Everything to Know About Orange Park

The tropical paradise in Florida makes it an appealing place to live. No matter where people are in the state, there are at most a couple short hours away from an oceanfront beach. One of the best places to settle down is Jacksonville and its suburbs, including OrangePark. People should learn more about the city before looking at homes for sale in Orange Park, FL.
Orange Park is in Clay County. The population averages at a manageable 8,000 residents, giving it a small town feel without everyone knowing everybody’s personal affairs. OrangePark is one of Jacksonville’s most populous suburbs. It also covers communities outside of town, such as Fleming Island, Lakeside, and Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace.
Before Orang Park was a town, it was called Laurel Grove and was a lang grant from the Spanish governor. There was a lot of drama before it became a town as it was on the Spanish border. Planters, including those who lived in Laurel Grove, revolted against Spanish rule in order to make Spanish Florida part of the US.
The revolt did not last long, and the main plantation there was burned down. It remained in disrepair until after the Civil War. Boston trustees bought the plantation in 1877 and it became the official town of Orange Park. The previous plantation was divided into building lots and farm tracts.
The street system in operation today was laid out in the late 19th century. This included Kingsley Avenue, River Road, and Plantation Avenue. The trustees wanted to enhance property sales by planting orange trees, a cash crop back then. A large hotel was built along with a huge wooden pier to the river that could accommodate steam boats. This attracted the northern tourist trade.
The orange is the fruit of Florida. The town was named by its founders after the fruit, since OrangePark used to be home to the fruit growing industry. Crops were destroyed in a freeze that occurred in 1894. After that, orange crops were never able to grow again in the town, even to this day.
OrangePark is on the St. Johns River. Greater OrangePark includes the communities of Fleming Island, Ridgewood, Doctor’s Inlet, Orange Park South, and Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace. In the past few decades, residential Orange Park has been rapidly developed. There are more than fifteen residential neighborhoods, including multiple country clubs, estates, and plantations.
Many houses in Orange Park are affiliated with the military, due to NAS Jacksonville being a mile away, or the medical field. Orange Park has a substantial education system. There are thirteen elementary schools, three junior high schools, and four public high schools in Orange Park.
There are many great private schools as well, including Saint Johns Country Day School. This is a preparatory academy whose graduates qualify to Ivy League universities The school has a high college acceptance rate and a large number of National Merit finalists and semi-finalists.
Fortis College is also located in Orange Park. This school provides career education and training. They supply skills training and practical education for in-demand careers in the Jacksonville community. St. Johns River State College has the largest campus in Orange Park. This school has the Thrasher-Horne Center for the arts, a theater used for plays and events in the community.
The education in OrangePark is part of what makes it such an attractive place to live. Young families are drawn to the area in order to give their kids a spectacular education. Their primary, secondary, and private education institutions are unparalleled.
There are many historic aspects to OrangePark. The Orange Park Elementary School building was built in 1927. It is near the River Road Historic District, a road with trees that are a century old and parallel to the river. This is where locals come to jog or stroll in the afternoon. The Club Continental was the winter palazzo of Caleb Johnson, founder of the Palmolive Soap Company.
The median household income is around $47,000 while the median family income is $58,000. This makes it an extremely affordable place to live. This affordability is made more attractive by the beauty and history of the town, along with its close proximity to Jacksonville and beaches
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