Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Osceola County,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2010 population of 2,234,411.

History

This area was originally named Allendale, after Confederate Major J. H. Allen who operated the first cargo steamboat along the

Kissimmee River The Kissimmee River is a river in south-central Florida, United States that forms the north part of the Everglades wetlands area. The river begins at East Lake Tohopekaliga south of Orlando, flowing south through Lake Kissimmee into the large, s ...

—the ''Mary Belle''. It was renamed Kissimmee when incorporated as a city in 1883. The modern town, which is the county seat of Osceola County, was founded before the Civil War by the Bass, Johnson and Overstreet families. The etymology of the name Kissimmee is debated, apart from general agreement that it is Native American in origin. Its growth can be credited to

Hamilton Disston Hamilton Disston (August 23, 1844 – April 30, 1896)"He Died Without Warning", ''The Washington Post'' (May 1, 1896). was an industrialist and real-estate developer who purchased 4 million acres (16,000 km²) of Florida land in 1881, an are ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, who based his four-million acre (8,000 km²)

drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess of water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils is good enough to prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic condition ...

operation out of the small town. Disston had contracted with the financially wobbly state of Florida to drain its southern lands, for which he would own half of all he successfully drained. This deal made Disston the largest single landowner in the United States. Disston's dredging and

land speculation In finance, speculation is the purchase of an asset (a commodity, goods, or real estate) with the hope that it will become more valuable shortly. (It can also refer to short sales in which the speculator hopes for a decline in value.) Many ...

required a small steamboat industry to transport people and goods along the new waterway. The Kissimmee shipyard was responsible for building most of these large steamships, which were just one jump ahead of civilization—with Kissimmee as the jumping off point. Concurrently, the

South Florida Railroad The South Florida Railroad was a railroad from Sanford, Florida, to Tampa, Florida, becoming part of the Plant System in 1893 and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. It served as the southernmost segment of the Atlantic Coast Line's m ...

was growing and extended the end of its line from Sanford down to Kissimmee, making the town on

Lake Tohopekaliga Lake Tohopekaliga, Tohopeka (from tohopke meaning fence, fort); Tohopekaliga (from tohopke meaning fence, fort + likv meaning site), also referred to as Lake Toho, West Lake, or simply Toho, is the largest lake in Osceola County, Flori ...

transportation hub A transport hub is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles and/or between transport modes. Public transport hubs include railway stations, rapid transit stations, bus stops, tram stops, airports and ferry slips. F ...

for

Central Florida Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, including the Tampa Bay area and the Gr ...

. On February 12, 1885, the Florida Legislature incorporated the

Kissimmee City Street Railway The Kissimmee City Street Railway Company was incorporated by Florida state law chapter 3659, approved February 12, 1885. It was established to create and run public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public ...

But the heyday of Kissimmee was short-lived. Expanding

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

s began to challenge the steamships for carrying

freight Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including tran ...

and passengers. By 1884, the South Florida Railroad, now part of the

Plant System The Plant System named after its owner, Henry B. Plant, was a system of railroads and steamboats in the U.S. South, taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. The original line of the system was the Savannah, Florida and Western ...

, had extended its tracks to Tampa. The Panic of 1893 was the worst depression the U.S. had experienced up to that time, crushing land speculation and unsound

debt Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money or other agreed-upon value to another party, the creditor. Debt is a deferred payment, or series of payments, which differentiates it from an immediate purchase. The ...

. Hamilton Disston closed his Kissimmee land operation. Consecutive freezes in 1894 and 1895 wiped out the

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

industry. The freezes, combined with South Florida's growth and the relocation of steamship operations to

Lake Okeechobee Lake Okeechobee (), also known as Florida's Inland Sea, is the largest freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the tenth largest natural freshwater lake among the 50 states of the United States and the second-largest natural freshwa ...

