What's in this guide
- Executive Summary
- Quick Facts
- Community Overview & History
- Neighborhoods & Areas
- Real Estate Market
- Who Lives Here
- Schools
- Amenities & Lifestyle
- HOA, CDD & Costs
- Commute Analysis
- Shopping & Dining
- Pros & Cons
- Neighborhood Comparisons
- Hidden Things to Know
- Momentum Expert Insight
- Frequently Asked Questions
Executive Summary
Julington Creek Plantation is one of the original and most established master-planned communities in St. Johns County, set on roughly 4,100 acres in the northwest corner of the county along Race Track Road. It is built around top-rated schools, an unusually deep amenity package, and a low CDD, which together have kept it one of the most popular family communities in Northeast Florida for three decades.
The scale and variety are the headline. About 45 distinct neighborhoods, built from the mid-1990s to buildout around 2022, hold close to 5,800 homes that range from townhomes in the high $200,000s through move-up family homes and on to estate and golf homes approaching or passing $1 million. The 2026 average asking price has run around $535,000, with the wide spread reflecting the mix of housing types and build years.
Two things set Julington Creek apart from the newer St. Johns communities. The schools are the top-rated St. Johns County district, with Julington Creek Elementary, Fruit Cove Middle, and Creekside High commonly zoned, and the CDD is among the lowest in the region because the community is established and its bonds have largely been paid down. The trade-off is an older housing stock in many sections and a longer drive to downtown Jacksonville than communities further north.
Quick Facts
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Northwest St. Johns County, St. Johns / Fruit Cove area, along Race Track Road east of State Road 13 |
| County | St. Johns County |
| ZIP code | 32259 |
| Size | About 4,100 acres, roughly 45 neighborhoods, close to 5,800 homes |
| Built | Mid-1990s to buildout around 2022; essentially complete |
| Schools | St. Johns County (top-rated in Florida); commonly Julington Creek Elementary, Fruit Cove Middle, Creekside High |
| HOA / CDD | Most homes in a CDD with one of the lowest assessments in the region; HOA dues vary by neighborhood; a small section sits outside the CDD |
| Average asking price | Around $535,000 in 2026; roughly $234 per square foot |
| Price range | Townhomes from the high $200,000s to estate and golf homes near or above $1 million |
| Amenities | Sportsplex with multiple pools, 18-hole golf, courts, fields, fitness center, library, 1,200 acres preserve, 100+ acres of lakes, 7 miles of trails |
Community Overview & History
One of the originals
Julington Creek Plantation began construction in the mid-1990s, well before the wave of master plans that later filled St. Johns County, and reached buildout around 2022. That long history is why the community feels established in a way newer neighborhoods do not, with mature tree canopies, settled landscaping, and a sense of place built over nearly three decades. It takes its name from Julington Creek, the navigable waterway that borders the community and connects to the St. Johns River.
A community of communities
Spanning roughly 4,100 acres and zoned for about 6,400 units, Julington Creek Plantation is organized into approximately 45 individual neighborhoods spread along both sides of Race Track Road. That structure gives it the feel of many small pocket neighborhoods that share one enormous amenity base, with everything from starter townhomes to gated estates under a single community umbrella. Three sections are gated, including the upscale Plantation Estates and two townhome enclaves.
Neighborhoods & Areas
With around 45 neighborhoods built across three decades, the choice within Julington Creek comes down to home type, build year, lot, and whether you want a gated section.
The single-family core
Most of Julington Creek is single-family homes across dozens of neighborhoods, built by D.R. Horton, Centex, Providence, and others over the years, ranging from smaller 1990s homes to larger move-up plans. Build year and updates separate otherwise similar homes, so a renovated home and an original one can sit at very different prices.
Townhomes and lower-priced entry
Several townhome neighborhoods, including two gated townhome communities, offer a lower-priced, lower-maintenance entry point with full access to the amenities. These appeal to first-time buyers, downsizers, and investors.
Plantation Estates and the gated sections
Plantation Estates is the upscale gated section, with larger and custom homes and its own pool area, and there are gated townhome communities as well. These carry a premium for the privacy and the larger lots.
Golf, lake, and preserve homes
Homes along the golf course, on the lakes, or backing to preserve are the most sought-after lots in the community, and they price above interior homes for the views and privacy.
Real Estate Market
Julington Creek Plantation is an established, value-and-amenity community with one of the widest price ranges in St. Johns County. The 2026 average asking price has run around $535,000 at roughly $234 per square foot, but that single number hides a spread from townhomes in the high $200,000s to estate and golf homes approaching or passing $1 million.
Because the community was built over nearly thirty years, condition and updates are the biggest differentiators between otherwise similar homes, and the most desirable lots, golf, lake, and preserve, command clear premiums. Well-priced, updated homes in the top school zones tend to move quickly given the steady family demand for the area.
