Ormond Beach is a city in

Volusia County, Florida Volusia County (, ) is a county located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an increase of 11.9% from the 2 ...

, United States. The population was 43,080 at the 2020 census. Ormond Beach lies directly north of Daytona Beach and is a principal city of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is known as the birthplace of speed, as early adopters of motorized cars flocked to its hard-packed beaches for yearlong entertainment, since paved roads were not yet commonplace. Ormond Beach lies in Central Eastern Florida.

History

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 ...

n town of Nocoroco was located where the Tomoka River joins the

Halifax River The Halifax River is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, located in northeast Volusia County, Florida. The waterway was originally known as the North Mosquito River, but was renamed after George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax (for ...

, just north of present-day Ormond Beach, when Álvaro Mexía passed through it in 1605 on a mission to establish relations between

Spanish Florida Spanish Florida () was the first major European land-claim and attempted settlement-area in northern America during the European Age of Discovery. ''La Florida'' formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and th ...

and the Surruque and Ais peoples of the coast of what are now Volusia and Brevard counties. Little is known of what happened to inhabitants of the area after Mexía's visit. The city is named for James Ormond I, an Anglo-Irish-Scottish sea captain commissioned by King

Ferdinand VII of Spain Ferdinand VII (; 14 October 1784 – 29 September 1833) was Monarchy of Spain, King of Spain during the early 19th century. He reigned briefly in 1808 and then again from 1813 to his death in 1833. Before 1813 he was known as ''el Deseado'' (t ...

to bring

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

settlers to this part of Florida. Ormond had served

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

and Spain in the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

as a ship captain, and was rewarded for his services to Spain by King Ferdinand VII. Ormond later worked for the Scottish Indian trade company of Panton, Leslie & Company, and his armed brig was called the "Somerset". After returning to Spanish control, in 1821, Florida was acquired from Spain by the United States, but hostilities 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 of people collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Muscogee, Creek and Black Seminoles as well as oth ...

delayed settlement until after 1842. In 1875, the community was founded as New Britain by inhabitants from

New Britain, Connecticut New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The city is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol ...

, but would be incorporated on April 22, 1880, as the Town of Ormond for its early plantation owner. With its hard, white beach, Ormond became popular for the wealthy seeking relief from northern winters during the Floridian boom in tourism following 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 ...

. The St. Johns and Halifax Railway arrived in 1886, and the first bridge across the

was built in 1887. John Anderson and James Downing Price opened the Ormond Hotel on January 1, 1888.

Henry Flagler Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil, which was first based in Ohio. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder ...

bought the hotel in 1890 and expanded it to accommodate 600 guests. It would be one in a series of

Gilded Age In History of the United States, United States history, the Gilded Age is the period from about the late 1870s to the late 1890s, which occurred between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was named by 1920s historians after Mar ...

hotels catering to passengers aboard his

Florida East Coast Railway The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida, currently owned by Grupo México. Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a p ...

, which had purchased the St. Johns & Halifax Railroad. Once a well-known landmark which was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1980, the hotel was razed in 1992. On December 5, 1896, the Nathan F. Cobb, a wooden schooner built in 1890, ran aground on a sandbar off Ormond. One of Flagler's guests at the Ormond Hotel was his former business partner at the

Standard Oil Company Standard Oil Company was a corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil Company (Ohio), which had been founded in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller. The ...

John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was one of the List of richest Americans in history, wealthiest Americans of all time and one of the richest people in modern hist ...

. He arrived in 1914 and after four seasons at the hotel bought an estate called The Casements, that would be Rockefeller's winter home during the latter part of his life. Sold by his heirs in 1939, it was purchased by the city in 1973 and now serves as a cultural center. It is the community's best-known historical structure. Beginning in 1902, some of the first

automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

races were held on the compacted sand from Ormond south to Daytona Beach. Pioneers in the industry, including

Ransom Olds Ransom Eli Olds (June 3, 1864 – August 26, 1950) was an American businessman and executive who was known as a pioneer of the American automotive industry, whom the Oldsmobile and REO brands were named after. He claimed to have built his first ...

with his Pirate Racer, and

Alexander Winton Alexander Winton (June 20, 1860 – June 21, 1932) was a Scottish-American bicycle, automobile, and diesel engine designer and inventor, as well as a businessman and racecar driver. Winton founded the Winton Motor Carriage Company in 1897 in Clev ...