, left Kissimmee dependent on

open range In the Western United States and Canada, open range is rangeland where cattle roam freely regardless of land ownership. Where there are "open range" laws, those wanting to keep animals off their property must erect a fence to keep animals out; th ...

cattle ranching. Kissimmee had a population of 4,310 in 1950. At that point there was some citrus packing as well as the ranching. Ranching remained an important part of the local economy until the opening of nearby

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

in 1971. After that,

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...

and

development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development hell, when a project is stuck in development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting *Development (music), the process thematic material is reshaped * Photograph ...

supplanted cattle ranching to a large measure. However, even though the Disney facility took over much of the open range cattle lands, cattle ranches still operate nearby, particularly in the southern part of Osceola County. The

1998 Kissimmee tornado outbreak On February 21–23, 1998, a devastating tornado outbreak affected portions of the Southeastern United States, primarily the U.S. state of Florida. Sometimes known as the Night of the Tornadoes, it was the deadliest tornado event in Florida ...

killed dozens of people in the area. On August 13, 2004, Hurricane Charley passed through Kissimmee with winds in excess of 100 miles per hour, damaging homes and buildings, toppling trees and cutting electrical power to the entire city. Kissimmee Utility Authority restored power to 54 percent of the residents in the first 72 hours; 85 percent were restored within one week. Service was restored to all customers on August 28. Three weeks after Hurricane Charley, the area was struck by

Hurricane Frances Hurricane Frances was the second most intense tropical cyclone in the Atlantic during 2004 and proved to be very destructive in Florida. It was the sixth named storm, the fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hur ...

, followed by

Hurricane Jeanne Hurricane Jeanne was a Category 3 hurricane that struck the Caribbean and the Eastern United States in September 2004. It was the deadliest hurricane in the Atlantic basin since Mitch in 1998. It was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurrica ...

three weeks after Frances.

Geography

Kissimmee is located at (28.303988, –81.412867). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water (3.7%). Kissimmee and the city of St. Cloud are the only incorporated settlements in the county. The cities lie in proximity to each other along U.S. Highways 192 and 441. A large geographical area of unincorporated Osceola County also refers to their area as Kissimmee. This includes most of the 192 corridor west of the city border to Highway 27, areas north of the city to Hunters Creek, and areas south of the city to Poinciana. The city is mostly built on deep sand which is poorly drained in its natural state. The most common soil series is Myakka.

City water resources

Drained by the

, the city is situated on the northwest shore of

(locally called Lake Toho, West Lake Toho, or simply West Lake) in

central Florida Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, including the Tampa Bay area and the Gr ...

. Shingle Creek, largely considered the headwaters of the

Everglades The Everglades is a natural region of tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissim ...

, also runs through the city. Shingle Creek features a popular canoe/kayak trail that runs from Steffe Landing on

US 192 U.S. Route 192 (US 192) is an east–west route of the United States Numbered Highway system in central Florida. It runs from U.S. Route 27 ( State Road 25) in Four Corners, Lake County, east past Walt Disney World and through Kissimmee, ...

and ends in

Downtown

The downtown area lies near the intersection of U.S. Highway 17/92 and U.S. Highway 192. The downtown of Kissimmee does not possess any big skyscrapers; most of the buildings are two or three stories high. The biggest and the tallest building in the downtown is the Osceola County courthouse. The main thoroughfare follows along Highway 17/Highway 92 through the city's center and is a combination of three streets: Main Street, Broadway Street, and Emmett Street. The downtown area consists largely of restaurants, small shops, and historic residences. The

University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...

has a business incubator located in the area that is an important part of the economic engine downtown.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild, dry, and sunny winters. According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Kissimmee has a humid subtropical climate (''Cfa'').

Demographics

In the 2010 census, Kissimmee had a population of 59,682. The racial and ethnic composition was 58.9%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

(33.1% Puerto Rican, 5.1% Dominican, 4.0% Colombian, 3.9% Mexican, 2.6% Cuban, 1.4% Venezuelan, 0.9% Ecuadorian, 0.7% Salvadoran, 0.7% Peruvian, 0.6% Honduran, 0.6% Nicaraguan) or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

, 26.2% non-Hispanic

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 9.6% non-Hispanic

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 2.8% Hispanic Black, 0.6% Native American, 3.4%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

(1.1% Asian Indian, 0.8% Filipino), 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.4% Non-Hispanic from some other race and 4.7% two or more races. Compared to the previous

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 47,814 people, 17,121 households, and 11,813 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 19,642 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 67.22%

, 9.99%

, 0.52% Native American, 3.38%

, 0.10%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 14.15% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 4.66% from two or more races.

people of any race were 41.73% of the population. The majority of Hispanics residing in the city are Puerto Ricans. There are also small Colombian,

Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban citizen, a perso ...

and Dominican communities residing in and/or around the city. There were 17,121 households, out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.21. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,949, and the median income for a family was $36,361. Males had a median income of $25,851 versus $21,025 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $15,071. About 12.3% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Multinational multi-level marketing company

Tupperware Brands Tupperware Brands Corporation, formerly Tupperware Corporation, is an American multinational company that produces home product lines that includes kitchen gadgets, preparation, storage containers, and serving products for the kitchen and home. ...

is based in Kissimmee.

