Jacksonville Map
Jacksonville, North Carolina, is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. As of 2009, the population stood at 80,542. Jacksonville is the principal city of and is included in the Jacksonville, North Carolina metropolitan area. Demographically, Jacksonville is the youngest city in the United States with an average age of 22.8 years old, which can be attributed to the large military presence.
It is the county seat of Onslow County, and the home of the United States Marine Corps' Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River. Jacksonville is located adjacent to North Carolina's Southern Outer Banks (SOBX) area.
The early history of Jacksonville starts with the end of the Tuscarora wars in 1713. The forced removal of Native American tribes allowed for permanent settlement of the regions between New Bern and Wilmington. The headwaters of the New River became a center of production for naval stores, particularly turpentine. The downtown waterfront park is built on the site of Wantland's Ferry, with bridges being constructed on either side of the original ferry site.
Nearby cities include Richlands, Sneads Ferry, Maysville, Swansboro, Holly Ridge.