4 are in the Fortune 1000:
Additional notable companies headquartered (or with a significant presence) in North Florida include (some defunct or subsumed):
Areas under federal protection include Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, Fort Matanzas National Monument, Fort Caroline National Memorial, Gulf Islands National Seashore, and Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. National forests occupy large sections of North Florida, including the Apalachicola National Forest, Choctawhatchee National Forest and Osceola National Forest.
State University System
State College System
(Partial list)
(Partial list)
The following airports currently have regularly scheduled commercial service:
Airport | ID | City | Category | 2016 Enplanements |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jacksonville International Airport | JAX | Jacksonville | Medium Hub | 2,729,129 |
Pensacola International Airport | PNS | Pensacola | Small Hub | 792,916 |
Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport | VPS | Destin/Fort Walton Beach | Non Hub | 440,002 |
Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport | ECP | Panama City Beach | Non Hub | 434,302 |
Tallahassee International Airport | TLH | Tallahassee | Non Hub | 345,404 |
Gainesville Regional Airport | GNV | Gainesville | Non Hub | 207,330 |
Ocala International Airport | OCF | Ocala | Non Hub | 207,300 |
Northeast Florida Regional Airport | SGJ | St. Augustine | Non Hub | 28,462 |
Interstates:
U.S. Routes:
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has generic name (help)Lake City is a city in and the county seat of Columbia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 12,329, up from 12,046 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Lake City Micropolitan Statistical Area, composed of Columbia County, as well as a principal city of the Gainesville—Lake City, Florida Combined Statistical Area. Lake City is 60 miles west of Jacksonville.
U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. It generally travels near Interstate 10 (I-10) and passes through the southern states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. US 90 also includes part of the DeSoto Trail between Tallahassee and Lake City, Florida.
Florida's First Coast, or simply the First Coast, is a region of the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida. The First Coast refers to the same general area as the directional region of Northeast Florida. It consists roughly of the counties abutting Jacksonville—Duval, Baker, Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns—and nearby Flagler County and Putnam County. The name originated in a marketing campaign in the 1980s, and has become part of Florida's regional vernacular.
The Florida panhandle is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida. It is a salient roughly 200 miles (320 km) long, bordered by Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is arbitrarily defined. It is defined by its southern culture and rural geography relative to the rest of Florida, as well as closer cultural links to French-influenced Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Its major communities include Pensacola, Navarre, Destin, Panama City Beach, and Tallahassee.
South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the two others are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of the continental United States and the only region of the continental U.S. that includes some areas with a tropical climate.
State Road A1A (SR A1A) is a major north–south Florida State Road consisting of seven separate sections running a total of 338.752 miles (545.168 km) along the Atlantic Ocean, from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Fernandina Beach, just south of Georgia on Amelia Island. It is the main road through most oceanfront towns. Part of SR A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway, a National Scenic Byway. A portion of SR A1A that passes through Volusia County is designated the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail, a Florida Scenic Highway. It is also called the Indian River Lagoon Scenic Highway from State Road 510 at Wabasso Beach to U.S. Route 1 in Cocoa. In 2024, the entirety of A1A from Key West to the Georgia state line was designated the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway. SR A1A is famous worldwide as a center of beach culture in the United States, a scenic coastal route through most Atlantic coastal cities and beach towns, including the unique tropical coral islands of the Florida Keys. SR A1A also serves as a major thoroughfare through Miami Beach and other south Florida coastal cities.
Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, including the Tampa Bay area and the Greater Orlando area, though in recent times the Tampa Bay area has often been described as its own region, with "Central Florida" becoming more synonymous with the Orlando area.
The Treasure Coast is a region in the southeast of the U.S. state of Florida. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and comprises Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie counties. The region, whose name refers to the Spanish Treasure Fleet that was lost in a 1715 hurricane, evidently emerged from residents' desire to distinguish themselves from the Gold Coast to the south.
The Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad was the final name of a system of railroads throughout Florida, becoming part of the Seaboard Air Line Railway in 1900. The system, including some of the first railroads in Florida, stretched from Jacksonville west through Tallahassee and south to Tampa. Much of the FC&P network is still in service under the ownership of CSX Transportation.
North central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida which comprises the north-central part of the state and encompasses the north Florida counties of Alachua, Marion, Putnam, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, and Union. The region's largest city is Gainesville, home of the University of Florida and center of the Gainesville metropolitan area, which is the largest metro area of the region. As of 2020, the region had a population of 575,622 people.
Interstate 10 (I-10) runs for 362 miles (583 km) in Florida as the easternmost section of an east–west Interstate Highway in the southern United States. It is also the eastern end of one of three coast-to-coast Interstates, along with I-80 and I-90. The highway runs east from the Alabama border, traveling through the Panhandle of Florida, serving the major cities of Pensacola, Tallahassee, Lake City, ending at Jacksonville, and carries the hidden Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) designation of State Road 8 (SR 8).
The Big Bend of Florida, United States, is an informally named geographic region of North Florida where the Florida Panhandle transitions to the Florida Peninsula south and east of Tallahassee. The region is known for its vast woodlands and marshlands and its low population density relative to much of the state. The area is home to the largest single spring in the United States, the Alapaha Rise, and the longest surveyed underwater cave in the United States, the 32-mile (51 km) Wakulla-Leon Sinks cave system.
U.S. Route 90 (US 90) in the state of Florida is the northernmost east–west United States Numbered Highway in the state. US 90 not only passes through the county seats of all the 16 counties it runs through on its course in Florida and is also the road upon which many of the county courthouses are located, but it was the first paved road in Florida. It is never more than six miles (9.7 km) from Interstate 10 (I-10) throughout the state. It runs as a two-lane highway through most of the sparsely populated inland areas of the Florida Panhandle, widening to four lanes through and near several towns. The speed limit is 55 mph (89 km/h) for all rural points west of Monticello, and it is 60 mph (97 km/h) on all rural points from where it enters Madison County as far as Glen St. Mary.
Transportation in Florida includes a variety of options, including Interstate Highways, U.S. Highways, and Florida State Roads; Amtrak and commuter rail services; airports, public transportation, and sea ports, in a number of the state's counties and regions.
The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the U.S. state of Florida.
The Halifax area or simply Daytona is a region of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the area around Daytona Beach. It is roughly coextensive with the Daytona Beach metropolitan area and Volusia County. There have been a number of attempts to establish a regional identity for Daytona, including dubbing it the "Surf Coast" and "Fun Coast". The name "Halifax area" refers to the Halifax River, which runs through Daytona Beach and other nearby municipalities.
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