Nassau County is located in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the northeasternmost county in the state. The county seat is Fernandina Beach. The population was 90,352 at the 2020 census.

Nassau County is a constituent of the Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which accommodates around 1.68 million inhabitants as of 2022. The county is situated in Northeast Florida with a land area of . Population growth in the county has increased by over 28,000 residents since the year 2000 as a result of Nassau's proximity to downtown Jacksonville, new housing developments, agricultural production, tourism locations, and a diversifying tax base with new industrial and commercial companies moving to the county. Nassau County is also a favored residential destination for military personnel stationed at bases in the adjacent Duval County, Florida (Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Naval Station Mayport) and Camden County, Georgia (Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay). Nassau County celebrated 200 years with its bicentennial celebration in 2024.

History

Nassau County was created in 1824 from Duval County. It was named for the Duchy of Nassau in Germany.

The Battle of Alligator Bridge took place in Nassau County around Callahan on June 30, 1778, and was the only major engagement in an unsuccessful campaign to conquer British East Florida during the American Revolutionary War.

In 1817, the short-lived Republic of the Floridas was established on Amelia Island. It was one of several attempts to wrest Florida from Spanish control into the growing United States.

Some of the men from the county had formed a militia unit called the Davis Guards leading up to the Civil War. This unit would be organized as Company K of the 2nd Florida Infantry Regiment in the Confederate army.

Law and government

County commissioners Nassau County operates under the administration of the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners, comprising five members. These commissioners are elected by the voters to serve four-year terms, with the election cycle structured such that either three or two commissioners are subject to election every two years. The following individuals constitute the Nassau County Commissioners: Commissioner TermJohn Martin (Chairman)2020–2028A.M. "Hupp" Huppman (Vice-Chairman)2022-2026Jeff Gray2020–2028Alyson McCullough2022-2026Klynt Farmer2020–2028

Ocean Highway and Port Authority

The Ocean Highway & Port Authority (OHPA) functions as an autonomous governmental organization within Nassau County, Florida, responsible for the ownership and management of the seaport infrastructure at the Port of Fernandina. OHPA was founded in 1941 by the Florida Legislature. Relay Terminals is the current operating partner of the Port.OHPA Executive Team

The Port of Fernandina is a terminal for pulp and paper as well as steel exports, machinery, auto parts, chemicals, beverages, chemicals, building materials and food products. Container lines from the port serve routes to Colombia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Aruba, Curaçao, and Bermuda. In 2020 the port received over a million dollar grant from the United States Department of Transportation to start a barge service.

OHPA Commissioners District 1: Miriam Hill District 2: Scott Moore District 3: Justin M. Taylor (Chair) District 4: Ray Nelson (Vice-Chair) District 5: Michael Cole

Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District The main environmental and agricultural body is the Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District, which works closely with other area agencies. According to a summary taken from Florida Statutes Ch. 582, the Board's powers include conducting surveys, investigations, research and demonstrational projects relating to soil and water conservation (in areas like irrigation, water quality, and soil erosion). SWCD supervisors do not receive monetary compensation, and, for the most part, conduct their activities on their own time. Supervisors are members of a five-person board for the district, to which they can either be elected or appointed.

Police The Nassau County Sheriff's Office provides services for the citizens of Nassau County. The Office of the Sheriff has a duty to enforce both the Florida Constitution and Florida state laws and statutes, and to provide for the security, safety and well-being of its citizens. This is accomplished through the delivery of law enforcement services, the operation of the Nassau County Jail and Detention Center, and the provision of court security. The Nassau County Sheriff's Office Headquarters are in Yulee. the Sheriff is Bill Leeper.

Court houses The Nassau County Courthouse in Fernandina Beach is a historic two-story red brick courthouse built in 1891.

The Robert M. Foster Justice Center, located in Yulee, was opened in 2004 to augment the historic Nassau County Courthouse location. This facility contains over 111,000 square feet and cost over $20 million to build.

Climate Like much of the south Atlantic region of the United States, Nassau County has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with mild weather during winters and hot and humid weather during summers. Seasonal rainfall is concentrated in the warmest months from May through September, while the driest months are from November through April. Yulee's low latitude and proximity to the coast allow for little cold weather, and winters are typically mild and sunny.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (10.6%) is water. The city of Fernandina Beach is on Amelia Island, the county's one inhabited island. Fernandina Beach municipality extends across the Intracoastal Waterway along A1A to Yulee.

