The island was actually originally a peninsula until 1912, when a 10-mile channel was dug connecting the San Pablo and Tolomato Rivers, facilitating the Intracoastal Waterway and separating the land from the mainland.

[4] The Palm Valley area of St. Johns County, much of which is also located on the island, is sometimes considered part of the Beaches.

Mayport was the first part of the beaches to see any concentrated population growth, when a small community of fishermen and river pilots grew up there, especially following the U.S. purchase of Florida in 1821.

However, the entire Beaches area remained very sparsely populated until the end of the 19th century, when they were developed as resorts.

Following World War I real estate development began in the area and the name was changed to Ponte Vedra Beach.

The three incorporated towns in Duval County have fought with the city over the ways taxes and government services are shared; this led to a lawsuit in 1979, which established an interlocal agreement.

[7] The Beaches governments took up a second lawsuit in 1993 alleging a breach of the agreement, and members of the Jacksonville City Council sought to review the charter in 2006, angering locals.