Top employers

According to Kissimmee's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Arts and culture

Sites of interest

* Colonial Estate * First United Methodist Church * Grass Island * Kissimmee Historic District * The Loop * Monument of States * Old Holy Redeemer Catholic Church * Old Osceola Courthouse – oldest continually operating courthouse in the state * Old Town * Orange World – World's Largest Orange * Osceola Arts (formally Osceola Center for the Arts) * Osceola County Courthouse * Osceola County Welcome Center and History Museum *

Makinson Island Makinson Island is one of three islands in Lake Tohopekaliga, Osceola County, Florida. It was purchased by the State of Florida on December 31, 1998, in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), The Trust for P ...

* Margaritaville Resort Orlando * Pine Island * Plaza del Sol * Wat Florida Dhammaram

Former sites of interest

* Jungleland * Splendid China (defunct in 2003) * Water Mania * Xanadu – House of the Future Xanadu Houses (demolished in 2005)

Sports

The Houston Astros conducted spring training in Kissimmee, at

Osceola County Stadium Osceola County Stadium is an outdoor sports venue located in Kissimmee, Florida, part of the wider Orlando City SC Training Ground at Osceola Heritage Park. Originally a baseball park, it was converted into a soccer-specific stadium by Orland ...

from 1985 to 2016. The stadium also hosts numerous amateur baseball events throughout the remainder of the year in conjunction with;

USSSA The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) is a volunteer, sports governing body and a nonprofit organization 3] based in Viera, Florida. Originally USSSA stood for United States Slowpitch Softball Association. However, in 1998, U ...

, Triple Crown Sports, World Baseball Federation and Promotion Sports. The Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring has also called Osceola County Stadium home since 1994. Austin-Tindall Regional Park is an athletic facility in the area that is host to a variety of annual events. The city is also home to the annual NCCAA men's soccer National Championship Tournament.

Parks and recreation

Osceola Heritage Park is an event facility featuring a concert arena (

Silver Spurs Arena The current Silver Spurs Arena is an 8,000-seat (11,500 seat max capacity), 33,946 square foot multi-purpose arena, in Kissimmee, Florida. It was built in 2003. It replaced the original Silver Spurs grand stand. Both are home to the Silver Spurs ...

) and professional sports stadium (

). The Silver Spurs Arena has been host to many acts, ranging from

Hilary Duff Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She began her acti ...

and

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

to an annual rodeo event. Jehovah's Witnesses also use The Silver Spurs Arena for their annual District Conventions. In 2008, a number of English and Spanish conventions were held by the Witnesses, bringing thousands of delegates to the Kissimmee area for the three-day events. Kissimmee has a number of public parks, including: * Kissimmee Lakefront Park – Aa$20 million public works project * Makinson Island Park * Babb Park at Shingle Creek * Steffe Landing at Shingle Creek * Twin Oaks Conservation Area – a popular place with locals for sunset * Scotty's Landing – a canoe launch/landing featuring an educational area and exercise trail * Bob Makinson Aquatic Center

Biking

The Shingle Creek Regional Trail (SCRT) is an inter-governmental project that has been planned to connect Kissimmee to Orlando through a 32-mile bicycle trail. It runs along the environmentally sensitive Shingle Creek, and was included on President Obama's America's Great Outdoors list.

Golfing

Kissimmee is home to a number of golf courses and mini-golf courses.

Shopping

Kissimmee is home to The Loop, a large outdoor shopping mall at John Young and Osceola Parkways on the Orange/Osceola County line. It features stores such as

American Eagle Outfitters American Eagle Outfitters, Inc., also known as American Eagle, is an American lifestyle, clothing, and accessories retailer headquartered at SouthSide Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by brothers Jerry and Mark Silverma ...

Kohl's Kohl's (stylized in all caps) is an American department store retail chain, operated by Kohl's Corporation. it is the largest department store chain in the United States, with 1,165 locations, operating stores in every U.S. state except Haw ...

