Orlando, Florida
Encyclopedia
Orlando is a city in the central region
Central Florida
Central Florida is a regional designation for the area surrounding Orlando in east central Florida, United States. The area represents the third largest population concentration in Florida, after the South Florida and Tampa Bay regions, respectively....

 of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Orange County
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....

, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States. The Greater Orlando metropolitan area has a population of 2,134,411, making it the 27th largest metro area in the United States, the sixth largest metro area in the southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....

, and the third largest metro area in Florida. Orlando is the fifth largest city in Florida, and the state's largest inland city.

Orlando is nicknamed and its symbol is the fountain at Lake Eola. The current mayor is Buddy Dyer
Buddy Dyer
John Hugh "Buddy" Dyer is mayor of Orlando, Florida, first elected in 2003. He is a member of the United States Democratic Party. Previously he represented Orlando in the Florida State Senate for ten years, including three years when he was the Senate Democratic leader.-Early life:Dyer was born in...

. The city is best known for the Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...

 (located approximately 21 miles (33.8 km) southwest of Downtown Orlando in Lake Buena Vista
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake....

), founded by the Walt Disney Company in 1971, and for the Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort is a theme park resort in Orlando, Florida. It is wholly owned by NBCUniversal and its affiliates. The resort consists of two theme parks , Universal CityWalk , and three Loews Hotels...

 (which consists of two parks, Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...

 and Islands of Adventure
Islands of Adventure
Universal's Islands of Adventure is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened May 28, 1999 as part of an expansion that, along with CityWalk Entertainment District, the Portofino Bay Hotel, and Hard Rock hotel, converted Universal Studios Florida into the Universal Orlando Resort...

, as well as other attractions, including City Walk). Orlando is also home to the SeaWorld
SeaWorld
SeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, and animal theme parks owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. There are operations in Orlando,...

 theme park, Gatorland
Gatorland
Gatorland is a theme park and wildlife preserve located along South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando, Florida. It was founded by Owen Godwin in 1949, and still privately owned by his family today...

, as well as Wet 'n Wild Water Park. With the exception of Walt Disney World, most major attractions are located along International Drive
International Drive
International Drive is the main tourist strip of Orlando, Florida, located several miles southwest of proper Downtown Orlando in the southernmost limits of the city...

. The city's famous attractions form the backbone of Orlando's tourism industry, making the city the most visited American city in 2009. The city is also one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions. Like other major cities in the Sun Belt
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt or Spanish Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the South and Southwest . Another rough boundary of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel, north latitude. It is the largest region which the U.S government does not recognize officially...

, Orlando grew rapidly during the 1980s and well into the first decade of the 21st century
21st century
The 21st century is the current century of the Anno Domini era or the Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The century began on January 1, 2001 and will end on December 31, 2100. The years from 2001 to 2010 are historical; the years from 2011 to 2100 are subject to futurology and...

. Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...

, which is the second largest university in the United States in terms of enrollment (as of 2011).

Orlando attracts approximately 47 million tourists a year (3.3 million of them are international tourists). Its airport, the Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...

 (MCO), is the thirteenth busiest airport in the United States, and the 29th busiest in the world.

Pre-European history

Before European settlers arrived in 1836, Orlando was sparsely populated by the Creek and other Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

 tribes. There are very few archaeological sites in the area today, except for the ruins of Fort Gatlin along the shores of modern-day Lake Gatlin south of downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by East Marks St in the north, Mills Ave in the east, Orange Blossom Trail in the west, and Kaley Ave in the south...

. There have also been some instances in which construction projects yielded arrowheads or musket bullets.

Namesakes

Prior to being known by its current name, Orlando was known as Jernigan. This originates from the first permanent settler, Aaron Jernigan
Aaron Jernigan
Aaron David Jernigan was the first settler of what is now Orange County, Florida. Originally from Georgia, he lived for a time in the Tallahassee area before moving to Orange County in 1843...

, a cattleman who acquired land along Lake Holden by the terms of the Armed Occupation Act
Armed Occupation Act
The Florida Armed Occupation Act of 1842 was passed as an incentive to populate Florida. The Act granted 160 acres  of unsettled land south of the line separating townships 9 and 10 South....

 of 1842.

