Belle Isle is a city in

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 ...

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

, United States. The population was 7,032 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The Belle Isle area was first inhabited by the

Timucua The Timucua were a Native American people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in that area and consisted of about 35 chiefdoms, many leading thousands of people. The v ...

people ''circa'' the 9th century. The first organized government of Belle Isle was established in 1924, with C. H. Hoffner as the community's first mayor. This government lasted until 1928, when it was deactivated. Belle Isle was re-established in 1954, and has been running continuously since. Since 2003, Belle Isle has run under a council-manager government, with the mayor being a strictly ceremonial position. Seven commissioners are elected to represent their respective districts on the city council. All elected officials serve three year terms without compensation. In 2009, the City of Belle Isle established its own

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

department, which would take over the area's jurisdiction from the Orange County Sheriff. The incorporation of the department has almost doubled the total number of city employees, increasing the number from 11 to 20.

Geography

Belle Isle is located at . According to the

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

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (54.42%) is water. The city of Belle Isle is close to Orlando International Airport, being only three miles northwest of it;

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

itself is only five miles north. Belle Isle is the location of Lake Conway, one of Greater Orlando's largest lakes. The southern portion of Little Lake Conway, another large lake, is also in Belle Isle.

Demographics

As of the

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

of 2000, there were 5,531 people, 2,199 households, and 1,618 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 2,873.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,106.5/km²). There were 2,299 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.88%

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

, 4.36%

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

, 0.13% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.02%

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

, 1.32% from

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

, and 1.05% from two or more races.

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

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

of any race were 5.98% of the population. There were 2,199 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $65,155, and the median income for a family was $68,571. Males had a median income of $47,394 versus $32,150 for females. The

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

for the city was $29,087. About 1.9% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the

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

, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

*
City of Belle Isle official website
{{authority control Cities in Orange County, Florida Greater Orlando Populated places established in 1924 Cities in Florida 1924 establishments in Florida