acksonville is the most populous city in the US state of Florida and the twelfth most populous city in the US. Geographically it belongs to Duval County. Since 1968, the city and county have been under a single government, making Jacksonville the largest city in the United States by area. According to 2012 data, the city itself is home to about 836 thousand inhabitants, and together with the surrounding area - more than 1.3 million people. Watch camera online in Jacksonville Jacksonville is located in northeastern Florida on the banks of the St. Johns River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean 30 kilometers from the city center downstream. The settlement of Cowford, the future Jacksonville, arose in 1791 and got its original name from a ford in a narrow river, which was used to ferry livestock (cow - cow, ford - ford). In 1822, the city received its real name in honor of Andrew Jackson, the first military governor of Florida and later the seventh president of the United States.