City officials and local legend say the name Orlando originated from a soldier named Orlando Reeves
Orlando Reeves
According to one tale on the origin of the name of Orlando, Florida, Sentinel Orlando Reeves was an American soldier who was killed during the Seminole War, when he was about to fire a warning shot to his fellow soldiers....

 who died in 1835 during a supposed attack by Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

 in the area during the Second Seminole War
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...

. Reeves was acting as a sentinel for a company of soldiers that had set up camp for the night on the banks of Sandy Beach Lake (now Lake Eola). There are conflicting legends, however, as an in-depth reviews of military records in the 1970s and 1980s turned up no record of Orlando Reeves ever existing. The legend grew throughout the early 1900s, particularly with local historian Kena Fries' retelling in various writings and on local radio station WDBO in 1929. A memorial beside Lake Eola – originally placed by students of Orlando's Cherokee Junior School in 1939 – designates the spot where the city's supposed namesake fell.

Local historians have come up with a more credible version of the "Reeves" story. During the Second Seminole War, the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 established an outpost at Fort Gatlin, a few miles south of the modern downtown, in 1838, but it was quickly abandoned when the war came to an end. Most pioneers did not arrive until after the Third Seminole War in the 1850s. Many early residents made their living by cattle ranching. One such resident was a South Carolinian Orlando Savage Rees. Rees owned several large estates in Florida and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

. On two separate occasions, relatives of Rees claimed their ancestor was the namesake of the city. F.K. Bull of South Carolina (Rees' great-grandson) told an Orlando reporter of a story in 1955; years later, Charles M. Bull Jr. of Orlando (Rees' great-great-grandson) offered local historians similar information. Rees most certainly did exist and was in Florida during that time period: in 1832 John James Audubon
John James Audubon
John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats...

 met with Rees in his large estate at Spring Garden, about 45 minutes away from Orlando. In 1837, Rees also attempted to stop a peace Treaty with the Indians because it did not reimburse him for the loss of slaves and crops. The story goes Rees' sugar farms in the area were burned out in the Seminole attacks in 1835 (the year Orlando Reeves supposedly died). Subsequently, he led an expedition to recover stolen slaves and cattle. It is believed he could have left a pine-bough marker with his name next to the trail, and later residents misread the sign as "Reeves" and thought it was grave. In the years since the telling of this story, it has merged with the Orlando Reeves story. Some variants attempt to account for Reeves having no military records by using the name of another 'Orlando' that exists in some written records – Orlando Acosta. Not much is known about Acosta and if he even existed.

In 1975, local historian, and then chairman of the county historical commission, Judge Donald A. Cheney put forth a new version of the story in an Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...

 article. Cheney is the son of Judge John Moses Cheney
John Moses Cheney
John Moses Cheney was an American lawyer and judge.Cheney was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He graduated from Boston University School of Law with an LL.B. in 1886....

, a major figure in Orlando's history who arrived in Orlando in 1885. John Cheney knew James Speer – another major figure who proposed the name of Orlando. Cheney's retelling relates how Speer proposed the name Orlando after one of the main characters in the Shakespeare play As You Like It
As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...

. Speer, "was a gentleman of culture and an admirer of William Shakespeare...According to him, [Orlando] was a veritable Forest of Arden, the locale of As You Like It." One of the main streets in downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by East Marks St in the north, Mills Ave in the east, Orange Blossom Trail in the west, and Kaley Ave in the south...

 is named Rosalind Avenue, after Rosalind
Rosalind (As You Like It)
Rosalind is a fictional character and the romantic female lead in the comedy As You Like It by William Shakespeare.She is the daughter of the exiled Duke Senior and niece to his usurping brother Duke Frederick. After angering her uncle, she leaves his court for exile in the Forest of Arden...

, the heroine of the play. Speer's descendants have also confirmed this version of the naming and the legend has continued to grow.

