About St. Johns County

St. Johns County, established in 1821, is one of Florida’s first two counties. St. Johns County also includes the first city in the United
States, St. Augustine. Located in Northeast Florida just south of Jacksonville, St. Johns County has a population of 343,516 people and is comprised of 601 square miles. It is bordered by water on two sides with 42 miles of the Atlantic Ocean shoreline to the east and the St. Johns River to the west. St. Johns County is rich in history, heritage, culture and nature and offers an array of experiences and lifestyles throughout each of its different regions.  

The northeast region features Ponte Vedra and Ponte Vedra Beach, which includes luxury homes and resorts as well as world-renowned golf courses. This area is home to The PGA TOUR headquarters and THE PLAYERS Championship golf tournament featuring the world’s top golfers. This area is also where Nocatee is located, which is one of the top-selling master-planned communities in the United States. In the southern part of this region is the quaint beach town of Vilano Beach and its main street.

The east central region features the City of St. Augustine and its historic downtown. The City of St. Augustine, established in 1565, is the
oldest city in the United States and offers vast historical sites, including the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. The Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort in the United States and was constructed between 1672 and 1695 by the Spanish to protect St. Augustine and Florida. This area also includes the extravagant hotels built by Henry Flagler, the Ponce de León Hotel (now Flagler College) and the Alcazar Hotel (now city hall). Anastasia State Park, the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, and the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum are also key attractions in this area.  

The southeast region includes the City of St. Augustine Beach where the St. Johns County Ocean & Fishing Pier is enjoyed by
residents and visitors. Further south in this region is the Fort Matanzas National Monument. Completed in 1742, Fort Matanzas is a coquina watchtower that was built by the Spanish to defend the southern approach to St. Augustine. The picturesque Faver-Dykes State Park that winds along Pellicer Creek is also located here.

The southwest region is primarily rural and includes the towns of Elkton and Hastings. This agricultural area was initially established to
grow food for Henry Flagler’s hotels in downtown St. Augustine. Originally, potatoes were the main crop grown, making Hastings known as the potato capital of Florida. This area is still an active agricultural community today and is steadily increasing in population due to its housing affordability.

The northwest region includes the master-planned communities of Julington Creek Plantation, RiverTown and more as well as the retail area of Durbin Park Pavilion. This area attracts those who work in Jacksonville but want to live in St. Johns County for its top-rated public schools.

St. Johns County’s economy is driven by tourism. The county is a top destination for millions of visitors yearly who are attracted to the
area for its history, beaches and events. For the past 30+ years during November through January, the City of St. Augustine hosts Nights of Lights, where the downtown buildings are decorated in millions of white lights. This event has been recognized as one of the top 10 holiday light displays in the world by National Geographic. Also, the Sing Out Loud Festival is an annual event in September with live music performances featuring more than 100 national, regional and local artists.

St. Johns County is a highly desirable place to live thanks to its exceptional quality of life and all that it has to offer. In fact, from 2020 to 2025, St. Johns County’s population increased by 4.44% annually. Also, on average our office has processed more than 10,000 homestead exemption applications yearly from 2020 to 2025. As St. Johns County continues to grow, our office remains committed to providing outstanding customer service to the property owners and community.