Orange Park is a town in Clay County, Florida, on the west bank of the St. Johns River just south of Jacksonville. The town counted 9,090 residents in the 2020 census and functions as a well-established suburb within the greater Jacksonville area. The community's growth accelerated after the opening of Naval Air Station Jacksonville in the 1940s, when active-duty personnel and their families sought nearby housing. By 1950 the town's population had climbed to about 1,500, and it has continued to grow since as Jacksonville's suburbs expanded southward into Clay County. That military connection remains part of the town's identity, and the base continues to be a major regional employer. Orange Park fronts the St. Johns River and Doctors Lake, giving the town a distinctly waterfront character. Doctors Lake Park offers a 320-foot fishing pier and paddleboard rentals, the St. Johns River Base at Echockotee provides riverfront scouting and aquatic facilities, and the Rob Bradley Conservation Park adds ten acres of lakeside open space. To the west, Jennings State Forest offers hiking, biking, camping, and paddling. The town's schools include Clay County public schools and the independent St. Johns Country Day School, a well-established private K–12 institution. Commercial life concentrates along U.S. 17 and Blanding Boulevard, and the town serves as one of the county's principal retail and service centers, alongside the growing Fleming Island area to the south. Major roadways and nearby interstates connect Orange Park to downtown Jacksonville and its employment centers, while the river and lake shape the community's recreational identity. Orange Park blends suburban convenience with a strong connection to the St. Johns River, making it a distinctive corner of the Jacksonville region and one of Clay County's oldest communities.