The Area
About Waterfront & Boating
Northeast Florida's waterfront isn't one market — it's three different waters. The Atlantic gives Amelia Island, the Jacksonville Beaches, Ponte Vedra Beach, and St. Augustine their oceanfront. The Intracoastal Waterway runs the entire coast, entering Florida at the St. Marys River by Fernandina Beach and threading south through Palm Valley and the Tolomato to St. Augustine and beyond. And the St. Johns River — one of the few major American rivers that flows north — is navigable for roughly 200 miles upstream, from the jetties at Mayport past downtown Jacksonville all the way to Sanford. Every listing below carries a waterfront designation in the MLS across St. Johns, Duval, and Nassau counties; the chips above split the water into the pages buyers actually shop — oceanfront, Intracoastal, riverfront, navigable water, and homes with docks.
On the Water
The Three Waters — and the Three Passes
For boaters, the region comes down to where you can reach the ocean. Northeast Florida has three dependable passes: the deep, jettied St. Marys Entrance at Fernandina Beach (shared with the Kings Bay submarine base — the Coast Guard runs security zones when boats transit), the commercial-depth St. Johns River entrance at Mayport, and St. Augustine Inlet, which shifts and shoals enough that current buoy positions and local knowledge are part of the deal. Fort George Inlet looks tempting on a chart and frequently goes bare at low water — it is not a pass. Run-time to one of those three inlets is a genuine pricing variable on any navigable-water home here, alongside the questions I run on every water listing my buyers consider: dock permits, depth at low tide, bridge clearances on the route, and the flood and wind insurance picture.
Living Here
Boating Life, Area by Area
On Amelia Island, the Intracoastal route runs the Amelia River right past downtown Fernandina Beach, where the city-run Fernandina Harbor Marina reopened with fully rebuilt docks and fuel service — and a waterfront redevelopment slated to begin in late 2026 worth watching. In Jacksonville, the Ortega River is the region's Marina Mile — Northeast Florida's largest concentration of marinas and boatyards, behind the area's most frequently opened drawbridge — while downtown's Main Street bridge still lifts for river traffic outside weekday rush hours, and Julington Creek at Mandarin anchors the river's southside boating scene with marinas and public ramps at Hood Landing and Mandarin Park. In St. Johns County, the Palm Valley stretch of the Intracoastal is the classic dock-behind-the-house corridor — and since the CR 210 crossing is a fixed 65-foot span, there are no drawbridge waits on that run — while St. Augustine's Municipal Marina sits on Matanzas Bay beside the Bridge of Lions, with three city mooring fields including protected Salt Run. One rule the whole region shares: manatee slow-speed zones on the St. Johns River and the Intracoastal in Duval and St. Johns counties are year-round, not seasonal — plan your cruising time around them.
Market Snapshot
As of September 14, 2026, the median list price in Waterfront & Boating is $595,000 across 1357 active listings, averaging $389/sqft; recent MLS-recorded sales show a median sold price of $530,000 across 1258 closings.
- Median List Price
- $595,000
- Avg. Price / Sq Ft
- $389/sqft
- Median Sold (12 mo, MLS)
- $530,000
- ▲ 17.2% vs prior 6 mo
- Active Listings
- 1357
- HOA Dues
- ~$193/mo typical
- 1100 of 1357 listings carry dues
What’s for sale: 1351 homes (median $590,000) · 6 multi-family (median $784,250)
Market stats are based on similar homes in Waterfront & Boating, including 1258 recent recorded sales — they may not include listings or sales that aren't comparable to this market. Sourced from the MLS; refreshed regularly.
Waterfront & Boating Home Values
The MLS-recorded sales above are what homes in Waterfront & Boating actually sell for — and the comp set your future buyer will see. Own a home here? This page updates with every new listing, price change, and recorded sale, so following it is the simplest way to watch your equity. There’s no automated estimate on this site — when you want a real number, Krista prepares it personally against these sales.
Schools serving Waterfront & Boating
Homes in Waterfront & Boating report these schools in the MLS. Verify current assignments with the district before relying on them.