What is known for certain is Jernigan became Orlando in 1857. The move is believed to be sparked, in part, by Aaron Jernigan's fall from grace after he was relieved of his military command by military officials in 1856. His behavior was so notorious that Secretary of War Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...

 wrote, "It is said they [Jernigan's militia] are more dreadful than the Indians." At a meeting in 1857, debate had grown concerning the name of the town. Pioneer William B. Hull recalled how Speer rose in the heat of the argument and said, "This place is often spoken of as 'Orlando's Grave.' Let's drop the word 'grave' and let the county set be Orlando." Through this retelling of history, it is believed that a marker of some sort was indeed found by Jernigan (or one of the other original pioneers); but, others claim Speer simply used the folk legend to help push for the Shakespearian name.

Incorporation

After Mosquito County was divided in 1845, Orlando became the county seat of the new Orange County in 1856. It remained a rural backwater during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, and suffered greatly during the Union blockade
Union blockade
The Union Blockade, or the Blockade of the South, took place between 1861 and 1865, during the American Civil War, when the Union Navy maintained a strenuous effort on the Atlantic and Gulf Coast of the Confederate States of America designed to prevent the passage of trade goods, supplies, and arms...

. The Reconstruction Era brought on a population explosion, which led to Orlando's incorporation as a town on July 31, 1875, and as a city in 1885.

The period from 1875 to 1895 is remembered as Orlando's Golden Era, when it became the hub of Florida's citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...

 industry. But the Great Freeze
Great Freeze
The Great Freeze refers to the winter of 1894-1895, especially in Florida where the brutally cold weather destroyed much of the nation's citrus crop. It was also known for wiping out the Royal Palm tree from central Florida.-Weather Records:...

 of 1894–95 forced many owners to give up their independent grove
Grove (nature)
A grove is a small group of trees with minimal or no undergrowth, such as a sequoia grove, or a small orchard planted for the cultivation of fruits or nuts...

s, thus consolidating holdings in the hands of a few "citrus barons" who shifted operations south, primarily around Lake Wales
Lake Wales, Florida
Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,194 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 11,802 . It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 in Polk County
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...

.
Notable homesteaders in the area included the Curry family. Through their property in east Orlando flowed the Econlockhatchee River
Econlockhatchee River
The Econlockhatchee River is a north-flowing blackwater tributary of the St. Johns River that flows through Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties in Florida. Its name means "River of mounds"...

, which travelers crossed by fording
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...

. This would be commemorated by the street's name, Curry Ford Road. Also, just south of the airport in the Boggy Creek area was 150 acre (0.607029 km²) of property homesteaded in the late 19th century by the Ward family. This property is still owned by the Ward family, and can be seen from flights out of MCO southbound immediately on the south side of SR-417.

After Industrial Revolution

Orlando, as Florida's largest inland city, became a popular resort during the years between the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...

 and World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. In the 1920s, Orlando experienced extensive housing development during the Florida Land Boom. Land prices soared. During this period several neighborhoods in downtown were constructed, endowing it with many bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...

s. The boom ended when several hurricanes hit Florida in the late 1920s, along with the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

.

During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, a number of Army personnel were stationed at the Orlando Army Air Base and nearby Pinecastle Army Air Field. Some of these servicemen stayed in Orlando to settle and raise families. In 1956 the aerospace and defense company Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta Corporation was an American company founded in 1961 through the merger of The Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. The combined company became a leader in chemicals, aerospace, and electronics. In 1995, it merged with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin. The...

 (now Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....

) established a plant in the city. Orlando AAB and Pinecastle AAF were transferred to the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 in 1947 when it became a separate service and were re-designated as air force bases (AFB). In 1958, Pinecastle AFB was renamed McCoy Air Force Base
McCoy Air Force Base
With McCoy's closure as an active air force installation in 1975, the site was redeveloped and is known today as Orlando International Airport, which carries the airport code MCO .- History :...

 after Colonel Michael N.W. McCoy, a former commander of the 320th Bombardment Wing at the installation, killed in the crash of a B-47 Stratojet bomber north of Orlando. In the 1960s, the base subsequently became home to the 306th Bombardment Wing of the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...

 (SAC), operating B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...

 and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, in addition to detachment operations by EC-121 and U-2
Lockheed U-2
The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...

 aircraft.

