Fernandina Beach, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fernandina Beach
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| City of Fernandina Beach | ||
Images from top, left to right: Beach, statue of a pirate (the mascot of Fernandina Beach High School), Nassau County Courthouse (Florida), shrimp statue (representing the annual Shrimp Festival), United States Post Office, Custom House, and Courthouse (Fernandina, Florida, 1912), Fort Clinch, Old School House, Fort Clinch Pier
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| Nickname(s):
Isle of 8 Flags
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Location in Nassau County and the state of Florida
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 Fernandina Beach
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States of America | |
| State | Florida | |
| County | Nassau | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Commissioner-Manager | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 12.62 sq mi (32.68 km2) | |
| • Land | 11.83 sq mi (30.64 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.79 sq mi (2.04 km2) | |
| Elevation | 25 ft (7.6 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 13,052 | |
| • Density | 1,103.11/sq mi (425.92/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP codes |
32034-32035
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| Area code(s) | 904, 324 | |
| FIPS code | 12-22175 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0294308 | |
| Website | www.fbfl.us. | |
Fernandina Beach is a city in northeastern Florida and the county seat of Nassau County, Florida, United States. It is the northernmost city on Florida's Atlantic coast, situated on Amelia Island, and is one of the municipalities comprising Greater Jacksonville (formally the Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area). The area was first inhabited by the Timucuan Indian people. Known as the "Isle of 8 Flags", Amelia Island has had the flags of the following nations flown over it: France, Spain, Great Britain, Spain (again), the Republic of East Florida (1812), the Republic of the Floridas (1817), Mexico, the Confederate States of America, and the United States.
The French, English, and Spanish all maintained a presence on Amelia Island at various times during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, but the Spanish established Fernandina. The town of Fernandina, which was about a mile from the present city, was named in honor of King Ferdinand VII of Spain by the governor of the Spanish province of East Florida, Enrique White. Fernandina has the distinction of being the last Spanish city platted in the Western Hemisphere, in 1811.
According to the 2020 census, the city population was 13,052, up from 11,487 at the 2010 census. It is the seat of Nassau County. It is also the largest incorporated city in the county, since Yulee is an unincorporated town.
Contents
History
Prior to the arrival of Europeans on what is now Amelia Island, the site of the original town of Fernandina was occupied by Native Americans. Native American bands associated with the Timucuan mound-building culture had settled on the island about 1000 A.D., calling it Napoyca. They remained on the island until the early 18th century, when European settlement began there. In 1736, James Oglethorpe, the governor of Georgia, ordered Fort Amelia to be built at the mouth of the St. Marys River to house a garrison of Scottish Highlanders. The American naturalist William Bartram visited Amelia Island in 1774, noting the presence of several very large tumuli, or earthwork mounds, which the colonists called "Ogeechee mounts". France, England, and Spain all had maintained a presence on the island intermittently during the 16th through 18th centuries, but the first permanent European settlement was not made until Spain took over Florida from Britain at the end of the American Revolution. During later colonial times the site had gained military importance because of its deep harbor and its strategic location near the northern boundary of Spanish Florida. On January 1, 1811, Enrique White, governor of Spain's East Florida province, named the town of Fernandina, about a mile from the present city, in honor of King Ferdinand VII. On May 10 of that year, Fernandina became the last town platted under the Laws of the Indies in the Western hemisphere. The town was intended as a bulwark against U.S. territorial expansion. In the following years, it was captured and recaptured by a succession of renegades and privateers. The proclamation of the Adams-Onis Treaty on February 22, 1821, two years after its signing in 1819, officially transferred Spain's territories in Florida, including Amelia Island, to the United States.
Geography
Fernandina Beach is located at 30°24′04″N 81°16′27″W / 30.4010°N 81.2742°W, approximately 25 miles (40 km) northeast of downtown Jacksonville.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.7 square miles (41 km2), all land. It is the northernmost city on the eastern coast of Florida.
