Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and

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

of Osceola County,

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

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

History

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

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

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

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

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

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

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

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

dredging Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing d ...

and

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

required a small

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...

industry to transport people and goods along the new waterway. The Kissimmee

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance ...

was responsible for building most of these large steamships, which were just one jump ahead of civilization—with Kissimmee as the jumping off point. Concurrently, the

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

was growing and extended the end of its line from

Sanford Sanford may refer to: People *Sanford (given name), including a list of people with the name *Sanford (surname), including a list of people with the name Places United States * Sanford, Alabama, a town in Covington County * Sanford, Colorado ...

down to Kissimmee, making the town on

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

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

for

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

. On February 12, 1885, the

Florida Legislature The Florida Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. State of Florida. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the House of Representatives. Article III, Section 1 of the Florida Co ...

incorporated the

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

But the heyday of Kissimmee was short-lived. Expanding

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

s began to challenge the steamships for carrying

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

and passengers. By 1884, the South Florida Railroad, now part of the Plant System, had extended its tracks 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 C ...

. The

Panic of 1893 The Panic of 1893 was an economic depression in the United States that began in 1893 and ended in 1897. It deeply affected every sector of the economy, and produced political upheaval that led to the political realignment of 1896 and the pres ...

was the worst depression the U.S. had experienced up to that time, crushing land speculation and unsound

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

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

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

industry. The freezes, combined with

South Florida 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 ...

's growth and the relocation of steamship operations to

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

, left Kissimmee dependent on open range

cattle ranching A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most ofte ...

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

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

in 1971. After that,

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

and

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

supplanted cattle ranching to a large measure. However, even though the Disney facility took over much of the open range cattle lands, cattle ranches still operate nearby, particularly in the southern part of Osceola County. The 1998 Kissimmee tornado outbreak killed dozens of people in the area. On August 13, 2004,

Hurricane Charley Hurricane Charley was the first of four separate hurricanes to impact or strike Florida during 2004, along with Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, as well as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the United States. It was the third named s ...

passed through Kissimmee with winds in excess of 100 miles per hour, damaging homes and buildings, toppling trees and cutting electrical power to the entire city.

Kissimmee Utility Authority Kissimmee Utility Authority was founded in 1901 and is Florida's sixth largest municipally-owned utility providing electric services to 80,000 customers in Osceola County, Florida. KUA operates and jointly owns the Cane Island Power Park and has ow ...

restored power to 54 percent of the residents in the first 72 hours; 85 percent were restored within one week. Service was restored to all customers on August 28. Three weeks after Hurricane Charley, the area was struck by

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

, followed by

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

three weeks after Frances.

Geography

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

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

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

City water resources

Drained by the

, the city is situated on the northwest shore of

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

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

. Shingle Creek, largely considered the headwaters of the

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

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

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

and ends in

Downtown

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

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

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

Climate

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

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

system, Kissimmee 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'').

Demographics

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

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

(33.1% Puerto Rican, 5.1% Dominican, 4.0% Colombian, 3.9% Mexican, 2.6% Cuban, 1.4% Venezuelan, 0.9% Ecuadorian, 0.7% Salvadoran, 0.7% Peruvian, 0.6% Honduran, 0.6% Nicaraguan) or Latino, 26.2% non-Hispanic

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

, 9.6% non-Hispanic

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

, 2.8% Hispanic Black, 0.6% Native American, 3.4% Asian (1.1% Asian Indian, 0.8% Filipino), 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.4% Non-Hispanic from some other race and 4.7% two or more races. Compared to the previous

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

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

, 9.99%

, 0.52% Native American, 3.38% Asian, 0.10%

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

, 14.15% from

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

, and 4.66% from two or more races.

or Latino people of any race were 41.73% of the population. The majority of Hispanics residing in the city are

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 ...

. There are also small Colombian,

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

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

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

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

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

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

Economy

Multinational multi-level marketing company

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

is based in Kissimmee.

Top employers

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

Arts and culture

Sites of interest

* Colonial Estate * First United Methodist Church * Grass Island * Kissimmee Historic District * The Loop * Monument of States *

Old Holy Redeemer Catholic Church The Old Holy Redeemer Catholic Church is a historic site in Kissimmee, Florida. It is located at 120 North Sproule Avenue. On January 3, 1994, it was added to the U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as th ...

* Old Osceola Courthouse – oldest continually operating courthouse in the state *

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...

* Orange World – World's Largest Orange * Osceola Arts (formally Osceola Center for the Arts) * Osceola County Courthouse * Osceola County Welcome Center and History Museum *

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

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

Former sites of interest

* Jungleland *

Splendid China Splendid China Folk Village (Chinese: 锦绣中华民俗村, pinyin: Jǐnxiù Zhōnghuá Mínsú Cūn) is a theme park including two areas (Splendid China Miniature Park & China Folk Culture Village) located in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, P ...

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

Sports

The

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...

conducted

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

in Kissimmee, at

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

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

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

, Triple Crown Sports, World Baseball Federation and Promotion Sports. The Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring has also called Osceola County Stadium home since 1994.

Austin-Tindall Regional Park Austin-Tindall Regional Park is an athletic facility located in Kissimmee, Florida. The park encompasses of active and passive recreational areas and is located from the Orlando International Airport. The park is host to a variety of annual events ...

is an athletic facility in the area that is host to a variety of annual events. The city is also home to the annual

NCCAA The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic ...

men's soccer National Championship Tournament.

Parks and recreation

Osceola Heritage Park is an event facility featuring a concert arena ( Silver Spurs Arena) and professional sports stadium (

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

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

and

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

to an annual rodeo event.

