Greater Arlington

Arlington is home to the first European settlement in North America, Fort Caroline, now a State Park, founded by French Huguenots in 1562. Another historical fact about Arlington is that, at one time, it included a home for newly freed slaves from Kingsley Plantation. In 1955, a controversial bridge, known to locals as the "Bridge to Nowhere", was built across the St. Johns River heading east of Downtown Jacksonville. Yet within ten years of the completion of the Mathews Bridge, Arlington became the most populous portion of Southside, and by consolidation, over 50% of Jacksonville residents who called the Southside "home" were denizens of Arlington. Much of Arlington's initial growth was attributed to people moving from the older Paxon area on the Westside, which was becoming industrialized. For thirty years, Arlington was roughly bounded by Southside Blvd. on the east, the Arlington Expressway on the south, and the St. Johns River on the west and north. To the east of this area lay little but woods and wetlands, all the way to the intracoastal waterway. However, in the 1980s, two trends began to change this definition. First of all, growth exploded along Atlantic Blvd., with the wooded areas falling to development. Secondly, Arlington, which had been a moderately prestigious area to live during the 1960s, began to acquire a reputation as a neighborhood in slow decline. Realtors, wishing to best market these new areas of the Southside, coined the rather logical term, "East Arlington", or "Greater Arlington". However, those terms failed to become universally recognized. Arlington is also home to Jacksonville University.

Residential neighborhoods included within the Arlington/East Arlington/Greater Arlington area include Alderman Park, Arlington, Arlington Hills, Arlington Manor, Arlingwood, Atlantic Blvd Estates, Atlantic Highlands, Beachwood, Beacon Hills, Charter Point, Clifton, Cobblestone, Colony Cove, East Arlington, Empire Point, Fara Ways Forrest, Fort Caroline, Gilmore, Girvin, Glynlea/Grove Park, Golden Glades/The Wood, Hidden Hills, Hogan, Holiday Harbors, Holiday Hill/Century, Holly Oaks, Lake Lucina, Love Grove/Riviera Ma, Mayport, Monterey, North Beach, Oak Haven, Park Ridge, Regency, St. Johns Bluff, St. Nicholas, Sandalwood, Southside Estates, Spring Glen, University Park, Woodland Acres, Woodmere, University Club, Floral Bluff, Chaseville, Newcastle, Mill Cove and Kendall Town.