- St. Augustine High SchoolHigh
- Ponte Vedra High SchoolHigh
- Tocoi Creek High SchoolHigh
- Beachside High SchoolHigh
- Allen D. Nease High SchoolHigh
- Bartram Trail High SchoolHigh
- Pedro Menendez High SchoolHigh
- Creekside High SchoolHigh
- Alice B. Landrum Middle SchoolMiddle
- Sebastian Middle SchoolMiddle
- Gamble Rogers Middle SchoolMiddle
- Pacetti Bay Middle SchoolMiddle
- Switzerland Point Middle SchoolMiddle
- R. J. Murray Middle SchoolMiddle
- Fruit Cove Middle SchoolMiddle
- Lakeside AcademyK–8
- Mill Creek AcademyK–8
- Hallowes Cove AcademyK–8
- Pine Island AcademyK–8
- Liberty Pines AcademyK–8
- Patriot Oaks AcademyK–8
- Trout Creek AcademyK–8
- Sabal Crest AcademyK–8
- Freedom Crossing AcademyK–8
- Palm Valley AcademyK–8
- Ponte Vedra–Palm Valley/Rawlings ElementaryElementary
- Ketterlinus Elementary SchoolElementary
- W. D. Hartley Elementary SchoolElementary
- Ocean Palms ElementaryElementary
- Timberlin Creek ElementaryElementary
- Picolata Crossing ElementaryElementary
- R. B. Hunt Elementary SchoolElementary
- Palencia ElementaryElementary
- Wards Creek ElementaryElementary
- James A. Webster Elementary SchoolElementary
Testimonials
What Krista's Clients Say
“Krista was fabulous! We relocated to the Jacksonville area from Louisiana during the COVID 19 pandemic. We had never even been to Jacksonville, and traveling to the area was not an option at the time. Krista took the time to understand the needs and interests of our family and what it was important for us to be close to. She gave honest feedback about several areas we had been considering having looked online only, and now that we are settled in I am so happy we took her advice. During the inspection and closing process, Krista was in constant contact with us and quickly provided insight and knowledge on real estate proceedings in Florida. After moving in, she referred us to several contractors as we made updates to our home. They have all done a super job. We will use her again when it is time for us to grow and go!”
“Krista has now help us with the sale or purchase of three homes over the last 15 years. She knows the First Coast market really well and helps you with not only finding the home you want, where you want it, but also assist with making it an investment in your future. She is well connected in the area so she is able to use those relationships to better align your needs and wants with what is available in the market.”
Waterfront & Boating FAQ
What counts as navigable water on these listings?
The navigable-water pages linked above require an MLS designation like navigable water, ocean access, river access, or Intracoastal frontage — community ponds and lagoons don't qualify. Even then, a dock on a tidal creek can have limited depth or a fixed bridge between it and open water, so I verify depth at low tide, dock permit history, and the route to the Intracoastal or river before my buyers commit.
Which ocean inlets can Northeast Florida boaters actually use?
Three: the St. Marys Entrance at Fernandina Beach and the St. Johns River entrance at Mayport are both deep and jettied, and St. Augustine Inlet is workable with local knowledge — its channel shifts and the buoys move with it. Fort George Inlet frequently goes bare at low water and shouldn't be treated as a pass. Where a home sits relative to those three matters to resale as much as to your weekend.
Do drawbridges slow down cruising here?
Less than you'd think on the Intracoastal — the Palm Valley CR 210 crossing is a fixed 65-foot span, so that stretch runs without waits. In St. Augustine, the Bridge of Lions opens on a daytime schedule on the hour and half hour with a few weekday rush skips. On the St. Johns in Jacksonville, the Ortega River bascule is the area's most frequently opened bridge, and downtown's Main Street lift bridge opens on signal outside weekday rush-hour closures.
Are there manatee speed zones?
Yes, and they're year-round in this region — idle- and slow-speed zones on the St. Johns River and the Intracoastal in Duval and St. Johns counties under FWC rules. Factor them into realistic run times when you're weighing a home's distance to open water.
Where can visiting or new boaters keep a boat?
Fernandina Harbor Marina takes transients downtown on Amelia Island; St. Augustine's Municipal Marina and its three mooring fields (including Salt Run) cover the south end; and the Jacksonville area's depth of options runs from the Ortega River marina cluster to Julington Creek. Annual slips run tight at the popular spots — worth lining up alongside the home search, and I'm happy to point you at the right fit.