Orlando () is a city in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
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 ...
and is the
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
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
. 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 ...
, it is the center of the
Orlando metropolitan area
The Orlando metropolitan area, commonly referred to as Greater Orlando, Metro Orlando, Central Florida as well as for U.S. Census purposes as the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, is a metropolitan area in the ...
, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to
U.S. 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 the ...
figures released in July 2017, making it the
23rd-largest metropolitan area in the United States, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the
Southern United States
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
, and the third-largest metropolitan area in Florida behind
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
and
Tampa
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...
. Orlando had a population of 307,573 in the 2020 census, making it the
67th-largest city in the United States, the fourth-largest city in Florida, and the state's largest inland city.
Orlando is one of the most-visited cities in the world primarily due to tourism, major events, and convention traffic; in 2018, the city drew more than 75 million visitors. The
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major public airport located 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Downtown Orlando, Florida. In 2021, it handled 19,618,838 passengers, making it the busiest airport in the state and seventh busiest airport i ...
(MCO) is the 13th-busiest airport in the United States and the 29th-busiest in the world. The two largest and most internationally renowned tourist attractions in the Orlando area are the
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, th ...
Resort, opened by the
Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
in 1971, and located about southwest of
downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by Marks Street in the north, Mills Avenue (SR 15) in the east, Orange Blossom Trail (US 441) in the west, and Kaley Avenue in th ...
in
Bay Lake, and the
Universal Orlando
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 Par ...
Resort, opened in 1990 as a major expansion of
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida (also known as Universal Studios or USF) is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Primarily themed to movies, television and other aspects of the entertainment industry, the park opened to the public on June 7, 1990 ...
and the only theme park inside Orlando city limits.
With the exception of the theme parks, most major cultural sites like the
Orlando Museum of Art
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 rele ...
and
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (commonly known as Dr. Phillips Center) is a performing arts center in Downtown Orlando, Florida, United States. It joined the Bob Carr Theater, which originally opened as the Orlando Municipal Audi ...
and world-renowned nightlife, bars and clubs are located in Downtown Orlando while most attractions are located along
International Drive
International Drive, commonly known as I-Drive, is a major thoroughfare in Orlando, Florida, United States, and is the city's main tourist strip. I-Drive is located several miles southwest of proper Downtown Orlando in the southernmost limits ...
like
the Wheel at ICON Park Orlando
The Wheel at ICON Park Orlando is a tall giant ferris wheel in Orlando, Florida, United States. Opening under the name Orlando Eye, it opened on April 29, 2015. The wheel was reported to be in the early stages of planning in March 2011, at whi ...
. The city is also one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions; the
Orange County Convention Center
The Orange County Convention Center is a convention center located in Orlando, Florida. Opened in 1983 as the Orange County Convention and Civic Center, it is the primary public convention center for the Central Florida region and the second-lar ...
is the second-largest convention facility in the United States.
Like other major cities in the
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the Southeast and Southwest. Another rough definition of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel. Several climates can be found in the region — des ...
, Orlando grew rapidly from the 1960s into the first decade of the 21st century. Orlando is home to 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 ...
, which is the
largest university campus in the United States in terms of enrollment . In 2010, Orlando was listed as a "Gamma+" level
global city by the
Globalization and World Cities Research Network
The Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) is a think tank that studies the relationships between world cities in the context of globalization. It is based in the geography department of Loughborough University in Leicestershi ...
.
Etymology
Fort Gatlin, as the Orlando area was once known, was established at what is now just south of the city limits by the
4th U.S. Artillery
The 4th Air Defense Artillery Troupe was constituted 1 June 1821 in the Regular Army as the 4th Regiment of Artillery and organized from new and existing units with headquarters at Pensacola, Florida. As a result of the division of the Artillery ...
under the command of Ltc. Alexander C. W. Fanning on November 9, 1838, during the construction of a series of fortified encampments across Florida during the
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...
.
The fort and surrounding area were named for John S. Gatlin, an Army physician who was killed in
Dade's Massacre
The Dade battle (often called the Dade massacre) was an 1835 military defeat for the United States Army. The U.S. was attempting to force the Seminoles to move away from their land in Florida and relocate to Indian Territory (in what would becom ...
on December 28, 1835. The site of construction for Fort Gatlin, a defensible position with fresh water between three small lakes, was likely chosen because the location was on a main trail and is less than 250 yards from a nearby Council Oak tree, where
Native Americans had traditionally met.
King Phillip and
Coacoochee
Wild Cat, also known as ''Coacoochee'' or ''Cowacoochee ''(from Creek ''Kowakkuce "''bobcat, wildcat''"') ''(c. 1807/1810–1857) was a leading Seminole chieftain during the later stages of the Second Seminole War and the nephew of Micanopy.
Bac ...
frequented this area and the tree was alleged to be the place where the previous
1835 ambush that had killed over 100 soldiers had been planned.
When the
U.S. military
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
abandoned the fort in 1839, the surrounding community was built up by settlers.
Prior to being known by its current name, Orlando was once known as Jernigan. This name originates from the first European permanent settlers, Issac and
Aaron Jernigan
Aaron David Jernigan (September 14, 1813 – August 25, 1891) was the first white settler of what is now Orange County, Florida. Originally from Camden County, Georgia, he lived for a time in the Tallahassee area before moving to Orange County in ...
, cattlemen who moved from the state of Georgia and acquired land northwest of Fort Gatlin along the west end of Lake Holden in July 1843 by the terms of the
Armed Occupation Act
The Florida Armed Occupation Act of 1842 () was passed as an incentive to populate Florida.
The Act granted of unsettled land south of the line separating townships 9 and 10 South
(an east–west line about three miles (5 km) north of P ...
.
Aaron Jernigan became Orange County's first state representative in 1845, but his pleas for additional military protection went unanswered.
Fort Gatlin was briefly reoccupied by the military for a few weeks during October and November 1849, and subsequently a volunteer militia was left to defend the settlement.
A historical marker indicates that by 1850, the Jernigan homestead (or Fort Gatlin in some sources)
served as the nucleus of a village named Jernigan.
[Orlando's First Settler, Aaron Jernigan](_blank)
Retrieved March 2, 2017. According to an account written years later by his daughter, at that time, about 80 settlers were forced to shelter for about a year in "a
stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls, made of logs placed side by side vertically, with the tops sharpened as a defensive wall.
Etymology
''Stockade'' is derived from the French word ''estocade''. The French word was derived ...
that Aaron Jernigan built on the north side of Lake Conway". One of the county's first records, a
grand jury
A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...
's report, mentions a stockade where it states homesteaders were "driven from their homes and forced to huddle together in hasty defences
ic" Aaron Jernigan led a local volunteer militia during 1852.
A post office opened at Jernigan in 1850. Jernigan appears on an 1855 map of Florida, and by 1856, the area had become the
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 Orange County.
In 1857, the post office was removed from Jernigan, and opened under the name of Orlando at a new location in present-day downtown Orlando.
During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, the post office closed, but reopened in 1866. The move is believed to be sparked, in part, by Aaron Jernigan's fall from grace after he was relieved of his militia command by military officials in 1856. His behavior was so notorious that
United States Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the President of the United States, U.S. president's United States Cabinet, Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's Presidency of George Washington, administration. A similar position, called either "Se ...
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
wrote, "It is said they
ernigan's militiaare more dreadful than the Indians."
In 1859, Jernigan and his sons were accused of committing a murder at the town's post office. They were then transported to
Ocala
Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida.
Home to ...
, but escaped.
At a meeting in 1857, debate had grown concerning the name of the town. Pioneer William B. Hull recalled how James Speer (a local resident, and prominent figure in the stories behind the naming of Orlando) rose in the heat of the argument and said, "This place is often spoken of as 'Orlando's Grave.' Let's drop the word 'grave' and let the county seat be Orlando."
The origin of the name is unknown but at least five stories relate how Orlando got its name. The most common stories are that the name Orlando originated from the tale of a man who died in 1835 during an attack by Native Americans in the area during the
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...
. Several of the stories relay an oral history of the marker for a person named Orlando, and the ''
double entendre
A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...
'', "Here lies Orlando." One variant includes a man named Orlando who was passing by on his way to
Tampa
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...
with a herd of
oxen
An ox ( : oxen, ), also known as a bullock (in BrE
British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Oxford Dictionaries, "English as used in Great Britain, as distinct from that used elsewhere". More narrowly, it can refer spec ...
, died, and was buried in a marked grave.
[History of Orlando](_blank)
Florida Backroads Travel. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
Through a retelling of history, a marker of some sort was believed to have been found by one of the original pioneers, but Speer's family has since claimed that Speer simply used the Orlando Reeves legend to help push his plan for naming the settlement after the Shakespearean character from "As You Like It", his favorite play.
This has become the most common accepted version of how Orlando got its name.
Orlando Reeves
Historians agree that likely no soldier was named Orlando Reeves.
Folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
is that Reeves was acting as a
sentinel
Sentinel may refer to:
Places Mountains
* Mount Sentinel, a mountain next to the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana
* Sentinel Buttress, a volcanic crag on James Ross Island, Antarctica
* Sentinel Dome, a naturally occurring grani ...
for a company of soldiers that had set up camp for the night on the banks of
Sandy Beach Lake.
Several different lakes are mentioned in the various versions, as no soldiers were in what is now downtown during 1835.
The legend grew throughout the early 1900s, particularly with local historian Olive Brumbaugh (or Kena Fries
) retelling in various writings and on local radio station
WDBO in 1929.
Another historian, Eldon H. Gore, promoted the Reeves legend in ''History of Orlando'' published in 1949.
A memorial beside
Lake Eola
Lake Eola Park is a public park located in Downtown Orlando, Florida. Lake Eola is the main feature of the park. Also located in the park (on the west side) is the Walt Disney Amphitheater, which hosts many community events and various perform ...
– originally placed by students of Orlando's Cherokee Junior School in 1939 and updated in 1990 – designates the spot where the city's supposed namesake fell.
Conflicting legends exist. One legend has Reeves killed during an extended battle with the Seminoles after being field promoted after his platoon commander fell.
An in-depth review of military records in the 1970s and 1980s, though, turned up no record of Orlando Reeves ever existing.
Some versions attempt to account for Reeves having no military records by using the name of other people named Orlando that exist in some written records – Orlando Acosta; however, not much is known about Acosta or whether he even existed. Another version of the story has Orlando Reed, supposedly an Englishman and mail carrier between Fort Gatlin and
Fort Mellon
Sanford is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Seminole County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 61,051.
Known as the "Historic Waterfront Gateway City", Sanford sits on the southern shore ...
, allegedly killed while camping with his friends near Fort Gatlin.
A second variation also places the story in 1835 during the Second Seminole War. This name is taken from a
South Carolinian
The following is a list of prominent people who were born in the U.S. state of South Carolina, lived in South Carolina, or for whom South Carolina is a significant part of their identity. It is divided into two major sections, living and dece ...
cattle rancher
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
named Orlando Savage Rees. Rees owned a
Volusia County
Volusia County (, ) is located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida, stretching between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an incr ...
sugar mill
A sugar cane mill is a factory that processes sugar cane to produce raw or white sugar.
The term is also used to refer to the equipment that crushes the sticks of sugar cane to extract the juice.
Processing
There are a number of steps in pro ...
and
plantation
A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...
, as well as several large estates in Florida and
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
.
Rees' sugar farms in the area were burned out in the Seminole attacks of 1835 (the year Orlando Reeves supposedly died). Subsequently, Rees led an expedition to recover stolen slaves and cattle. In 1837, Rees also attempted to stop a peace treaty with the Seminoles because it did not reimburse him for the loss of slaves and crops.
Rees could have left a pine-bough marker with his name next to the trail; later residents misread "Rees" as "Reeves" and also mistook it as a grave maker.
In subsequent years, this story has merged with the Orlando Reeves story (which may have originally incorporated part of Dr. Gatlin's story).
On two separate occasions, relatives of Rees claimed their ancestor was the namesake of the city. F.K. Bull of South Carolina (Rees' great-grandson) told an Orlando reporter of a story in 1955; years later, Charles M. Bull Jr., of Orlando (Rees' great-great-grandson) offered local historians similar information.
Unlike Orlando Reeves, who cannot be traced to any historical record, the record is considerable that Orlando Rees did exist and was in Florida during that time. For example, in 1832,
John James Audubon
John James Audubon (born Jean-Jacques Rabin; April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was an American self-trained artist, naturalist, and ornithologist. His combined interests in art and ornithology turned into a plan to make a complete pictoria ...
met with Rees in his large estate at Spring Garden, about 45 minutes from Orlando.
Orlando (''As You Like It'')
The final variation has the city named after
the protagonist in the Shakespeare play ''
As You Like It
''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...
''.
In 1975, Judge
Donald A. Cheney
Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Goidelic languages, Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic language, Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is part ...
put forth a new version of the story in an ''
Orlando Sentinel
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company.
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...
'' article.
Cheney (a local historian and then chairman of the county historical commission) recounted a story told to him by his father, Judge
John Moses Cheney
John Moses Cheney (January 6, 1859 – June 2, 1922) was a Florida attorney and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. A Republican, Cheney represented African American clients du ...
(a major figure in Orlando's history, who arrived in Orlando in 1885).
The elder Cheney recounted that another gentleman at that time, James Speer, proposed the name Orlando after the character in ''As You Like It''.
According to Cheney, Speer, "was a gentleman of culture and an admirer of William Shakespeare...
