Why Jacksonville Is Called "Duval": The Governor Behind the Name Everyone Chants

You hear it at Jaguars games, see it on T-shirts and bumper stickers, and read it on social media: "DUUUVAL!"

For a lot of people in Northeast Florida, "Duval" means home. It's used almost interchangeably with Jacksonville. But Duval is the name of the county, not the city, and it comes from a man most people have never heard of.

Here's the story behind the name, and why Jacksonville and Duval became almost the same thing.

Who was Duval?

William Pope Duval was the first civilian governor of the Florida Territory. He served for 12 years, from April 1822 to April 1834, after Florida became part of the United States.

Before Florida, he was a congressman from Kentucky. He was born near Richmond, Virginia, in 1784 and died in Washington, D.C., in 1854.

A few things he's known for:

• He picked Tallahassee as Florida's capital. At the time, it was a small Native American village. He chose it because it was in the middle of the territory.
• He set up Florida's first local court system and divided the territory into districts.
• He was known for peaceful dealings with Native Americans during his time as governor.
• He inspired fiction. Writer Washington Irving based a character, Ralph Ringwood, on Duval.

When was Duval County created?

In 1822, the same year Duval became governor. It was carved out of St. Johns County, which at the time covered much of East Florida.

The original Duval County was enormous. It stretched from the Suwannee River in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east. Over the years, new counties were created from it, and Duval shrank to the size it is today, about 918 square miles, including water.

Where else is Duval's name?

You may have walked down a street named for him on vacation:

• Duval Street in Key West, the famous strip of bars, restaurants and shops, is named for William Pope Duval.
• Duval Street in Tallahassee, which runs past the state Capitol area, is too.

So the same man connects the "Duval" chant in Jacksonville with Key West's most famous street.

Then why is the city called Jacksonville?

The city is named for Andrew Jackson, who served as Florida's first military governor in 1821, before Duval took over. Jackson went on to become the seventh president of the United States.

Before it was Jacksonville, the spot on the river had other names:

• Wacca Pilatka, the Seminole name
• Cow Ford, the British name

Both refer to cattle crossing the river at a narrow spot, near where downtown Jacksonville is today.

By 1822, settlers had named the town for Jackson. Isaiah D. Hart, who's considered Jacksonville's founder and is the namesake of the Hart Bridge, led the effort to set up a town government. Florida's territorial council approved Jacksonville's charter on Feb. 9, 1832.

Why do people say "Duval" instead of "Jacksonville"?

Because since Oct. 1, 1968, they're almost the same thing.

That's the day the City of Jacksonville and Duval County merged their governments into one. It's called consolidation. Instead of a separate city government and county government, there's now one: the Consolidated City of Jacksonville, with one mayor and one City Council for almost the whole county.

Overnight, the city grew to cover nearly the entire county. It's why Jacksonville is the largest city by land area in the lower 48 states.

So when someone in Arlington, Mandarin or the Northside says they're from "Duval," they're right, and when they say they're from Jacksonville, they're right too.

Is all of Duval County part of Jacksonville?

Almost, but not quite. Four towns in Duval County kept their own city governments when consolidation happened:

• Jacksonville Beach
• Atlantic Beach
• Neptune Beach
• Baldwin

Residents of those four towns live in Duval County but have their own mayors and city councils.

That's one reason people at the Beaches sometimes say "Duval" instead of "Jacksonville."

How do you say it?

Locals say "doo-VAL," with the emphasis on the second syllable. At a Jaguars game, it's stretched out as long as the crowd can hold it: "DUUUUUVAL."

Duval by the numbers

• 1822: the year Duval County was created and the year William Pope Duval became governor
• 12: years Duval served as governor, 1822 to 1834
• Oct. 1, 1968: the day Jacksonville and Duval County consolidated
• 4: towns in Duval County that aren't part of Jacksonville
• 918: square miles in Duval County, including water
• 995,567: people in Duval County in the 2020 Census

Other Northeast Florida county names

While we're at it, here's where the neighbors got their names:

• St. Johns County: named for the St. Johns River, which got its name from the Spanish mission San Juan del Puerto, near the river's mouth
• Nassau County: named for the Nassau River
• Clay County: named for Henry Clay, the Kentucky senator
• Baker County: named for James McNair Baker, a Confederate senator and judge

Did you grow up calling it "Duval" or "Jacksonville"? Tell us at [email protected].