Our guide to EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, includes information on events, tickets, parking, public transportation, nearby hotels and restaurants, seating and more. Read on to find out how to get the most out of your gameday experience.

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In the context of its viability as an NFL market, Jacksonville is saddled with the “small-market” label and its team, the Jaguars, is often mentioned as a candidate for future relocation.

But that hardly means Jacksonville and the Jaguars’ home, EverBank Stadium, isn’t worth visiting.

It didn’t help matters that the Jaguars, after the heyday of their early years when they twice reached the AFC championship game, fell on hard times for a decade, but they finally emerged in 2017 with another run to the conference title game, energizing the fan base.

The “River City” is actually the largest city in Florida by population, with more than double the number of residents as Miami and Tampa (that’s helped largely by the fact that it’s the largest city in the continental U.S. by area) and holds its own with its in-state rivals in tourism, in part because of its popularity among golfers.

Indeed, local residents are proud of their city and region — Jacksonville is located in Duval County, which explains the “Duuuval!” chants the Jaguars have adopted as their own in recent years.

Though the Jaguars currently play one home game each season at Wembley Stadium in London, it hasn’t diminished the enthusiasm for the team in its true home city.

The venue’s current name, EverBank Stadium, is a reversion of sorts — it was previously known as EverBank Field before a stint as TIAA Bank Field (2018-23). No matter the name, the stadium has plenty of history behind it, having served as the longtime home of the annual Florida-Georgia rivalry game in college football as well as the Gator Bowl. It also hosted Super Bowl XXXIX, in 2005.

EverBank Stadium has gone through its share of recent renovations to improve the fan experience. A more extensive revamp is in the works — one that would put a roof over the stadium and transform its look entirely.

Looking for EverBank Stadium event tickets? Search events on Ticketmaster.

Getting to EverBank Stadium

EverBank Stadium is located on the eastern edge of downtown Jacksonville in what’s known as the Stadium District, with the city’s arena and minor-league ballpark as well as the Jaguars’ practice facility close by.

It’s not a difficult area to reach by car, with two expressways running right by the stadium and the major highway, Interstate 95, right on the other side of the St. John’s River as it winds its way through downtown.

If you’re approaching from the south or east, you’ll be crossing a bridge to reach EverBank Stadium, and note that these bridges can get quite busy in the hours before events. Plan accordingly for traffic backups at these particular chokepoints.

If you’re parking in a downtown lot, or if you’re a visitor to Jacksonville and staying in a downtown hotel, there is an alternative to hoofing it to EverBank Stadium in the form of a shuttle service run by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, called the Gameday Xpress. The service uses pickup points on both sides of the river and in three suburban areas, and round-trip, single-game fare ranges from $10-15 depending on the distance.

If you’re staying in a hotel on the other side of the river, in the area known as the Southbank, there’s a more interesting way to get to EverBank Stadium for an event. The St. John’s River Taxi operates gameday service to and from several points on both sides of the river, with the dropoff/pickup point at Metropolitan Park, across the street from the stadium.

Parking at EverBank Stadium

EverBank Stadium is surrounded by parking lots that are organized by letter; of these lots, only the ones farthest from the stadium are available for general parking.

Parking passes can be purchased in advance and get cheaper for lots closer to the downtown core, though the walk to the stadium from there can be a mile and a half or more — a less-than-desirable option in the heat of the late summer and early fall.

Looking for parking at EverBank Stadium? Buy parking on SpotHero.

Jacksonville hotels near EverBank Stadium

• Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront – 1.1 miles away
• DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront – 1.3 miles away
• Omni Jacksonville – 1.5 miles away
Search for more Jacksonville hotels on Booking.com.

Map of central Jacksonville and surrounding area

Check out rates for hotels near EverBank Stadium below.

Things to do around EverBank Stadium

The sea of parking lots around EverBank Stadium means the tailgating scene is usually good, as no self-respecting football game in the Deep South would be missing a strong tailgating scene.

If you’re looking to tailgate before the game but don’t have access to a permit for one of the premium lots, check out Tailgaters Parking, which operates lots east of the venue.

Aside from tailgating, there’s a smattering of small bars and restaurants within walking distance of the stadium.