, tested their inventions. The

American Automobile Association American Automobile Association (AAA) is a federation of motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a privately held not-for-profit national member association and service organization with over 60 million members in the United States and Cana ...

brought timing equipment in 1903 and the area acquired the nickname the "Birthplace of Speed."Beginning
birthplaceofspeed2003.com ''birthplaceofspeed2003.com'' In 1907,

Glenn Curtiss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early a ...

set an unofficial world record of , on a 269 cu in (4,410 cc) Curtiss V-8 motorcycle. Lee Bible, in the record-breaking, but fatal,

White Triplex The White Triplex (also known as the "Triplex Special" and the "Spirit of Elkdom") was an American land speed record car built for J. H. White and driven by Ray Keech. It was powered by three 27-litre Liberty L-12, Liberty Aircraft engine, aero en ...

, was less fortunate. Driving on the beach is still permitted on some stretches. The municipality was officially renamed as the City of Ormond Beach following a referendum held on April 25, 1950. File:Royal Arch Oak.jpg, Royal Arch Oak in 1905 File:Ormond Hotel FL 1905.jpg, Ormond Hotel in 1905 File:Santa Lucia Orange Grove, Ormond, FL.jpg, Orange Grove in 1905 File:The Bostrom Oaks, Ormond, FL.jpg, Bostrom Oaks in 1908 Ormond Beach has four downtown riverfront parks and a beachfront park along with 37 other parks and gardens large and small. The historic shopping district located along Granada Boulevard from A1A to Orchard Street is home to dozens of locally owned shops and restaurants along with historic and cultural sites.

Geography

The approximate coordinates for the City of Ormond Beach is located at (29.286405, –81.074882). 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 which is land, and (18.12%) is water. Drained by the Tomoka River, Ormond Beach is located on the

lagoon and the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

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 Ormond Beach 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 43,080 people, 18,554 households, and 11,121 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 38,137 people, 16,617 households, and 10,408 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 36,301 people, 15,629 households, and 10,533 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 17,258 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.28%

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 ...

, 2.75%

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 ...

, 0.17% Native American, 1.44% Asian, 0.02%

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 ...

, 0.31% from other races, and 1.03% 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 2.20% of the population. In 2000, there were 15,629 households, out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.75. In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 27.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $43,364, and the median income for a family was $52,496. Males had a median income of $38,598 versus $26,452 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 $26,364. About 4.2% of families and 6.1% 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 7.3% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Ormond Beach is an active commercial and residential market in the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach MSA. Manufacturers enjoy a healthy business climate and engage in global marketing. Ormond Beach Business Park and Airpark, a foreign trade zone, is home to 29 companies that provide more than 2,000 jobs. Recent studies show the workforce to be educated, productive, and competitive with 10 percent underemployed. Seven colleges and universities and the Advanced Technology Center support business needs with career advancement, workforce development, and research. Education, health care, and government are the largest employment sectors within the area. Among the corporations that call Ormond Beach home are: *

Costa Del Mar Costa Del Mar or simply Costa is an American manufacturer of polarized sunglasses based in Daytona Beach No longer in Daytona Beach. Luxottica closed the facility when they purchased the brand. , Florida. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Essi ...

Headquarters (eye care products) * First Green Bank * Florida Production Engineering (automotive) *

Hawaiian Tropic Hawaiian Tropic is an American brand of suntan lotion that was founded by Ron Rice in 1969. Hawaiian Tropic became the largest private manufacturer of sun care products in the United States. The company was acquired by Playtex Products, Inc. in ...

- Tanning Research Laboratories (skin care products) * ABB Thomas & Betts/Homac (electrical connectors, utility products) * Hudson Technologies (deep draw manufacturer) * Microflex Inc. * U.S. Food Service (distributor) * Vital Aire (health care)

Government

The City of Ormond Beach has a commission-manager form of government.

