Duval County, Florida

Coordinates: 30°20′N 81°39′W / 30.33°N 81.65°W / 30.33; -81.65
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Duval County
City of Jacksonville and Duval County
Duval County Courthouse
Duval County Courthouse
Map of Florida highlighting Duval County
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°20′N 81°39′W / 30.33°N 81.65°W / 30.33; -81.65
Country United States
State Florida
FoundedAugust 12, 1822[1]
Named forWilliam Pope Duval
SeatJacksonville
Largest cityJacksonville
Government
 • MayorDonna Deegan
Area
 • Total918 sq mi (2,380 km2)
 • Land762 sq mi (1,970 km2)
 • Water156 sq mi (400 km2)  17.0%
Population
 (2022)
 • Total1,016,536Increase
 • Density1,231/sq mi (475/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts4th, 5th
Websitecoj.net

Duval County (/djˈvɔːl/ dew-VAWL) is in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of July 2022, the population was 1,016,536, up from 864,263 in 2010. It is Florida's sixth-most populous county.[2] Its county seat is Jacksonville, with which the Duval County government has been consolidated since 1968.[3] Duval County was established in 1822, and is named for William Pope Duval, Governor of Florida Territory from 1822 to 1834. Duval County is the central county of the Jacksonville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History[edit]

This area had been settled by varying cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years before European contact. Within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve in Jacksonville, archeologists have excavated remains of some of the oldest pottery in the United States, dating to 2500 BCE. Prior to European contact, the area was inhabited by the Mocama, a Timucuan-speaking group who lived throughout the coastal areas of northern Florida.[4] At the time Europeans arrived, much of what is now Duval County was controlled by the Saturiwa, one of the region's most powerful tribes. The area that became Duval County was home to the 16th-century French colony of Fort Caroline, and saw increased European settlement in the 18th century with the establishment of Cowford, later renamed Jacksonville.

Duval County was created in 1822 from St. Johns County. It was named for William Pope Duval, Governor of Florida Territory from 1822 to 1834.[5] When Duval County was created, it covered a massive area, from the Suwannee River on the west to the Atlantic Ocean on the east, north of a line from the mouth of the Suwannee River to Jacksonville on the St. Johns River. Alachua and Nassau counties were created out of parts of Duval County in 1824. Clay County was created from part of Duval County in 1858. Part of St. Johns County south and east of the lower reaches of the St. Johns River was transferred to Duval County in the 1840s.[6]

Government[edit]

On October 1, 1968, the government of Duval County was consolidated with the government of the city of Jacksonville. The Duval County cities of Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, and Neptune Beach, and the town of Baldwin are not included in the corporate limits of Jacksonville and maintain their own municipal governments. The city of Jacksonville provides all services that a county government would normally provide. The Mayor of Jacksonville serves as the chief administrator over all of Duval County.

Geography[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 918 square miles (2,380 km2), of which 762 square miles (1,970 km2) is land and 156 square miles (400 km2) (17.0%) is water.[7] The topography is coastal plain; however there are some rolling hills.

National protected areas[edit]

Adjacent counties[edit]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18301,970
18404,156111.0%
18504,5399.2%
18605,07411.8%
187011,921134.9%
188019,43163.0%
189026,80037.9%
190039,73348.3%
191075,16389.2%
1920113,54051.1%
1930155,50337.0%
1940210,14335.1%
1950304,02944.7%
1960455,41149.8%
1970528,86516.1%
1980571,0038.0%
1990672,97117.9%
2000778,87915.7%
2010864,26311.0%
2020995,56715.2%
2022 (est.)1,016,536[8]2.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[2][failed verification]
Duval County racial composition as of 2020
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[a]
Race Pop 2010[10] Pop 2020[11] % 2010 % 2020
White (NH) 488,826 492,039 56.56% 49.42%
Black or African American (NH) 250,063 286,344 28.93% 28.76%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 2,816 2,306 0.33% 0.23%
Asian (NH) 35,381 48,652 4.09% 4.89%
Pacific Islander (NH) 688 960 0.08% 0.1%
Some Other Race (NH) 2,006 6,837 0.23% 0.69%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 19,085 45,740 2.21% 4.59%
Hispanic or Latino 65,398 112,689 7.57% 11.32%
Total 864,263 995,567

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 995,567 people, 369,704 households, and 225,060 families residing in the county.

