St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine (/ˈɔːɡəstiːn/ AW-gə-steen; Spanish: San Agustín [san aɣusˈtin]) is a city in and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in what is now the contiguous United States.
St. Augustine
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City of Saint Augustine | |
![]() Top, left to right: Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine Light, Flagler College, Lightner Museum, statue near the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, Old St. Johns County Jail | |
Nickname(s): Ancient City, Old City | |
![]() Location in St. Johns County and the U.S. state of Florida | |
Coordinates: 29°53′41″N 81°18′52″W[1] | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
County | ![]() |
Established | September 8, 1565 |
Founded by | Pedro Menéndez de Avilés |
Named for | Saint Augustine of Hippo |
Government | |
• Type | City commission government |
• Mayor | Tracy Upchurch (R) |
Area | |
• City | 12.85 sq mi (33.29 km2) |
• Land | 9.52 sq mi (24.66 km2) |
• Water | 3.33 sq mi (8.63 km2) |
Elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• City | 14,329 |
• Density | 1,504.99/sq mi (581.05/km2) |
• Urban | 69,173 (US: 399th) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
ZIP code(s) | 32080, 32084, 32085, 32086, 32095, 32082, 32092 |
Area code | 904 |
FIPS code | 12-62500[4] |
GNIS feature ID | 0308101[3] |
Website | City of St. Augustine |
St. Augustine was founded on September 8, 1565, by Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Florida's first governor. He named the settlement "San Agustín", as his ships bearing settlers, troops, and supplies from Spain had first sighted land in Florida eleven days earlier on August 28, the feast day of St. Augustine.[5] The city served as the capital of Spanish Florida for over 200 years. It was designated as the capital of British East Florida when the colony was established in 1763; Great Britain returned Florida to Spain in 1783.
Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1819, and St. Augustine was designated the capital of the Florida Territory upon ratification of the Adams–Onís Treaty in 1821. The Florida National Guard made the city its headquarters that same year. The territorial government moved and made Tallahassee the capital of Florida in 1824.
St. Augustine is part of Florida's First Coast region and the Jacksonville metropolitan area. Since the late 19th century, St. Augustine's distinctive historical character has made the city a tourist attraction. The old Spanish fort, the walls of which are made of coquina, continues to attract tourists.[6]