Tourism in history

Perhaps the most critical event for Orlando's economy occurred in 1965 when Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...

 announced plans to build Walt Disney World. Although Disney had considered the regions of Miami and Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...

 for his park, one of the major reasons behind his decision not to locate there was due to hurricanes — Orlando's inland location, although not free from hurricane damage, exposed it to less threat than coastal regions. The vacation resort opened in October 1971, ushering in an explosive population and economic growth for the Orlando metropolitan area, which now encompasses Orange
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....

, Seminole
Seminole County, Florida
Seminole County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. Located between Orlando to the south and Deland and Daytona Beach to the north, it is part of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. Its county seat and largest city is Sanford...

, Osceola
Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...

, and Lake
Lake County, Florida
Lake County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 210,528. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 307,243. Its county seat is Tavares...

 counties. As a result, tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

 became the centerpiece of the area's economy. Orlando now has more theme parks and entertainment attractions than anywhere else in the world.

Another major factor in Orlando's growth occurred in 1962, when the new Orlando Jetport, the precursor of the present day Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...

, was built from a portion of the McCoy Air Force Base
McCoy Air Force Base
With McCoy's closure as an active air force installation in 1975, the site was redeveloped and is known today as Orlando International Airport, which carries the airport code MCO .- History :...

. By 1970, four major airlines (Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...

, National Airlines
National Airlines (NA)
National Airlines was an airline founded in 1934 and was headquartered on the grounds of Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States near Miami.- History :...

, Eastern Airlines and Southern Airways
Southern Airways
Southern Airways was a regional airline operating in the United States from its founding by Frank Hulse in 1949 until 1979 when it merged with North Central Airlines to become Republic Airlines, which on October 1, 1986, became part of Northwest Airlines, which in 2008 became a part of Delta Air...

) were providing scheduled flights. McCoy Air Force Base
McCoy Air Force Base
With McCoy's closure as an active air force installation in 1975, the site was redeveloped and is known today as Orlando International Airport, which carries the airport code MCO .- History :...

 officially closed in 1975, and most of it is now part of the airport. The airport still retains the former Air Force Base airport code (MCO).

Present day

Today, the historic core of "Old Orlando" resides in Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by East Marks St in the north, Mills Ave in the east, Orange Blossom Trail in the west, and Kaley Ave in the south...

 along Church Street, between Orange Avenue and Garland Avenue. Urban development and the Central Business District
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...

 of downtown have rapidly shaped the downtown skyline during recent history. The present-day historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....

 is primarily associated with the neighborhoods around Lake Eola where century old oaks line brick streets. These neighborhoods, known as "Lake Eola Heights" and "Thornton Park," contain some of the oldest homes in Orlando.

Geography and cityscape

The geography of Orlando is mostly wetlands, consisting of many lakes and swamps. The terrain is generally flat, making the land fairly low and wet. The area is dotted with hundreds of lakes, the largest of which is Lake Apopka
Lake Apopka
Lake Apopka is the third largest lake in the U.S. state of Florida. It is located northwest of Orlando, mostly within the bounds of Orange County, although the western part is in Lake County. Fed by a natural spring, rainfall and stormwater runoff, water from Lake Apopka flows through the...

. Central Florida's bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...

 is mostly limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

 and very porous; the Orlando area is susceptible to sinkholes. Probably the most famous incident involving a sinkhole happened in 1981 in Winter Park, a city immediately north of downtown Orlando, dubbed ""The Winter Park Sinkhole".

There are 115 neighborhoods within the city limits of Orlando and many unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 communities. Orlando's city limits resemble a checkerboard, with pockets of unincorporated Orange County surrounded by city limits. Such an arrangement can be cumbersome as some areas are served by both Orange County and the City of Orlando. This also explains Orlando's relatively low city population when compared to its metropolitan population. The city and county are currently working together in an effort to "round-out" the city limits with Orlando annexing portions of land already bordering the current city limits.

Climate

Orlando's climate is transitional, with many characteristics of a tropical climate, but is situated on the southern fringe of the humid subtropical climate
Humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...

 zone, Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...

 Cfa. There are two major seasons each year. One is hot and rainy, lasting from June until late September (roughly coinciding with the Atlantic hurricane season
Atlantic hurricane season
The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year when hurricanes usually form in the Atlantic Ocean. Tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic are called hurricanes, tropical storms, or tropical depressions. In addition, there have been several storms over the years that have not been fully...