Quoting a letter that Speer wrote, "Orlando was a veritable
Forest of Arden
Arden is an area located mainly in Warwickshire, England, with parts in Staffordshire and Worcestershire, and is traditionally regarded as extending from the River Avon to the River Tame. It was once heavily wooded, giving rise to the name 'F ...
, the locale of ''As You Like It''."
[''Reflections'']
Fall 2015 Vol. 13 No. 4. Speer's descendants have also confirmed this version of the naming and the legend has continued to grow.
This account also has some validity in that, as mentioned above, Speer was instrumental in changing the name of the settlement from Jernigan to Orlando, though he may have used the Orlando Reeves legend in lieu of his true intent to use the Shakespearean character. According to yet another version of the story, Orlando may have been the name of one of his employees.
One of
downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by Marks Street in the north, Mills Avenue (SR 15) in the east, Orange Blossom Trail (US 441) in the west, and Kaley Avenue in th ...
's major streets is named Rosalind Avenue;
Rosalind is the heroine of ''As You Like It'', but this could also be a simple coincidence''.
History
Settlement
In 1823, the
Treaty of Moultrie Creek
The Treaty of Moultrie Creek was an agreement signed in 1823 between the government of the United States and the chiefs of several groups and bands of Indians living in the present-day state of Florida. The treaty established a reservation in t ...
created 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 ...
reservation encompassing much of central Florida, including the area that would become Orlando. The
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States President Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for ...
of 1830 authorized relocation of the Seminole from Florida to Oklahoma, leading to the Second Seminole War. In 1842, white settlement in the area was encouraged by the Armed Occupation Act. The first settler, Mr.
Aaron Jernigan
Aaron David Jernigan (September 14, 1813 – August 25, 1891) was the first white settler of what is now Orange County, Florida. Originally from Camden County, Georgia, he lived for a time in the Tallahassee area before moving to Orange County in ...
of Camden County, Georgia, arrived the following year and settled near Lake Holden.
Mosquito County
Mosquito County (also labeled on maps as Musquito County) is the historic name of an early county that once comprised most of the eastern part of Florida. Its land included all of present-day Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, ...
was renamed Orange County in 1845, with the county seat shortly thereafter relocated to Mellonville, a few miles west of
Sanford. By 1856, settlement had begun in earnest in the interior of the county and a more centrally-located Courthouse was sought. The new town of Orlando, laid out in 1857,
consisted of four streets surrounding a courthouse square. The fledgling village suffered greatly during the
Union blockade
The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading.
The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...
. The
Reconstruction Era
The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...
brought on a population explosion, resulting in the incorporation of the Town of Orlando on July 31, 1875, with 85 residents (22 voters). For a short time in 1879, the town revoked its charter, and was subsequently reincorporated.
Orlando was established as a city in 1885.
The period from 1875 to 1895 is remembered as Orlando's Golden Era, when it became the hub of Florida's
citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...
industry. The period ended with the
Great Freeze of 1894–95, which forced many owners to give up their independent citrus
groves, thus consolidating holdings in the hands of a few "citrus barons", who shifted operations south, primarily around
Lake Wales
Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida. The population was 14,225 at the 2010 census. , the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 16,759. It is part of the Lakeland– Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lake Wales is ...
in
Polk County Polk County is the name of twelve counties in the United States, all except two named after president of the United States James Knox Polk:
* Polk County, Arkansas
* Polk County, Florida
* Polk County, Georgia
* Polk County, Iowa
* Polk Count ...
.
The freeze caused many in Florida, including many Orlandoans, to move elsewhere, mostly to
the North,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, or the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
.
![The Wyoming, Orlando, FL](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/The_Wyoming%2C_Orlando%2C_FL.jpg)
Notable homesteaders in the area included the Curry family. Through their property in east Orlando flowed the
Econlockhatchee River
The Econlockhatchee River (Econ River for short) is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 21, 2011 north-flowing blackwater tributary of the St. Johns River. The Ec ...
, which travelers crossed by
fording. This was commemorated by the street's name, Curry Ford Road. Also, just south of the
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major public airport located 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Downtown Orlando, Florida. In 2021, it handled 19,618,838 passengers, making it the busiest airport in the state and seventh busiest airport i ...
in the Boggy Creek area are of property homesteaded in the late 19th century by the Ward family. This property is still owned by the Ward family, and can be seen from southbound flights out of Orlando International Airport immediately on the south side of SR 417.
Post–Industrial Revolution
Orlando became a popular resort during the years between the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
and
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. In the 1920s, Orlando experienced extensive housing development during the
Florida Land Boom
The Florida land boom of the 1920s was Florida's first real estate bubble. This pioneering era of Florida land speculation lasted from 1924 to 1926 and attracted investors from all over the nation. The land boom left behind entirely new, planned ...
, causing land prices to soar. During this period, dozens of neighborhoods in the vicinity of downtown were constructed. The boom ended when several
hurricanes
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
hit Florida in the late 1920s, along with the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, a number of Army personnel were stationed at the
Orlando Army Air Base
Orlando Executive Airport is a public airport three miles (6 km) east of downtown Orlando, in Orange County, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) and serves general aviation.
Overview
Orlando ...
and nearby
Pinecastle Army Air Field Pinecastle or Pine Castle may refer to:
* McCoy Air Force Base (previously Pinecastle Army Airfield), a former United States Air Force base
* Naval Air Station DeLand (previously Pinecastle Electronic Warfare and Bombing Range), a United States Nav ...
. Some of these servicemen stayed in Orlando to settle and raise families. In 1956, the aerospace and defense company
Martin Marietta
The Martin Marietta Corporation was an American company founded in 1961 through the merger of Glenn L. Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. In 1995, it merged with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin.
History
Martin Mari ...
(now
Lockheed Martin
The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...
) established a plant in the city. Orlando AAB and Pinecastle AAF were transferred to the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
in 1947 when it became a separate service and were redesignated as air force bases (AFB). In 1958, Pinecastle AFB was renamed McCoy Air Force Base after Colonel Michael N. W. McCoy, a former commander of the 320th Bombardment Wing at the installation, killed in the crash of a
B-47
The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircr ...
Stratojet bomber north of Orlando. In the 1960s, the base subsequently became home to the 306th Bombardment Wing of the
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
, operating
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...
and
KC-135
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transpo ...
Stratotanker aircraft, in addition to detachment operations by
EC-121
The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star was an American airborne early warning and control radar surveillance aircraft operational in the 1950s in both the United States Navy (USN) and United States Air Force (USAF).
The military version of the Lock ...
and
U-2 aircraft.
In 1968, Orlando AFB was transferred to the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
and became Naval Training Center Orlando. In addition to boot camp facilities, the NTC Orlando was home of one of two Navy Nuclear Power Schools, and home of the
Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division
The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) is an Echelon IV command of the United States Navy, reporting to the Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center - Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. NAWCTSD is lo ...
. When McCoy AFB closed in 1976, its runways and territory to its south and east were imparted to the city to become
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major public airport located 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Downtown Orlando, Florida. In 2021, it handled 19,618,838 passengers, making it the busiest airport in the state and seventh busiest airport i ...
, while a small portion to the northwest was transferred to the Navy as McCoy NTC Annex. That closed in 1995, and became a housing, though the former McCoy AFB still hosts a Navy Exchange, as well as national guard and reserve units for several branches of service. NTC Orlando was completely closed by the end of 1999 by the
Base Realignment and Closure Commission
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end o ...
, and converted into the Baldwin Park neighborhood. The Naval Air Warfare Center had moved to Central Florida Research Park near UCF in 1989.
Tourism in history
Perhaps the most critical event for Orlando's economy occurred in 1965 when
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
announced plans to build
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, th ...
. Although Disney had considered the regions of Miami and
Tampa
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...
for his park, one of the major reasons behind his decision not to locate there was due to
hurricane
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
s – Orlando's inland location, although not free from hurricane damage, exposed it to less threat than coastal regions. The vacation resort opened in October 1971, ushering in an explosive population and economic growth for the Orlando metropolitan area, which now encompasses Orange,
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 ...
,
Osceola
Osceola (1804 – January 30, 1838, Asi-yahola in Muscogee language, Creek), named Billy Powell at birth in Alabama, became an influential leader of the Seminole people in Florida. His mother was Muscogee, and his great-grandfather was a S ...
, and
Lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
Counties. As a result, tourism became the centerpiece of the area's economy. Orlando now has more
theme park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
s and entertainment attractions than anywhere else in the world.
Another major factor in Orlando's growth occurred in 1962, when the new Orlando Jetport, the precursor of the present-day Orlando International Airport, was built from a portion of the McCoy Air Force Base. By 1970, four major airlines (
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...
,
National Airlines,
Eastern Airlines
Eastern Air Lines, also colloquially known as Eastern, was a major United States airline from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Ea ...
, and
Southern Airways
Southern Airways was a regional airline (known at the time as a "local-service air carrier" as designated by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board) in the United States, from its founding by Frank Hulse in 1949 until 1979, when it merged with No ...
) were providing scheduled flights. McCoy Air Force Base officially closed in 1975, and most of it is now part of the airport. The airport still retains the former Air Force Base airport code (MCO).
21st century
![Orlando downtown 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Orlando_downtown_2011.jpg)
Today, the historic core of "Old Orlando" resides in
downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by Marks Street in the north, Mills Avenue (SR 15) in the east, Orange Blossom Trail (US 441) in the west, and Kaley Avenue in th ...
along Church Street, between Orange Avenue and Garland Avenue.
The urban development and the central business district of downtown have rapidly shaped the downtown skyline during recent history. The present-day
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
is primarily associated with the neighborhoods around
Lake Eola
Lake Eola Park is a public park located in Downtown Orlando, Florida. Lake Eola is the main feature of the park. Also located in the park (on the west side) is the Walt Disney Amphitheater, which hosts many community events and various perform ...
but stretches west across the city to Lake Lorna Dune and north into the College Park Neighborhood where you can find century-old oaks line brick streets. These neighborhoods include the "Downtown Business District," "North Quarter," "Parramore," "Callahan," "South Eola Heights, "Lake Eola Heights,"Thornton Park" and "College Park", and contain some of the oldest homes in Orlando.
2016 mass shooting
On June 12, 2016, more than 100 people were shot at
Pulse
In medicine, a pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the cardiac cycle (heartbeat) by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surface of the body, such as at the nec ...
, a
gay nightclub
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT communities.
Gay bars once served as ...
in Orlando. Fifty (including the gunman) were killed and 60 were wounded. The gunman, whom the police
SWAT team
In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...
shot to death, was identified as 29-year-old
Omar Mir Seddique Mateen, an American security guard. The act of terrorism was both the deadliest
mass shooting
There is a lack of consensus on how to define a mass shooting. Most terms define a minimum of three or four victims of gun violence (not including the shooter or in an inner city) in a short period of time, although an Australian study from 200 ...
in modern United States history at the time and one of the deadliest mass shootings perpetrated by a single person in recorded world history. Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State during his unsuccessful negotiations with police. After the shooting, the city held numerous vigils. In November 2016, Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer announced the city's intention to acquire the Pulse Nightclub to build a permanent memorial for the 49 victims of the shooting. The city offered to buy it for $2.25 million, but the club's owner declined to sell.
Geography and cityscape
![Lake Eola from East Central Blvd](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Lake_Eola_from_East_Central_Blvd.%2C_Orlando%2C_FL.jpg)
The geography of Orlando is mostly
wetlands
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
, consisting of many lakes and swamps. The terrain is generally flat, making the land fairly low and wet. The area is dotted with hundreds of lakes, the largest of which is
Lake Apopka
Lake Apopka is the fourth largest lake in the United States, U.S. state of Florida. It is located northwest of Orlando, Florida, Orlando, mostly within the bounds of Orange County, Florida, Orange County, although the western part is in Lak ...
. Central Florida's
bedrock
In geology, bedrock is solid Rock (geology), rock that lies under loose material (regolith) within the crust (geology), crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet.
Definition
Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface mater ...
is mostly
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
and very porous; the Orlando area is susceptible to
sinkholes
A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as ''vrtače'' and shakeholes, and to openi ...
. Probably the most famous incident involving a sinkhole happened in 1981 in Winter Park, a city immediately north of downtown Orlando, dubbed
"The Winter Park Sinkhole".
There are 115 neighborhoods within the city limits and many
unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to:
* Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality
* Unincorporated entity, a type of organization
* Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...
communities. Orlando's city limits resemble a checkerboard, with pockets of unincorporated Orange County surrounded by city limits. Such an arrangement results in some areas being served by both Orange County and the City of Orlando. This also explains Orlando's relatively low city population when compared to its metropolitan population. The city and county are working together in an effort to "round-out" the city limits with Orlando annexing portions of land already bordering the city limits.
Skyscrapers
![OrlandoNightSkyline](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/OrlandoNightSkyline.jpg)
Metro Orlando has a total of 19 completed skyscrapers. The majority are located in downtown Orlando and the rest are located in the tourist district southwest of downtown. Skyscrapers built in downtown Orlando have not exceeded , since 1988, when the
SunTrust Center
200 South Orange, formerly known as the SunTrust Center and Sun Bank Center, is a skyscraper located in the Central Business District of Orlando, Florida. Rising to , it is the tallest multi-story building in Orlando and Central Florida outside ...
was completed. The main reason for this is the
Orlando Executive Airport
Orlando Executive Airport is a public airport three miles (6 km) east of downtown Orlando, in Orange County, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) and serves general aviation.
Overview
Orlando ...
, just under from the city center, which does not allow buildings to exceed a certain height without approval from the FAA.
