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St. Augustine, Florida

San Agustín  (Spanish)
Top, left to right: Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine Light, Flagler College, Lightner Museum, statue near the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, Old St. Johns County Jail
Coat of arms of St. Augustine, Florida
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): 
Ancient City, Old City
Location in St. Johns County and the U.S. state of Florida
Location in St. Johns County and the U.S. state of Florida
St. Augustine, Florida is located in the United States
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Florida
County St. Johns
Established September 8, 1565; 458 years ago (1565-09-08)
Founded by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Named for Saint Augustine of Hippo
Government
 • Type City commission government
Area
 • City 12.85 sq mi (33.29 km2)
 • Land 9.52 sq mi (24.66 km2)
 • Water 3.33 sq mi (8.63 km2)
Elevation
0 ft (0 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City 14,329
 • Density 1,504.99/sq mi (581.05/km2)
 • Urban
69,173 (US: 399th)
Time zone UTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)
32080, 32084, 32085, 32086, 32095, 32082, 32092
Area code(s) 904
FIPS code 12-62500
GNIS feature ID 0308101
Website City of St. Augustine

St. Augustine ( aw--steen; Spanish: [San Agustín] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) is a city in and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in what is now the contiguous United States.

St. Augustine was founded on September 8, 1565, by Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Florida's first governor. He named the settlement San Agustín, for his ships bearing settlers, troops, and supplies from Spain had first sighted land in Florida eleven days earlier on August 28, the feast day of St. Augustine. The city served as the capital of Spanish Florida for over 200 years. It was designated as the capital of British East Florida when the colony was established in 1763; Great Britain returned Florida to Spain in 1783.

Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1819, and St. Augustine was designated the capital of the Florida Territory upon ratification of the Adams–Onís Treaty in 1821. The Florida National Guard made the city its headquarters that same year. The territorial government moved and made Tallahassee the capital of Florida in 1824.

St. Augustine is part of Florida's First Coast region and the Jacksonville metropolitan area. Since the late 19th century, St. Augustine's distinctive historical character has made the city a tourist attraction. Castillo de San Marcos, the city's 17th-century Spanish fort—constructed out of the sedimentary rock coquina—continues to attract tourists.

San Marco Hotel
St. Augustine in 1891 from the former San Marco Hotel, Spanish St. on left, Huguenot Cemetery lower left corner, Cordova St. on right
Bridge of Lions
Replicas of the Medici lions of Florence, Italy, at the approach to the Bridge of Lions donated by Andrew Anderson

Geography and climate

St. Augustine Anastasia Island north pano01
View of St. Augustine from the top of the lighthouse on Anastasia Island

St. Augustine is located at 29°53′41″N 81°18′52″W / 29.89472°N 81.31444°W / 29.89472; -81.31444 (29.8946910, −81.3145170). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.7 square miles (27.8 km2), 8.4 square miles (21.7 km2) of which is land and 2.4 square miles (6.1 km2) (21.99%) is water. Access to the Atlantic Ocean is via the St. Augustine Inlet of the Matanzas River.

St. Augustine has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) typical of the Gulf and South Atlantic states. The low latitude and coastal location give the city a mostly warm and sunny climate. Unlike much of the contiguous United States, St. Augustine's driest time of year is winter. The hot and wet season extends from May through October, while the cool and dry season extends November through April.

In summer, highs are in the 80s to 90s and lows are in the 70s. The Bermuda High pumps in hot and unstable tropical air from the Bahamas and Gulf of Mexico, which help create the daily thundershowers that are typical in summer months. Intense but very brief downpours are common in summer in the city. Fall and spring are warm and sunny with highs from 74 °F to 87 °F and lows in the 50s to 70s.

In winter, St. Augustine has generally mild and sunny weather typical of the Florida peninsula. The coolest months are from December through February, with highs from 67 °F to 70 °F and lows from 47 °F to 51 °F. From November through April, St. Augustine often has long periods of rainless weather. April can see near drought conditions with brush fires and water restrictions in place. St. Augustine averages 4.6 frosts per year. The record low of 10 °F (−12 °C) happened on January 21, 1985. Hurricanes occasionally impact the region; however, like most areas prone to such storms, St. Augustine rarely suffers a direct hit by a major hurricane. The last direct hit by a major hurricane to the city was Hurricane Dora in 1964. Extensive flooding occurred in the downtown area of St. Augustine when Hurricane Matthew passed east of the city in October 2016.

