Apopka is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

Orange County, Florida Orange County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county had a population of 1,429,908, making it the fifth-most populous county in Florida and the List of ...

. The city's population was 54,873 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. ''Apopka'' comes from Seminole word ''Ahapopka'' for "potato-eating place". Apopka is referred to as the "Indoor Foliage Capital of the World" due to the many

greenhouse A greenhouse is a structure that is designed to regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment inside. There are different types of greenhouses, but they all have large areas covered with transparent materials that let sunlight pass an ...

nurseries there.

History

The earliest known inhabitants of the Apopka area were the

Acuera Acuera (Timucua: ''Acuero''?, "Timekeeper") was the name of both an indigenous town and a province or region in central Florida during the 16th and 17th centuries. The indigenous people of Acuera spoke a dialect of the Timucua language. In 1539 th ...

people, members of 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 va ...

confederation. They had disappeared by 1730, probably decimated by diseases transmitted through Florida by Spanish colonists. The Acuera were succeeded by refugees from

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, who formed the new

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, ...

Indian tribe. They called the area ''Ahapopka''. Aha, meaning "Potato," and papka, meaning "eating place". By the 1830s, this settlement numbered about 200, and was the birthplace of the chief Coacoochee (known in English as "

Wild Cat Felidae ( ) is the family of mammals in the order Carnivora colloquially referred to as cats. A member of this family is also called a felid ( ). The 41 extant Felidae species exhibit the greatest diversity in fur patterns of all terrestria ...

"). At the conclusion of 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 of people collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Muscogee, Creek and Black Seminoles as well as oth ...

, the U.S. Congress passed the

Armed Occupation Act The Florida Armed Occupation Act of 1842 () was passed as an incentive to grow the population of Florida. The Act granted of unsettled land south of the line separating townships 9 and 10 South (an east–west line about north of Palatka a ...

of 1842, forcing surviving natives at Ahapopka to abandon their village and seek refuge deeper in the wilderness of the Florida peninsula. The early American settlers built a major trading center on the foundations of the earlier Indian settlement. Their population was large enough by 1857 to support the establishment of a

Masonic lodge A Masonic lodge (also called Freemasons' lodge, or private lodge or constituent lodge) is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also a commonly used term for a building where Freemasons meet and hold their meetings. Every new l ...

. In 1859 the lodge erected a permanent meeting place at what is now the intersection of Main Street ( U.S. Highway 441) and Alabama Avenue.

The Lodge

The settlers in the vicinity of "The Lodge" were largely isolated during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, but the area rebounded once peace was re-established, and a population boom followed the construction of railroad lines through the region. In 1869, the Apopka Post Office opened.

Town of Apopka City

In 1882, the one mile in each direction of "The Lodge" or "Fudge Hall" was officially incorporated under the name "Town of Apopka City".Orange County, Misc. Book No3; Apopka, City Election Proceedings, p. 255.; History of Apopka and Northwest Orange County Florida. J. Shofner, Ed.. 1982. In the 1890s, the town was contracted in size more than once due to difficult times. In 1905, the Apopka City Council authorized incorporation of the Apopka Water, Light, and Ice Company. Councilman A.M. Starbird was appointed its manager, but it was not until voters approved a $9,000 bond in 1914 that he was able to contract with

International Harvester The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated IH or International) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household equipment, and more. It wa ...

Corporation to construct a power plant; as such, electricity was not available in the city until February 10, 1915. This independent utility company was one of many that were acquired by the Florida Public Service Corporation in the 1920s. They continued to manage the city's utility needs until the 1940s, when they sold off its ice plants to the Atlantic Company, its electric service to

Florida Power Corporation Duke Energy Corporation is an American electric power and natural gas holding company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company ranked as the 141st largest company in the United States in 2024 – its highest-ever placement on the ...

, and its water services to Florida Utilities. Between 1937 and 1968, a town ordinance forbade Black residents from living north of the railroad tracks.

Historic buildings

Five buildings in Apopka have been placed on the

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

through the Apopka Historical Society housed in the Museum of the Apopkans.

Present-day Apopka

Orange County Trail 441 Bridge Rails to Trails

Apopka is known for having one of the longest-serving mayors in the United States. John H. Land, first elected in 1949, served for over 61 years (with a short three-year gap), making him the longest-serving mayor in Florida and longest-serving full-time mayor in the United States through 2014. Apopka is served by the Apopka Police Department within city limits and the Orange County Sheriff's Department for unincorporated Apopka. On April 8, 2014, Apopka City Commissioner Joe Kilsheimer won the election to succeed John H. Land as mayor. Kilsheimer was sworn in on April 22, 2014. The 2018 primary for mayor resulted in a landslide win for Bryan Nelson with 63.40% (4,103) of the vote to Kilsheimer's 36.6% (2,369). No runoff was required.

Mayors of the City of Apopka

* An asterisk indicates discontiguous terms of service. * 1882 to 1923 elections were held annually. Then every three years. Then four years as the city election codes were changed.