, and Best Buy. There is also a multi-plex theater. Kissimmee features a unique transformation of the former Osceola Square Mall into a Spanish-style marketplace called Plaza del Sol.

Nearby

Kissimmee is near Orlando, home to

Universal Orlando Resort Universal Orlando Resort, commonly known as Universal Orlando or simply Universal, formerly Universal Studios Escape, is an American theme park and entertainment resort complex based in Orlando, Florida. The resort is operated by Universal Pa ...

and

SeaWorld Orlando SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park and marine zoological park, in Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. When combined with its neighbor Discovery Cove and Aquatica, it forms SeaWorld Parks and Resorts Or ...

, and Lake Buena Vista/Bay Lake, home to

Walt Disney World Resort The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

, allowing tourists to access the parks through the city.

Education

Public schools

The

School District of Osceola County, Florida The School District of Osceola County, Florida is a school district serving all of Osceola County, Florida., the district had 71 schools. History The school opened in unknown. There was only one other middle school in Kissimmee at the time. It ...

serves Kissimmee. High schools include: * Celebration High School * Gateway High School * Harmony High School * Liberty High School *

Osceola County School for the Arts The Osceola County School for the Arts (OCSA) is a public magnet arts school located in Kissimmee, Florida. Students can major in one of the following disciplines: Visual Arts, Drama, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music/Band, Creative Writing, Dance ...

(6–12) * Osceola High School *

Poinciana High School Poinciana High School is located near Campbell in the census-designated area of Poinciana, in Osceola County, Florida. It is part of the Osceola County School District. Fine Arts Though Poinciana High School had very quality band and choral ...

* Saint Cloud High School *

Technical Education Center Osceola Osceola Technical College is a public school in unincorporated Osceola County, Florida Osceola County (, ) is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 388,656. Its cou ...

* Tohopekaliga High School

Private schools

* City of Life, founded 1994 * Freedomland Christian Academy * Heritage Christian School * Holy Redeemer Catholic School * North Kissimmee Christian School, founded 1995 * Osceola Adventist Christian School * Osceola Christian Preparatory School * Peace Lutheran School * Poinciana Academy * Shady Oaks Private School, founded 1969 * Southland Christian School * Trinity Lutheran School

Institutions of higher education

State colleges

, Osceola Campus *

Valencia College Valencia College is a public college in Orlando, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System. The college was founded in 1967 as Valencia Junior College and changed its name in 2010 because the academic scope of the school had expanded to i ...

, Osceola Campus

Private universities, colleges, and others

* Johnson University Florida, formerly Florida Christian College

Infrastructure

Transportation

Kissimmee features a multi-modal transportation hub located between Neptune Road and Monument Streets. This hub includes the Amtrak train station, which is a station stop on the

SunRail SunRail is a commuter rail system in the Greater Orlando, Florida, area. Services began on May 1, 2014. The system comprises 16 stations along a former CSX Transportation line connecting Volusia County and Osceola County through Downtown Orland ...

commuter rail system. There is a

Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurgenc ...

bus station. The hub also features a bus terminal providing service by the Lynx network. Kissimmee Gateway Airport has four

fixed-base operator A fixed-base operator (FBO) is an organization granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction, ...

s that provide service to the area. Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM) accommodates general aviation air service 24 hours a day with two paved airport runways—respectively 5,000 and 6,000 feet. There are also two flight training schools and a museum at the airport. Orlando International Airport can be reached from Kissimmee in 15 minutes by car. The major roads in the Kissimmee area are Florida's Turnpike, Interstate 4,

Osceola Parkway Osceola Parkway, signed as County Road 522 (CR 522) since around 2003 (and originally planned as State Road 424), is a , partially tolled arterial road extending east–west across the northern boundary of Osceola County, Florida, roughly p ...

, and

. Among other important routes are US 17/92 that join with US 441 into the Orange Blossom Trail (OBT) and the

John Young Parkway State Road 423 (SR 423), known for most of its length as John Young Parkway, and Lee Road east of Orange Blossom Trail, is a four- and six-lane surface road in the U.S. state of Florida. SR 423 runs from SR 408 north to U.S. Routes 17/ 92 (US ...

