Lorida is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in eastern

Highlands County Highlands County is a county located in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 101,235. Its county seat is Sebring. Highlands County comprises the Sebring-Avon Park, FL Metropolita ...

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. It lies along

U.S. Route 98 U.S. Route 98 (US 98) is an east–west United States Highway in the Southeastern United States that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola and Apalachicola, Florida, and has sinc ...

between the cities of Sebring and Okeechobee. In addition to some light industry located along U.S. 98 corridor, Lorida and the surrounding area contains numerous fish camps and lodges on the north and east shore of

Lake Istokpoga Lake Istokpoga is a freshwater lake in Highlands County, Florida. It is fed by two creeks, Arbuckle Creek and Josephine Creek. The oblong-shaped lake is approximately wide by long. It is considered the fifth largest lake in the state of Fl ...

History

Lorida was first named Istokpoga, a

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, an ...

name, but it was afterwards changed because the U.S. postal authorities refused to accept that name, there being another post office in the state with a similar name. It was then named after an abbreviated form of Florida. Lorida, Florida has been noted for its

unusual place name Unusual place names are names for cities, towns, and other regions which are considered non-ordinary in some manner. This can include place names which are also offensive words, inadvertently humorous or highly charged words, as well as place ...

. A post office was established under the name Istokpoga in 1924, and the name was changed to Lorida in 1937. From time to time, the region has been rumored – with little evidence and more than a dab of joksterism – to be the future home of a “Six Flags over Lorida” theme park.

Notable natives and residents

Ann Davison Ann Davison (5 June 1913 – 12 May 1992) was an author and sailor. At the age of 39, she was the first woman to single-handedly sail the Atlantic Ocean. She departed Plymouth, England in her 23-foot boat ''Felicity Ann'' on 18 May 1952. Early ...

, first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by herself. During her final years, she resided in a ranch in Lorida where she raised exotic cats with her husband.

References

Unincorporated communities in Highlands County, Florida Unincorporated communities in Florida {{HighlandsCountyFL-geo-stub