Downtown Orlando
*
200 South Orange, 1988, , formerly
SunTrust Center
200 South Orange, formerly known as the SunTrust Center and Sun Bank Center, is a skyscraper located in the Central Business District of Orlando, Florida. Rising to , it is the tallest multi-story building in Orlando and Central Florida outside ...
it's the tallest skyscraper in
Greater Orlando
The Orlando metropolitan area, commonly referred to as Greater Orlando, Metro Orlando, Central Florida as well as for U.S. Census purposes as the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, is a metropolitan area in the ...
*
The Vue at Lake Eola, 2008,
*
Orange County Courthouse, 1997,
*
Bank of America Center, 1988,
*
55 West on the Esplanade
55 West, commonly referenced as, simply, 55 W, is an apartment tower in Downtown Orlando. The building overlooks Church Street Station, and stands next to the Suntrust Center. Built in 2009, the building is the fifth-tallest building in down ...
, 2009,
*
Solaire at the Plaza
Solaire at the Plaza is a residential tower in Downtown Orlando. The tower is directly above the Premier Trade Plaza. Both were built at exactly the same time and have similar design. The building, like much of the other towers, has a crown that i ...
, 2006,
* Church Street Plaza Tower 1, 2019, 315 ft (96 m)
*
Dynetech Center, 2009,
* Regions Bank Tower, 1986,
*
Premiere Trade Plaza Office Tower II
The Plaza South Tower is a 20-story office building in downtown Orlando, Florida. The tower was completed in 2006 as part of a three building mixed-use complex known as "The Plaza." The other buildings include the Solaire at the Plaza, residenti ...
2006, 277 ft (84 m)
*
Citrus Center
The Citrus Center, also known as the BB&T building, originally known as the CNA Tower, is a commercial office building in Orlando, Florida, United States located at 255 South Orange Avenue. Topped out in December 1970 and completed in April 197 ...
, 1971, 281 ft (85 m)
* Citi Tower, 2017, 275 ft (83 m)
* SkyHouse Orlando, 2013, 262 ft (80 m)
* Modera Central, 2018, 260 ft (76 m)
* The Waverly on Lake Eola, 2001, 280 ft (85 m)
Outside downtown Orlando
* Orlando Free Fall at ICON Park Orlando, 2021,
*
Hyatt Regency Orlando
The Hyatt Regency Orlando is a hotel directly connected to the Orange County Convention Center located on International Drive in Orlando, Florida. The 32-story, 1641-room hotel was originally constructed in 1986 as The Peabody Orlando, a brand ext ...
, 2010,
*
SeaWorld SkyTower
The SeaWorld SkyTower is an observation tower located in the SeaWorld Orlando theme park complex constructed in 1973 and opened in 1974. The tower is the tallest observation tower in Florida and contains a double decker rotating pod. SkyTower i ...
,
* The Wheel at ICON Park Orlando, 2015,
*
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major public airport located 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Downtown Orlando, Florida. In 2021, it handled 19,618,838 passengers, making it the busiest airport in the state and seventh busiest airport i ...
's
ATC tower, 2002,
*
StarFlyer Orlando on International Drive, 2018,
Climate
![Orlando Tstorm](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Orlando_Tstorm.jpg)
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 ...
, Orlando has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(''Cfa'') like much of the deep Southern United States. The two basic seasons in Orlando are a hot and rainy season, lasting from May until late October (roughly coinciding with the
Atlantic hurricane season
The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year from June through November when tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean, referred to in North American countries as hurricanes, tropical storms, or tropical depressions. In addition ...
), and a warm and dry season from November through April. The area's warm and humid climate is caused primarily by its low elevation, its position relatively close to the
Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer, which is also referred to as the Northern Tropic, is the most northerly circle of latitude on Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This occurs on the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward ...
, and its location in the center of a
peninsula
A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...
. Many characteristics of its climate are a result of its proximity to the
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Current, North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida a ...
, which flows around the peninsula of Florida.
During the height of Orlando's humid summer season, high temperatures are typically in the low 90s °F (32–34 °C), while low temperatures rarely fall below the low 70s °F (22–24 °C). The average window for temperatures is April 9 to October 14. The area's humidity acts as a buffer, usually preventing actual temperatures from exceeding , but also pushing the
heat index
The heat index (HI) is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity, in shaded areas, to posit a human-perceived equivalent temperature, as how hot it would feel if the humidity were some other value in the shade. The result is als ...
to over . The city's highest recorded temperature is , set on September 8, 1921. During these months, strong afternoon thunderstorms occur almost daily. These storms are caused by air masses from the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
and the Atlantic Ocean colliding over Central Florida. They are highlighted by spectacular
lightning
Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electric charge, electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the land, ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous ...
and can also bring heavy rain (sometimes several inches per hour) and powerful winds as well as rare damaging
hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone. Ice pellets generally fal ...
.
During the winter, humidity is much lower and temperatures are more moderate, and can fluctuate more readily. The monthly daily average temperature in January is . Temperatures dip below the freezing mark on an average of only 1.6 nights per year and the lowest recorded temperature is , set on
December 28, 1894. Because the winter season is dry and freezing temperatures usually occur only after cold fronts (and their accompanying precipitation) have passed, snow is exceptionally rare. The only accumulation ever to occur in the city proper since record keeping began was in 1948, although some accumulation occurred in surrounding areas in a snow event in January 1977 that reached Miami. Flurries have also been observed
in 1989, 2006, and 2010.
The average annual rainfall in Orlando is , a majority of which occurs in the period from June to September. October through May are Orlando's dry season. During this period (especially in its later months), often a
wildfire
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...
hazard exists. During some years, fires have been severe. In 1998, a strong
El Niño
El Niño (; ; ) is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (approximately between the International Date L ...
caused an unusually wet January and February, followed by drought throughout the spring and early summer, causing a record wildfire season that created numerous air-quality alerts in Orlando and severely affected normal daily life, including the postponement of that year's
Pepsi 400
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Daytona International Speedway. First held in 1959, the event consists of 160 laps, , and is the second of two major stock car events held at Daytona on the Cup Series ci ...
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
race in nearby
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County near the Atlantic coastline, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. Daytona Beach is approximately nort ...
.
Orlando is a major population center and has a considerable
hurricane
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
risk, although it is not as high as in
South Florida
South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
's urban corridor or other coastal regions. Since the city is located inland from the Atlantic and inland from the Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes usually weaken before arriving. Storm surges are not a concern since the region is
above mean sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
. Despite its location, the city does see strong hurricanes. During the notorious
2004 hurricane season, Orlando was hit by three hurricanes that caused significant damage, with
Hurricane Charley
Hurricane Charley was the first of four separate hurricanes to impact or strike Florida during 2004, along with Hurricane Frances, Frances, Hurricane Ivan, Ivan and Hurricane Jeanne, Jeanne, as well as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to ...
the worst of these. The city also experienced widespread damage during
Hurricane Donna
Hurricane Donna, known in Puerto Rico as Hurricane San Lorenzo, was the strongest hurricane of the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season, and caused severe damage to the Lesser Antilles, the Greater Antilles, and the East Coast of the United States, ...
in 1960.
Tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
es are not usually connected with the strong thunderstorms of the humid summer. They are more common during the infrequent cold days of winter, as well as in passing hurricanes. The two worst major outbreaks in the area's history, a
1998 outbreak that killed 42 people and a
2007 outbreak that killed 21, both happened in February.
Neighborhoods and Suburbs
*
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by Marks Street in the north, Mills Avenue (SR 15) in the east, Orange Blossom Trail (US 441) in the west, and Kaley Avenue in th ...
*
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 30,183 according to the 2022 census population estimate. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Winter Park was fo ...
*
Celebration, Florida
Celebration is a master-planned community (MPC) and census-designated place (CDP) in Osceola County, Florida, United States. A suburb of Orlando, Celebration is located near Walt Disney World Resort and originally developed by The Walt Disney C ...
*
Pine Hills, Florida
Pine Hills is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated subdivision in Orange County, Florida, United States, west of Orlando. Per the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 66,111. It is a part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Flori ...
*
Windermere, Florida
Windermere is a town in Orange County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,030. It is part of the Orlando Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
A Post Office opened at Windermere in 1888. The Post Office c ...
*
Dr. Phillips, Florida
Dr. Phillips is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb of Orlando and is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12 ...
*
Hunter's Creek, Florida
Hunter's Creek is a master planned, unincorporated community and census-designated place in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,321 ...
*
Lake Nona
Lake Nona is a 17-square-mile master-planned community in Orlando, Florida recognized as a model for “How to build a great American City”. The community is known for focused initiatives on community, technology, mobility, and wellbeing. It is ...
*
Parramore
Parramore is a neighborhood in west-central Orlando, Florida. It is a historical neighborhood for Orlando residents of African descent, and suffered greatly during the Jim Crow era. In 2015, the unemployment rate was reported as 23.8% and median ...
*
Williamsburg, Florida
Williamsburg is a census-designated place (CDP) in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 7,646 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Williamsburg is located at ( ...
*
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista () is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being the mailing address for Walt Disney World—although almost all of the resort facilities, including all four theme parks, are physically located i ...
![-LA NOCHE EN DOWNTOWN DISNEY - panoramio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/-LA_NOCHE_EN_DOWNTOWN_DISNEY_-_panoramio.jpg)
*
Bay Lake, Florida
Bay Lake is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 29 at the 2020 census. It is named after a lake that lies east of the Magic Kingdom. All four of the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, and one of Walt Disney W ...
*
Winter Garden, Florida
Winter Garden is a city west of Downtown Orlando in the western part of Orange County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its population was 46,051 as of 2019.
History ...
*
Four Corners, Florida
Four Corners, also known as Citrus Ridge, is an unincorporated suburban community and census-designated place (CDP) in the U.S. state of Florida, located near the borders of Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Polk counties. Its population was 56,381 at th ...
*
Altamonte Springs, Florida
Altamonte Springs is a suburban city in central Florida in Seminole County, Florida, United States, which had a population of 46,231 at the 2020 United States Census. The city is in the northern suburbs of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metro ...
*
Meadow Woods, Florida
Meadow Woods is a census-designated place and an unincorporated suburban development area located in southern Orange County, Florida, United States, between Orlando International Airport and Kissimmee, Florida, Kissimmee. The population was 25,558 ...
*
Debary, Florida
DeBary is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States, on the eastern shore of the St. Johns River near Lake Monroe. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 20,696. It is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Orm ...
*
MetroWest (Orlando)
MetroWest is a master-planned community in Orlando, a city located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. The mixed-use community is located southwest of downtown Orlando,Jackson, Jerry W. (2007-12-10)"MetroWest feels pinch of hous ...
*
College Park (Orlando)
College Park is a distinct neighborhood within the city of Orlando, Florida, deriving its name from the many streets within its bounds that were named for institutions of higher learning such as Princeton, Harvard, and Yale. Its close proximity to ...
*
Baldwin Park Baldwin Park may refer to:
* Baldwin Park, California
** Baldwin Park (Metrolink station) in Baldwin Park, California
* Baldwin Park, Florida, a neighborhood in Orlando, Florida
* Baldwin Park, Missouri
* A public park in Baldwin, Nassau County, ...
Demographics
![Race and ethnicity 2010- Orlando (5560430278)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Race_and_ethnicity_2010-_Orlando_%285560430278%29.png)
As of 2010, there were 121,254 households, out of which 15.4% were vacant. As of 2000, 24.5% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.4% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.97.
In 2014, the city's population was spread out, with 12.0% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 36.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
Orlando not only has the largest population of
Puerto Ricans
Puerto Ricans ( es, Puertorriqueños; or boricuas) are the people of Puerto Rico, the inhabitants, and citizens of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and their descendants.
Overview
The culture held in common by most Puerto Ricans is referred t ...
in Florida, but is also home to the fastest growing Puerto Rican community in the country. Between 1980 and 2010, the Hispanic population increased from 4.1 to 25.4%. Orlando also has a large and growing
Brazilian population, due to Orlando being a popular travel destination for Brazilians. Many Brazilian restaurants and shops can be found on International Drive, and Portuguese signs can be found throughout Orlando International Airport. A large
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
population is present in Orlando, with a significant
West Indian
A West Indian is a native or inhabitant of the West Indies (the Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago). For more than 100 years the words ''West Indian'' specifically described natives of the West Indies, but by 1661 Europeans had begun to use it ...
community (particularly
Bahamians
Bahamians are people originating or having roots from The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. One can also become a Bahamian by acquiring citizenship.
History
Culture
Olympic Games
World Championships in Athletics
List
* Sidney Poitier, firs ...
,
Cubans
Cubans ( es, Cubanos) are people born in Cuba and people with Cuban citizenship. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic, religious and national backgrounds.
Racial and ethnic groups
Census
The population of Cuba wa ...
,
Dominicans,
Jamaicans
Jamaicans are the citizens of Jamaica and their descendants in the Jamaican diaspora. The vast majority of Jamaicans are of Sub-Saharan African descent, with minorities of Europeans, East Indians, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and others of mixed a ...
,
Guyanese people
The people of Guyana, or Guyanese, come from a wide array of backgrounds and cultures including aboriginal natives, also known as Amerindians, and those who are descended from the slaves and contract workers who worked in the sugar industry of ...
- those of shared Indian and African descent - and
Trinidadian and Tobagonian
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
populations) and an established
Haitian community. Orlando has an active Jewish community.
Orlando has a large LGBT population and is recognized as one of the most accepting and tolerant cities in the Southeast. , around 4.1% of Orlando's population identify as LGBT, making Orlando the city with the 20th-highest percentage of LGBT residents in the country. The city is host to
Gay Days every June (including at 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, th ...
