Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach are not neighborhoods of Jacksonville.
They're three separate incorporated cities. Each has its own elected governing body, its own charter and its own code. They sit inside Duval County and they share a coastline. But the rules for what you can build, rent out, plant, remove or light up change at the city line.
Here's the one thing the three have in common: each city's charter carries a 35-foot building height limit. Everything else you'd want to know about a house or condo out here depends on which of the three it's in.
This guide walks through which is which, what the charters and codes say, and the coastal and condo questions to ask at the beach.
New to the city? Start with our guide to living in Jacksonville, then come back.
Why They're Separate
When Jacksonville and Duval County consolidated in 1968, four municipalities kept their own governments: Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach and the Town of Baldwin. The consolidated charter split the county into a General Services District and five Urban Services Districts. Under Charter Section 2.01, the second covers Jacksonville Beach, the third Atlantic Beach, the fourth Neptune Beach and the fifth Baldwin. The first is the old pre-1968 City of Jacksonville.
In those districts, the charter says the consolidated government provides "only those governmental services that are normally provided by counties to municipalities." The cities handle the rest themselves.
That's why the zoning counter, and for some services the utility bill, belong to the city rather than to Jacksonville. The 1968 story is in our Jacksonville guide. The short version for a buyer: before you assume anything about a beach address, find out which city it's in.
(Charter text here comes from published copies, some from secondary hosts and one from a draft. Confirm every section on the city's Municode before relying on it.)
Which Is Which
Jacksonville Beach
The southernmost of the three, and home to the pier. It began as Pablo Beach, a resort at the end of a railroad line, and a large oceanfront hotel, Murray Hall, built in 1886, burned in a boiler-room fire on August 7, 1890. The railroad itself dates to the 1880s.
The Beaches Museum (381 Beach Boulevard) covers local history.
Landmarks worth knowing: the Casa Marina Hotel at 12 Sixth Avenue North, built in 1925 and listed on the National Register in 1993, and the Volunteer Life Saving Corps station at 2 Ocean Front North, listed on the National Register in 2014.
The Jacksonville Beach Pier was rebuilt after storm damage and reopened in July 2022.
Neptune Beach
The one in the middle, with a founding story of its own. Neptune started as part of Jacksonville Beach. On August 11, 1931, its residents voted 113 to 31 to secede, in what the city's own history calls a tax revolt.
Atlantic Beach
The northernmost of the three. It was incorporated as the Town of Atlantic Beach on December 4, 1925, and became a City under a 1957 charter. Flagler's Continental Hotel opened here in 1901 and burned in 1919.
Atlantic Boulevard was completed in 1910 and is still one of the main ways here. If you're coming from the Arlington side of the river, our Arlington guide covers the Mathews Bridge and the Atlantic and Beach Boulevard crossings.
Beaches Town Center — and the line through it
Beaches Town Center sits where Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach meet. If you're looking at a property near it, confirm which city the address is in. Don't go by the name of the district.
Mayport is not one of the three
Mayport Village is north of Atlantic Beach, and it isn't one of the three beach cities. The charter names only four municipalities in Duval County, and Mayport isn't one of them. Confirm jurisdiction by parcel; some mailing addresses in the area say Atlantic Beach. We cover Mayport below.
The 35-Foot Rule
Each of the three has a height cap in its charter:
Jacksonville Beach — a 35-foot limit in the City Charter, which Action News Jax reported in May 2023 voters approved in 2004 by 76 percent. In May 2023, the city put a question on the ballot to allow up to 20 additional feet for the Latham Plaza parking lot. The same outlet reported that 82 percent voted no.
Atlantic Beach — Charter Section 59 says that "in no case shall the maximum height of buildings within the City of Atlantic Beach exceed thirty-five (35) feet," and adds that existing buildings above 35 feet "may be repaired to that existing height." There are limited exceptions for certain exterior features and a named property.
Neptune Beach — Charter Section 4.07 is titled "Building height limitation set by referendum," and says no building that exceeds 35 feet is permitted in the city.
Two things to know as a buyer:
Existing taller buildings are addressed in the text. The Atlantic Beach charter says existing buildings above 35 feet "may be repaired to that existing height," with further wording on alterations. Read Section 59 itself.