Otherwise, your best bet is to look to the downtown area to the west for a greater selection of establishments, the only negative being, of course, that you’ll have to walk a fairly long way or take the shuttle to the game afterward. The same goes for if you are staying in a downtown hotel and heading to EverBank Stadium.

However, downtown as well as the Southbank area offer plenty of restaurants, bars and hotels for fans to get ready for a game at EverBank Stadium, or to hang out and wait for the traffic to die down after it.

Jacksonville restaurants near the Stadium

• Jacksonville Sports Tavern – pub, 0.3 miles away
• Olio – cafe, 0.9 miles away
• BB’s Restaurant + Bar – American, 1.1 miles away
Search for more Jacksonville restaurants on Tripadvisor.

Watching a game at EverBank Stadium

Once inside EverBank Stadium, you’ll find a pretty big venue, made more so by the depth of the lower bowl, which is comprised of two ring sections of seating (the venue has a second deck along both sidelines). In between decks, you can find the “Pride of the Jaguars” ring of honor, commemorating important figures in franchise history.

The Florida-Georgia game nearly always sells out, but for Jacksonville Jaguars games the big stadium has sometimes proven to be a disadvantage — the team resorted to tarping off seating sections of EverBank Stadium to reduce capacity in an attempt to avoid TV blackouts before the NFL lifted that rule in 2015.

The Jaguars’ current resurgence has made the tarps a thing of the past, and the stadium atmosphere has benefited as a result. The venue has largely filled to capacity in recent seasons, and the buzz around the team these days leaves no reason to believe that will change.

The Jaguars have been proactive about taking measures to improve the fan experience over the years. The two most obvious new features were the installation of HD videoboards behind each end zone that, when built, were the longest in the world (each are 362 feet long, eclipsing the width of the field) and the construction of a party deck behind the north end zone that includes pool and lounge areas.

The spa cabanas and party cabanas are sold the same way suites are, so you might need to know someone to get access to these areas, but they’re certainly worth checking out if you have a chance.

EverBank Stadium also has several sections around the venue with bar rail seating — basically, raised seats with a bar-height table in front of you. They’re considered premium seating and largely available only as season-seat packages, and food and drink is inclusive, but if you’re able to find a bar-rail seat on the secondary market, it’s a worthwhile option for a more party-like way to watch the game.

The regular seating areas at EverBank Stadium are pretty comparable to any other NFL venue, with two primary decks along the sidelines. The upper deck extends about 25 rows back in most sections, and while those upper-most rows don’t necessarily feel high, they can seem somewhat far back.

If you’d rather not spend the whole game at your seating area, EverBank Stadium has several standing-room areas from which to check out the game. Your best bets are all at the south end of the field. The top of the bleacher areas on that side are free for spectators to stand and watch the game, though note that much of that space is reserved for private parties.

Below, on the main concourse level, you’ll find the Bud Light Party Zone, an expansive sports bar-like area with plenty of TVs to watch the game. There are spots at the end of the space with views of the field, but as you can imagine, those areas get filled up rather quickly.

It’s worth a spin around the main concourse to see everything available, including several pro shop spaces and plenty of food and drink options (see below). Again, the space behind the south end zone serves as a plaza of sorts, with numerous picnic tables and carts selling food and souvenirs.

There’s also a 5,000-seat live event theater attached to the south end of EverBank Stadium called Daily’s Place — it’s recognizable by the white roof if you’re viewing the stadium from the river. It’s open during Jaguars games if you fancy sitting down in a less crowded space and watching the game on a big screen.

Interested in a suite at EverBank Stadium? Buy suite tickets on SuiteHop.

Food and drink at EverBank Stadium

Concessions options are as varied as you’d expect for a large venue, with most of the usual options — burgers, hot dogs, pizza, nachos and much more — available.

If you’re looking for something local around the stadium, sample the selections of beer from Bold City Brewery, based in Jacksonville. Area favorite Mr. Chubby’s Wings also operates multiple stands around EverBank Stadium.

Also, note that EverBank Stadium policy allows outside food to be brought into the stadium, provided it is wrapped and stored inside a clear plastic bag.

Original publish date: February 4, 2016
Most recent update: August 30, 2024

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