The city of Jacksonville, Florida, USA, has been home to numerous famous people, groups, and organizations.
Politicians/Activists
Listed chronologically by year of birth:
- Zephaniah Kingsley (1765-1843) slaveholder and owner of Kingsley Plantation
- Isaiah Hart (1792-1861) Georgia Plantation owner and Founder of Jacksonville
- Anna Kingsley (1793-1870) former slave turned businesswoman and slaveholder
- Ossian B. Hart (1821-1874) 10th governor of Florida 1873-1874 and Florida Supreme Court Justice
- Francis P. Fleming (1841-1908) 15th governor of Florida 1889-1893
- Napoleon B. Broward (1857-1910) 19th governor of Florida 1905-1909 Jacksonville Sheriff 1888-1894
- Duncan U. Fletcher (1859-1936) 2-term Jacksonville Mayor and U.S. Senator 1909-1936
- Claude L'Engle (1868-1919) United States Representative from Florida
- St. Elmo W. Acosta (1875-1947) Jacksonville City Commissioner, State Legislator and Parks Commissioner.
- Eartha M. M. White (1876-1974) African American philanthropist and humanitarian
- John W. Martin (1884-1958) former Jacksonville mayor and 24th governor of Florida 1921-1925
- A. Philip Randolph (1889-1979) African American civil rights activist
- Emory H. Price (1899-1976) U.S. Representative from Florida
- Fuller Warren (1905-1973) 30th governor of Florida 1949-1953
- Charles Edward Bennett (1910-2003) U.S. representative from 2nd/3rd congressional district 1949-93
- W. Haydon Burns (1912-1987) 35th governor of Florida 1965-1967; Jacksonville mayor 1949-1965
- Dorcas Drake (1916-1993) Duval County judge and philanthropist
- Alan Stephenson Boyd (born 1922) the first United States Secretary of Transportation
- Ed Austin (born 1926) former mayor of Jacksonville
- Claude R. Kirk, Jr. (born 1926) 36th governor of Florida 1967-1971
- Lou Ritter (born 1926) former Jacksonville mayor
- Hans Tanzler (born 1927) former mayor of Jacksonville
- Don Davis (1931-2008) Jacksonville City Council President, Florida Legislator and civic leader
- Maurice M. Paul (born 1932) United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida Judge
- Don Fuqua (born 1933) U.S. representative from 9th/2nd congressional district 1963-87
- Jake Godbold (born 1934) former mayor of Jacksonville
- Frank F. Ledford, Jr. (born 1934) former Surgeon General of the Army (U.S.)
- MaVynee Betsch (1935-2005) black activist and environmentalist for American Beach
- James E. King (born 1939) State Representative 1986-1999; State Senator 1999-2008+
- Harry Shorstein (born 1941) Lawyer and State Attorney, 4th Judicial Circuit 1991-2008
- Tillie K. Fowler (1942-2005) U.S. representative: 4th congressional district 1993-2001; Jacksonville City Council: 1985-1992
- Nat Glover (born 1943) first African American sheriff of Jacksonville
- Ander Crenshaw (born 1944) State Representative 1972-1978; State Senator 1986-1994; U.S. Representative: 4th congressional district 2001-2008+
- Mike Blouin (born 1945) U.S. Representative for Iowa's Second Congressional District
- Tommy Hazouri (born 1945) former Jacksonville mayor and current Duval school board member
- Corrine Brown (born 1946) U.S. representative
- John Rutherford (born 1952) Sheriff of Jacksonville 2004-2008+
- John Delaney (born 1956) former mayor of Jacksonville and current president of the University of North Florida.