Public libraries

Osceola Library System operates the Hart Memorial Central Library in Kissimmee.Hours & Locations
." Osceola Library System. Retrieved on December 29, 2010. Click map link, and "211 E Dakin Ave. Kissimmee, FL 34741" will be displayed

Notable people

* Irlo Bronson, Sr., politician; rancher *

Vassar Clements Vassar Carlton Clements (April 25, 1928 – August 16, 2005) was an American jazz, swing, and bluegrass fiddler. Clements has been dubbed the Father of Hillbilly Jazz, an improvisational style that blends and borrows from swing, hot jazz, and ...

, bluegrass musician * Dewayne Douglas, professional football player *

Buddy Dyer John Hugh "Buddy" Dyer (born August 7, 1958) is an American politician who is the 32nd Mayor of Orlando. First elected in 2003, he is Orlando's longest-serving mayor. He is a member of the Florida Democratic Party. Previously he represented Orl ...

, politician; mayor of

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

Tonga Fifita Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesia, Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has List of islands and towns in Tonga, 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its tota ...

, professional wrestler; actor *

Brent Fullwood Brent Leanrd Fullwood (born October 10, 1963), from Saint Cloud High School, is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first ...

, football player *

Justin Gatlin Justin Alexander Gatlin (born February 10, 1982) is a retired American sprinter who competed in the 60 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters. He is the 2004 Olympic Champion in the 100 meters, the 2005 and 2017 World Champion in the 100 meters, the ...

, Olympic and world championship gold medalist 100 m and 200 m sprinter *

Kristina Janolo Kristina Janolo, (born February 20, 1987) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Kissimmee, Florida, who was named Miss Florida 2011. She represented Florida in the 2012 Miss America pageant, where she reached the top 13. She is the fi ...

Miss Florida The Miss Florida competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Florida in the Miss America pageant. Florida has twice won the Miss America crown. In the fall of 2018, the Miss America Organization terminated Miss F ...

2011 * George Frederic Kribbs, congressman * Ray Lloyd, professional wrestler; martial artist *

A. J. McLean Alexander James McLean (born January 9, 1978) is an American singer, dancer, actor and a member of the pop vocal group Backstreet Boys. Early life McLean was born on January 9, 1978, in West Palm Beach, Florida, to Denise (née Fernandez, n ...

, singer from the Grammy-nominated

Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The ...

* James Mitchell, professional wrestling manager * Joe Nasco, professional footballer * Tito Paul, football player * John Quiñones, attorney and former politician *

Henry L. Reaves Henry Lee Reaves (August 7, 1919 – April 2, 2007) was an American farmer, cattleman, and politician. He was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1963 to 2001. Early life Reaves was born August 7, 1919, in Kissimmee, Florida ...

, Georgia politician from Kissimmee pioneer ranching family * Edwin Rios, professional baseball player, 2020 World Series Champion *

William J. Sears William Joseph Sears (December 4, 1874 – March 30, 1944) was a lawyer and U.S. Representative from Florida. A Democrat, he was an avowed white supremacist. Early life and education Born in Smithville, Georgia, Sears moved with his paren ...

, congressman * Kissy Simmons, actor *

John Milton Bryan Simpson John Milton Bryan Simpson (May 30, 1903 – August 22, 1987) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and previously was a United ...

, judge * Bobby Sippio, football player * Justin Smith, professional poker player *

Jonathan Summerton Jonathan Summerton (born April 21, 1988, in Kissimmee, Florida) is an American race car driver. Early racing He began racing karts at the age of 14 and by the end of the year had begun racing Skip Barber Series cars. In 2004 he began racing in F ...

, race car driver * Colt Terry, army special forces * Brett Williams, football player *

Brownie Wise Brownie Mae Humphrey (May 25, 1913 – September 24, 1992) professionally Brownie Wise, was a pioneering American saleswoman largely responsible for the success of the home products company Tupperware, through her development of the "party plan ...

, businesswoman,

Tupperware Tupperware is an American home products line that includes preparation, storage, and serving products for the kitchen and home. In 1942, Earl Tupper developed his first bell-shaped container; the brand products were introduced to the public in 1 ...

Richard Young Richard Young may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Richard Young (cinematographer) (1939–2010), American cinematographer * Richard Young (photographer) (born 1947), English society and celebrity photographer *Richard Young (actor) (born 1955), ...

, actor, played Fedora in '' Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade''

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* * {{Authority control Cities in Osceola County, Florida County seats in Florida Cities in the Greater Orlando Populated places established in 1883 Cities in Florida 1883 establishments in Florida