Jacksonville City Offices, Libraries to Close for Independence Day Weekend

City of Jacksonville offices and most government facilities will close Friday, July 3, in observance of Independence Day, the city announced Thursday. The closures affect City Hall at St. James, all branch offices of the Tax Collector, the Property Appraiser's office, and Jacksonville Public Library locations across Duval County.

While most administrative offices will be shuttered for the long weekend, essential services including garbage collection will continue on their regular schedules. Parks and recreation facilities will operate under modified holiday hours, with outdoor pools open from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on both July 3 and July 4.

What's closing

The comprehensive closure list includes City Hall at St. James at 117 W. Duval St., the Ed Ball Building at 214 N. Hogan St., and the Jake M. Godbold City Hall Annex at 407 N. Laura St. The Yates Building at 231 E. Forsyth St., which houses the Office of the Tax Collector, all Tax Collector branch offices, and the Office of the Property Appraiser, will also be closed.

The Duval County Courthouse at 501 W. Adams St. and the Supervisor of Elections main office at 105 E. Monroe St. will be closed Friday. Administrative offices for Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department at 515 N. Julia St., the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department at 214 N. Hogan St., and various public works divisions will also shut down for the holiday.

All community centers, senior centers, and gymnasiums managed by the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department will be closed, along with the Tillie K. Fowler Regional Park Nature Center at 7000 Roosevelt Blvd. The Ritz Theatre & Museum at 829 N. Davis St., Cecil Gym and Fitness Center at 13531 Lake Newman Dr., and the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 2675 Commonwealth Ave. will also close.

Kids Hope Alliance at 1095 A. Philip Randolph Blvd. will be closed both Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4. The 630-CITY customer service center will be closed from Friday through 8:00 a.m. Monday, July 6, though customers can request city services online at myjax.custhelp.com during that period.

Library and Animal Services schedules

All Jacksonville Public Library locations will close Friday, July 3, and remain closed through Sunday, July 5. The library system, which serves as a critical resource for residents across Duval County seeking internet access, educational materials, and community programming, will reopen for regular service hours Monday, July 6.

Animal Care and Protective Services will maintain regular adoption hours from noon to 7:00 p.m. on both Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4. This means residents looking to adopt pets or bring found animals to the facility can do so during the holiday weekend.

Parks and recreation facilities

Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park, located on the Atlantic coast at Mayport, will operate special hours on July 3 from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with regular hours resuming July 4. Early bird and annual pass holders can enter from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., while day-users and campground visitors may enter from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. All non-camping visitors must depart by 8:00 p.m.

Camping reservations close at 8:00 p.m. daily at Hanna Park. Only campers with prepaid reservations can gain access from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and all campers must check in by 9:00 p.m. and have tents and RVs set up by 9:30 p.m.

Huguenot Memorial Park, the popular beach and camping destination at the mouth of the St. Johns River, will operate modified hours on July 3 from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with regular hours resuming July 4. Last entry for admissions is at 7:00 p.m., and all day-use visitors except paid campers and authorized visitors must exit by 8:00 p.m.

Park management warned that Huguenot Memorial Park may experience temporary closures due to high tides, capacity limits, or unsafe conditions. During such periods, the park will close for all admissions and beach driving. The north end of the peninsula is currently closed to vehicles due to nesting shorebirds protected by the Migratory Bird Act.

Southside Tennis Complex will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on both July 3 and July 4. All other tennis facilities will be closed but will have access to hard courts and pickleball courts.

Pool operations and programming

Twenty-six outdoor pools across Jacksonville will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on both July 3 and July 4, though no swimming lessons will be offered on those days. Pools will be available at high school locations including Andrew Jackson, Baldwin Middle/High, Fletcher, Mandarin, Paxon, Raines, Ribault, Riverside, Sandalwood, Samuel Wolfson, Terry Parker, and Westside high schools.

Park pools operating under the modified holiday schedule include Blue Cypress Park at 4012 University Blvd. N., Carvill Park at 1302 Carvill Ave., Emmett Reed Park at 1093 W. 6th St., Fort Caroline Pool at 14131 Ferber Road, Golfair Park Pool (C.T. Brown) at 4415 Moncrief Road, and Grand/Johnnie Walker Park at 2740 Division St.

Cecil Aquatic Center at 13611 Normandy Blvd. will operate extended hours from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on both days, closing from noon to 1:00 p.m. for maintenance. No programming will take place at any pool facility during the holiday weekend.

What continues as scheduled

Garbage, recycling, and yard waste collection will continue on the regular schedule with no changes for the Independence Day holiday. This means residential customers should place their bins at the curb on their normal collection day, even if it falls on Friday, July 3.

Under Jacksonville's consolidated city-county government structure, the coordination of holiday closures affects services across most of Duval County. The city operates one of the largest municipal service footprints in the continental United States, with Parks, Recreation and Community Services managing dozens of facilities and the public library system operating 21 branches.

Impact on residents and businesses

The closure of Tax Collector and Property Appraiser offices means residents needing to conduct transactions such as vehicle registrations, tag renewals, or property record inquiries will need to wait until offices reopen. Many of these services are available online through the city's website, providing an alternative for urgent matters.

For businesses requiring permits, inspections, or other government approvals, the long weekend effectively extends project timelines. The closure of Municipal Code Compliance Division, Right-of-Way and Stormwater Management Division administrative offices, and Solid Waste Division administrative offices means construction and development-related questions will go unanswered until the following week.

The library closures particularly affect residents who rely on branch locations for internet access, a service that has become increasingly essential as more government agencies, employers, and educational institutions move services online. Jacksonville Public Library's 21 locations serve as critical access points for job seekers, students, and residents without home internet service.

The continued operation of Animal Care and Protective Services during the holiday weekend reflects the city's recognition that animal welfare issues don't pause for holidays. Strays found during Independence Day celebrations or lost pets fleeing from fireworks can still be brought to the facility during adoption hours.

Holiday weekend considerations

The modified hours at Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park and Huguenot Memorial Park reflect the high demand these coastal facilities experience during summer holiday weekends. Both parks typically see heavy visitation from residents and tourists seeking beach access along Jacksonville's Atlantic coastline.

The city's warning about potential closures at Huguenot Memorial Park due to high tides or capacity limits is a recurring concern during peak summer weekends. The narrow barrier island can fill to capacity quickly, and high tides can make portions of the beach unsuitable for vehicle traffic—a popular activity at this drive-on beach destination.

The closure of the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 2675 Commonwealth Ave. means residents should plan ahead if they need to dispose of materials such as paint, chemicals, electronics, or batteries. The facility provides a critical service for proper disposal of items that shouldn't enter the regular waste stream.

Planning ahead

Residents needing city services should take note that the 630-CITY customer service center won't reopen until 8:00 a.m. Monday, July 6. However, the city's online service request portal at myjax.custhelp.com remains available for reporting issues such as potholes, streetlight outages, or code violations during the extended closure.

For those planning to visit city pools, the lack of swimming lessons on July 3 and July 4 means families should adjust their schedules accordingly. The pools will function as recreational open-swim facilities during those days rather than maintaining their typical programming.

The extended closure of Jacksonville Public Library locations through Sunday, July 5, means the system will be unavailable for three consecutive days. Residents should plan for any materials they need over the long weekend and be aware that due dates falling during the closure period may be automatically extended, following the library system's typical holiday grace period policies.

The Independence Day holiday closures reflect the city's standard approach to major federal holidays, with essential services like garbage collection and emergency response continuing while administrative functions pause. Normal operations will resume Monday, July 6, for most city offices and facilities.