Orange City is a city in

Volusia County, Florida 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 ...

, United States. As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

, the city had a population of 10,599. It is a part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area, which was home to 590,289 people in 2010.

Geography

Orange City 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 th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which are land and or 1.31%, is covered by water.

History

Orange City was incorporated as a city in 1882. The city was named for the thousands of acres of orange groves in and around the city. Twelve years later, the

Great Freeze The Great Freeze is the back-to-back freezes of 1894–1895 in Northern Florida, where the brutally cold weather destroyed much of the citrus crop. Entire communities, such as Earnestville, faded after the citrus crops and trees were lost to th ...

wiped out the orange groves for which the town was named. Orange City received the "highest award that the world can give" for its water at the 1904

Louisiana Purchase Exposition The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...

. John D. Rockefeller Sr. had Orange City Mineral Springs water sent to him wherever he traveled, and even used it for bathing.

Historic places

Sites on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in Orange City include: * Dickinson Memorial Library and Park * Louis P. Thursby House * Orange City Colored School * Orange City Historic District * Orange City Town Hall * Seth French House * 1876 Heritage Inn

Demographics

In 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 inc ...

of 2000, 6,604 people, 3,062 households, and 1,904 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 3,685 housing units averaged 609.0 per square mile (235.2/km). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 92.97% White, 3.66% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 1.47% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. About 5.13% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 3,062 households, 19.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were not families. Around 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.63. In the city, the population was distributed as 17.5% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 31.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,883, and for a family was $34,003. Males had a median income of $29,817 versus $21,034 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 $16,318. About 9.9% of the population and 7.1% of families 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 ...

. Of the total population, 15.2% of those under the age of 18 and 7.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Government and infrastructure

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

operates a post office at 260 N Industrial Drive.

Government

The City of Orange City has a

council–manager government The council–manager government is a form of local government used for municipalities, counties, or other equivalent regions. It is one of the two most common forms of local government in the United States along with the mayor–council gover ...

. The city council is composed of a mayor and six council members who serve overlapping four-year terms. The city council serves as the elected legislative and governing body responsible for establishing policies, adopting an annual budget, adopting local laws and ordinances, and hiring and overseeing the

city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a "Mayor–council government" council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief exec ...

city attorney A city attorney is a position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the municipality. Unlike a district attorney or public defender, who usually handles criminal cases, a city att ...

, and

municipal clerk A clerk is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in many others, the clerk is appointed to their post. In the UK, a T ...

. The mayor and council members are elected by voters citywide and must reside within the corporate limits of Orange City. Council members run for office by district (five) and one at-large.

Fire department

The Orange City Fire Department, established in 1890, is a combination department (volunteer and paid). The department consists of two fire stations; station 67, located at 215 N. Holly Ave, is also the main station where administration is housed. Station 68 is located at the south-end water plant. This is a secured facility and not accessible for the public. The department was recently awarded a class 2 ISO rating, first and only in Volusia County. The Orange City Fire Department is contracted to provide fire services to the City of DeBary, Florida (Station 33). All engines and the Rescue are ALS supplied and staffed with paramedics.

Public transportation

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 ...

State Road 472 Orange City is served by the #20, #21, #22, & #23 routes operated by Volusia County Public Transit System.

Education

Elementary schools

* Manatee Cove Elementary School * Orange City Elementary School

Middle schools

* River Springs Middle School

High schools

* University High School

Notable people

* Herbert L. Becker, magician who performed under the name Kardeen * Harry W. Davis, a former mayor of Orange City, took his own life on February 14, 1932, following financial troubles just two months after his marriage, at age 27 *

Gaylord DuBois Gaylord McIlvaine Du Bois (sometimes written DuBois) (August 24, 1899 – October 20, 1993) was an American writer of comic book stories and comic strips, as well as Big Little Books and juvenile adventure novels. Du Bois wrote ''Tarzan'' for Del ...

, author of the novel ''The Lone Ranger'' * Danny Kelley, American stock-car racing driver * Tom Laputka, former football player for

Ottawa Rough Riders The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. Formerly one of the oldest and longest-lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine ...

and

Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at the Brick Field at Comm ...

, former

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 ...

of Orange City * Gar Samuelson, former drummer for heavy metal band Megadeth

References

External links

City of Orange City official website
{{authority control Cities in Florida Cities in Volusia County, Florida Greater Orlando Populated places on the St. Johns River