Height is defined in each charter. We're not going to summarize the definitions, because the wording matters. If you're planning an addition or a rebuild, ask the city's planning office and read the charter text yourself.
We're REALTORS®, not zoning officials. The cities answer this.
Short-Term Rentals: Three Different Answers
State law limits what cities can do here. Section 509.032(7)(b) of the Florida Statutes (2026 version) reads: "A local law, ordinance, or regulation may not prohibit vacation rentals or regulate the duration or frequency of rental of vacation rentals. This paragraph does not apply to any local law, ordinance, or regulation adopted on or before June 1, 2011."
We don't interpret statutes, and we won't tell you how it applies to any city's rule. Read it, and read each city's own page:
Jacksonville Beach has a short-term vacation rental certificate and an application packet.
Neptune Beach has an FAQ page on short-term rentals that refers to its Land Development Code. Read the page and the code for the current wording.
Atlantic Beach's city materials refer to a minimum rental period. Read the city's current code for the exact text.
If rental income is part of your plan, check the city's current rule and the HOA or condo documents before you write an offer. We don't guarantee rental income and we don't predict it.
Trees, Turtles and Dunes
Atlantic Beach and its trees
Atlantic Beach regulates tree removal under Chapter 23 of its code, and permits are required for regulated trees. A tree ordinance was reportedly adopted on July 13, 2026, adding a landmark-tree designation. The details were reported in a meeting summary we could not confirm on the city's own site, so read the current ordinance on the city's website before you plan any tree work.
Jacksonville Beach and Neptune Beach also have tree rules in their codes. If there's a mature tree on the lot you're looking at, ask the city before you assume you can remove it.
Sea turtle lighting
All three cities have their own beachfront lighting ordinances for sea turtle nesting season. Jacksonville Beach's code, Section 6-8, defines nesting season as May 1 through October 31, and violations are a misdemeanor. If you're looking at an oceanfront property, ask the city what its lighting rule requires.
Dunes
Jacksonville Beach's beach rules page says that sitting, standing and playing on the dunes is unlawful under state law. Ask the city where the public walkovers are.
Utilities: Who Sends the Bill
This is one of the most practical "which is which" questions, and it's different in each city:
Atlantic Beach — the city provides water, sewer, stormwater and garbage. JEA is the electric provider.
Neptune Beach — the city provides water, sewer, garbage and recycling. Electricity comes from the City of Jacksonville Beach.
Jacksonville Beach — Beaches Energy Services provides electric and gas. We could not confirm the water and sewer provider from the city's site, so ask the city.
Electric service differs by city: JEA in Atlantic Beach, the City of Jacksonville Beach's utility in Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach. Ask for the utility information for the specific property.
Fire and emergency services: Jacksonville Beach contracted its fire services to the City of Jacksonville in November 2019, and Atlantic Beach's city page says fire and emergency services are provided by the City of Jacksonville. We did not confirm Neptune Beach's arrangement. Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach each have a police department of their own; confirm Jacksonville Beach's with the city.
The Water: Flood, Dunes and the Coastal Line
If you're buying near the ocean, start here.
The beach itself is engineered
The Duval County Shore Protection Project was first built in 1978–80 and covers about ten miles of shoreline from Mayport through Hanna Park, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says renourishment typically takes place every five to six years, and the latest round finished in 2024 (as of October 2026). We aren't going to predict anything about what happens next.
Three lookups, three answers
FEMA flood zone — FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official source: msc.fema.gov/portal/home. We can't tell you which parts of the Beaches are in which zones. Look up the address.
Coastal Construction Control Line — Florida DEP regulates structures and activities that can cause beach erosion, destabilize dunes or damage upland properties, and says that adopting a line "establishes an area of jurisdiction in which special siting and design criteria are applied." DEP's Map Direct tool is where you check whether a parcel is seaward of the line. DEP cites the coastal disclosure in section 161.57 of the Florida Statutes. Ask your attorney about the disclosure, and ask DEP about the line.
Evacuation zone — separate from flood zone. Duval's evacuation lookup is at maps.coj.net/evsearch/ and on JaxReady. The City's evacuation routes page lists three major routes west from the Beaches: J. Turner Butler Boulevard, Beach Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard.
Your flood zone, your CCCL status and your evacuation zone are three separate checks. One doesn't tell you the others.
