2016 has been another record breaking year for Jacksonville’s Tourism industry, and the year is not over just yet! This month, millions of TripAdvisor users have chosen Jacksonville as the Top 10 Destination on the Rise in the U.S. during the 2016 TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards. 

Watch this behind-the-scenes video from the Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department detailing this week's manatee rescue in the Ortega neighborhood. Thanks again to everyone who helped save this wonderful creature!

Successful small businesses are transforming Jacksonville’s economy. 

Did you know small businesses make up 90 percent of all businesses in the U.S.? According to the Florida Small Business Development Center (FSBDC), small businesses employ 60 percent of all workers and create 80 percent of all new jobs!

Need an exciting and original dish for Thanksgiving dinner? Why not try this healthy recipe with a unique ingredient - spaghetti squash - from our partners at the Duval County Extension Office. 

It’s a Journey to One initiative, but it’s a journey of hundreds that joined efforts this weekend to improve and support the health needs of senior citizens throughout Jacksonville. 

Seniors are some of the city’s most vulnerable when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and accessing healthy food. With limited sources of income and mobility, some seniors have limited access to affordable fruits, vegetables and other healthy options, subsequently contributing to health challenges. However, community members of all ages teamed up to help create conditions that contribute to the well-being of aging citizens in support of the City of Jacksonville’s Journey to One initiative to improve personal and community health throughout Jacksonville.

85 million tourists visited Florida during first 9 months of 2016
 
Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida set another record in tourism by welcoming the highest amount of visitors of any nine months in the state’s history with 85 million visitors. This record amount represents a 5.5 percent increase over the year. In the third quarter of 2016 (July - September), 26.9 million visitors came to the state, an increase of 5.1 percent over the year. This marks Florida’s largest third quarter for visitation ever.  The average number of direct travel-related jobs in quarter three of 2016 was also a record high, with 1,241,300 Floridians employed in the tourism industry – up 4.1 percent over the year.

 In an effort to keep pets and families together, Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) has launched an email service that offers pet owners the opportunity to share questions about their pet’s behavior and other concerns.

Mayor Promotes Chiefs to Head HR and Neighborhoods

Growing number of veterans receiving valuable assistance, jobs and housing.

The City of Jacksonville and Keep Jacksonville Beautiful will join UltraShred Technologies, Iron Mountain, Shred It and Urban Mining companies for the sixth annual America Recycles Day, a Keep America Beautiful observation dedicated to the promotion of recycling programs throughout the country. Robust recycling efforts are an important part of Jacksonville’s Fight Blight initiative to keep city neighborhoods clean. Last year, more than 19,000 pounds of paper and 500 pounds of cardboard were collected and shredded. This year’s communitywide recycling collection event will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the following locations:

Presented by the Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A.
 
The City of Jacksonville invites everyone to pay tribute to our military, past and present, at the annual Veterans Day Parade, presented by the City of Jacksonville and the Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A. The parade will take place on Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11, beginning at EverBank Field. Step off will be at 11:01 a.m.

In observance of Veterans Day, the following city government offices and facilities will be closed Friday, Nov. 11.

Today, Governor Rick Scott joined state and local officials to announce the kick-off of the I-95/I-295 North Interchange project in Duval County. The project will update the existing interchange to help improve safety and traffic flow for the Jacksonville community while also enhancing access to JAXPORT facilities. The State of Florida invested $103 million into the project.

Want to know more about what the City of Jacksonville is doing to recover from the destruction of Hurricane Matthew and what resources are available to citizens who were negatively impacted by the disaster?