Development

Apopka is a fast-growing city and is expanding in all directions. Most notable are the new stores to the north of the city on

US 441 U.S. Route 441 (US 441) is a auxiliary route of U.S. Route 41. It extends from US 41 in Miami, Florida to US 25W in Rocky Top, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 travels through the states of Florida, Georgia, North ...

in the location of the previous Dunn Citrus grove (the stretch of 441 which runs through the city is named after Fred N. Dunn). Due to the fast-paced growth of the city, a new hospital, AdventHealth Apopka, was opened in 2017. The John Land Apopka Expressway ( Toll 414) opened on May 15, 2009, relieving some of US 441's traffic, taking the route from what is now the US 441 junction with SR 429, and then passing south of the city to rejoin US 441 at its junction with Maitland Boulevard South of the city. Expansion of the expressway, including an extension of Toll 414, known as Wekiva Parkway, created a junction at US 441 and Plymouth Sorrento Road. Master plans take the Wekiva Parkway extension further north and then east connecting to

Interstate 4 Interstate 4 (I-4) is an Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Florida, maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Spanning along a generally southwest–northeast axis ...

at Sanford. The expansion is scheduled to be completed by 2023. It will then be the shortest route from I-4 to the Disney attractions.

Geography

The approximate coordinates for the City of Apopka is located at . Apopka is about 16 miles northwest 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 Avenu ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of . of it is land and of it (4.15%) is water.

Climate

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

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, the City of Apopka has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

zone (''Cfa'').

Demographics

2010 and 2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 54,873 people, 17,312 households, and 12,822 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 41,542 people, 14,739 households, and 10,648 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 26,642 people, 9,562 households, and 7,171 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 10,091 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 73.85%

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

, 15.56%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.42% Native American, 1.89% Asian, 0.09%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 5.36% from other races, and 2.83% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 18.08% of the population. In 2000, there were 9,562 households, out of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.13. In 2000, in the city the population was spread out, with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $43,651, and the median income for a family was $49,380. Males had a median income of $32,177 versus $26,553 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $19,189. About 7.1% of families and 9.5% 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 12.6% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

* Forest Lake Academy, a

Seventh-day Adventist The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbat ...

high school. * Apopka is served by Orange County Public Schools with two high schools: Apopka High School and Wekiva High School. * University of Florida's

Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...

Mid-Florida Research and Education Center is located in Apopka. * The Golf Academy of America (Altamonte Campus), a 2-year golf college is located in Apopka. * Christian Learning Academy is a private K–12 school offering varsity athletics, music programs, and Model United Nations.

Healthcare

There is only one hospital in Apopka: AdventHealth Apopka.

Notable people

* John Anderson, country singer * Steve Baylark, NFL running back * Rogers Beckett Jr., former

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

safety for the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...

and the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

* Joel Berry II, basketball player for the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

Richard Borg Richard Borg is a game designer who has designed many Wargaming, wargames. In 2010, he was elected to the Charles Roberts Awards Hall of Fame. Games that Richard Borg has designed or co-designed include the following: * ''Liar's Dice (Milton ...

, board game designer *

Sawyer Brown Sawyer Brown is an American country music band. It was founded in 1981 in Apopka, Florida, by Mark Miller (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard (keyboards, vocals), Bobby Randall (lead guitar, vocals), Joe "Curly" Smyth (drums), an ...

, country music band founded in Apopka *

Jonathan Cain Jonathan Leonard Friga (born February 26, 1950), known professionally as Jonathan Cain, is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the keyboardist and rhythm guitarist for Journey. He has also worked with the Babys an ...

, member of multi mega hit rock group Journey, multi-instrumentist and songwriter resides in Apopka *

Jalen Carter Jalen Da'Quan Carter (born April 4, 2001), is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he was a unanimous All ...

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

Defensive Tackle * Joe Chealey, Basketball Player *

Alan Gendreau Alan Scott Gendreau (born May 27, 1989) is an American former college football player for the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. The placekicker was openly gay to his teammates. He ended his college career as the leading scorer in Sun Belt Conferenc ...

, football placekicker at Middle Tennessee State * Ray Goolsby (war veteran) Washington Senators in Chattanooga, TN * Renardo Green,

Cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

for the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

. *

Zack Greinke Donald Zackary Greinke ( ; born October 21, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Greinke last played for the Kansas City Royals, with whom he played across two stints, from his 2004 debut to 2010, and from 202 ...

, Baseball All-Star (2009, 2014), MLB ERA leader (2009), Gold Glove Award (2014), Silver Slugger Award (2013) and 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner *

Michael Halliday Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday (often M. A. K. Halliday; 13 April 1925 – 15 April 2018) was a British linguist who developed the internationally influential systemic functional linguistics (SFL) model of language. His grammatical descri ...

, defender * Glenn Hubbard, dean, Columbia University Graduate School of Business * John H. Land, longest serving full-time city mayor * Michael Larson, ''

Press Your Luck ''Press Your Luck'' is an American television game show created by Bill Carruthers and Jan McCormack. Contestants answer trivia questions to earn "spins" on a randomly cycling game board. The board's spaces display cash, prizes, extra spins, sp ...