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...

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

Biking

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

Golfing

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

Shopping

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

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

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

, and

Best Buy Best Buy Co. Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebra ...

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

Nearby

Kissimmee is near Orlando, home to

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

and

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

, and Lake Buena Vista/Bay Lake, home to

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

, allowing tourists to access the parks through the city.

Education

Public schools

The

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

serves Kissimmee. High schools include: *

Celebration High School Celebration High School is a public four year high school located in Celebration, Florida, United States. It is a part of the School District of Osceola County, Florida. Overview Celebration High School was graded a 'B' school by the Florida Dep ...

* Gateway High School * Harmony High School * Liberty High School * Osceola County School for the Arts (6–12) * Osceola High School * Poinciana High School * Saint Cloud High School *

Technical Education Center Osceola Osceola Technical College is a public school in unincorporated area, unincorporated Osceola County, Florida, which trains entry-level employees and improves job skills for employed students. References Vocational education in ...

* Tohopekaliga High School

Private schools

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

Institutions of higher education

State colleges

, Osceola Campus * Valencia College, Osceola Campus

Private universities, colleges, and others

Johnson University Florida Johnson University Florida is a private, Christian university with its campus in Kissimmee, Florida. It is part of the Johnson University system with its main campus outside Knoxville Tennessee and an online campus. It is affiliated with the ...

, formerly Florida Christian College

Infrastructure

Transportation

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

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

commuter rail system. There is a

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

bus station. The hub also features a bus terminal providing service by the

Lynx A lynx is a type of wild cat. Lynx may also refer to: Astronomy * Lynx (constellation) * Lynx (Chinese astronomy) * Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory Places Canada * Lynx, ...

network.

Kissimmee Gateway Airport Kissimmee Gateway Airport , formerly known as Kissimmee Municipal Airport, is a public airport in Kissimmee, a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. The airport is located 16 nautical miles (30 km) southwest of the central busines ...

has four

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

s that provide service to the area.

(ISM) accommodates general aviation air service 24 hours a day with two paved airport runways—respectively 5,000 and 6,000 feet. There are also two flight training schools and a museum at the airport.

Orlando International Airport 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 ...

can be reached from Kissimmee in 15 minutes by car. The major roads in the Kissimmee area are

Florida's Turnpike Florida's Turnpike, designated as unsigned State Road 91 (SR 91), is a toll road in the U.S. state of Florida, maintained by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE). Spanning approximately along a northwest–southeast axis, the turnpike is in tw ...

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 ...

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

, and

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

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

Public libraries

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

Notable people

Irlo Bronson, Sr. Irlo Overstreet Bronson Sr. (August 3, 1900 – March 3, 1973) was an American Democratic politician, rancher and land owner in the state of Florida. Bronson is perhaps best known for selling land to Walt Disney as part of the construction of Flo ...

, politician; rancher *

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

, bluegrass musician *

Dewayne Douglas Edward Dewayne Douglas (December 22, 1931 – April 11, 2000) was an American football offensive tackle who played one season with the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fourth ...

, professional football player *

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

, politician; mayor of

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

* Tonga Fifita, professional wrestler; actor * Brent Fullwood, football player *

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

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

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

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

2011 *

George Frederic Kribbs George Frederic Kribbs (November 8, 1846 – September 8, 1938) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Biography George F. Kribbs was born on a farm in Clar ...

, congressman *

Ray Lloyd Raymond M. Lloyd (born May 13, 1964) is an American martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling from 1996 to 1999 under the ring name Glacier. Early life Lloyd was bo ...

, professional wrestler; martial artist * A. J. McLean, singer from the Grammy-nominated

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

* James Mitchell, professional wrestling manager *

Joe Nasco Joseph Nasco (born June 18, 1984) is an American professional soccer player. Career After spending time in Andrew College and Birmingham–Southern College, Nasco made eight appearances for Panama City Pirates in the USL Premier Development ...

, professional footballer *

Tito Paul Tito Jermaine Paul (born May 24, 1972) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, and the Washington Redskins. With the Broncos, he won Super Bowl XXXI ...

, football player *

John Quiñones Juan Manuel "John" Quiñones (born May 23, 1952) is an American ABC News correspondent who hosted '' What Would You Do?''. Early life and education Quiñones was born in San Antonio, Texas, on May 23, 1952. He is a fifth-generation San Antonia ...

, attorney and former politician *

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

, Georgia politician from Kissimmee pioneer ranching family *

Edwin Rios The name Edwin means "rich friend". It comes from the Old English elements "ead" (rich, blessed) and "ƿine" (friend). The original Anglo-Saxon form is Eadƿine, which is also found for Anglo-Saxon figures. People * Edwin of Northumbria (died ...

, professional baseball player, 2020 World Series Champion *

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

, congressman *

Kissy Simmons Kissy Simmons is an American actress. "Kissy" is short for Kissimmee, the Floridian city near Orlando about 80 miles from Floral City where she was born. She is best known for playing Nala in the Broadway production of ''The Lion King'' and as o ...

, actor *

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

, judge *

Bobby Sippio Robert Lee "Bobby" Sippio, Jr. (born December 4, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Peoria Pirates in 2002. He played college football at Western Kentucky. During Sippio's professional career, he played for ...

, football player * Justin Smith, professional poker player *

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

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

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

, businesswoman,

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

* Richard Young, actor, played Fedora in ''

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' is a 1989 American action- adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third installment in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise and a s ...

References

External links

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