Floodplain rules differ by city
Jacksonville Beach — its Planning Division runs floodplain management and keeps elevation certificates. Its floodplain flyer (2022 version) describes a substantial-improvement rule. Read it before you plan a major renovation.
Atlantic Beach — the Building Division says the city participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and the Community Rating System.
Neptune Beach — we could not retrieve the city's floodplain page. Call its building office.
We did not confirm any city's CRS class. Ask your insurance agent how a city's participation affects a specific policy.
Wind
Florida has a standard wind-mitigation form, OIR-B1-1802, and the state's page says admitted insurance carriers must accept a valid one completed by certain licensed professionals. The April 2026 revision of the form is required for inspections on or after April 1, 2026. What it does for a specific policy is a question for your insurance agent, and we recommend getting a quote on the specific address early in your inspection period, before you've spent money on anything else.
Condos: Read the Documents
If you're looking at a condominium, two state requirements matter for buildings of three or more habitable stories, and we're going to quote them rather than summarize them.
Milestone inspections. Section 553.899(3)(a) of the Florida Statutes (2026) requires a milestone inspection "by December 31 of the year in which the building reaches 30 years of age, based on the date the certificate of occupancy for the building was issued, and every 10 years thereafter." Subsection (3)(b) adds: "The local enforcement agency may determine that local circumstances, including environmental conditions such as proximity to salt water as defined in s. 379.101, require that a milestone inspection must be performed by December 31 of the year in which the building reaches 25 years of age, based on the date the certificate of occupancy for the building was issued, and every 10 years thereafter."
Structural integrity reserve studies. Section 718.112(2)(g)1. of the Florida Statutes (2026) calls for a structural integrity reserve study "at least every 10 years" for each building three habitable stories or higher. Read the full text of that paragraph for what it covers.
Jacksonville Beach's own page says that, because every building in the city is within three miles of the coastline, milestone inspections are performed when a condominium or cooperative association building three stories or taller reaches 25 years of age and every 10 years after (as of October 2026). We did not find a milestone page for Atlantic Beach or Neptune Beach, and we did not confirm what the City of Jacksonville's ordinance requires.
What to ask for on any condo:
The milestone inspection report, if one is due or done.
The structural integrity reserve study.
The association's current budget and any special assessments.
Where the building stands against the timing for its city.
Florida DBPR keeps a database of associations that reported a completed reserve study. Milestone inspection reports are filed with the local building department. We're REALTORS®, not engineers or attorneys; an engineer and your attorney should read the documents.
Mayport and the Ferry
Mayport Village is north of Atlantic Beach and isn't one of the three beach cities. Naval Station Mayport, which the Navy says was commissioned as a Naval Section Base in December 1942, is there too.
The St. Johns River Ferry crosses the river from Mayport to Fort George Island. JTA took over operating it on March 31, 2016. The crossing is about 0.9 miles and takes around five minutes, with departures every half hour. As of October 2026, JTA lists weekday service from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and weekend service from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Check JTA Service Alerts before you plan around it.
The village waterfront. Reporting through mid-2024 describes a City master plan effort and a nonprofit, the Mayport Waterfront Partnership, working on the waterfront, after JaxPort's earlier cruise-terminal concept. Check current status with the City, and walk it yourself.
Getting Around
Three roads are named in the City's evacuation routes: Atlantic Boulevard (SR 10), Beach Boulevard (SR 212) and J. Turner Butler Boulevard (SR 202).
Drive your actual commute at your actual hour.
JTA's First Coast Flyer Red Line (Route 109) runs from the LaVilla transportation center along the Arlington Expressway, Southside and Beach Boulevard to Jacksonville Beach, and as of October 2026 JTA lists service every 30 minutes. Check JTA for current schedules.
Check nflroads.com for what's under construction this month.
Parks Worth Knowing
Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park, 500 Wonderwood Drive, is a City of Jacksonville park with 1.5 miles of beach, and a 300-site campground per the City's camping page. Check JaxParks for hours and rules.
The beaches themselves have public access points in all three cities, and the cities publish their own rules for them.
Where Ponte Vedra Starts
Ponte Vedra Beach is not in Duval County. It's in St. Johns County, past the Duval line south of Jacksonville Beach. The Corps' shore project ends at the Duval–St. Johns county line, and St. Johns County's own restoration project starts there.