For context, Momentum tracks the wider Jacksonville metro at a 97.98 percent sold-to-list ratio and 64 days on market for our agents, against a RealMLS market average closer to 96.73 percent and 72 days, year to date. In a large, varied, mostly-resale community like Julington Creek, pricing to the right comps by neighborhood, build year, lot, and condition is what protects you on both sides.
Who Lives Here
Julington Creek Plantation draws families above all, attracted by the top-rated schools, the youth sports at the Sportsplex, and the safe, walkable neighborhoods, along with professionals commuting to the Southside and a steady share of retirees who value the amenities and the established setting. The range of housing types brings a mix of households, from first-time buyers in the townhomes to move-up and luxury families in the estates.
It is a family-oriented, amenity-driven community organized around the schools, the pools and fields, the golf, and the preserve trails. People choose Julington Creek for the combination of schools, amenities, and a low CDD, often after comparing it to the newer St. Johns communities nearby.
Schools
Julington Creek Plantation sits in the St. Johns County School District, rated number one in Florida by most measures, which is one of the main reasons families choose the community. Homes are commonly zoned to Julington Creek Elementary, Fruit Cove Middle School, and Creekside High School, with parts of the community near Durbin Creek Elementary, all well-regarded, and many are within walking or biking distance for families inside the community.
School zoning is tied to address and can change as the county adjusts boundaries to manage growth, so verify the current assignment for any specific home with the district before you buy. See the St. Johns County schools guide for the district's standing and how zones affect home prices.
Amenities & Lifestyle
Julington Creek Plantation has one of the largest amenity packages of any community in Northeast Florida, and it is a major reason the community holds its demand.
The Sportsplex and pools
The recreation centers on the Julington Creek Sportsplex, with multiple pools including a competition pool, an adult pool with a tropical waterfall, and a kids pool, plus aquatic programs and swim teams. The aquatics alone rival a private club.
Golf, courts, and fields
An 18-hole championship golf course anchors the community, alongside tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts, a skate park, and a deep set of baseball and soccer fields that host youth leagues. A fitness center and a public library round out the facilities.
Lakes, preserve, and water
More than 100 acres of lakes and around 1,200 acres of nature preserve give the community green space, wildlife, and about 7 miles of biking and jogging trails. The navigable Julington Creek borders the community and the St. Johns River sits about a mile and a half away, so boating and fishing are close at hand.
HOA, CDD & Costs
Julington Creek Plantation's cost structure is one of its biggest selling points, but it has moving parts worth understanding.
Most of the community is in a Community Development District, and the CDD assessment is known for being among the lowest in the region. That is because the community is established and the CDD bonds that funded its original infrastructure have largely been paid down, unlike newer communities still carrying full bond payments. A small section of Julington Creek is not in the CDD at all, and those homes do not pay the assessment or carry membership to the larger amenities.
On top of the CDD, HOA dues vary by neighborhood, since the community is made up of about 45 distinct neighborhoods with their own associations. Confirm both the CDD amount and the specific neighborhood's HOA dues for any home you are considering, since together they shape the monthly cost.
Insurance is rising across Florida, and the age of these homes, many dating to the 1990s and 2000s, plus the roof and any preserve or lakefront lot, affect premiums. Get quotes early on the specific home, and factor insurance alongside the HOA and CDD into your true monthly number.
Commute Analysis
Julington Creek Plantation sits off State Road 13 and Race Track Road in the northwest corner of St. Johns County, with access to I-295, the 9B connector, and I-95. Its position about 20 miles south of downtown Jacksonville puts it between the city and St. Augustine.
| Destination | Typical drive |
|---|---|
| St. Johns Town Center / Southside | About 25-35 minutes |
| Downtown Jacksonville | About 30-45 minutes |
| The Beaches | About 30-40 minutes |
| St. Augustine | About 30 minutes |
| Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) | About 40-50 minutes |
The location between Jacksonville and St. Augustine is a genuine draw, with the Southside job centers and shopping a reasonable drive. The trade-off is that the commute to downtown Jacksonville is longer than from communities further north, and State Road 13 and Race Track Road carry heavy traffic at peak hours, so test your actual commute before you commit.
Shopping & Dining
Everyday shopping sits along Race Track Road and State Road 13, with grocery stores, restaurants, and services within about 15 minutes, and the larger retail of the Durbin Park district and the St. Johns Town Center a longer drive. The community is not adjacent to big-box centers, which keeps it residential, but the essentials are close.