- Randy Brinson (born 1957) gastroenterologist and Christian right activist
- John Peyton (born 1964) Jacksonville Mayor 2003-2011
Notable People
Listed chronologically by year of birth:
- Jean Ribault (1520-1565) French naval officer who established a haven for the Huguenots on the future site of Jacksonville
- Henry Morrison Flagler (1830-1913) American tycoon, real estate promoter, railroad developer and partner in Standard Oil
- Abraham Lincoln Lewis (1865–1947) businessman and developer of American Beach, Florida
- Charles E. Merrill (1885-1956) co-founder of Merrill, Lynch & Company
- H. Terry Parker (1890-1970) philanthropist; co-founder of Gulf Life Insurance Co. & VP of A.B. Farquhar Company
- John Archibald Wheeler (1911-2008) innovative theoretical physicist
- Louis Wolfson (1912-2007) Wall Street Financier, race horse owner/breeder & philanthropist
- Denham Fouts (1914-1949) American prostitute, socialite & literary muse
- Herb Peyton (born 1926) businessman and civic leader
- Homer G. Lindsay, Jr. (1927-2000) influential preacher and former pastor of the nation's 3rd largest Southern Baptist church
- Lex Hester (1935-2000) key architect of Jacksonville's consolidated government
- Wayne Weaver (born 1935) Shoe Store mogul and majority owner of Jacksonville Jaguars
- Philip Don Estridge (1937-1985) "Father of the IBM PC", led development of original IBM Personal Computer
- Jerry Vines (born 1937) President, Southern Baptist Convention and former pastor of the nation's 3rd largest Southern Baptist church
- Tom Petway (born 1941) businessman, Jacksonville Jaguars minority partner, civic leader
- Norman E. Thagard (born 1943) NASA Astronaut
- Michael Persinger (born 1945) Neuroscientist, psychologist and noted philanthropist
- Steve Pajcic (born 1946) lawyer, state representative, Florida Gubernatorial candidate and philanthropist
- Susana Urbina (born 1946) is an American psychologist professor at the University of North Florida
- Gary Pajcic (1947-2006) high school & college athlete, lawyer and philanthropist
- Elizabeth Edwards (born 1949) attorney and wife of Senator John Edwards
- Edythe M. Abdullah (born 1951) President of Florida Community College at Jacksonville and University of North Florida Trustee
- Rev. Dr. Robert V. Lee, III (born 1951) is an ordained Episcopal minister and founder of Fresh Ministries
- Juliana Catlin (born 1955) notable interior designer
- John Palumbo (born 1958) motivational speaker and businessman/salesman
Athletes
Listed chronologically by year of birth:
- Coley Wallace (1927-2005) heavyweight boxer and actor
- John Chaney (born 1932) former Temple University basketball coach
- LeeRoy Yarbrough (1938-1984) NASCAR driver
- Bob Hayes (1942-2002) 1964 Olympic Gold Medalist (2) sprinter; NFL wide receiver for Dallas Cowboys
- Harold Carmichael (born 1949) NFL wide receiver with Philadelphia Eagles for 14 seasons
- Jack Youngblood (born 1950) former NFL defensive end Los Angeles Rams
- Mark McCumber (born 1951) professional golfer
- Patty Moise (born 1960) NASCAR driver
- Vince Coleman (born 1961) MLB left fielder St. Louis Cardinals
- "Merciless" Ray Mercer (born 1961) former WBO World Heavyweight Champion 1991 and Olympic Gold Medalist
- Nancy Hogshead-Makar (born 1962) former US National and 1984 Olympic swimmer
- Otis Smith (born 1964) former NBA player and GM Orlando Magic
- Rena Mero (born 1967) formerly Rena Greek aka "Sable," WWE WWF wrestler and actress