2010 Census[edit]

U.S. Census Bureau 2010 Ethnic/Race Demographics:[12][13]

In 2010, 6.7% of the population considered themselves to be of only "American" ancestry (regardless of race or ethnicity.)[12]

Of the 342,450 households 28.68% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.92% were married couples living together, 16.74% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.27% were non-families. 24.85% of households were one person and 8.05% (2.29% male and 5.76% female) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.04.[13][16]

The age distribution was 23.5% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% 65 or older. The median age was 35.8 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.[16]

The median household income was $49,463 and the median family income was $60,114. Males had a median income of $42,752 versus $34,512 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,854. About 10.4% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those aged 65 or over.[17]

In 2010, 9.0% of the county's population was foreign born, with 49.5% being naturalized American citizens. Of foreign-born residents, 38.2% were born in Latin America, 35.6% born in Asia, 17.9% were born in Europe, 5.8% born in Africa, 2.0% in North America, and 0.5% were born in Oceania.[12]

2000 Census[edit]

The racial makeup of the county was 65.80% White (63.6% were Non-Hispanic White,)[18] 27.83% African American or Black, 0.33% Native American, 2.71% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.31% from other races, and 1.96% from two or more races. 4.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 303,747 households 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.50% were married couples living together, 15.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.60% were non-families. 26.50% of households were one person and 7.80% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.06.

The age distribution was 26.30% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 32.40% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 10.50% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males.

The median household income was $40,703 and the median family income was $47,689. Males had a median income of $32,954 versus $26,015 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,753. 11.90% of the population and 9.20% of families were below the poverty line, including 16.40% of those under the age of 18 and 11.60% of those age 65 or older.

Languages[edit]

As of 2010, 87.36% of all residents spoke English as their first language, while 5.74% spoke Spanish, 1.18% Tagalog, 0.53% Arabic, 0.48% Serbo-Croatian, 0.47% Vietnamese, and 0.46% of the population spoke French Creole (mostly Haitian Creole) as their mother language.[19] In total, 12.64% of the population spoke languages other than English as their primary language.[19]

Politics[edit]

Voter registration[edit]

According to the Secretary of State's office, Democrats comprise a plurality of registered voters in Duval County.

Duval County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of January 31, 2024[20]
Political Party Total Voters Percentage
Democratic 248,438 38.75%
Republican 229,697 35.82%
Independent 146,630 22.87%
Third Parties 16,421 2.56%
Total 641,186 100.00%

Statewide and national elections[edit]

Duval County is somewhat conservative for an urban county, and it began moving away from the Democratic Party sooner than the majority of Florida counties. Despite the small Democratic plurality in registration, the county's Democrats are nowhere near as liberal as their counterparts in other large Florida counties, such as Miami-Dade and Orange. The county has only supported a Democrat for president three times since 1952, in 1960, 1976, and 2020.

However, the Republican edge in Duval has lessened somewhat in recent years. It swung from a 16-point win for George W. Bush in 2004 to only a three-point win for John McCain in 2008. Mitt Romney won an equally narrow margin in 2012 and in 2016, Donald Trump only won the county by fewer than 6,000 votes even as he narrowly carried Florida. In 2020, Joe Biden, despite losing statewide, broke the 44-year Democratic drought in Duval County, winning by less than four points.

In 2018, Andrew Gillum, despite losing the election, won Duval by four points, the first time a Democrat had won the county in a gubernatorial election since Steve Pajcic's losing bid in 1986. Four years later, however, Duval rebounded to vote for Ron DeSantis by over 10 points. In the Senate elections, Bill Nelson only failed to carry the county in his first bid in 2000, and Lawton Chiles and Bob Graham carried the county in all three of their respective bids.