Topography

There are 12 distinct topographical zones in Nassau County. Most of these zones run in narrow bands stretching from north to south, although this is less true as one approaches the Atlantic coast. Directly against the western border with Baker County, the topography ranges from fairly flat to slightly elevated. Drainage is poor and the soil is sandy. Moving east, there are some areas (mostly in the northern and central county) of higher ground with much better drainage. East of these areas are some lower places, especially in the south, that are level and have extremely poor drainage. Eastward again, there is a stretch that ranges from a few miles in the extreme northern areas to about 6- wide in the southern area, including Hilliard and much of County Road 108 and State Road 301. This area again has very poor drainage, low-lying land, and fairly sandy soil. East of this are scattered areas of high, sandy land with spotty or poor drainage. East of this, there is an area including Callahan with very sandy soil on top, and clay underneath. This section of the county is heavily permeated by small creeks and rivers, which bring with them low, poorly drained soils. This zone extends across the entire county from north to south at a fairly consistent width of about 3-, except in the north, where it widens to nearly across. East of this area is a large band of land with a consistent width of about . The land is low and level with extremely poor drainage, and it is permeated by small creeks and rivers. In the northern section, this is where some tributaries join the St. Marys River, while in the south a number of tributaries drain into the Nassau River, which flows into the Nassau Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. East of this area is a section of land about in width that has extremely sandy soils with bad drainage all around. Further eastward is a large area, including Yulee and O'Neil, about in width, with poor drainage and sandy soil at higher elevations, pockmarked by large areas of low lands with even worse drainage. To the south is an area of low-lying, organic soils which are essentially marshes and wetlands along the northern bank of the Nassau River, continuing into the Nassau Sound. Still eastward and somewhat to the north is a large area of marshes and organic soils which characterize area wetlands. There are many small islands in this area, and it is permeated by the Bells River and Jolly River, which empty into the Cumberland Sound to the north, just below Cumberland Island. Amelia Island, the easternmost section of the county, is characterized by poor drainage in the west and better drained, higher, sandier land as one travels eastward towards the beach. The northern area of the island features salty marshlands surrounding Egan's Creek, which runs directly beneath Atlantic Boulevard in Fernandina Beach.

Adjacent counties Camden County, Georgia – north Duval County – south/east Baker County – southwest Charlton County, Georgia – west

Transportation

Airports Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport Hilliard Airpark

Major highways

(Interstate 95) (Interstate 10)

(County extension of SR 2)

I-10 and US 90 have no exits in Nassau County

Railroads The main railroad line through Nassau County is the CSX Nahunta Subdivision, which runs parallel to the west side of US 1 and 23 from the Jacksonville Terminal through the bridge over the Saint Mary's River in Boulogne. It also has a junction with the CSX Callahan Subdivision which runs parallel to US 301 from the Duval County Line almost to Callahan. This line also once had an extension to the Fernandina Subdivision, as well as a second extension to Gross, which were abandoned in 1954 and 1985 respectively.

A third CSX line exists closer to the east coast of the state known as the Kingsland Subdivision, which runs parallel to US 17 from the Duval County line to Yulee, where it joins the First Coast Railroad, a class three railroad that runs along the Fernandina Subdivision and the former Kingsland Subdivision north of Yulee.

The other major railroad line in the county is Norfolk Southern Railway's Valdosta District, which spans northwest to southeast from a bridge over the Saint Mary's River in Kent to the Jacksonville Terminal. The Valdosta District has a diamond junction with the Callahan Subdivision in Crawford.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Nassau County, Florida – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)27,87938,69751,32364,41075,81784.75%88.07%89.01%87.85%83.91%Black or African American alone (NH)4,4474,5094,4364,5814,94513.52%10.26%7.69%6.25%5.47%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)581202282482220.18%0.27%0.40%0.34%0.25%Asian alone (NH)481292516198630.15%0.29%0.44%0.84%0.96%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census184652xx0.03%0.06%0.06%Other race alone (NH)14632982930.04%0.01%0.06%0.13%0.32%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census5029323,711xx0.87%1.27%4.11%Hispanic or Latino (any race)4484808732,3804,4491.36%1.09%1.51%3.25%4.92%Total32,89443,94157,66373,31490,352 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 90,352, 35,919 households, and 26,196 families. The population density was 139.3 per square mile (53.8/km), and there were 41,628 housing units at an average density of 64.2 per square mile (24.8/km).

The racial makeup of the county was 85.3% (77,047) white or European American (83.91% non-Hispanic white), 5.6% (5,035) black or African-American, 0.3% (300) Native American or Alaska Native, 1.0% (890) Asian, 0.1% (61) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 1.4% (1,278) from other races, and 6.4% (5,741) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.9% (4,449) of the population.

56.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 43.8% lived in rural areas.