- Rick Wilkins (born 1967) MLB catcher Chicago Cubs
- Dee Brown (born 1969) NBA player Boston Celtics Toronto Raptors Orlando Magic. Won the 1991 NBA Dunk Competition
- David Duval (born 1971) professional golfer
- Chipper Jones (born 1972) MLB 3rd Base Atlanta Braves
- Nate Campbell (born 1972) professional boxer and lightweight title holder
- Brian Dawkins (born 1973) NFL safety Philadelphia Eagles
- Chris Terry (born 1975) NFL center Kansas City Chiefs
- Travis Tomko (born 1976) (TomKo) TNA professional wrestler
- Ryan Freel (born 1976) MLB fielder Cincinnati Reds
- Rod Gardner (born 1977) NFL wide receiver Kansas City Chiefs
- Laveranues Coles (born 1977) NFL wide receiver New York Jets
- Lito Sheppard (born 1977) NFL cornerback Philadelphia Eagles
- Elijah Burke (born 1978) WWE professional wrestler
- Patrick Barnes (born 1979) MLB player Seattle Mariners Cleveland Indians
- Jonathan Papelbon (born 1980) MLB pitching closer Boston Red Sox
- Rashean Mathis (born 1980) NFL cornerback Jacksonville Jaguars
- Brett Myers (born 1980) MLB relief pitcher Philadelphia Phillies
- Leon Washington (born 1982) NFL running back New York Jets
- Ciatrick Fason (born 1982) former NFL running back Minnesota Vikings
- Jamaal Fudge (born 1983) NFL safety Jacksonville Jaguars
- Dee Webb (born 1984) former NFL cornerback Jacksonville Jaguars
- Riley Skinner (born 1986) Quarterback Wake Forest University
- Tim Tebow (born 1987) 2007 Heisman Trophy Winner, Quarterback University of Florida
- Al Denson (football player)
- Alvin Heggs
- Amer Delic
- Ben Nowland
- Billy Butler (baseball)
- Boobie Clark
- Brandon Sharp
- Brian Clark (American football)
- Bryan Barker
- Bubba Dickerson
- Calvin Muhammad
- Chris Terry (American football)
- Christian Gaddis
- Daniel Hollie
- Darren O'Day
- Derrick Alexander (defensive end)
- Derrick Gaffney
- Dez White
- Ed Jenkins (football player)
- Edgar Bennett
- Fred Funk
- Gerard Ross
- Glenn Davis (baseball)
- Greg Coleman
- Guss Scott
- Jabar Gaffney
- Jaime Harper
- Jeremy Papelbon
- Joshua Papelbon
- Keith Brown (American football)
- Ken Burrough
- Khalid Abdullah (American football player)
- Larry Brown (tight end)
- Lionel Gates
- Marcus Thomas (defensive tackle)
- Matt Lehr
- Micah Ross
- Michael Jennings (American football)
- Mike Oliphant
- Noah Jackson
- Norris Coleman
- Paul Rigdon
- Rahim Abdullah
- Reggie Lewis (football player)
- Ron Duguay
- Ron Meeks
- Ron Sellers
- Ryan Jorgensen
- Sam Cowart
- Shawn Jefferson
- Stephen Nicholas
- Steve Lofton
- Terry LeCount
- Tom Scott (NFL player)
- Tom Sullivan (football player)
- Travis Taylor (American football)
- Vijay Singh
Entertainers
Listed chronologically by year of birth:
- Merian C. Cooper (1893-1973) Hollywood director, producer & writer
- Rosalie King Simpson (1902-1997) stage actress and singer
- William Tuttle (1912-2007) major Hollywood makeup artist for over 300 movies and television shows
- Frankie Manning (born 1914) dancer and choreographer
- Meinhardt Raabe (born 1915), Colonel Munchin in The Wizard of Oz (1939 film), resides at Penny Farms Retirement Community
- Wanda Hendrix (1928-1981) Hollywood actress married & divorced from World War II hero Audie Murphy
- Paula Kelly (born 1943) actress best known for roles in "Sweet Charity" and "The Andromeda Strain"
- Patrika Darbo (born 1948) television actress
- Linden Ashby (born 1960) television actor
