Jacksonville City is the biggest city within Florida and is the county seat of Duval County. The city's inhabitants number over 1 million. The city of Jacksonville City sits within the First Coast region of northeast Florida along the banks of the St. John River. The city of Jacksonville is constantly rated among the "Hottest Cities in America" for business expansions and relocations in a yearly poll featured in Expansion Management magazine. It is likewise rated 11th in Inc. Magazine's list of "Best Cities for Doing Business" during the year 2006.
Jacksonville City has a rapidly developing cultural scene for its many residents and visitors. Due to their various galleries and collections, Jacksonville's distinctive museums are a sight to behold. The Jacksonville Maritime Museum has long been devoted to the preservation of the areas maritime history. It is a free museum housing manuscripts, ship models and naval artifacts which have a place in Jacksonville history. The Museum of Science and History features the area's only planetarium and an extensive exhibit about Northeast Florida's colorful history. The LaVilla Museum and Ritz Theatre celebrates the rich heritage of the African-American community in the city of Jacksonville. Its permanent collection comprises over 700 works in various media, representing well-known international and national artists of the 20th and 21st century. The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is well-known for its important European and American paintings, gorgeous formal gardens and a renowned collection of Meissen porcelain. For people who like theatre and music, Downtown Jacksonville's Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts houses the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, considered as amongst the country's top ensembles.
Jacksonville City is situated strategically between the Atlantic Ocean and the St. John River. It has the largest deepwater port in the south and is a dominant force in the U.S. for transportation, distribution and automobile imports. The largest trade of the city, however, is its broad diversification. The area's economy is rather balanced among the insurance, manufacturing, consumer goods, information services, financial services, biomedical technology, and distribution trades. The Port of Jacksonville is amongst the players in Jacksonville's financial system. It has an expected 50,000 jobs within Northeast Florida and contributes around 3 billion in Northeast Florida's financial system at present.