Jacksonville, Florida (Expansion Office)

Jacksonville is a cosmopolitan riverside city that is one of the largest cities in area in the United Sates. In addition to the miles of beautiful sea coastline nearby, tourists are drawn to this rapidly growing city by its sunny climate, recreational activities, culture, and a bustling downtown, as well as sites such as a restored Civil War fortress, America's oldest city (which is nearby), and the rich African American cultural heritage evident in many of its historical sites. With its variety of naval facilities that remain a major employer, Jacksonville is one of the most requested U.S. Navy duty stations.

Within comfortable driving distance from many large southeastern metro areas, Jacksonville is a major transportation and distribution center. Developments in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries attest to the success of the city's efforts to diversify and revitalize the downtown area, which had stagnated. City leaders successfully attracted new companies and retained existing businesses, and by 2004 Jacksonville was home to three Fortune 500 companies. Only 12 years after winning an NFL franchise, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the city hosted Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005.

Jacksonville consistently appears at the top of rankings in terms of quality of life and business. In March 2004 Inc. magazine named Jacksonville one of the top 10 large U.S. cities for doing business. Money magazine placed the city in the number three spot in its "Best Places to Retire" ranking in July 2004. And in the February 2005 issue of Men's Fitness, Jacksonville was ranked as one of the top 20 fittest cities in the nation.