- Leanza Cornett (born 1971) Miss America 1993, television actress
- Jennifer Rovero (born 1978) Playboy Playmate
- Jessica Morris (born 1980) television actress
- Yoanna House (born 1980) fashion model
- Patrick Barry (born 1981) independent filmmaker, writer, director, producer
- Lil Duval (born 1981) Comedian
- Tiffany Selby (born 1981) Model, Playboy Playmate
- Connie Fletcher (born 1982) television actress
- David Jack Holt
- Donna Deegan
- Henriette Allais
- Nichole Van Croft
- Rahman Johnson
- Rex Smith
- Tom Bevis
- Tom DiCillo
Musicians/Composers
Listed chronologically by year of birth:
- Arthur "Blind" Blake (1893-1933) influential blues guitarist
- Billy Daniels (1915-1988) big band singer, actor
- Pettidee (born 1973) a popular Christian hip-hop artist
- Pat Boone (born 1934) popular 1950s singer and teen idol
- Nick Todd (born 1935) pop singer
- James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) African-American activist; composed words for Negro National Anthem
- John Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954) musical composer, brother of James Weldon
- Jo Ann Campbell (born 1938) country/pop singer & actress
- Scott McKenzie (born 1939) Rock and roll singer
- Johnny Tillotson (born 1939) pop singer, songwriter, actor
- Gary U.S. Bonds (born 1939) R&B singer
- Jackie Moore (born 1946) R&B singer
- Claude "Butch" Trucks (born 1947) drummer of Allman Brothers Band
- Ronnie Van Zant (1948-1977) singer, songwriter, founder of Southern rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Rick Dees (born 1950) radio disc jockey, recorded #1 novelty hit "Disco Duck"
- Danny Joe Brown (1951-2005) songwriter and former singer for the band, Molly Hatchet
- |Donnie Van Zant (born 1952) Lead singer of band .38 Special
- Glenn Jones (born 1962) R&B/Gospel Singer
- Fred Durst (born 1970) Lead singer, founder of Nu Metal band Limp Bizkit
- James MacDonough (born 1970) former Iced Earth and Megadeth bass player
- Greg Eklund (born 1970) drummer of Everclear
- Scooter Ward (born 1970) singer, founder of post-grunge/alternative metal band Cold
- Mase (born 1977) hip hop star
- Ryan Key (born 1979) lead singer of the punk rock band, Yellowcard
- Shannon Wright singer-songwriter
- Allen Collins
- Derek Trucks
- Gary Rossington
- Jack Sheldon
- Jennifer Chase
- Jeremy Marshall
- Johnny Van Zant
- Kelly Hayes
- Limp Bizkit
- Nat (rapper)
- Rogue (musician)
- Sam McCandless
- Sam Rivers (bassist)
- Samuel Jones (musician)
- Scott Borland
- Terry Balsamo
- Vic Chesnutt
Notorious
- Ottis Toole (1947-1996) Serial killer and probable murderer of Adam Walsh
- Paul Durousseau (born 1970) Serial killer nicknamed the Killer Cabbie
Bands
Listed chronologically by year band was formed:
- Classics IV (1965) Pop Rock
- The Allman Brothers Band (1969) Southern Rock
- Lynyrd Skynyrd (1970) Southern Rock
- Blackfoot (1972) Rock/Southern Rock
- Molly Hatchet (1975) Southern Rock
- .38 Special (1975) Rock
- 95 South (1992) Hip Hop
- 69 Boyz (1993) Hip Hop
- Limp Bizkit (1994) Metal Rock
- Inspection 12 (1994) Pop Punk
- Quad City DJ's (1995) Hip Hop
- Cold (1997) Hard Rock
- Yellowcard (1997) Pop Punk
- Evergreen Terrace (2001) Hardcore
- Shinedown (2001) Rock
- Electric President (2003) Indie/Electronic
- The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (2003) Rock
- The Summer Obsession (2006) Pop Rock
- Burn Season hardcore band on Bieler Bros records
- Black Kids (2006) Indie Rock