Named by Oglethorpe in honor of Princess Amelia, the daughter of English King George II. Located in Nassau County in the northernmost corner of Florida, 32 miles northeast of Jacksonville and across the St. Marys River from Georgia.

Only 20-25 feet above mean sea level, the 18.2 square mile area is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the west by the Amelia River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Width varies from a quarter mile to two miles.

The City of Fernandina Beach encompasses seven square miles in the north-central portion of the island. The only site in the United States to have been under eight flags: France; Spain; Britain; Patriots; Green Cross of Florida; Mexico; Confederate; and USA.