Climate
| Climate data for Fernandina Beach, Florida (elevation 49 ft.) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 63.0 (17.2) |
65.8 (18.8) |
71.2 (21.8) |
76.8 (24.9) |
83.3 (28.5) |
88.0 (31.1) |
90.6 (32.6) |
89.3 (31.8) |
85.6 (29.8) |
79.2 (26.2) |
72.2 (22.3) |
64.9 (18.3) |
77.5 (25.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 53.8 (12.1) |
56.5 (13.6) |
61.9 (16.6) |
67.7 (19.8) |
75.0 (23.9) |
80.4 (26.9) |
82.6 (28.1) |
82.1 (27.8) |
79.2 (26.2) |
72.1 (22.3) |
63.9 (17.7) |
56.3 (13.5) |
69.3 (20.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 44.5 (6.9) |
47.2 (8.4) |
52.6 (11.4) |
58.6 (14.8) |
66.7 (19.3) |
72.8 (22.7) |
74.6 (23.7) |
74.9 (23.8) |
72.8 (22.7) |
65.0 (18.3) |
55.6 (13.1) |
47.6 (8.7) |
61.1 (16.2) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.42 (87) |
3.20 (81) |
3.92 (100) |
2.82 (72) |
2.31 (59) |
5.27 (134) |
5.52 (140) |
5.82 (148) |
6.91 (176) |
4.59 (117) |
2.08 (53) |
2.95 (75) |
48.81 (1,240) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.1 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 11.5 | 11.9 | 12.5 | 11.8 | 8.1 | 7.3 | 8.2 | 109.1 |
| Source: NOAA (1981-2010 Normals) | |||||||||||||
Economy
In 2020, the total value of products produced in Fernandina Beach, Florida was $87.9 million.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 1,390 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,722 | 23.9% | |
| 1880 | 2,562 | 48.8% | |
| 1890 | 2,803 | 9.4% | |
| 1900 | 3,245 | 15.8% | |
| 1910 | 3,482 | 7.3% | |
| 1920 | 3,147 | −9.6% | |
| 1930 | 3,023 | −3.9% | |
| 1940 | 3,492 | 15.5% | |
| 1950 | 4,420 | 26.6% | |
| 1960 | 7,276 | 64.6% | |
| 1970 | 6,955 | −4.4% | |
| 1980 | 7,224 | 3.9% | |
| 1990 | 8,765 | 21.3% | |
| 2000 | 10,549 | 20.4% | |
| 2010 | 11,487 | 8.9% | |
| 2020 | 13,052 | 13.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
| Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 9,216 | 10,633 | 80.23% | 81.47% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,320 | 1,001 | 11.49% | 7.67% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 38 | 17 | 0.33% | 0.13% |
| Asian (NH) | 131 | 114 | 1.14% | 0.87% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 9 | 21 | 0.08% | 0.16% |
| Some other race (NH) | 16 | 38 | 0.14% | 0.29% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 147 | 407 | 1.28% | 3.12% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 610 | 821 | 5.31% | 6.29% |
| Total | 11,487 | 13,052 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,052 people, 5,869 households, and 3,544 families residing in the city.
Of the population in 2020, 4.0% were under 5 years old, 10.8% were under 18 years old, and 33.5% were 65 years or older. 49.8% of the population were female. There were a reported 1,576 veterans living in the city. 8.8% of the population were foreign born persons. 9.4% of those under the age of 65 years old lived with a disability and 15.1% of that same population did not have health insurance. There were 2.12 persons per household.
In 2020, 81.0% of the housing units were owner-occupied. The median value of those owner-occupied housing units was $356,600. The median gross rent was $1,041. The median household income was $80,260 with a per capita income of $50,051. 10.2% of the population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2020, 97.9% of households had a computer and 96.5% had a broadband internet subscription. 95.5% of the population 25 years and older were high school graduates or higher and 45.5% of that same population had a bachelor's degree or higher.
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 11,487 people, 4,789 households, and 3017 families residing in the city.
