The Jacksonville Beaches, known locally as the "Beaches" or the "Beach", are a group of towns and communities on the northern half of an unnamed barrier island on the US state of Florida's First Coast, all of which are suburbs or parts of the city of Jacksonville. These communities are separated from the main body of the city of Jacksonville by the Intracoastal Waterway. The Jacksonville Beaches are located in Duval and northern St. Johns County, and make up part of the Jacksonville metropolitan area. The population of the beaches in 2009 is 68,118. The main communities generally identified as part of the Beaches are Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, and Ponte Vedra Beach.