Clay County, Florida
Fleming Island
An Irish soldier's Spanish land grant, a naval airfield, and the streets built over its runways.
The runways outlived their purpose. Abandoned in the 1960s because they were too short for jets, the decaying airfield was demolished in the late 1990s so the neighbourhoods now standing there could be built.
What this place is
Why Fleming Island is here
George Fleming, an Irish immigrant, received a 1,000-acre land grant from the Spanish governor of East Florida for his military service and established a plantation in 1790.
Plantation, then military, then subdivision: the Navy laid four asphalt runways here in 1942 as NOLF Fleming Island.
- 1790Hibernia plantation
- 1942Four runways laid
- 1990Airfield demolished for housing
Worth the trip
What to look for
- 01
The St. Johns River shoreline, about 21 miles southwest of downtown Jacksonville.
- 02
Hibernia, the settlement that grew from the 1790 Fleming plantation and still bears its name.
Hotels, inns, rentals and campgrounds
Where to Stay
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Vacation Rentals
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Vacation Rentals
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New Floating Luxury: Unique Houseboat Retreat
Vacation Rentals
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The Enclave at Eagle Harbor
Vacation Rentals
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Hotels
Restaurants, seafood, cafes and bars
Where to Eat
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Seafood · $
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Restaurants · $
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Seafood · $
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Restaurants · $
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Restaurants · $
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Restaurants · $
Parks, beaches, museums, tours and charters
Things to Do
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Golf
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Golf
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Parks Nature
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Parks Nature
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Tours Charters
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Attractions
71 guides, written from this town’s own record
Guides
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The Best Things to Do in Fleming Island, Florida
Fleming Island’s best days are a matter of where you stand, because the ground beneath this suburb has been a Spanish land grant, a plantation, and a naval airfield.
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The Best Restaurants in Fleming Island, Florida
Fleming Island’s dining scene is a practical map of its own history: a little bit of old Florida water-front, a lot of suburban convenience, and a few surprises tucked into the strip malls.
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Where to Stay in Fleming Island: Hotels, Inns and Rentals
The only reason to sleep on Fleming Island is the river, but the reasons to stay are more complicated than that.
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A Weekend in Fleming Island: What to See, Eat and Do
Fleming Island is what happens when Florida runs out of new ground and starts building over its own memory.
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Fleming Island FL: 16 Things to Know Before Visiting
Fleming Island doesn't announce its history. The streets are wide, the lawns are flat, the strip malls new. Under the sod sit the bones of a 1942 naval airfield. Under that, an Irish immigrant's 1790 Spanish land grant.
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The Best Time of Year to Visit Fleming Island
The best time to visit is October, when the river light turns the color of old photographs and the airfield ghosts stay quiet.
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Fleming Island vs Palm Coast: Which Florida Spot to Visit
Fleming Island’s streets are built over a 1942 naval airfield, which itself was layered onto a 1790 Irish plantation—a place to read history from the asphalt rather than a typical day-trip stop.
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The History of Fleming Island in 6 Landmarks
Some places are built over their own history. Fleming Island is one of them.
Public record
Fleming Island by the numbers
- 29,351Residents (2023)
- 1.1% Homes held for seasonal use
- 106 Places in this guide