), holds a huge Pride festival every October, and is home to Florida's first openly gay City Commissioner, Patty Sheehan.
Languages
![Orlando-fl](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Orlando-fl.gif)
As of 2000, 75% of all residents speak English as their first language, while 16.60% speak Spanish, 1.9% speak
Haitian Creole
Haitian Creole (; ht, kreyòl ayisyen, links=no, ; french: créole haïtien, links=no, ), commonly referred to as simply ''Creole'', or ''Kreyòl'' in the Creole language, is a French-based creole language spoken by 10–12million people wor ...
, 1.3% speak French, 0.99% speak Portuguese, and 0.5% of the population speak Arabic as their mother language. In total, 24% of the population 5 years and older speak a language other than English at home.
According to the American Community Survey of 2006–2008, 69% of Orlando's residents over the age of five spoke only English at home. Spanish-speakers represented 19.2% of Orlando's population. Speakers of other
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Dutc ...
made up 9% of the city's population. Those who spoke an
Asian language
A wide variety of languages are spoken throughout Asia, comprising different language families and some unrelated isolates. The major language families include Austroasiatic, Austronesian, Caucasian, Dravidian, Indo-European, Afroasiatic, Turk ...
made up 1% of the population, and speakers of other languages made up the remaining 0.6% of the populace.
Metropolitan statistical area
Orlando is the hub city of the
Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area
The Orlando metropolitan area, commonly referred to as Greater Orlando, Metro Orlando, Central Florida as well as for U.S. Census purposes as the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, is a metropolitan area in the ...
, colloquially known as "Greater Orlando" or "Metro Orlando". The area encompasses three counties (
Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
,
Osceola
Osceola (1804 – January 30, 1838, Asi-yahola in Muscogee language, Creek), named Billy Powell at birth in Alabama, became an influential leader of the Seminole people in Florida. His mother was Muscogee, and his great-grandfather was a S ...
, and
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 ...
), and is the
26th-largest metro area in the United States with a 2010 Census-estimated population of 2,134,411.
In 2000, the population of Orlando's urban area was 1,157,431, making it the third-largest in Florida and the 35th-largest in the United States. As of 2009, the estimated urban area population of Orlando is 1,377,342.
When
Combined Statistical Area
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...
s were instituted in 2000, Orlando was initially joined with
The Villages, Florida
The Villages is a census-designated place (CDP) in central Florida. It is in Sumter and Marion counties, Florida, United States. It shares its name with a broader master-planned age-restricted community that spreads into portions of Lake Count ...
, Micropolitan Statistical Area, to form the Orlando-The Villages, Florida,
Combined Statistical Area
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...
. In 2006, the metropolitan areas of
Deltona
Deltona is a city in central Florida and the most populous city in Volusia County. It is located on the northern shore of Lake Monroe along the St. Johns River in central Florida. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 93,692. The cit ...
(
Volusia County
Volusia County (, ) is located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida, stretching between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an incr ...
) and
Palm Coast
Palm Coast is a city in Flagler County, Florida. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 75,180, more than twice the 32,832 counted in 2000. The population was estimated to be 89,800 in 2019. It is the most populous city in Flagler ...
(
Flagler County
Flagler County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 115,378. Its county seat is Bunnell. Created in 1917 from portions of Saint Johns and Volusia Counties, it ...
) were added to create the Orlando-Deltona-Daytona Beach, Florida, Combined Statistical Area. This new larger CSA has a total population (as of 2007) of 2,693,552, and includes three of the 25 fastest-growing counties in the nation—Flagler ranks 1st; Osceola, 17th; and Lake, 23rd.
Economy
Industry
Orlando is a major industrial and
hi-tech
High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest te ...
center. The metro area has a $13.4 billion technology industry employing 53,000 people; and is a nationally recognized cluster of innovation in digital media, agricultural technology, aviation, aerospace, and software design. More than 150 international companies, representing approximately 20 countries, have facilities in Metro Orlando.
Orlando has the 7th-largest research park in the country,
Central Florida Research Park
The Central Florida Research Park (CFRP) is a research park abutting the main campus of the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida, United States. CFRP is the largest research park in Florida, the fourth largest in the United Stat ...
, with over . It is home to over 120 companies, employs more than 8,500 people, and is the hub of the nation's military simulation and training programs. Near the end of each year, the
Orange County Convention Center
The Orange County Convention Center is a convention center located in Orlando, Florida. Opened in 1983 as the Orange County Convention and Civic Center, it is the primary public convention center for the Central Florida region and the second-lar ...
hosts the world's largest modeling and simulation conference:
Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC). Metro Orlando is home to the simulation procurement commands for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
Lockheed Martin
The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...
has a large manufacturing facility for missile systems, aeronautical craft and related high-tech research. Other notable engineering firms have offices or labs in Metro Orlando: KDF,
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded, aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth-largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales, and 5th largest in the Uni ...
,
Harris
Harris may refer to:
Places Canada
* Harris, Ontario
* Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine)
* Harris, Saskatchewan
* Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan
Scotland
* Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle o ...
,
Mitsubishi Power Systems,
Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...
,
Veritas
Veritas is the name given to the Roman virtue of Honesty, truthfulness, which was considered one of the main virtues any good Roman should possess. The Greek goddess of truth is Aletheia (Ancient Greek language, Ancient Greek: ). The German phi ...
/
Symantec Symantec may refer to:
*An American consumer software company now known as Gen Digital Inc.
*A brand of enterprise security software purchased by Broadcom Inc.
Broadcom Inc. is an American designer, developer, manufacturer and global supplier ...
, multiple
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
facilities,
Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division
The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) is an Echelon IV command of the United States Navy, reporting to the Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center - Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. NAWCTSD is lo ...
,
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is a regional airline brand name for Delta Air Lines, under which a number of individually owned regional airlines primarily operate short- and medium-haul routes. Mainline major air carriers often use regional airlines to ope ...
Academy,
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) is a private university focused on aviation and aerospace programs. Initially founded at Lunken Field in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1926, its main campuses are located in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott ...
,
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
,
Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation
The United States Air Force established the Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation (AFAMS) in June 1996 at Orlando, Florida. AFAMS mission is to enhance and leverage Modeling & Simulation to support and facilitate integrated, realistic and ef ...
, U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI),
,
United States Army Simulation and Training Technology Center
The United States Army Simulation and Training Technology Center (STTC) provides the United States Department of Defense and United States Department of Homeland Security with applied research to develop simulation technologies, build on current ...
,
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile tel ...
,
Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
, CAE Systems Flight and Simulation Training,
Hewlett-Packard
The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. HP developed and provided a wide variety of hardware components ...
, Institute for Simulation and Training,
National Center for Simulation
The National Center for Simulation (NCS) is an association of defense companies, government, academic and industry members. NCS is located in the Central Florida Research Park, adjacent to Naval Support Activity Orlando and the University of Cent ...
,
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military techn ...
and
Raytheon
Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It is one of the largest aerospace and defense manufacturers in the world by revenue and market capitaliza ...
. The Naval Training Center until a few years ago was one of the two places where nuclear engineers were trained for the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
. Now the land has been converted into the Baldwin Park development. Numerous office complexes for large corporations have popped up along the
Interstate 4
Interstate 4 (I-4) is an Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Florida, maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Spanning along a generally southwest–northeast axis, I-4 is entirely concurrent wi ...
corridor north of Orlando, especially in
Maitland
Maitland is an English and Scottish surname. It arrived in Britain after the Norman conquest of 1066. There are two theories about its source. It is either a nickname reference to "bad temper/disposition" (Old French, ''Maltalent''; Anglo Norm ...
,
Lake Mary and
Heathrow
Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others bei ...
.
Orlando is close enough to
Patrick Space Force Base
Patrick Space Force Base is a United States Space Force installation located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick, USAAC. It is home to Space Lau ...
,
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida.
Headquartered at the nearby Patrick Space Force Base, the station ...
, and
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 1968 ...
for residents to commute to work from the city's suburbs. It also allows easy access to
Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral is a cruise, cargo, and naval port in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world with 4.5 million cruise passengers passing through during 2016. Over 5.4 million tonnes of bulk car ...
, a
cruise ship
Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on tours known as "s ...
terminal.
Orlando is the home base of
Darden Restaurants
Darden Restaurants, Inc. is an American multi-brand restaurant operator headquartered in Orlando. As of January 2022, the firm owns two fine dining restaurant chains: Eddie V's and The Capital Grille; and six casual dining restaurant chains: O ...
, the parent company of
Olive Garden
Olive Garden is an American casual dining restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. It is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in Orange County, Florida. As of 2012, Olive Garden restaurants accounted ...
and
LongHorn Steakhouse
LongHorn Steakhouse is an American casual dining restaurant chain owned and operated by Darden Restaurants, Inc., headquartered in Orlando, Florida. As of 2016, LongHorn Steakhouse generated $1.6 billion in sales in its 559 locations.
History
...
, and the largest operator of casual dining restaurants in the world by revenue. In September 2009 it moved to a new headquarters and central distribution facility.
Former Darden Restaurants subsidiary
Red Lobster
Red Lobster Hospitality LLC is an American casual dining restaurant chain headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company has operations across most of the United States (including Puerto Rico, Guam) and Canada, as well as in China, Ecuador, Hong ...
is based in
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by Marks Street in the north, Mills Avenue (SR 15) in the east, Orange Blossom Trail (US 441) in the west, and Kaley Avenue in th ...
.
Film, television, and entertainment
Another important sector is the film, television, and electronic gaming industries, aided by the presence of
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
,
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Based on a concept by Ma ...
,
Full Sail University
Full Sail University is a Private university, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit university in Winter Park, Florida. It was formerly a recording studio in Ohio named Full Sail Productions and Full Sail Center ...
,
UCF College of Arts and Humanities, the
Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy
The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) is a graduate school of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida, United States. The director of the school is Ben Noel, former vice ...
, and other entertainment companies and schools. The U.S.
modeling, simulation, and training (MS&T) industry is centered on the Orlando region as well, with a particularly strong presence in the
Central Florida Research Park
The Central Florida Research Park (CFRP) is a research park abutting the main campus of the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida, United States. CFRP is the largest research park in Florida, the fourth largest in the United Stat ...
adjacent to
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 ...
(UCF). Nearby Maitland is the home of Tiburon, a division of the video game company
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
. Tiburon Entertainment was acquired by EA in 1998 after years of partnership, particularly in the
Madden NFL
''Madden NFL'' (known as ''John Madden Football'' until 1993) is an American football video game series developed by EA Tiburon for EA Sports. It is named after Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and commentator John Madden and sold more than 130 m ...
series and
NCAA Football series
''NCAA Football'' is an American football video game series developed by EA Sports in which players control and compete against current Division I FBS college teams. It served as a college football counterpart to the ''Madden NFL'' series. The ser ...
of video games. Nearby
Full Sail University
Full Sail University is a Private university, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit university in Winter Park, Florida. It was formerly a recording studio in Ohio named Full Sail Productions and Full Sail Center ...
, located in
Winter Park, draws new-media students in the areas of video game design, film, show production, and computer animation, among others, its graduates spawning several start-ups in these fields in the Orlando area. The headquarters of Ripley Entertainment Inc. are also located in Orlando.
Healthcare
Orlando has two non-profit hospital systems:
Orlando Health
Orlando Health is a private, not-for-profit network of community and specialty hospitals based in Orlando, Florida. Orlando Health is Central Florida’s fourth largest employer with nearly 23,000 employees and more than 4,500 affiliated physicians ...
and
AdventHealth
AdventHealth (formerly Adventist Health System) is a Seventh-day Adventist Church, Seventh-day Adventist non-profit health care system headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Florida, that operates facilities in 9 states across the United States. Th ...
. Orlando Health's
Orlando Regional Medical Center
Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) is an 808-bed tertiary hospital in downtown Orlando, Florida designed by HKS, Inc. (architect) and Walter P Moore (structural engineer). It is the flagship of the Orlando Health system.
Background
ORMC is als ...
is home to Central Florida's only Level I
trauma center
A trauma center (or trauma centre) is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major trauma, major traumatic injuries such as Falling (accident), falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds. A trauma cent ...
, and
Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies
Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies (WPHfWB) is a nationally ranked, 285-bed non-profit, women and babies hospital located in Orlando, Florida. WPHfWB is a part of the Orlando Health system. As the hospital is a teaching hospital, it is affi ...
and
AdventHealth Orlando
AdventHealth Orlando (formerly Florida Hospital Orlando) it is the largest hospital owned by AdventHealth with over 1,432-beds, faith-based, non-profit, tertiary, research and academic medical center located in Orlando, Florida, servicing Central ...
have the area's only Level III
neonatal intensive care unit
A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), also known as an intensive care nursery (ICN), is an intensive care unit (ICU) specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants. Neonatal refers to the first 28 days of life. Neonatal care, as kn ...
s. Orlando's medical leadership was further advanced with the completion of
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 ...
's College of Medicine, a new
VA Hospital
Veterans' health care in the United States is separated geographically into 19 regions (numbered 1, 2, 4-10, 12 and 15–23) In January 2002, the Veterans Health Administration announced the merger of VISNs 13 and 14 to create a new, combined netw ...
and the new
Nemours Children's Hospital
Nemours Children's Hospital (NCH) is a freestanding, 130-bed, pediatric acute care children's hospital in Orlando, Florida. It is affiliated with the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and is a member of the Nemours Children's Hea ...
, which is located in a new medical district in the Lake Nona area of the city.