For a wider scene, the St. Johns Town Center is about 25 to 35 minutes away and St. Augustine's historic dining is about 30 minutes south. Julington Creek trades a walkable town center for a quiet residential setting with retail a short drive away.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Top-rated St. Johns County schools, many within walking or biking distance
- One of the largest amenity packages in the region, pools, golf, courts, fields, trails
- An unusually low CDD because the community is established
- A wide range of prices and home types, from townhomes to estates
- Mature, tree-lined streets and a settled sense of place
- More than 1,200 acres of preserve and 100 acres of lakes
- Central location between Jacksonville and St. Augustine
- Three gated sections including upscale Plantation Estates
Cons
- An older housing stock in many sections, with homes that may need updates
- HOA dues vary by neighborhood, so costs differ across the community
- A longer commute to downtown Jacksonville than communities further north
- Rising insurance on older homes and preserve or lakefront lots
- Essentially built out, so little new construction
- Race Track Road and State Road 13 traffic at peak hours
- No walkable town center within the community
Julington Creek Plantation vs. Comparable Communities
Most buyers weighing Julington Creek are also looking at the other St. Johns master-planned communities. Here is the honest shorthand.
| Community | How it compares to Julington Creek Plantation |
|---|---|
| Durbin Crossing | Newer and more uniform with a higher CDD, while Julington Creek is more established with mature landscaping and a notably lower CDD. |
| Fruit Cove | The surrounding river-corridor area, with larger lots and riverfront options, while Julington Creek is the organized master plan with the big amenity base. |
| RiverTown | Newer riverfront master plan with new construction and a full CDD, versus Julington Creek's established homes and low CDD. |
| Shearwater | Newer amenity-rich community further south, while Julington Creek offers maturity, schools within reach, and the lower carrying cost. |
| Nocatee | Larger, newer, and closer to the beach at a higher price and CDD, while Julington Creek is the established, lower-CDD alternative. |
For a direct, side-by-side look at the two most-compared options, see our Julington Creek vs Durbin Crossing head-to-head and the St. Johns County master-planned communities guide.
Hidden Things Buyers Should Know
A few things that come up once buyers get serious about Julington Creek Plantation.
The low CDD is real, but confirm it
Julington Creek's low CDD is one of its genuine advantages over newer communities, but the exact amount, and whether a specific home is even in the CDD, varies. A small section sits outside the district entirely. Confirm the figure for the specific home, since it shapes the monthly cost.
HOA dues differ by neighborhood
With about 45 neighborhoods, HOA dues are not uniform across the community. Two similar homes in different sections can carry different HOA costs, so check the specific neighborhood's dues and what they cover.
Build year and updates matter most
Homes span the 1990s to the 2020s, so condition and updates separate otherwise similar homes more than location does. Inspect accordingly, value updated homes against original ones, and price the insurance on an older home and roof early.
The lot can be worth a premium
Golf, lake, and preserve lots are the most desirable in the community and price above interior homes. Identify what the specific lot offers, since it is a real driver of value here.
Momentum Expert Insight
Julington Creek Plantation is the community I point families to when they want top St. Johns schools and serious amenities without the carrying cost of the newest master plans. The low CDD is the quiet advantage. While newer communities are still paying off full infrastructure bonds, Julington Creek's are largely retired, so you get the amenities at a lower monthly number.
The thing to get right is that this is 45 neighborhoods and three decades of homes under one name. The schools and the amenity base are shared, but the HOA, the build year, the condition, and the lot vary enormously from section to section. Two homes a few streets apart can be very different buys.
My advice is to work with an agent who knows the neighborhoods, the build years, the gated sections, and how the CDD and HOA actually work here. In a community this large and this varied, that local knowledge is what gets you the right home at the right number.
Selling a Home in Julington Creek Plantation
If you are thinking about selling in Julington Creek Plantation, the right list price comes from the recent comparable sales in this specific community, not an automated estimate. Pricing to the homesite and the current Julington Creek Plantation inventory is what earns the strongest offer in the fewest days on market.
Across the wider Jacksonville metro, Momentum's listings have run a 97.98 percent sold-to-list ratio and 64 days on market for our agents, against a market average closer to 96.73 percent and 72 days, year to date. A Julington Creek Plantation listing specialist will give you a true home value from real comparable sales and a pricing strategy built for the current market. Start with a no-obligation home value request below.
Get a no-obligation home value for your Julington Creek Plantation home, based on real comparable sales in the community rather than an automated guess. Tell us about your home and we will personally prepare your numbers and a pricing strategy. No obligation, no spam.
Whether you are buying, selling, or just gathering information about Julington Creek Plantation, drop your details below. Every inquiry comes straight to us, and we will personally help you and connect you with the right agent. No obligation, no spam, no high-pressure follow-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Related Reading
If you are researching Julington Creek Plantation, you are likely also weighing these other St. Johns County communities and resources. We have written guides on each.