Climate data for St. Augustine, Florida (St. Augustine Light), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1973–2016
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 86
(30)
87
(31)
93
(34)
95
(35)
98
(37)
101
(38)
103
(39)
101
(38)
99
(37)
94
(34)
89
(32)
86
(30)
103
(39)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 80.0
(26.7)
81.8
(27.7)
84.9
(29.4)
88.6
(31.4)
93.3
(34.1)
95.9
(35.5)
97.6
(36.4)
96.0
(35.6)
92.8
(33.8)
89.0
(31.7)
84.2
(29.0)
81.1
(27.3)
98.5
(36.9)
Average high °F (°C) 67.5
(19.7)
69.7
(20.9)
74.4
(23.6)
79.8
(26.6)
85.1
(29.5)
88.6
(31.4)
91.0
(32.8)
89.9
(32.2)
87.4
(30.8)
81.8
(27.7)
74.9
(23.8)
68.9
(20.5)
79.9
(26.6)
Daily mean °F (°C) 57.6
(14.2)
60.0
(15.6)
64.5
(18.1)
70.2
(21.2)
76.3
(24.6)
80.4
(26.9)
82.4
(28.0)
82.1
(27.8)
80.3
(26.8)
74.2
(23.4)
66.2
(19.0)
60.1
(15.6)
71.2
(21.8)
Average low °F (°C) 47.8
(8.8)
50.2
(10.1)
54.6
(12.6)
60.6
(15.9)
67.4
(19.7)
72.3
(22.4)
73.8
(23.2)
74.2
(23.4)
73.1
(22.8)
66.5
(19.2)
57.5
(14.2)
51.3
(10.7)
62.4
(16.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 28.1
(−2.2)
32.1
(0.1)
36.9
(2.7)
44.6
(7.0)
55.6
(13.1)
64.8
(18.2)
68.1
(20.1)
68.6
(20.3)
64.0
(17.8)
49.0
(9.4)
39.1
(3.9)
31.4
(−0.3)
25.6
(−3.6)
Record low °F (°C) 10
(−12)
21
(−6)
23
(−5)
34
(1)
41
(5)
52
(11)
59
(15)
61
(16)
54
(12)
36
(2)
29
(−2)
16
(−9)
10
(−12)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.74
(70)
2.69
(68)
3.43
(87)
2.93
(74)
3.66
(93)
6.27
(159)
4.88
(124)
7.18
(182)
7.18
(182)
4.37
(111)
2.32
(59)
2.99
(76)
50.64
(1,286)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.4 7.8 8.6 6.8 7.2 12.3 11.6 15.0 13.5 9.1 8.1 8.4 117.8
Source: NOAA (mean maxima/minima 1981–2010)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1830 1,708
1840 2,450 43.4%
1850 1,934 −21.1%
1860 1,914 −1.0%
1870 1,717 −10.3%
1880 2,293 33.5%
1890 4,742 106.8%
1900 4,272 −9.9%
1910 5,494 28.6%
1920 6,192 12.7%
1930 12,111 95.6%
1940 12,090 −0.2%
1950 13,555 12.1%
1960 14,734 8.7%
1970 12,352 −16.2%
1980 11,985 −3.0%
1990 11,692 −2.4%
2000 11,592 −0.9%
2010 12,975 11.9%
2020 14,329 10.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,329 people and 5,828 households in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 84.6% white, 9.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 4.2% from two or more races.

2.2% of the population were under 5 years old, 8.7% under 18 years old, and 25.5% were 65 years and over. 57.9% of the population were female.

There were 1,230 veterans living in the city between 2016 and 2020 and 6.6% of the population were foreign born persons.

The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $294,600. The median gross rent was $1,118. 91.2% of households had a computer and 83.0% of households had a broadband internet subscription.

93.8% of the population 25 years and older had a high school degree or higher and 37.4% of that same population had a bachelor's degree or higher.

The median household income was $60,455. The per capita income was $33,060. 17.0% lived below the Poverty threshold.

Government and politics

St. Augustine is the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida.

The city of St. Augustine operates under a city commission government form with an elected mayor, vice mayor, and city commission. Additionally, the government includes a city manager, city attorney, city clerk, and various city boards.

Transportation

Highways

St. Augustine Major Roadways
Major roadways, St. Augustine and vicinity
  • I-95.svg Interstate 95 runs north–south.
  • US 1.svg U.S. Route 1 runs north–south.
  • Florida A1A.svg State Road A1A runs north–south.
  • Florida 16.svg State Road 16 runs east–west
  • Florida 207.svg State Road 207 runs northeast–southwest
  • Florida 312.svg State Road 312 runs east–west

Buses

Bus service is operated by the Sunshine Bus Company, based in St. Augustine Beach. Buses operate mainly between shopping centers across town, but a few go to Hastings and Jacksonville, where one can connect to JTA for additional service across Jacksonville.

Airport

St. Augustine has one public airport 4 miles (6.4 km) north of the downtown. It has three runways and two seaplane lanes.