Housing and employment
Historically, the unemployment rate in Greater Orlando was low, which resulted in growth that led to
urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
in the surrounding area and, in combination with the
United States housing bubble
The 2000s United States housing bubble was a real-estate bubble affecting over half of the U.S. states. It was the impetus for the subprime mortgage crisis. Housing prices peaked in early 2006, started to decline in 2006 and 2007, and reac ...
, to a large increase in home prices. Metro Orlando's unemployment rate in June 2010 was 11.1 percent, was 11.4 percent in April 2010, and was about 10 percent in about the same time of year in 2009. As of August 2013, the area's jobless rate was 6.6 percent. Housing prices in Greater Orlando went up 37.08% in one year, from a median of $182,300 in November 2004 to $249,900 in November 2005, and eventually peaked at $264,436 in July 2007. From there, with the economic meltdown, prices plummeted, with the median falling below $200,000 in September 2008, at one point falling at an annual rate of 39.27%. The median dipped below $100,000 in 2010 before stabilizing around $110,000 in 2011. As of April 2012, the median home price is $116,000.
Tourism
![Magic Kingdom castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Magic_Kingdom_castle.jpg)
One of the main driving forces in Orlando's economy is its tourism industry and the city is one of the leading tourism destinations in the world. Nicknamed the 'Theme Park Capital of the World', the Orlando area is home to
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, th ...
,
Universal Orlando
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 Par ...
,
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 Orla ...
,
Legoland
Legoland (, trademark in uppercase as LEGOLAND) is a chain of family theme parks focusing on the construction toy system Lego. They are not fully owned by The Lego Group itself; rather, they are owned and operated by the British theme park com ...
, and
Fun Spot America
Fun Spot America Theme Parks is a group of amusement parks. Since 1979, the group has owned and operated a number of small amusement parks over the years and currently has three locations in Orlando, Florida, Kissimmee, Florida, and Fayettevil ...
Theme Parks. A record 75 million visitors came to the Orlando region in 2018, making it the top tourist destination in the United States.
The Orlando area features 7 of the 10 most visited
theme park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
s in North America (5 of the top 10 in the world), as well as the 4 most visited
water park
A water park (or waterpark, water world) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming, and other baref ...
s in the U.S. The Walt Disney World resort is the area's largest attraction with its many facets such as the
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park, previously known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by The W ...
,
Epcot
Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Inspired by an unreal ...
,
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Based on a concept by Ma ...
,
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division, it is the l ...
,
Typhoon Lagoon
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon is a water theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida near Orlando, and is one of two operating water parks at the resort. It is the second water park to open at the resort, preceded ...
,
Blizzard Beach
Disney's Blizzard Beach is a water theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida near Orlando. All water areas are heated (at approximately ), with the exception of the melting snow in the ice cave of Cross Country C ...
, and
Disney Springs
Disney Springs (previously known as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village in 1975, Walt Disney World Village in 1977, Disney Village Marketplace in 1989, and Downtown Disney in 1997) is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at the W ...
.
Universal Orlando
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 Par ...
, like Walt Disney World, is a multi-faceted resort comprising
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida (also known as Universal Studios or USF) is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Primarily themed to movies, television and other aspects of the entertainment industry, the park opened to the public on June 7, 1990 ...
,
Islands of Adventure
Universal's Islands of Adventure (also known as Islands of Adventure or IOA), originally called Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened on May 28, 1999, along with CityWalk, as part of an ...
,
Volcano Bay
Universal's Volcano Bay Water Theme Park, or Volcano Bay, is a tropical-themed water park at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by Universal Parks & Resorts, Volcano Bay replaced Wet 'n Wild as Universal Orlando ...
, and
Universal CityWalk
Universal CityWalk is the name shared by the entertainment and retail districts located adjacent to the theme parks of Universal Parks & Resorts. CityWalk began as an expansion of Universal's first park, Universal Studios Hollywood, and serves as ...
.
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 Orla ...
is a large park that features numerous zoological displays and marine animals alongside an amusement park with roller coasters like
Mako
, better known by the mononym name Mako (sometimes stylised MAKO), is a Japanese voice actress, singer and a member of the band Bon-Bon Blanco, in which her prominent role is as the maraca player. She has also performed in a Japanese television d ...
,
Manta
Manta or mantas may refer to:
* Manta ray, large fish belonging to the genus ''Manta''
Arts and entertainment Fictional entities
* Manta (comics), a character in American Marvel Comics publications
* Manta (''Uridium''), a spaceship in the Bri ...
, and
Kraken
The kraken () is a legendary sea monster of enormous size said to appear off the coasts of Norway.
Kraken, the subject of sailors' superstitions and mythos, was first described in the modern age at the turn of the 18th century, in a travelogu ...
. The property also comprises more than one park, alongside
Aquatica water park and
Discovery Cove
Discovery Cove is a theme park owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, and located in Orlando, Florida. It is the sister park of SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando. Visitors to the park can interact with a range of marine animals ...
.
Fun Spot Orlando and
Kissimmee
Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, 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, wh ...
are more typical amusement parks with big thrills in a small space with roller coasters like
White Lightning and
Freedom Flyer
Freedom Flyer is a Vekoma Suspended Family Coaster at the Fun Spot America Amusement Park in Orlando, Florida. It has yellow track and blue supports. Opened in May 2013, it is long.
History
On December 31, 2010, Fun Spot Action Park announced th ...
in Orlando and
Mine Blower
Mine Blower is a hybrid wooden roller coaster located at Fun Spot America Kissimmee, in Kissimmee, Florida. Manufactured by The Gravity Group, the compact roller coaster is one of only three wooden roller coasters in Florida, the others being ...
and
Rockstar Coaster in Kissimmee. Orlando is also home to I-Drive 360 on
International Drive
International Drive, commonly known as I-Drive, is a major thoroughfare in Orlando, Florida, United States, and is the city's main tourist strip. I-Drive is located several miles southwest of proper Downtown Orlando in the southernmost limits ...
home to The Wheel at ICON Park Orlando,
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds (, ) is a wax museum founded in 1835 by French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud in London, spawning similar museums in major cities around the world. While it used to be spelled as "Madame Tussaud's"; the apostrophe is no longer us ...
, and
Sealife Aquarium. Orlando attractions also appeal to many locals who want to enjoy themselves close to home.
The convention industry is also critical to the region's economy. The
Orange County Convention Center
The Orange County Convention Center is a convention center located in Orlando, Florida. Opened in 1983 as the Orange County Convention and Civic Center, it is the primary public convention center for the Central Florida region and the second-lar ...
, expanded in 2004 to over two million square feet (200,000 m
2) of exhibition space, is now the second-largest convention complex in terms of space in the United States, trailing only
McCormick Place
McCormick Place is the largest convention center in North America. It consists of four interconnected buildings and one indoor arena sited on and near the shore of Lake Michigan, about south of downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States. McCor ...
in Chicago. The city vies with Chicago and
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
for hosting the most convention attendees in the United States.
Golf
Numerous golf courses can be found in the city, with the most famous being
Bay Hill Club and Lodge, home to the
Arnold Palmer Invitational
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played each March at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, a private golf resort owned since 1974 by Arnold Palmer in Bay Hill, a suburb southwest of Orlando, Florida ...
.
Culture
Film
Orlando is known as "Hollywood East" because of numerous movie studios in the area. Major motion picture production was active in the city during the mid-to-late 1990s, but has slowed in the past decade. Probably the most famous film-making moment in the city's history occurred with the implosion of Orlando's previous City Hall for the movie ''
Lethal Weapon 3
''Lethal Weapon 3'' is a 1992 American buddy cop action film directed by Richard Donner and written by Jeffrey Boam and Robert Mark Kamen. The sequel to ''Lethal Weapon 2'' (1989), it is the third installment in the ''Lethal Weapon'' film serie ...
''. Orlando is now a large production center for television shows, direct-to-video productions, and commercial production. In early 2011, filmmaker Marlon Campbell constructed A-Match Pictures and Angel Media Studios; a multimillion-dollar film and recording facility that has been added to the list of major studios in the city.
Until recently, Walt Disney Feature Animation operated a studio in
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Based on a concept by Ma ...
at the
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, th ...
. Feature Animation-Florida was primarily responsible for the films ''
Mulan
Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history.
According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
'', ''
Lilo & Stitch
''Lilo & Stitch'' is a 2002 American animated science fiction comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 42nd Disney animated feature film, it was written and directed by Chris Sande ...
'', and the early stages of ''
Brother Bear
''Brother Bear'' is a 2003 American animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 44th Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Wa ...
'' and contributed on various other projects.
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida (also known as Universal Studios or USF) is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Primarily themed to movies, television and other aspects of the entertainment industry, the park opened to the public on June 7, 1990 ...
's
Soundstage 21
The Impact Zone is the nickname for any one of three sound stages at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, Florida, Orlando derived from ''Impact! (TV series), Impact!'', a weekly television series produced by the professional wrestling promo ...
is home to
TNA Wrestling
Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment.
Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promoti ...
's flagship show
TNA Impact!
''Impact!'' (stylized as ''IMPACT!''), also known as ''IMPACT! on AXS TV'',
is an American professional wrestling television program produced by the American promotion Impact Wrestling (formerly known as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA)) tha ...
. Nickelodeon Studios, which through the 1990s produced hundreds of hours of GAK-filled game shows targeted at children, no longer operates out of Universal Studios Florida. The
Florida Film Festival
The Florida Film Festival, produced by Enzian Theater in Maitland, Florida, is an annual international film festival.
Overview
The Festival includes narrative and documentary features and shorts, animation, midnight movies, and educational forum ...
which takes place in venues throughout the area is one of the most respected regional film festivals in the country and attracts budding filmmakers from around the world. Orlando is very popular among independent filmmakers. Orlando's
indie film
An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, in ...
scene has been active since Haxan Film's ''
The Blair Witch Project
''The Blair Witch Project'' is a 1999 American supernatural horror film written, directed and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez (director), Eduardo Sánchez. It is a fictional story of three student filmmakers—Heather Donahue, Mic ...
'' (1999) and a few years later with
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 20 ...
winning her
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for ''
Monster
A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
'' (2003). A Florida state film incentive has also helped increase the number of films being produced in Orlando and the rest of the state.
Theater and performing arts
The Orlando Metropolitan Area is home to a substantial theater population. Several professional and semi-professional houses and many community theaters include the Central Florida Ballet, Orlando Ballet,
Orlando Shakespeare Theater
The Orlando Shakespeare Theater is a theater company based in Orlando, Florida that produces classic, contemporary, and children’s plays. The company was founded as the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival and performed its first productions in 1989 ...
, Orlando Repertory Theatre,
Mad Cow Theatre
Mad Cow Theatre was a not-for-profit regional theatre based in Orlando, Florida. Founded in 1997, the theatre is located in Downtown Orlando within the central business district.
History
Mad Cow Theater began in late 1997, founded by Rus Black ...
, and IceHouse Theatre in
Mount Dora.
Orlando Theatre Project The Orlando Theatre Project was a nonprofit professional theatre company based in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. The company was founded in 1985 and operates under an Actors' Equity Association contract.
The company was in residence at Seminole ...
, closed in 2009. Additionally, both
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 ...
and
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private college in Winter Park, Florida. It was founded in November 1885 and has about 30 undergraduate majors and several graduate programs. It is Florida's fourth oldest post-secondary institution.
History
Rollins Colle ...
(Winter Park) are home to theater departments that attract an influx of young artists to the area.
The
Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre
Bob Carr Theater (originally the Orlando Municipal Auditorium and formerly the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre) is an auditorium located in Orlando, Florida. Opening in 1927, the venue is currently owned by the City of Orlando and is managed by ...
had hosted national Broadway tours on a regular basis. This venue was built in 1926 and underwent a major renovation in 1974. The Bob Carr has since closed due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and has yet to host a show since February 2020. While waiting on the completion of Phase II construction of the
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (commonly known as Dr. Phillips Center) is a performing arts center in Downtown Orlando, Florida, United States. It joined the Bob Carr Theater, which originally opened as the Orlando Municipal Audi ...
, the newly designated Bob Carr Theater will continue to host non-Broadway events.
The
Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival
The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival is a 14-day annual arts festival held during the month of May in Orlando, Florida. The festival includes theater, music, dance, and art. It was one of the first American Fringe Festivals and has no ...
, which draws touring companies from around the world, is hosted in various venues over Orlando's Loch Haven Park every spring. At the festival, there are also readings and fully staged productions of new and unknown plays by local artists. Also in the spring, there is The Harriett Lake Festival of New Plays, hosted by Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Founded in 2002, the Orlando Cabaret Festival showcases local, national, and internationally renowned cabaret artist to Mad Cow Theatre in
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by Marks Street in the north, Mills Avenue (SR 15) in the east, Orange Blossom Trail (US 441) in the west, and Kaley Avenue in th ...
each spring.
Classical Music and Music Theater are also represented. Orlando has two professional orchestras - the
Orlando Symphony Orchestra
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 relea ...
, which was founded in 1991 when the Central Florida Friends of Music reorganized, and the
Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is Central Florida's resident professional orchestra, appearing in more than 125 performances each season. Founded in 1993. At over $4 million, the Orlando Philharmonic has the largest endowment of any arts in ...
, founded in 1993, the second of which also serves as the orchestra for productions of Opera Orlando, which developed when the Florida Opera Theater, founded in 2009, reorganized in 2016.
Literary Arts
The indie literary presse
Burrow Pressan
Autofocusare based in Orlando. There is also a large concentration of slam poets and poetry events in and around the metro area which has led to the city being dubbed Litlando. This name is fitting a
legend goesthat the city's name and Rosalind Avenue in downtown Orlando were taken from characters from the Shakespeare play "
As You Like It
''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...
