The green Main Street Bridge crossing the St. Johns River just downstream from Riverside and Avondale.

Duval County · Jacksonville · 32204 · 32205

Riverside / Avondale

Riverside and Avondale sit on the west bank of the St. Johns River immediately southwest of Downtown Jacksonville, roughly bounded by I-10 to the north, the river to the east, Fishweir Creek to the south, and Roosevelt Blvd/CSX line to the west. Housing stock was built primarily between 1901 and the late 1920s and is dominated by frame bungalows, with Prairie, Colonial Revival, Tudor and Mediterranean Revival houses, plus early-20th-century apartment buildings and a growing number of condo/townhome conversions. The area adjoins Brooklyn, Five Points, Ortega (across Fishweir Creek), and the Fuller Warren Bridge/I-95 corridor.

Median sale

$410,000

as of 2026-03

CDD

School district

Duval

Find zoned schools ↗

To downtown

7 min

typical off-peak

Housing stock

Predominantly 1901–1930s single-family houses (bungalows ~60% of buildings per district survey), with 1920s Mediterranean Revival concentrated in Avondale; small city lots typically ~50 ft x 100–150 ft; also historic apartment buildings, duplexes and newer infill condos/townhomes. Riverside Historic District listed on the National Register in 1985 (6,870 acres, 2,120 historic buildings); Avondale listed 1989; both designated a City of Jacksonville local historic district in 1997 with a 2008 zoning overlay, so exterior work requires a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA).

Flood zones

Riverfront and creek-front parcels along the St. Johns River and Fishweir/Big Fishweir Creek generally carry FEMA Zone AE; blocks set back from the water are generally Zone X. Riverside and adjacent Downtown/Brooklyn experienced river flooding during Hurricane Irma (2017). Verify by address at the FEMA Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov) or the Duval County Property Appraiser parcel viewer; the City's Development Services Division holds elevation certificates for floodplain structures built since 1992 (904-255-8310). AE-zoned parcels with a mortgage require flood insurance and an elevation certificate is typically needed for rating.

Insurance factors

Most homes are 90–120 years old, so a 4-point inspection (roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC) is required by Citizens and most carriers for homes over 20 years. Knob-and-tube and cloth-insulated wiring are found in pre-war Riverside/Avondale homes and are commonly declined by carriers until fully rewired; Federal Pacific/Zinsco panels are also flagged. Galvanized or cast-iron plumbing and shingle roofs over 15 years old affect insurability. Wind mitigation inspection affects premiums. Condo conversions in buildings 3+ habitable stories are subject to Florida milestone inspection and Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) rules (HB 913, effective July 1, 2025).

CDD and HOA

Historic pre-CDD neighborhood; no Community Development Districts.

Generally none for single-family homes; condo and townhome associations exist in converted historic buildings and newer infill (fees vary by building).

Short-term rentals

The City of Jacksonville (Duval, excluding the Beaches municipalities) has no city-specific STR registration ordinance; its Council Special Committee on Short-Term Vacation Rentals was terminated in 2019, and Florida Statute 509.032(7) bars local governments from prohibiting vacation rentals or regulating their duration/frequency. Operators still need a Florida DBPR vacation-rental license, a Duval local business tax receipt and tourist-development-tax registration; some third-party guides claim a city certificate is required, which is not reflected on jacksonville.gov and should be verified with the Planning and Development Department. Condo/HOA documents may restrict rentals.

Getting around

Riverside Ave, Park St, Post St, St. Johns Ave, Roosevelt Blvd (US 17), I-10 and I-95 via the Fuller Warren Bridge (about 170,000 vehicles/day) are the main routes; the Fuller Warren and Acosta bridges are the chokepoints to Downtown/San Marco. JTA fixed-route buses serve Park St, Post St and Riverside Ave; the Skyway's Brooklyn-area extension (U2C) has been proposed but as of 2026 JTA is still evaluating Skyway alternatives.

Before you make an offer here

Is the property inside the local historic district and what exterior changes (windows, siding, additions) require a COA from the City's Historic Preservation Section?
Has the electrical been rewired (knob-and-tube/cloth wiring) and what does the 4-point inspection show on roof age, plumbing and panel type?
What is the FEMA flood zone for this specific parcel and is there an existing elevation certificate?
For condo conversions: is the building 3+ habitable stories and has it completed its milestone inspection and SIRS?
Foundation type (pier-and-beam crawlspace is common) and evidence of settlement, termite treatment history and sewer lateral condition (original clay lines are common).

Sources

Updated 2026-08-25. Facts change — verify anything material before you rely on it.