City officials

Elected

Source: * Bill Partington, mayor * Lori Tolland, city commissioner, zone 1 * Travis Sargent, city commissioner, zone 2 * Susan Persis, city commissioner, zone 3 * Harold Briley, deputy mayor, city commissioner, zone 4

Appointed

* Joyce Shanahan, city manager * Susan Carroll Day city clerk

Sites of interest

Historic places * Anderson-Price Memorial Library Building * The Casements * Dix House * Bulow Creek State Park * Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens * North Peninsula State Park * Tomoka State Park

Transportation

Airports

The Ormond Beach Municipal Airport is the main airport in Ormond Beach. For more international travel, commuters would be required to drive to the

Daytona Beach International Airport Daytona Beach International Airport is a county-owned airport located three miles (5 km) southwest of Daytona Beach, next to Daytona International Speedway, in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The airport has 3 runways, a six-gate ...

Major Roads

* is the main north–south interstate highway along the east coast of the state. Two interchanges exist within the city. The first is at Exit 268, also known as

Florida State Road 40 State Road 40 (SR 40) is a east–west highway across northern and east-central Florida, running from U.S. Route 41 in Florida, U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) in Rainbow Lakes Estates, Florida, Rainbow Lakes Estates eastward through Ocala, F ...

and the second is at Exit 273, also known as

US 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort ...

(''see below''). * is the main local road through Ormond Beach, running north–south. It served as the main north–south highway in the state and the eastern half of the county until I-95 was built. The route enters the city from the south at the border with Holly Hill, Florida and leaves just north after the interchange with Interstate 95. * is the state prefixed and suffixed, scenic coastal alternate route to US 1, which also includes some county road spurs and extensions. * is the state suffixed alternate route of SR 5. *

Railroad

The main railroad line through Ormond Beach is the

, which had a station within the city. Ormond Beach contained a connection to the former Ormond Hotel, which was accessed via the St. Johns and Halifax Railway. Passenger service ended in during the strike of 1963. Freight service continues to operate along the Florida East Coast Railway, but makes no stops within Ormond Beach.

Media

Newspapers

* '' Daytona Beach News-Journal'', daily newspaper covering the greater Daytona Beach area * ''Hometown News'', community newspaper in print on Fridays and daily on the Internet * ''The Ormond Beach Observer'', a weekly newspaper published in print on Thursdays and daily online, part of the Observer Media Group *
Ormond Local Pulse
', a daily newsletter published daily by email and on the internet Focusing on local news for Ormond Beach and Ormond-By-The-Sea

Radio stations

AM

* WELE, 1380 AM, Ormond Beach, ''News/Talk''

FM

* WAVX-LP, 107.1 FM, Ormond Beach, ''Contemporary Christian'' * WHOG-FM, 95.7 FM, Ormond Beach, ''Classic Rock''

Notable people

* Paul America, actor * Adelbert Ames, the last surviving general officer of the

, who died at age 97, in 1933 * Lisa Andersen, pro surfer * Ben Brainard, stand-up comedian and social media personality *

Shirley Chisholm Shirley Anita Chisholm ( ; ; November 30, 1924 – January 1, 2005) was an American politician who, in 1968, became the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm represented New York's 12th congressional dist ...

, U.S. Congress member, U.S. presidential candidate *

David Allan Coe David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville. He ini ...

, musician * Bryan Collyer, racing driver * Phil Dalhausser, 2008 Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball * Jacob deGrom,

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

pitcher for the Texas Rangers * Jimmy Foster, racing driver * Alan Gustafson, NASCAR Cup Series crew chief for

Hendrick Motorsports Hendrick Motorsports is an American professional auto racing organization that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 1984 as All-Star Racing by Rick Hendrick. Hendrick Motorsports has won a NASCAR-record 316 Cup Series ra ...

* Brian Kelley, musician, member of

Florida Georgia Line Florida Georgia Line was an American country music duo founded in 2010 by vocalists and songwriters Tyler Hubbard of Georgia and Brian Kelley of Florida. Their 2012 debut single " Cruise" broke two major sales records: it was downloaded over ...

* Paul LePage, politician * Frederick Dana Marsh, artist *

, billionaire industrialist * Freelan Oscar Stanley and Francis Edgar Stanley, co-owners of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company * Corey Walden, professional basketball player, 2019

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

MVP * Harry Wendelstedt, baseball umpire

References

External links

City of Ormond Beach official website

Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce

Ormond Beach MainStreet

Historic Photographs from the Florida State Archives
* * {{Authority control Populated coastal places in Florida on the Atlantic Ocean Cities in Volusia County, Florida Seaside resorts in Florida Populated places established in 1875 Cities in Florida Beaches of Volusia County, Florida Beaches of Florida