United States presidential election results for Duval County, Florida[21]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 233,762 47.30% 252,556 51.11% 7,843 1.59%
2016 211,672 48.48% 205,704 47.12% 19,197 4.40%
2012 211,615 51.27% 196,737 47.67% 4,381 1.06%
2008 210,537 50.53% 202,618 48.63% 3,538 0.85%
2004 220,190 57.78% 158,610 41.62% 2,261 0.59%
2000 152,460 57.49% 108,039 40.74% 4,682 1.77%
1996 126,959 49.96% 112,328 44.20% 14,836 5.84%
1992 123,631 49.47% 92,098 36.85% 34,197 13.68%
1988 128,081 62.79% 74,894 36.72% 1,004 0.49%
1984 128,724 62.41% 77,488 37.57% 37 0.02%
1980 98,664 50.45% 90,466 46.26% 6,424 3.29%
1976 74,997 41.08% 105,912 58.01% 1,652 0.90%
1972 122,154 72.19% 46,530 27.50% 520 0.31%
1968 51,585 30.89% 54,834 32.84% 60,559 36.27%
1964 81,116 50.55% 79,365 49.45% 0 0.00%
1960 59,073 45.73% 70,091 54.27% 0 0.00%
1956 53,481 50.17% 53,127 49.83% 0 0.00%
1952 50,346 48.27% 53,949 51.73% 0 0.00%
1948 15,379 25.76% 28,567 47.85% 15,749 26.38%
1944 12,220 24.89% 36,867 75.11% 0 0.00%
1940 9,177 18.29% 41,003 81.71% 0 0.00%
1936 5,368 17.12% 25,989 82.88% 0 0.00%
1932 6,096 24.25% 19,038 75.75% 0 0.00%
1928 16,919 63.39% 9,316 34.91% 454 1.70%
1924 3,291 28.93% 5,908 51.93% 2,177 19.14%
1920 6,628 31.18% 13,650 64.21% 979 4.61%
1916 1,339 16.83% 5,456 68.57% 1,162 14.60%
1912 243 5.20% 3,514 75.26% 912 19.53%
1908 641 18.00% 2,381 66.84% 540 15.16%
1904 671 21.91% 2,011 65.65% 381 12.44%
1900 773 27.73% 1,857 66.61% 158 5.67%
1896 1,462 39.58% 1,903 51.52% 329 8.91%
1892 0 0.00% 1,442 95.18% 73 4.82%
Gubernatorial election results
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2022 55.44% 182,569 43.68% 143,837 0.88% 2,913
2018 47.35% 179,869 51.74% 196,537 0.90% 3,431
2014 54.22% 146,407 41.49% 112,026 4.29% 11,600
2010 51.60% 135,074 45.88% 120,097 2.52% 6,614
2006 58.86% 132,607 38.93% 87,718 2.21% 4,972
2002 61.35% 148,923 38.01% 92,263 0.64% 1,556
1998 60.15% 111,716 39.85% 74,016 0.00% 4
1994 57.22% 108,900 42.53% 80,945 0.25% 471

Education[edit]

Duval County Public Schools headquarters

Duval County Public Schools operates public schools in the county.

Duval County is served by the Jacksonville Public Library.

Communities[edit]

  1. 842,583 - Jacksonville
  2. 21,823 - Jacksonville Beach
  3. 12,985 - Atlantic Beach
  4. 7,124 - Neptune Beach
  5. 1,430 - Baldwin

2013 estimate population[22]

Transportation[edit]

Public transportation[edit]

Public transportation is provided by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority.

Major highways[edit]

Airports[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[9]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Publications of the Florida Historical Society. Florida Historical Society. 1908. p. 31.
  2. ^ a b "US Census Bureau QuickFacts".
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ Matt Soergel, "Archaeologists help distinguish Mocama group" Archived December 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Morris News Service, 25 October 2009, accessed 11 May 2010
  5. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 111.
  6. ^ Fernald, Edward A., Ed. (1981) Atlas of Florida. The Florida State University Foundation, Inc. ISBN 0-9606708-0-7 P.131
    Alachua County Maps
    Nassau County Maps
    Clay County Maps
  7. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  8. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2022". County Population Totals: 2020-2022. U.S. Census Bureau. March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  9. ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  10. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  11. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Duval County: Selected Social Characteristics in the United States 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d "Duval County Demographic Characteristics". ocala.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  14. ^ "Duval County, Florida FIRST ANCESTRY REPORTED Universe: Total population - 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  15. ^ "Duval County, Florida Hispanic or Latino by Type: 2010 – 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  16. ^ a b "Duval County: Age Groups and Sex: 2010 - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  17. ^ "Duval County, Florida: SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS - 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  18. ^ "Demographics of Duval County, FL". MuniNetGuide.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  19. ^ a b "Modern Language Association Data Center Results of Duval County, Florida". Modern Language Association. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  20. ^ "Voter Registration - By County and Party". Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  21. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  22. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Florida". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.

External links[edit]

Government links[edit]

Elected constitutional offices[edit]

Special districts[edit]

Judicial branch[edit]

Tourism[edit]