Jacksonville

Jacksonville is situated on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida. It has the misleading distinction of being the most populous city in the state as measured by the number of residents within the city limits which comprises all of Duval county, but it is in fact the largest city in area in the continental United States. The metropolitan area extends beyond Duval County into Nassau, St. Johns, Baker and Clay counties and has a population of more than 1.25 million people, easily exceeded by Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando.

Unless you want to spend a lot of time waiting for buses, a car is a must to fully experience Jacksonville; due to Jacksonville's size and low density, most destinations are not within walking distance of each other. Mass transit is limited to the city bus system, and an elevated rail system in the downtown district that links both banks of the river with a crossing on the Acosta Bridge. The bus system is minimally adequate; no bus runs past midnight, and many bus routes stop running at around 8 or 9PM. All buses are linked via GPS to a central control system and stops are well-marked throughout the entire city.