" while Lake Ivanhoe was named after the namesake character from the 1820 book,
Ivanhoe
''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' () by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. Set in England in the Middle Ages, this novel marked a shift away from Scott’s prior practice of setting st ...
, by Walter Scott.
Music and Local culture
Orlando is home to numerous recording studios and producers, and as a result, contributed heavily to the
boyband
A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Many ...
craze of the mid-1990s. The groups
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 gr ...
,
NSync
NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their self-titled debut album was successfully released to European ...
, and
O-Town
O-Town (also known as OTWN or OTOWN) is an American boy band formed from the first season of the reality television series ''Making the Band'' in 2000. As of 2015, the group consists of Erik-Michael Estrada, Trevor Penick, Jacob Underwood, and ...
all started in Orlando before becoming nationwide successes. The alternative groups
Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty (also known as Matchbox 20 and MB20) is an American rock band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995. The group currently consists of Rob Thomas (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Brian Yale (bass guitar), Paul Doucette (drums, r ...
,
Seven Mary Three
Seven Mary Three (occasionally abbreviated to 7 Mary 3 or 7M3) was an American rock band. They released seven studio albums and one live album, and are best known for their hit single "Cumbersome".
Career Formation
Seven Mary Three formed in 1 ...
, and
Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge is an American rock band from Orlando, Florida. The band was formed in 2004 by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. After their former band Cr ...
are from Orlando, as is the Christian hip-hop act
Group 1 Crew
Group 1 Crew was an American Christian hip hop band signed to Fervent Records and Warner Bros. Records. They made their debut with the hit song "Can't Go On" on WOW Hits 2007. Soon after they released their first EP ''I have a dream'' (2006), ...
. Orlando also has a prominent metal scene, spawning bands such as
Death
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
and
Trivium
The trivium is the lower division of the seven liberal arts and comprises grammar, logic, and rhetoric.
The trivium is implicit in ''De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii'' ("On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury") by Martianus Capella, but the ...
. There are also
hip hop music,
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
, rock music,
reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American Hip hop m ...
and Latino music scenes are all active within the city.
A substantial amount of the teenage and young adult populations identify as being
goth
A Goth is a member of the Goths, a group of East Germanic tribes. Two major political entities of the Goths were:
*Visigoths, prominent in Spanish history
*Ostrogoths, prominent in Italian history
Goth or Goths may also refer to:
* Goth (surname) ...
,
emo
Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...
, or
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
.
Orlando experienced its own
Second Summer of Love
The Second Summer of Love was a late 1980s social phenomenon in the United Kingdom which saw the rise of acid house music and unlicensed rave parties. Although primarily referring to the summer of 1988, it lasted into the summer of 1989, when e ...
between 1991 and 1992 that popularized the subculture surrounding
electronic dance music in Florida.
The culture progressed as time went on, starting in 1995 from when alternative-rock band
Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty (also known as Matchbox 20 and MB20) is an American rock band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995. The group currently consists of Rob Thomas (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Brian Yale (bass guitar), Paul Doucette (drums, r ...
, and pop bands
NSync
NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their self-titled debut album was successfully released to European ...
and
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 gr ...
originated. Over the years, the intensity of the music increased. In the late 1990s,
Skrape
Skrape was an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Orlando, Florida in 1997.
History
Formed in 1997 under the name "Jojo", they later renamed to "Skrape" two years later. Prior to their formation in 1997, members had been invol ...
, a metal band, was established, shortly followed by the
screamo
Screamo (also referred to as skramz) is an aggressive subgenre of emo that emerged in the early 1990s and emphasizes "willfully experimental dissonance and dynamics".Jason Heller, "Feast of Reason". ''Denver Westword'', June 20, 2002Access date: ...
band
From First to Last
From First to Last is an American post-hardcore band based in the Los Angeles Area and Tampa, Florida. Formed by Matt Good, Scott Oord, and Parker Nelms in November 1999, the current line-up consists of Matt Good (lead guitar, vocals), Sonny M ...
as well as the
alternative metal
Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music
Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With r ...
band
Fireflight
Fireflight is an American Christian rock band formed in Eustis, Florida in 1999. The band was signed by Flicker Records.
The band currently consists of Dawn Michele, Glenn and Wendy Drennen and Justin Cox (who left in 2013 but rejoined in 201 ...
. In the early 2000s, the heavy metal bands
Trivium
The trivium is the lower division of the seven liberal arts and comprises grammar, logic, and rhetoric.
The trivium is implicit in ''De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii'' ("On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury") by Martianus Capella, but the ...
and
Mindscar
Mindscar is an American heavy metal band from Orlando, Florida, founded in 1998. The band is led by guitarist/vocalist Richie Brown who has played with Trivium and Nader Sadek. Mindscar has toured with acts such as Vader and Vital Remains.
His ...
formed. In the later 2000s, more screamo bands, such as
Blood on the Dance Floor Blood on the Dance Floor may refer to:
*'' Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix'', a 1997 album by Michael Jackson
** "Blood on the Dance Floor" (song), a 1997 song by Michael Jackson from the album
*Blood on the Dance Floor (band)
Bl ...
,
Sleeping with Sirens, and
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
were established.
Major companies, such as
Hot Topic
Hot Topic, Inc. (stylized as HOT TOPIC) is an American retail chain specializing in counterculture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music. The stores are aimed towards an audience interested in rock music and video gaming, ...
and
Vans
Vans is an American manufacturer of skateboarding shoes and related apparel, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and motocross teams. From 1996 to 2019, the comp ...
have noticed and taken advantage of this. Hot Topic, an emo retailer, established 5 stores in Orlando.
The
Vans Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
, a concert containing metalcore/screamo/punk bands, takes place in Orlando annually.
Shopping malls
![The Florida Mall west entrance near Macy's](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/The_Florida_Mall_west_entrance_near_Macy%27s.jpg)
*
The Florida Mall
The Florida Mall is a super regional enclosed shopping mall located south of Orlando in unincorporated Orange County, Florida, United States, on the southeast corner of Orange Blossom Trail and Sand Lake Road; it opened in 1986. The facility wa ...
is the largest mall in Orlando and one of the largest single-story malls in the US at over . There are over 250 stores, seven anchor department stores, and the Florida Mall Hotel & Conference Center Tower. It is located outside the city proper in unincorporated
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
.
*
The Mall at Millenia
The Mall at Millenia (commonly called The Millenia Mall or Millenia) is an indoor shopping mall located in Orlando, Florida just off of Interstate 4 (exit 78) at Conroy Road near the northern end of International Drive. Opened in 2002, it has o ...
is a contemporary two-level upscale shopping mall, including the department stores of
Bloomingdale's
Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain; it was founded in New York City by Joseph B. Bloomingdale, Joseph B. and Lyman G. Bloomingdale in 1861. A third brother, Emanuel Watson Bloomingdale, was also involved in the bus ...
,
Macy's
Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
, and
Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. is an American integrated luxury retailer headquartered in Dallas, Texas, which owns Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Horchow, and Last Call. Since September 2021, NMG has been owned by a group of investment compani ...
. The mall covers an area of 1.118 million ft
2 (103,866 m
2).
IKEA
IKEA (; ) is a Dutch multinational conglomerate based in the Netherlands that designs and sells , kitchen appliances, decoration, home accessories, and various other goods and home services. Started in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA has been t ...
Orlando opened adjacent to the mall on November 14, 2007.
*
Orlando Fashion Square
Orlando Fashion Square is a split one-story, two-story indoor shopping mall located in Orlando, Florida. Opened in 1973, it features 79 stores in over one million square feet of shop space. The mall's anchor stores are Macy's, Floor & Decor, and Di ...
is located on East Colonial Drive, near
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by Marks Street in the north, Mills Avenue (SR 15) in the east, Orange Blossom Trail (US 441) in the west, and Kaley Avenue in th ...
. Seritage Growth Properties (NYSE: SRG) is planning a late-summer 2017 completion of a major renovation that will welcome new shops and restaurants to the East Colonial Drive area. In 2017, Sears closed their location at Orlando Fashion Square Mall.
*
Orlando International Premium Outlets
Orlando International Premium Outlets (formerly ''Prime Outlets-Orlando'') is an outdoor outlet mall in Orlando, Florida, United States along the northern end of International Drive.
Description
Originally, the complex was named "Belz Factory ...
is an outdoor outlet mall with over 180 stores, including anchor stores like
Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. is an American integrated luxury retailer headquartered in Dallas, Texas, which owns Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Horchow, and Last Call. Since September 2021, NMG has been owned by a group of investment compani ...
and
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing, and beauty retailer known for high visibility marketing and branding, starting with a popular catalog and followed by an annual fashion show with supermodels dubbed Angels. As the largest ret ...
.
*'
Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets'' is an outdoor outlet mall with over 160 stores in the south of Orlando in proximity to Disney World.
*'
Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores'' is a strip mall style open-air outlet center, that is located 2 miles from Walt Disney World near US-192.
In popular culture
The films ''
Miami Connection
''Miami Connection'' is a 1987 independent martial arts film starring Y.K. Kim, who also wrote and produced the feature. Originally, the film was critically maligned and received poor box office return upon release. It remained unseen for deca ...
'', ''
Ernest Saves Christmas
''Ernest Saves Christmas'' is a 1988 American Christmas comedy film directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. This is the third film to feature Varney's character Ernest P. Worrell, and chronicles Ernest's attempt to help find a replaceme ...
'', ''
Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector'', ''
Never Back Down
''Never Back Down'' is a 2008 American martial arts film directed by Jeff Wadlow and starring Sean Faris, Cam Gigandet, Amber Heard and Djimon Hounsou. It tells the story of a frustrated and conflicted teenager who arrives at a new high school a ...
'', and ''
The Florida Project
''The Florida Project'' is a 2017 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Sean Baker and written by Baker and Chris Bergoch. It stars Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Valeria Cotto, Christopher Rivera, and Caleb Landry Jone ...
'' take place in and were filmed entirely in Orlando. The novel ''
Paper Towns
''Paper Towns'' is a novel written by John Green, primarily for an audience of young adults, and was published on October 16, 2008, by Dutton Books. The novel is about the coming-of-age of the protagonist, Quentin "Q" Jacobsen and his search fo ...
'' takes place in the city, but the
film adaptation
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
was shot in
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. Establishing shots were filmed around Orlando; notably in downtown and along Orange Blossom Trail. ''
Geostorm
''Geostorm'' is a 2017 American science fiction disaster film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Dean Devlin (in his feature directorial debut). The film stars Gerard Butler, Jim Sturgess, Abbie Cornish, Ed Harris, and Andy García. It fol ...
'' has a scene where Orlando is destroyed by a lightning storm. However, those scenes were filmed in
. ''
Parenthood'' was filmed entirely in Orlando, but takes place in St. Louis. ''
D.A.R.Y.L.'' was partially filmed in Orlando; notably the climactic chase scene takes place in downtown Orlando along State Road 408 (East/West Expressway). Scenes were also filmed for ''
Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' at the
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major public airport located 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Downtown Orlando, Florida. In 2021, it handled 19,618,838 passengers, making it the busiest airport in the state and seventh busiest airport i ...
in early October 2010. Orlando is also the city very prominently featured in the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
sitcom ''
Fresh Off the Boat
The phrase fresh off the boat ''(FOB)'', off the boat ''(OTB)'', are sometimes-derogatory terms used to describe immigrants who have arrived from a foreign nation and have yet to assimilate into the host nation's culture, language, and behavior ...
''. Though set in
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, filming for ''
Passenger 57
''Passenger 57'' is a 1992 American action thriller film directed by Kevin Hooks. The film stars Wesley Snipes and Bruce Payne, with Snipes portraying a security consultant who finds himself forced to foil a plot to free a captive terrorist during ...
'' took place in
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist. His prominent film roles include '' Major League'' (1989), ''New Jack City'' (1991), ''White Men Can't Jump'' (1992), ''Passenger 57'' (1992), '' R ...
' hometown of Orlando, Florida, with
Orlando-Sanford International Airport
Orlando Sanford International Airport is in Sanford, Florida, United States, near Orlando. It was built as Naval Air Station Sanford, a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance aircraft, and was used by the U.S. Navy until 1 ...
standing in for "Lake Lucille" airport. The airport's former combination main hangar and control tower from its time as
Naval Air Station Sanford
Naval Air Station Sanford was a naval air station of the United States Navy in Sanford, Florida, approximately 20 miles north of Orlando, Florida. Opening less than a year after the start of World War II, NAS Sanford's initial function was as ...
was used for many key scenes just prior to its demolition after filming. Various scenes from ''
Monster
A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
'', set in
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County near the Atlantic coastline, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. Daytona Beach is approximately nort ...
, were also filmed in the Orlando,
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 30,183 according to the 2022 census population estimate. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Winter Park was fo ...
and
Kissimmee
Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, 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, wh ...
areas.
Sports
![Amway CENTER6](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Amway_CENTER6.jpg)
Orlando is the home city of two major league professional sports teams: the
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA), and
Orlando City SC
Orlando City SC is an American professional soccer club in Orlando, Florida, that competes as a member of the Eastern Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). Orlando City SC began play in 2015 as the 21st franchise in MLS, succeeding the USL ...
of
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
(MLS).
Orlando has four minor league professional teams: the
Orlando Solar Bears
The Orlando Solar Bears are a professional ice hockey team that plays their home games at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. They play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning of t ...
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
The E ...