Points of interest

First and second Spanish eras

British era

Pre-Flagler era

  • St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum
  • Markland Mansion

Flagler era

Historic churches

Lincolnville National Historic District – Civil Rights era

  • St. Benedict the Moor School

Other points of interest

Culture

Music

  • The Wobbly Toms (2003), band

Education

St Aug Fla School Deaf Blind pano01
Ray Charles Center and the Theodore Johnson Center, at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind

Primary and secondary education in St. Augustine is overseen by the St. Johns County School District.

There are four zoned elementary schools with sections of the city limits in their attendance boundaries: John A. Crookshank (outside the city limits), R. B. Hunt, Ketterlinus, and Osceola (outside the city limits). There are two zoned middle schools (both outside the city limits): R. J. Murray Middle School, and Sebastian Middle School. There are no county high schools located within St. Augustine's current city limits, but St. Augustine High School is the designated senior high school for residentially-zoned land in St. Augustine. Additionally Pedro Menendez High School, and St. Johns Technical High School are located in the vicinity.

The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, a state-operated boarding school for deaf and blind students, was founded in the city in 1885. The Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine operates the St. Joseph Academy, Florida's oldest Catholic high school, to the west of the city.

There are several institutions of higher education in and around St. Augustine. Flagler College is a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1968. It is located in the former Ponce de Leon Hotel in downtown St. Augustine. St. Johns River State College, a state college in the Florida College System, has its St. Augustine campus just west of the city. Also in the area are the University of North Florida, Jacksonville University, and Florida State College at Jacksonville in Jacksonville.

The institution now known as Florida Memorial University was located in St. Augustine from 1918 to 1968, when it relocated to its present campus in Miami. Originally known as Florida Baptist Academy, then Florida Normal, and then Florida Memorial College, it was a historically black institution and had a wide impact on St. Augustine while it was located there. During World War II it was chosen as the site for training the first blacks in the U. S. Signal Corps. Among its faculty members was Zora Neale Hurston; a historic marker was placed in 2003 at the house at 791 West King Street where she lived while teaching at Florida Memorial (and where she completed her autobiography Dust Tracks on a Road.)

Notable people

David Levy Yulee - Brady-Handy
United States Senator David Levy Yulee
  • Andrew Anderson, physician, St. Augustine mayor
  • Jorge Biassou, Haitian revolutionary and black Spanish general
  • Richard Boone, actor
  • Albert Boyd, member of National Aviation Hall of Fame
  • James Branch Cabell, novelist
  • Doug Carn, jazz musician
  • Cris Carpenter, major league baseball pitcher
  • Ray Charles, pianist, singer, composer
  • George J. F. Clarke, Surveyor General of Spanish East Florida
  • Nicholas de Concepcion, escaped slave who became a Spanish privateer and pirate captain
  • Earl Cunningham, artist
  • Alexander Darnes, born a slave, became a well-known physician
  • Edmund Jackson Davis, governor of Texas
  • Kathleen Deagan, archaeologist
  • Frederick Delius, composer
  • Frederick Dent, general and brother-in-law of Ulysses Grant
  • Audrey Nell Edwards, civil rights hero
  • Henry Flagler, industrialist
  • Willie Galimore, football star
  • Michael Gannon, historian
  • William H. Gray, U.S. congressman and president of the United Negro College Fund
  • Martin Davis Hardin, Union General in the Civil War
  • Robert Hayling, civil rights leader
  • Martin Johnson Heade, artist
  • Zora Neale Hurston, novelist and folklorist
  • Willie Irvin, Philadelphia Eagles football player
  • Stetson Kennedy, author and human rights activist
  • Scott Lagasse Jr., race car driver
  • Jacob Lawrence, artist
  • William W. Loring, Confederate general
  • Albert Manucy, historian, author, Fulbright Scholar
  • Howell W. Melton, United States district judge
  • Prince Achille Murat, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte
  • Andrew Nagorski, journalist and author
  • David Nolan, author and historian
  • Osceola, Seminole War leader (held prisoner at Fort Marion, now Castillo de San Marcos)
  • Verle A. Pope, state legislator
  • Richard Henry Pratt, soldier and educator
  • Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, novelist
  • Marcus Roberts, musician
  • Gamble Rogers, folk singer
  • John M. Schofield, Union general
  • Edmund Kirby Smith, Confederate general
  • Steve Spurrier, college/pro (American) football coach
  • Felix Varela, Cuban national hero
  • Augustin Verot, first Bishop of St. Augustine
  • Patty Wagstaff, member of National Aviation Hall of Fame
  • DeWitt Webb, physician, St. Augustine mayor, state representative
  • David Levy Yulee, first Jewish U.S. Senator, Levy County and Yulee, Florida namesake
  • Agustin V. Zamorano, pioneer printer and provisional governor of California

Sister cities

St. Augustine's sister cities are:

Gallery

See also

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