The
Jacksonville Beaches, known locally as the "
Beaches" or simply the "
Beach", are a group of towns and communities on the northern half of an unnamed
barrier island on the US state of
Florida's
First Coast, all of which are suburbs or parts of the city of
Jacksonville. These communities are separated from the main body of the city of Jacksonville by the
Intracoastal Waterway. The Jacksonville Beaches are located in
Duval and northern
St. Johns County, and make up part of the
Jacksonville metropolitan area. The population of the beaches in 2009 is 68,118. The main communities generally identified as part of the Beaches are
Mayport,
Atlantic Beach,
Neptune Beach,
Jacksonville Beach, and
Ponte Vedra Beach.