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
team, the
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators were a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team was most recently owned by Orlando Predators LLC, a company owned by David A. Siegel, and played its ...
of the
National Arena League
The National Arena League (NAL) is a professional indoor football league that began play in 2017. It consists of teams based on the East Coast of the United States.
Teams' typical payroll budget is $600,000 per season, while players are paid $ ...
(NAL), the
Orlando Guardians
The Orlando Guardians are a professional American football team based in Orlando, Florida. The team was founded by Vince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment and is an owned-and-operated member of the XFL. The Guardians played their home games at MetLife ...
of the
XFL
XFL may refer to:
Sports
* XFL (2001), a defunct American football league that played its only season in 2001
* XFL (2020), a professional American football league
Vehicles
* Bell XFL Airabonita, a 1940 U.S. Navy experimental interceptor aircra ...
, and the
Orlando Anarchy
The Orlando Anarchy are a women's American football team based in the Orlando metropolitan area. They currently play in the Women's Football Alliance. They play their home games at Trinity Preparatory School in the city of Winter Park, FL.
The t ...
of the
Women's Football Alliance
The Women's Football Alliance (WFA) is a professional full-contact Women's American football tackle minor league that began play in 2009. It is the largest 11-on-11 football league for women in the world, and the longest running active women's ...
.
The original
Orlando Solar Bears
The Orlando Solar Bears are a professional ice hockey team that plays their home games at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. They play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning of t ...
were part of the
International Hockey League winning the last
Turner Cup
The Turner Cup was the championship trophy of the International Hockey League from 1945 to 2001 and the renamed United Hockey League from 2007 to 2010. The Cup was named for Joe Turner, a goaltender from Windsor, Ontario. Turner became professi ...
championship in 2001, before the league folded. From 1991 to 2016, the city was also home to the
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators were a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team was most recently owned by Orlando Predators LLC, a company owned by David A. Siegel, and played its ...
of the
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
. Orlando was home to the
Orlando Renegades
The Orlando Renegades were a professional American football team that played in Orlando, Florida, Orlando, Florida, in the United States Football League (USFL) for a single season in 1985. Before its season in Orlando, the franchise played in Wash ...
of the
United States Football League
The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...
in 1985. The team folded along with the league in 1986.
In 2016, the
Orlando Pride
The Orlando Pride is a professional women's soccer team based in Orlando, Florida. The team joined the National Women's Soccer League, the top level of women's soccer in the US, for the 2016 season. It became the tenth team to be added to the l ...
began to play in the
National Women's Soccer League
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. It is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federatio ...
. Starting in 2017, they will be sharing
Orlando City Stadium
Exploria Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in downtown Orlando, Florida. The stadium is located along West Church Street in the Parramore neighborhood west of Downtown Orlando. It is the home of Orlando City SC, which entered Major League So ...
with Orlando City.
Orlando's sports teams have collectively won two
Arena Bowls (1998, 2000), two titles in ice hockey, three titles in
minor league baseball, and two titles in soccer.
The city has hosted the
NBA All-Star Game
The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is a basketball exhibition game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, a ...
twice: in
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
at the old
Orlando Arena
Amway Arena (originally known as Orlando Arena and later TD Waterhouse Centre) was an indoor arena located in Orlando, Florida. It was part of the Orlando Centroplex, a sports and entertainment complex located in Downtown Orlando. The arena was ...
, and in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
at the current
Amway Center
Amway Center is an indoor arena located in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The arena is home to the Orlando Magic of the NBA, the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, and the Orlando Predators of the National Arena League.
Amway Center hosted the 2012 N ...
. Orlando also hosted the 2015 ECHL All-Star Game at Amway Center.
Orlando also hosts 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 ...
(UCF)
Knights
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
college athletics teams, which compete in
Division I of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
(NCAA) as a member of the
American Athletic Conference
The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) ...
(The American).
Camping World Stadium
Camping World Stadium is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, located in the West Lakes neighborhood of Downtown Orlando, west of new sports and entertainment facilities including the Amway Center, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, a ...
(the former Citrus Bowl stadium) hosts two annual college football
bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...
s: the
Citrus Bowl
The Citrus Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group that also organizes the Cheez-It Bowl and Florida Classic.
The gam ...
and the
Cheez-It Bowl
The Cheez-It Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at Camping World Stadium. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Citrus Bowl and the Florida Cla ...
. It also hosted the
1998 Major League Soccer All-Star Game. Orlando is the host city for the annual
Florida Classic
The Florida Classic is the annual college football rivalry game between Bethune–Cookman University and Florida A&M University. The game has been televised nationally by ESPN Classic as a part of a multi-year contract with the Mid-Eastern ...
, one of the largest
FCS football classics in the nation. It also began hosting the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
's
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
, as well as a series of
FBS kickoff games called the
Orlando Kickoff
The Camping World Kickoff is an annual college football game played on the opening weekend of the college football season in Orlando, Florida at Camping World Stadium. The game, a collaboration between Florida Citrus Sports and ESPN Events, deb ...
, in 2016.
Exploria Stadium
Exploria Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in downtown Orlando, Florida. The stadium is located along West Church Street in the Parramore neighborhood west of Downtown Orlando. It is the home of Orlando City SC, which entered Major Leagu ...
, home of the Orlando City Soccer Club and Orlando Pride, also hosts one FBS college bowl game, The
Cure Bowl
The Cure Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game that has been played in December of each year in Orlando, Florida since 2015. It was originally held at Camping World Stadium before moving to Exploria Stadium in 2022. The Cure Bowl i ...
, and hosted the
2019 MLS All-Star Game
The 2019 Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 24th edition of the annual Major League Soccer All-Star Game. It was held on July 31 at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida against Spanish club Atlético Madrid. Atlético won the game 3 ...
.
Orlando is home to many notable athletes former and present, including baseball players
Carlos Peña
Carlos Felipe Peña (born May 17, 1978) is a Dominican former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, C ...
,
Frank Viola
Frank John Viola Jr. (born April 19, 1960) is an American former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins (1982–1989), New York Mets (1989–1991), Boston Red Sox (1992–1994), Cincinnati Reds (1995), and ...
,
Ken Griffey Jr.
George Kenneth Griffey Jr. (born November 21, 1969), nicknamed "Junior" and "the Kid", is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played 22 years in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent most of his career with the Seattle Marin ...
and
Barry Larkin
Barry Louis Larkin (born April 28, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player. He played shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2004.
He briefly played in the minor leagues before making hi ...
; basketball players
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...
and
Tracy Mcgrady
Tracy Lamar McGrady Jr. (born May 24, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player, best known for his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). McGrady is a seven-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, two- ...
; soccer players
Alex Morgan
Alexandra Morgan Carrasco (born Alexandra Patricia Morgan; July 2, 1989) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker and captains for San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the highest division of ...
,
Marta
Marta may refer to:
People
* Marta (given name), a feminine given name
* Märta, a feminine given name
* Marta (surname)
:István Márta composer
* Marta (footballer) (born 1986), Brazilian professional footballer
Places
* Marta (river), an ...
,
Nani and
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (; born 22 April 1982), commonly known as Kaká () or Ricardo Kaká, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. In his prime as a playmaker at AC Milan, a period marke ...
; and many golfers, including
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
,
Mark O'Meara
Mark Francis O'Meara (born January 13, 1957) is an American professional golfer. He was a tournament winner on the PGA Tour and around the world from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He spent nearly 200 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World ...
and
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer (September 10, 1929 – September 25, 2016) was an American professional golfer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in the sport's history. Dating back to 1955, he won numerous ev ...
.
The annual
Community Effort Orlando
Community Effort Orlando (often shortened to CEO) is an annual fighting game event held in Daytona Beach, Florida. Prior to 2018, CEO was held in Orlando, Florida. Introduced in 2010 and organized by Alex Jebailey, the event is known for its st ...
(CEO) is the second-biggest
fighting game
A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a video game genre, genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappli ...
tournament of the country. Having grown since its introduction in 2010, the event got over 4,000 attendees from more than 25 countries in 2016.
In 2020, the remaining games of the
2019–20 NBA season
The 2019–20 NBA season was the 74th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 22, 2019, and originally was supposed to end on April 15, 2020. However, the season was suspended on March 11 as a resul ...
were arranged to be played in the
NBA Bubble
The 2020 NBA Bubble, also referred to as the Disney Bubble or the Orlando Bubble, was the bio-secure bubble at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, that was created by the National Basketball Association (NBA) to protect its pla ...
at the
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a multi-purpose sports complex located in the Walt Disney World Resort, in Bay Lake, Florida, United States, near Orlando. The complex includes nine venues and hosts numerous professional and amateur s ...
in Orlando suburb
Bay Lake, Florida
Bay Lake is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 29 at the 2020 census. It is named after a lake that lies east of the Magic Kingdom. All four of the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, and one of Walt Disney W ...
.
Government and politics
Municipal government
Orlando is governed via the
mayor-council system the mayor is a strong-mayor. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote. The six members of the city council are each elected from districts.
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
:
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 ...
(
D)
City Council:
Police brutality lawsuit settlements
In April 2015 it was reported that 56 year old June Walker Scott had filed a $4.5 million federal lawsuit against the City of Orlando and certain officers. According to the suit, the city has paid $3.3 million since 2012 to people who have accused officers of excessive force.
Politics
From the mid-20th century to the early 21st century, Orlando was one of the most politically conservative cities in the United States, having voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election from 1948 to 2004. This streak was broken when
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
won it in 2008, becoming the first Democrat to carry the city in a presidential election since
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
in 1944. It has since become a Democratic stronghold in statewide and local elections.
Education
Public primary and secondary education is handled by
Orange County Public Schools
Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) is the public school district for Orange County, Florida. It is based in the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center in downtown Orlando. As of the 2021-22 school year, OCPS has an enrollment of 206,246 st ...
. Some of the private schools include
Saint James Cathedral School
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...
(founded 1928),
Orlando Lutheran Academy
The Orlando Lutheran Academy was a private, religious school located in Orlando, FL. It served as both a middle and high school, and functioned in a way that was similar to a standard, public, high school. At its high point, it was ranked in the ...
,
Forest Lake Academy
Forest Lake Academy is a private high school outside Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist education system, the world's second-largest Chris ...
,
The First Academy
The First Academy (TFA), is a private Christian school established in 1987 in Orlando, Florida. The school serves over 1,250 students from preschool to twelfth grade.
Academics
The First Academy is an Orlando-based private Christian school fo ...
, Ibn Seena Academy, Trinity Preparatory School, Lake Highland Preparatory School, Bishop Moore High School and Orlando Christian Prep.
Area institutions of higher education
State universities
*
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 ...
* Florida A&M University College of Law
* Florida State University College of Medicine
State colleges
* Valencia College
* Seminole State College of Florida (Sanford, Oviedo, & Altamonte Springs)
Private universities, colleges, and others
* Adventist University of Health Sciences, Main Campus
* Ana G. Méndez University System
* Anthem College, Orlando Campus
* Asbury Theological Seminary, Orlando Campus
* Belhaven University, Orlando Campus
* Columbia College (Missouri), Columbia College, Orlando Campus
* Connecticut School of Broadcasting, Orlando Campus
* DeVry University, Orlando campus
* Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law, Barry University
* Everest University, Orlando campus
* Florida Institute of Technology, Orlando campus
*
Full Sail University
Full Sail University is a Private university, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit university in Winter Park, Florida. It was formerly a recording studio in Ohio named Full Sail Productions and Full Sail Center ...
(in Winter Park)
* Herzing College (in Winter Park)
* Hindu University of America
* International Academy of Design & Technology-Orlando
* ITT Technical Institute, Lake Mary Campus
* Keiser University, Orlando Campus
* Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Orlando Campus
* McBurney College (Orlando Campus)
* Nova Southeastern University, Orlando campus
* Palm Beach Atlantic University, Orlando Campus
* Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, Orlando Campus
* Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando campus
* Remington College of Nursing (in Lake Mary)
*
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private college in Winter Park, Florida. It was founded in November 1885 and has about 30 undergraduate majors and several graduate programs. It is Florida's fourth oldest post-secondary institution.
History
Rollins Colle ...
(in Winter Park)
* Southern Technical College
* Strayer University, Orlando campus
* University of Florida College of Pharmacy (in Apopka)
Supplementary schools
The Orlando Hoshuko, a hoshuko, weekend supplementary school for Japanese children, is held at the Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando.
Media
Television
Orlando is the center of the 19th-largest media market in the United States according to Nielsen Media Research as of the 2010–2011 TV season. Three major network affiliates operate in the city: WKMG-TV 6 (CBS), WFTV 9 (
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
) and Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox Owned-and-operated station, O&O WOFL 35. WFTV and WOFL operate additional stations in Orlando, with WFTV operating independent station WRDQ 27 and WOFL operating MyNetworkTV Owned-and-operated station, O&O WRBW 65. The market's NBC affiliate, WESH 2, is licensed to
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County near the Atlantic coastline, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. Daytona Beach is approximately nort ...
and also owns and operates The CW, CW affiliate WKCF 18, licensed to Clermont, Florida, Clermont; both stations operate out of studios based in nearby Eatonville, Florida, Eatonville.
The city is also served by three Public broadcasting, public television stations: WUCF-TV 24, the market's PBS member station operated by 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 ...
, and two independent stations: Daytona State College's WDSC-TV 15 in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, New Smyrna Beach and Eastern Florida State College's WEFS 68 in Cocoa, Florida, Cocoa.
Four Spanish-language channels are licensed in Orlando, including UniMás O&O WOTF-DT 43 and Telemundo affiliate WTMO-CD 31. Univision affiliate WVEN-TV 43, which operates WOTF-DT under a Local marketing agreement, LMA, is based in Daytona Beach. Several English-language stations also operate Spanish-language subchannels.
