Naval Air Station Jacksonville

Naval Air Station Jacksonville is the oldest of three Navy installations in the Jacksonville area, sitting on roughly 3,400 acres along the west bank of the St. Johns River.

Most travelers will fly into Jacksonville International Airport, which sits about 32 miles from NAS Jacksonville and is served by a full slate of major carriers including Delta, American, Southwest, United, and JetBlue.

The installation lists Navy Gateway Inns & Suites, the Navy Lodge and the Heritage Cottages among its lodging resources. Confirm the current location, room type and availability with your chosen provider.

The Heritage Cottages offer furnished two-bedroom accommodation with a screened porch near the base golf course. Contact the provider about current booking arrangements.

Space-available lodging is open to active duty, retirees, reservists, and eligible dependents, but is capped at seven days when booked on a space-A basis, so those without firm orders should plan alternate housing if their stay runs longer.

On-base family housing at NAS Jacksonville is fully privatized and managed by Balfour Beatty Communities, offering close to 301 homes split between two on-base neighborhoods, Patriots Point and River Oaks.

Families choosing to live off base have several nearby towns to consider, including Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, and Orange Park, along with the Jacksonville neighborhoods of Southside, Northside, Westside, Fleming Island, and Mandarin.

Single junior sailors, specifically E-1 through E-3 and E-4s with under four years of service arriving on PCS orders, are required to live in the Combined Bachelor Quarters on base.

NAS Jacksonville has a Navy School Liaison office in Building 2069 on Mustin Road, available weekdays to help families navigate local school enrollment and transitions. This office is the primary point of contact for education questions rather than a school itself.

The installation's Navy Child Development Center is located in Building 2070 on Mustin Road and operates weekdays from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed on weekends and holidays. Families should plan ahead and use MilitaryChildCare.com to request care.

Naval Hospital Jacksonville, located at 2080 Child St., is a general medical and surgical hospital offering inpatient and outpatient care, and it houses the Navy's largest Family Practice Training Program. It has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval and was the first facility on Florida's First Coast to receive baby-friendly certification.

Active-duty members have a dedicated Branch Health Clinic in Building 964 on Ajax Street, open weekdays 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for primary care, separate from the family- and retiree-focused hospital services. New arrivals should update their address with DEERS, select a local primary care manager through TRICARE, and register at medical records promptly after checking in.

The Navy Wives Club runs a 'Not-New' Shop behind the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society near the main gate, open Tuesday and Thursday mornings, where newcomers can pick up gently used household goods, clothing, and uniforms at low cost, and departing families can donate items instead of hauling them along on a move.

Florida law requires headlights to be on any time visibility is reduced, including rain, fog, smoke, dawn, and dusk, a rule that surprises many newcomers used to less strict daytime lighting requirements elsewhere.

There is no base telephone operator at NAS Jacksonville, so instead of calling a general base number, check the installation homepage's Useful Info/FAQs page for a directory.