Orange Park Florida - One of Florida's Best Places to Live

Orange Park Florida is located in Clay County, 20 miles south of Downtown Jacksonville and about a mile south of the Jacksonville Naval Air Station. It is bordered on the east by the St. Johns River.

Orange Park includes the Town of Orange Park and parts of unincorporated Clay County and covers zip codes 32073 and 32065. The Town is 5.6 square miles, which includes 1.6 square miles of water. Fleming Island (32003),over the Doctor's Lake bridge, was considered part of Orange Park until 2008.

Orange Park was one of four Florida towns named in Sperling's top 100 Best Places to Raise Your Family. Orange Park was also noted for: Best for Just Plain Fun, Best for Water Sports, Best for Beach Lovers, and Best Warm-All-Winter Places.

Jax Beach is about 35 minutes away, St. Augustine is 40 minutes, and Orlando is 2 hours away. Gainesville is a little over an hour away. Go Gators!

With over 226 sunny days, Orange Park FL is a perfect location for outdoors lovers, with 82 days of 90+ degrees weather and only about 12 days at/near freezing. When we have a freeze, it is only for a few hours and when the weather is chilly, in a few days it will be warm again. It can be 80 degrees any day in Orange Park, so we never put away our summer clothes.

As of 2006, 33% of all households were families with children. The median household income according to the 2000 census was $56,350, Clay County median household income was $66,288. In the Town of Orange Park, the population was 9,081, households with families were 68.9%, and average age was 43 years.

Orange Park was founded in 1877 by the Florida Winter Home and Improvement Company. In 1930, Yale University and Robert Yerkes opened the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center on Kingsley Avenue. The Research Center was relocated to Emory University in 1965. Locals called it "The Monkey Farm" and most people really knew nothing about the type of research being done.

There is no defined 'downtown area' but there are shopping and business along Kingsley Avenue which runs from Blanding Blvd. to US Highway 17. The Orange Park Mall is a Regional Mall located on Blanding Blvd. at Wells Road. The movie theatre is one of the top grossing theatres in America. Wells Road is 'Restaurant Row' for Orange Park.

Shopping and businesses also run along Highway 17, but it is far more consumer and tree friendly thanks to the "Tree Ladies" of the 1960s who kept the tree-lined streets of the Town of Orange Park and drove the urban sprawl over to Blanding. They also successfully blocked large commercial signage for many years. There are still sign ordinances in effect, but they are somewhat relaxed.

River Road is a beautiful drive and you will find some historical homes along the way. The homes are across from the River, so you have a great view. Moosehaven Retirement Home is on the River - become a Moose and you can retire there!

Orange Park Schools are part of the respected Clay County School system. Orange Park Elementary is on a lottery system (siblings get first priority) and is a highly desired 'A' rated school. All other schools in Orange Park are ether 'A' or 'B' grades - except Orange Park High is a 'C' grade.

Click here for information about homes for sale in Orange Park, including the beautiful master planned communities of Orange Park Golf & Country Club and Oakleaf Plantation and Eagle Landing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

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