The city's cable system is run by Bright House Networks, which merged with Charter Communications, Charter in May 2016, and is now called Spectrum. Spectrum operates News 13, a cable-exclusive regional 24/7 news channel which covers Central Florida news, including that of Orlando.
Orlando is also home to NBC Sports' Golf Channel cable television network. Facilities, including studios and administration, are located at 7580 Golf Channel Drive, just blocks from the International Drive, I-Drive tourism corridor.
Radio
25 AM broadcasting, AM and 28 FM broadcasting, FM stations transmit to the Orlando area. Some of the country's biggest radio station owners have major presences in Orlando, including iHeartMedia, Cox Radio, and Audacy, Inc., Audacy.
Newspapers
Orlando's primary newspaper, the ''
Orlando Sentinel
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company.
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...
'', is the second-largest newspaper in Florida by circulation. The ''Sentinel'' Spanish language edition, ''El Sentinel (Orlando), El Sentinel'', is the largest Spanish language newspaper in Florida.
The city is also served by the following newspapers:
* ''Orlando Business Journal''
* ''Orlando Weekly''
*
Bungalower'
*
The Community Paper'
Transport
Orlando uses the Lynx (Orlando), Lynx bus system as well as a downtown bus service called Lymmo. Orlando and other neighboring communities are also serviced by SunRail, a local commuter rail line that began service in 2014.
Airports
![Orlando_International_Airport_terminal_from_arriving_airplane](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Orlando_International_Airport_terminal_from_arriving_airplane.jpg)
* The
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major public airport located 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Downtown Orlando, Florida. In 2021, it handled 19,618,838 passengers, making it the busiest airport in the state and seventh busiest airport i ...
(MCO) is Orlando's primary airport and the busiest airport in the state of Florida. The airport serves as a hub and a focus hub city for Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines. The airport serves as a major international gateway for the mid-Florida region with major foreign carriers including Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aer Lingus, Aeroméxico, Air Canada, British Airways, Lufthansa, Emirates Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, TAM Airlines, Latam and Virgin Atlantic.
* The Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) in nearby suburb of Sanford, Florida serves as a secondary airport for the region and is a focus city airport for Allegiant Air.
* The
Orlando Executive Airport
Orlando Executive Airport is a public airport three miles (6 km) east of downtown Orlando, in Orange County, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) and serves general aviation.
Overview
Orlando ...
(ORL) near Downtown Orlando serves primarily executive jets, flight training schools, and general small-aircraft aviation.
Roads
Orlando, like other major cities, experiences gridlock and traffic jams daily, especially when commuting from the northern suburbs in Seminole County, Florida, Seminole County south to downtown and from the eastern suburbs of Orange County to Downtown. Heavy traffic is also common in the tourist district south of downtown. Rush hours (peak traffic hours) are usually weekday mornings (after 7 am) and afternoons (after 4 pm). There are various traffic advisory resources available for commuters including downloading the Tele-Traffic App (available for iPhone and Android (operating system), Android), dialing 5-1-1 (a free automated traffic advisory system provided by the Florida Department of Transportation, available by dialing 511), visiting the Florida 511 Web site, listening to traffic reports on major radio stations, and reading electronic traffic advisory displays (also called Variable-message signs, information is also provided by FDOT) on the major highways and roadways.
Major highways
![Orlando, Florida - Downtown from I-4 East](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Orlando%2C_Florida_-_Downtown_from_I-4_East.jpg)
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Interstate 4
Interstate 4 (I-4) is an Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Florida, maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Spanning along a generally southwest–northeast axis, I-4 is entirely concurrent wi ...
is Orlando's primary interstate highway. Orlando is the second-largest city served by only one interstate, surpassed only by Austin, Texas, and is the largest metropolitan area in the US serviced by a single interstate. The interstate begins in Tampa, Florida, and travels northeast across the midsection of the state directly through Orlando, ending in
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County near the Atlantic coastline, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. Daytona Beach is approximately nort ...
. As a key connector to Orlando's suburbs, downtown, area attractions, and both coasts, I-4 commonly experiences heavy traffic and congestion. I-4 is also known as State Road 400.
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![Toll Florida 408](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Toll_Florida_408.svg)
Florida State Road 408, East-West Expressway (Toll 408) is a major east–west highway managed by the Central Florida Expressway Authority. The highway intersects with I-4 in
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by Marks Street in the north, Mills Avenue (SR 15) in the east, Orange Blossom Trail (US 441) in the west, and Kaley Avenue in th ...
, providing a key artery for residents commuting from eastern and western suburbs including 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 ...
and Waterford Lakes area. The highway also intersects with the Florida State Road 417, Central Florida Greeneway (Toll 417) and Florida's Turnpike. By late 2006, the I-4/408 interchange had almost completed undergoing a major overhaul that creates multiple fly-over bridges and connectors to ease heavy traffic. The agency recently finished construction of lane expansions, new toll plazas, and sound barriers along the roadway, though much work remains to be done.
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![Toll Florida 528](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Toll_Florida_528.svg)
Florida State Road 528, Beachline Expressway (Toll 528) provides key access to the
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major public airport located 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Downtown Orlando, Florida. In 2021, it handled 19,618,838 passengers, making it the busiest airport in the state and seventh busiest airport i ...
and serves as a gateway to the Atlantic coast, specifically Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral.
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![Toll Florida 417](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Toll_Florida_417.svg)
Florida State Road 417, Central Florida Greeneway (Toll 417) is a key highway for East Orlando, the highway is also managed by the Central Florida Expressway Authority and serves as Orlando's eastern beltway. The highway intersects with the Florida State Road 408, East-West Expressway (Toll 408), the Florida State Road 528, Beachline Expressway (Toll 528), and begins and ends on Interstate 4.
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![Toll Florida 429](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Toll_Florida_429.svg)
Florida State Road 429, Daniel Webster Western Beltway (Toll 429) serves as Orlando's western beltway. It is managed jointly by the Florida Turnpike and the Central Florida Expressway Authority. The highway serves as a "back entrance" to Walt Disney World from Orlando's northwestern suburbs including Apopka via Florida's Turnpike.
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![Toll Florida 414](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Toll_Florida_414.svg)
Florida State Road 414, John Land Apopka Expressway (Toll 414) A new east to west tollway serving northern Orlando. Phase I opened on February 14, 2009, and extends from U.S. Route 441 in Florida, US 441 to Florida State Road 429, State Road 429. Phase II opened on January 19, 2013, and links SR 429 to US 441 several miles west of the former SR 429 (now renamed Florida State Road 451, State Road 451) intersection.
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![Florida's Turnpike shield](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Florida%27s_Turnpike_shield.svg)
Florida's Turnpike (Toll 91) is a major highway that connects northern Florida with Orlando and terminates in Miami.
Rail
The Orlando area is served by one through railroad. The line, now known as the Central Florida Rail Corridor (CFRC), was previously known as the "A" line (formerly the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's main line). The line was purchased from CSX Transportation by the State of Florida in 2013 and is now used by SunRail, the Central Florida commuter rail system. Some freight spurs still exist off of the line, which are operated by the Florida Central Railroad (current), Florida Central Railroad. Amtrak passenger service runs along CFRC. See also :File:Orlando area railroads.png, a map of these railroads.
![Orlando Amtrak Station Platform](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Orlando_Amtrak_Station_Platform.JPG)
Amtrak intercity Passenger train, passenger rail service operates from the Orlando (Amtrak station), Orlando Amtrak Station south of downtown. The Mission Revival Style architecture, Mission Revival-style station has been in continuous use since 1927, first for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, Atlantic Coast Line, then the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (signage for which is still displayed over the station's main entrance). Amtrak's ''Silver Meteor'' and ''Silver Star (Amtrak), Silver Star'' service Orlando four times daily, twice bound for points north to New York Penn Station, New York City and twice bound for points south to Miami (Amtrak station), Miami. Orlando also serves as a transfer hub for Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach bus service. Orlando Station has the highest Amtrak ridership in the state, with the exception of the ''Auto Train'' depot located in nearby Sanford (Amtrak station), Sanford.
Historically, Orlando's other major railroad stations have included:
* Church Street Station (Orlando), Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Orlando station (now Church Street Station, a commercial development)
* Orlando (SAL station), Seaboard Air Line Railroad Orlando station (Central Avenue Station; 1898–1955).
Commuter rail
![SunRail train leaving Winter Park Station](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/SunRail_train_leaving_Winter_Park_Station.JPG)
In 2005, federal and state funding was granted for the establishment of SunRail, a local commuter rail service, to operate on the former CSX "A" line tracks between DeLand, Florida, DeLand and Poinciana, Florida, Poinciana, passing through the downtown area and surrounding urban neighborhoods along the way. The service is expected to substantially reduce traffic congestion along the I-4 corridor, especially between Downtown Orlando and the suburban communities in Seminole and Volusia Counties. Federal and state funds covered approximately 80% of the estimated $400 million cost for track modifications and construction of stations along the route. The counties involved approved local matching funds in 2007 and the line was originally projected to begin operations in 2011. However, the project was ultimately voted down by Florida State Senate in 2008 and again in 2009 due to an amendment that would have approved a $200 million insurance policy for the system. Although there had been growing concern the system would be scrapped, a deadline extension combined with a new insurance arrangement with CSX brought new hope that SunRail will be completed after all. In a special session in December 2009, the Florida Legislature approved commuter rail for Florida, which also enabled high-speed rail Federal government of the United States, federal funding. SunRail began passenger service on May 1, 2014. Phase I of the rail system runs from DeBary, Florida, DeBary to Sand Lake Road in South Orlando. Phase II, which isn't expected to be completed until 2018, will connect from DeBary and continue north to DeLand, Florida, DeLand, as well as extend from Sand Lake Road in Orlando south to Poinciana, Florida, Poinciana. Attempts to establish a smaller light rail service for the Orlando area were also considered at one time, but were also met with much resistance.
High-speed rail
On January 28, 2010, President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
said that Florida would be receiving $1.25 billion to start the construction of a statewide high-speed rail system with Orlando as its central hub. The first stage would have connected Orlando and Tampa, Florida and was expected to be completed by 2014. The second stage was to connect Orlando and Miami, Florida. The project was canceled by Gov. Rick Scott in 2011, and on March 4, 2011, the Florida Supreme Court unanimously turned down the request of two state senators to force Scott to accept federal funding for the project.
A privately funded initiative known as ''All Aboard Florida'', which would provide high-speed rail service from Miami to Orlando, was announced in March 2012. Now known as Brightline, the train currently runs from Fort Lauderdale station (Brightline), Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach station (Brightline), West Palm Beach with service to Miami Central Station, Miami Central expected to start in early May 2018. The Orlando extension will include of new railway track and terminate at the new Orlando International Airport Intermodal Terminal.
Top speeds are expected to reach 125 mph (201 km/h),
becoming one of the fastest rail services in the United States. Service to Orlando is slated to be launched in 2022.
Future plans are underway to add a terminal at
Disney Springs
Disney Springs (previously known as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village in 1975, Walt Disney World Village in 1977, Disney Village Marketplace in 1989, and Downtown Disney in 1997) is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at the W ...
.
Bus
![Lynx 102 bus Orlando](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Lynx_102_bus_Orlando.jpg)
Lynx (Orlando), Lynx provides local transit service covering a five-county area:
Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
,
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 ...
,
Osceola
Osceola (1804 – January 30, 1838, Asi-yahola in Muscogee language, Creek), named Billy Powell at birth in Alabama, became an influential leader of the Seminole people in Florida. His mother was Muscogee, and his great-grandfather was a S ...
, Polk, and Volusia County, Florida, Volusia. Lynx bus frequency varies depending on the route and time of day.
Greyhound Lines offers intercity bus service from Orlando to multiple locations across the country. The Orlando Greyhound Station is located west of Downtown Orlando.
Having a very well-developed tourism industry and millions of visitors per year the City of Orlando has multiple options for groups arriving and touring the city and surrounding areas by local charter bus companies.
Taxi
Orlando is served by a collection of independently owned taxi companies. In downtown Orlando, taxis can be hailed on a regular basis. Taxis are also available in and around the Amway Center, Orlando Convention Center, and all major attractions/theme parks. Orlando also has service from car-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft, which offer service at all airports.
Airport shuttles
Transportation between the Orlando International Airport and various locations in and around Orlando is provided by airport shuttle services. Several shuttles operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Notable people
International relations
Sister cities
Orlando's sister cities are:
* Curitiba, Paraná (state), Paraná, Brazil
* Guilin, Guangxi, China
* Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
* Reykjanesbær, Southern Peninsula (Iceland), Southern Peninsula, Iceland
* Seine-et-Marne, Île-de-France, France
* Tainan, Taiwan
* Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Japan
* Valladolid, Valladolid Province, Spain
Foreign consulates
Given Orlando's status as a busy international tourist destination and growing industrial and commercial base, there are several foreign consulates and honorary consulates in Orlando including Argentina, Colombia, Czech Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the Ivory Coast. As a result, Orlando now has the second-highest number of foreign consulates in Florida next to Miami. The British Government operated a Consulate from 1994 to 2014 when all services transferred to the British Consulate General in Miami.
See also
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Notes
References
The Economic Contribution of Conventions: The Case of Orlando, Florida
Bibliography
External links
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{{Authority control
Orlando, Florida,
Cities in Florida
Cities in Orange County, Florida
Cities in the Greater Orlando
County seats in Florida
Populated places established in 1875
1875 establishments in Florida