Palm Valley, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Palm Valley, Florida
CDP
Nickname(s):  "The Valley", "Paradise Valley"
Location in St. Johns County and the state of Florida
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	St. Johns
Area
• Total	13.61 sq mi (35.25 km2)
• Land	12.20 sq mi (31.59 km2)
• Water	1.41 sq mi (3.66 km2)
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,827
• Density	1,789.69/sq mi (691.01/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code(s)	904
FIPS code	12-54525
GNIS feature ID	0308066

Palm Valley is a special area in St. Johns County, Florida, in the United States. It's known as a "census-designated place" (CDP). This means it's a community with a lot of people, but it's not an officially organized city or town.

In 2020, about 21,827 people lived in Palm Valley. This number grew from 20,019 people in 2010. Palm Valley is also part of the larger Jacksonville, Florida metropolitan area.

History of Palm Valley

Long before any Spanish settlers arrived, Native American villages existed in the area we now call Palm Valley. Archeologists have found old Indian mounds. These mounds contained interesting items like tools, pottery, and even human skeletons. Early Franciscan missionaries built a mission here called The Nativity of Our Lady of Tolomato.

Around 1703, a man named Don Diego Espinoza settled in this area. His large ranch and the land around it were known as Diego Plains. In the 1730s, the ranch was made stronger to protect people from attacks. By 1739, when Great Britain and Spain were at war, the Spanish governor made the Diego farmhouse into a fort called Fort San Diego.

After a British general named James Oglethorpe tried and failed to capture St. Augustine, the Spanish military left Fort San Diego. However, other people moved into the area. They lived off the land and raised cattle.

In 1908, a canal was dug through Diego Plains. This canal connected the San Pablo River in the north to the Tolomato River near St. Augustine in the south. This new waterway, part of the Intracoastal Waterway, made it much easier for people to travel to and from the valley. Besides raising cattle, settlers also farmed, cut down trees for wood, and sold palm fronds to religious groups. Because there were so many palm trees, the settlers decided to name their community Palm Valley.

During a time called Prohibition, when alcohol was illegal, some people in the valley found a new way to earn money. They made and sold homemade alcoholic drinks, sometimes called "moonshine." The many water sources and thick woods in the valley were perfect for hiding these operations. Even after Prohibition ended in 1933, this activity continued for a while. However, when the price of sugar went up, making these drinks became too expensive, and the industry eventually stopped.

For a long time, Palm Valley remained a quiet area between the main roads, A1A and U.S. 1. There were many farms where people grew crops and raised animals. But as the nearby beaches developed, Palm Valley also changed. Today, most of the old farms are gone, replaced by beautiful homes that look out over the Intracoastal Waterway.

Geography and Landscape

Palm Valley is located at coordinates 30°12′24″N 81°23′14″W.

Area and Waterways

Palm Valley covers a total area of about 14 square miles (36.2 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 13.4 square miles, is land. The rest, about 0.6 square miles, is water. This water comes from small rivers and ponds within Palm Valley. The large Intracoastal Waterway runs nearby but is not counted as part of Palm Valley's total area.

The Palm Valley Bridge is a newer addition to the area, helping people get around.

Neighborhoods in Palm Valley

Palm Valley has several distinct neighborhoods. Some of these include:

• Palm Valley Landing
• Plantation Oaks
• Seaside
• Odom's Mill
• Dolphin's Cove

A part of Sawgrass is also within Palm Valley, specifically the area between A1A and the Intracoastal. Sawgrass is very well-known because it's home to the TPC golf course, which hosts the famous Players Championship golf tournament every year.

Location and Surroundings

Palm Valley is located east of the Intracoastal Waterway and west of A1A. To the north, you'll find the Jacksonville Beaches, and to the south are the St. Augustine Beaches. If you go farther west past the Intracoastal Waterway, you'll reach Nocatee. To the east of A1A, you'll find Ponte Vedra Beaches.

Climate and Weather

Palm Valley experiences a hot season that lasts for about 3.8 months, usually from late May to late September. The cooler season is shorter, lasting about 3 months, from early December to early March.

The area also has a wetter season that lasts for about 4 months, from early June to early October. The rest of the year is generally drier. Palm Valley can feel very humid, especially from late April to early November. August 5th is often the most humid day of the year.

Population Information

As of the 2020 census, Palm Valley had a population of 21,827 people. The population density was about 1,790 people per square mile.

Education

Palm Valley is part of the St. Johns County School District.

Most students in Palm Valley attend PV-PV/Rawlings Elementary School. Some students go to Ocean Palms Elementary School. All middle school students attend Alice B. Landrum Middle School, and all high school students go to Ponte Vedra High School.

The St. Johns County Public Library also has a branch in Palm Valley called the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch.

See also

In Spanish: Palm Valley para niños