'' Scandal winner of $110,237 in 1984 * Jerry Lawson, lead singer of

The Persuasions The Persuasions were an American a cappella group that formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1962, singing under corner streetlights and in subway corridors. Their style combined gospel, soul, early rock, and jazz into melodic five-part harmonies. ...

Brad Linaweaver Bradford Swain Linaweaver (September 1, 1952 – August 29, 2019) was an American science fiction writer, film producer, actor, and magazine publisher. Over a 40-year career, he completed a body of work including novels, short stories, and scree ...

, science fiction writer, film producer and screenwriter, magazine publisher * Christy Martin, American world champion boxer, resided in Apopka for many years and operated a boxing school * Justin McGrath, professional '' Super Smash Bros. Melee'' player *

Brandon Meriweather Brandon Meriweather (born January 14, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, and was selected by the New England Pat ...

, former NFL defensive back * Bryan Richey, member of the

Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Constitutional requirements According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consis ...

Fireball Roberts Edward Glenn "Fireball" Roberts Jr. (January 20, 1929July 2, 1964) was an American stock car racer. Background Roberts was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, and raised in Apopka, Florida, where he was interested in both auto racing and baseball. ...

, race car driverSlim, P. (2015) The Pennings of Perrine Slim: Stories of Northwest Orange County Florida * Mattie Rogers, Olympic Weightlifter *

Warren Sapp Warren Carlos Sapp (born December 19, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football ...

, All-Pro NFL defensive lineman * Sammie Smith, former NFL running back for the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

and the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

Monty Sopp Monty Kip Sopp (born November 1, 1963), better known by his ring name Billy Gunn, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to the WWE under a Legends contract and All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also performs under the ring name ...

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

, former WWF/E *

Scott Stapp Scott Stapp (born Anthony Scott Flippen; August 8, 1973) is an American singer and the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Creed. He has also fronted the band Art of Anarchy and has released four solo albums. Stapp has received severa ...

, member of multi mega hit rock group

Creed A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) which summarizes its core tenets. Many Christian denominations use three creeds ...

, singer and songwriter grew up in Apopka *

Wayne Taylor Wayne Taylor (born 15 July 1956) is a South African sports car racing driver and team owner. He won the 1996 and 2005 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 2005 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype drivers' championship. He drove for Su ...

, owner, Wayne Taylor Racing; winner of 1996 and 2005

24 Hours of Daytona The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car racing, sports car Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Flo ...

, 2005 Rolex Series *

Pat Travers Patrick Henry Travers (born April 12, 1954) is a Canadian rock guitarist, singer and songwriter who began his recording career in the mid-1970s. Early life Travers was born and raised in Toronto. Soon after picking up the guitar at age 12, h ...

, tours from, records, and resides in Apopka

Apopka in art

Literature

Apopka is referenced in

Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston (January 7, 1891 – January 28, 1960) was an American writer, anthropologist, folklorist, and documentary filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-20th-century American South and published research on Hoodoo ...

's famous novel, ''

Their Eyes Were Watching God ''Their Eyes Were Watching God'' is a 1937 novel by American writer Zora Neale Hurston. It is considered a classic of the Harlem Renaissance and Hurston's best-known work. The novel explores protagonist Janie Crawford's "ripening from a vibran ...

''. Apopka is referenced in Eddie C. Brown's autobiographical book, ''Beating the Odds: Eddie Brown's Investing and Life Strategies''. History of the greater Apopka and Central Florida area is detailed in William Gladden, Jr's book, The Pennings of Perrine Slim: Stories of Northwest Orange County Florida. Included are 100 pictures of the area, most by Dr Phyllis Olmstead. Olmstead Publishing. ''History of Apopka and Northwest Orange County, Florida'' by Jerrell H Shofner, (1982). Rose Printing. Apopka Historical Society. ''Tales of the Big Potato'' by Jack Christmas (2011). New Book Publishing. Reprint Olmstead Publishing. ''Apopka: Images of America'' photos of the Apopka area, (2004). Apopka Historical Society.

Film

Apopka takes place in and is prominently featured in

Johannes Grenzfurthner Johannes Grenzfurthner (; born 1975 in Vienna) is an Austrian artist, filmmaker, writer, actor, curator, theatre director, performer and lecturer. Grenzfurthner is the founder, conceiver and artistic director of ''monochrom'', an international ar ...

's horror drama '' Masking Threshold'' that premiered at

Fantastic Fest Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas, focused on fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action and cult films, the largest genre festival in the United States. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse. Lisa Dreyer ...

in 2021. Apopka is referenced in ""

Ernest Saves Christmas ''Ernest Saves Christmas'' is a 1988 American Christmas comedy film directed by John Cherry from a screenplay by B. Kline and Ed Turner. It stars Jim Varney, Oliver Clark, Noelle Parker and Douglas Seale. It is the third film to feature the ...

"" on Ernest's truck "Apopka Snake Ranch"

References

External links

*
''Apopka Chief''
Local newspaper {{authority control Cities in Orange County, Florida Cities in the Greater Orlando Cities in Florida 1882 establishments in Florida Populated places established in 1882