Ethnicity
As of 2016 the largest self-reported ancestries/ethnicities in Fernandina Beach, Florida were:
| Largest ancestries (2016) | Percent |
|---|---|
English  |
14.7% |
American  |
14.5% |
German  |
12.6% |
Irish  |
10.2% |
Italian  |
5.2% |
French  |
3.3% |
Polish  |
3.0% |
Scottish  |
2.1% |
Scots-Irish (Ulster/Northern Ireland)  |
2.1% |
Dutch  |
1.4% |
Welsh  |
1.3% |
Norwegian  |
1.2% |
Russian  |
0.6% |
Education
The public schools of Fernandina Beach are part of the Nassau County School District. They include:
- Southside Elementary School (Pre-K–2)
- Emma Love Hardee Elementary School (3–5)
- Fernandina Beach Middle School (6–8)
- Fernandina Beach High School (9–12)
Private schools:
- Amelia Island Montessori School (Preschool–8)
- Fernandina Beach Christian Academy (K–8)
- St. Michael's Academy (Pre-K–8)
Note: Atlantic Elementary (2nd and 3rd grades) was closed at the end of the 2008 school year. After the closing, 2nd grade was moved to Southside and 3rd grade to Emma Love. Also, the private Catholic school, St. Michael's Academy, is in downtown Fernandina Beach. All three Fernandina Beach public schools are "A" rated by the State of Florida. The nickname of Fernandina Beach High School's athletic teams is the "Pirates". Amelia Island Montessori School is near American Beach and is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools and is an associate member school with the American Montessori Society.
Library
Nassau County Public Library operates the Fernandina Beach Branch which is located at 25 N. 4th Street. This is the main branch in the library system with a variety of services. The library also is a passport acceptance facility. This location underwent major renovations beginning in 2014 through early 2015, but is still currently located in the historic downtown area.
Notable people
- William B. Allen, political scientist who was chairman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights from 1988 to 1989, was born in Fernandina Beach in 1944
- Liberty Billings, Reconstruction era politician
- Raymond A. Brown, attorney whose clients included Black Liberation Army member Assata Shakur, boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter and "Dr. X" physician Mario Jascalevich
- George Rainsford Fairbanks, a Confederate Major in the U.S. Civil War, he was also a historian, lawyer and Florida State Senator. The Fairbanks House is listed on the NRHP and is operated as a bed and breakfast lodging establishment
- Joseph Finegan, businessman, Brigadier general for the Confederate States Army; resident of Fernandina Beach
- Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley, wife of slave trader and planter Zephaniah Kingsley, lived in Fernandina (at the time it was not yet Fernandina Beach) during all of 1814 and part of 1815.
- Samuel Petty, politician
- Rick Stockstill, football head coach at Middle Tennessee; raised in Fernandina Beach
- David Levy Yulee, Florida Territorial representative to Congress and the first U.S. Senator from Florida when it became a state, member of the Confederate Congress, builder of Florida's first cross-state railroad (Fernandina to Cedar Key), and the first person of Jewish ancestry to serve as a United States Senator. There is a statue of Yulee in the town
Attractions
The 1988 fantasy film The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking was filmed in Fernandina Beach and at soundstages in Jacksonville. The house that stood in for Villa Villekulla, Pippi's home, is known locally as Captain Bell's House and is on Estrada Street in the Old Town area directly across from the Fernandina Plaza (parade ground for the Spanish fort) and overlooking the Amelia River.
The Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival occurs annually over the first weekend in May. Events and activities of the festival include vendors with seafood, arts, crafts, collectibles and antiques, live music, the Miss Shrimp Festival pageant, a fireworks display and a parade.
Historic places
- Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site
- Fairbanks House
- Historic Nassau County Courthouse
- United States Post Office, Custom House, and Courthouse (Fernandina, Florida, 1912)
- Fort Clinch State Park
- See National Register of Historic Places listings in Nassau County, Florida
See also
In Spanish: Fernandina Beach para niños