We couldn't pin the county line to a landmark from a primary source, so check the county on a parcel map if you're looking near the south end. A different county means a different tax roll and different rules. Our St. Johns County guide covers that side.
Look Here If
You want a coastline with a height limit written into each city's charter, and you're willing to read the charter text for the city you're in.
You want to live near the ocean and Intracoastal and understand that flood zone, coastal construction line and evacuation zone are three separate checks you'll run on every address.
You'd rather deal with a city hall with its own planning office, utilities and code enforcement, and you're okay learning three different sets of rules.
You're considering a condo, and you want to read the milestone and reserve study documents before you offer.
Start with Jacksonville Beach if you want to be near the pier and the Beaches Museum.
Start with Neptune Beach if you want to be in the city between the other two, near Beaches Town Center.
Start with Atlantic Beach if you want to be in the northernmost city, near Hanna Park and the Mayport ferry.
Neighboring Options
Arlington — on the other side of the river, reached by the Atlantic and Beach Boulevard crossings, with its own set of governance and inspection questions.
St. Johns County — right across the county line, including Ponte Vedra Beach.
Building new? → Our new construction buyer guide.
Renting First
If you want to see how the coast fits before you commit, a lease is a lower-commitment way to learn it. A beach rental will also show you which city's rules your address falls under.
→ See our property management services
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Jacksonville Beaches part of Jacksonville? They're three independent cities inside Duval County: Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach. They kept their own governments when the city and county consolidated in 1968, and the consolidated charter lists each as its own Urban Services District.
What's the building height limit? Each city's charter carries a 35-foot limit: Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach (Section 59) and Neptune Beach (Section 4.07). Existing taller buildings are addressed in the Atlantic Beach charter. Read the charter for the city you're in.
Can I rent my beach house short-term? It depends on the city, and state law limits what cities can regulate. Read Florida Statute 509.032(7) and the city's own page and code before you plan on rental income. We don't guarantee or predict it.
Is Mayport part of Atlantic Beach? Mayport Village is north of Atlantic Beach and isn't one of the three beach cities. Confirm jurisdiction by parcel.
Is Ponte Vedra Beach in Jacksonville? No. It's in St. Johns County, south of the Duval line.
Does the ferry run every day? As of October 2026, JTA lists service seven days a week, every half hour, with different hours on weekdays and weekends. Check JTA Service Alerts before you go.
What should I check on a beachfront condo? Milestone inspection status, the structural integrity reserve study, the association budget and any special assessments. Jacksonville Beach's page puts the milestone inspection at 25 years for three-story-and-taller condominium buildings.
Which check tells me the flood risk? None of them alone. Check FEMA's flood zone, DEP's coastal construction control line and the City's evacuation zone separately, and get an insurance quote on the specific address.
Who provides electric service? It depends on the city: JEA in Atlantic Beach, and the City of Jacksonville Beach's utility (Beaches Energy Services) in Jacksonville Beach and Neptune Beach. Confirm for the property.
Come Look at It With Us
The Beaches reward the buyer who asks one question first: which city is this address in? Then the rulebook, the utility, the height cap, the condo documents and the flood lookups all follow. We'll tell you what to look up, where to look, and who at the city, the state or the association can answer what we can't.
#ForeverFamilyForeverHome
Still mapping the city? → Read our full guide to living in Jacksonville
The Courtney Team | Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty | Licensed Real Estate Professionals in the State of Florida. Details in this guide were checked in October 2026. Information in this guide is general and educational in nature and is not a representation about any specific property. Descriptions of city charters and codes, height limits, short-term rental rules, utilities, flood zones, the coastal construction control line, evacuation zones, wind mitigation, condominium milestone inspections and reserve studies, ferry service, roads and transit are general explanations that change over time and vary by address — all of them must be independently verified for the specific property and the current year. Nothing here is legal, zoning, engineering, environmental, tax, or insurance advice; please consult a licensed attorney, engineer, inspector, CPA, or insurance agent, the building and planning offices of the applicable city, the Duval County Property Appraiser, Florida DEP, FEMA, and the condominium association as appropriate. Equal Housing Opportunity.