). The other is the dry, warm season (October through May) bringing less frequent rainfall, yet still with warm temperatures. The area's warm and humid climate is caused primarily by its low elevation, its position relatively close to the Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer, also referred to as the Northern tropic, is the circle of latitude on the Earth that marks the most northerly position at which the Sun may appear directly overhead at its zenith...

, and its location in the center of a peninsula. Many characteristics of its climate are a result of its proximity to the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...

, which flows around the peninsula of Florida.

During the height of Orlando's humid summer season, temperatures rarely fall below 70 °F (21.1 °C), and daytime highs average in the 90s (32–37 °C). The area's humidity acts as a buffer, usually preventing actual temperatures from exceeding 100 °F (37.8 °C), but also pushing the heat index
Heat index
The heat index is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity in an attempt to determine the human-perceived equivalent temperature — how hot it feels, termed the felt air temperature. The human body normally cools itself by perspiration, or sweating, which evaporates and carries...

 to over 110 °F (43.3 °C). The city's highest recorded temperature is 101 °F (38.3 °C), set July 2, 1998. During these months, strong afternoon thunderstorms occur almost daily. These storms are caused by air masses from the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...

 and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 colliding over Central Florida. They are highlighted by spectacular lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...

 and can also bring heavy rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...

 (sometimes several inches per hour) and powerful wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...

s as well as occasional damaging hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...

.

During the cooler seasons, humidity is lower and temperatures are more moderate, and can fluctuate more readily. Average daytime highs in January are about 72 °F (22.2 °C), and average nighttime lows are around 50 °F (10 °C). Temperatures dip below 32 °F (0 °C) on an average of two nights per annum, and the lowest recorded temperature is 19 °F (-7.2 °C), set on January 21, 1985. Because the winter season is dry and freezing temperatures usually occur only after cold fronts (and their accompanying precipitation) have passed, snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...

 is exceptionally rare. The only accumulation ever to occur in the city proper since recordkeeping began was in 1948, though surrounding areas did accumulate 6" in a snow event in 1977. It is also likely that accumulations occurred in connection with the Great Blizzard of 1899
Great Blizzard of 1899
The Great Blizzard of 1899 was an unprecedented winter weather event that affected the southern United States. What made it historic was both the severity of winter weather and the extent of the U.S. it affected, especially in the South. The first reports indicated record-high barometric pressure...

. Trace flurries have also been observed in 1989 and 2010.

The average annual rainfall in Orlando is 48.35 inches (122.8 cm), most of it occurring in the period from June to September. The months of October through May are Orlando's driest season. During this period (especially in its later months), there is often a wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...

 hazard. During some years, fires have been severe. In 1998, a strong El Niño
El Niño-Southern Oscillation
El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a quasiperiodic climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean roughly every five years...

 caused an unusually wet January and February, followed by drought throughout the spring and early summer, causing a record wildfire season that created numerous air quality alerts in Orlando and severely impacted normal daily life, including the postponement of that year's Pepsi 400
Coke Zero 400
The Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona is a 160 lap, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held annually, beginning in 1959, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida; the second major stock car event held at Daytona on the Sprint Cup circuit...

 NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 race in nearby Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...

.

Orlando is a major population center and has a considerable hurricane risk, although it is not as high as in South Florida's urban corridor or other coastal regions. Since the city is located 42 miles (67.6 km) inland from the Atlantic and 77 miles (123.9 km) inland from the Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes usually weaken before arriving. Storm surges are not a concern since the region is 100 feet (30.5 m) above sea level. Despite its location, the city does see strong hurricanes. During the notorious 2004 hurricane season
2004 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2004 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2004, and lasted until November 30, 2004. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...

, Orlando was hit by three hurricanes that caused significant damage, with Hurricane Charley
Hurricane Charley
Hurricane Charley was the third named storm, the second hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Charley lasted from August 9 to August 15, and at its peak intensity it attained 150 mph winds, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane on the...

 the worst of these. The city also experienced widespread damage during Hurricane Donna
Hurricane Donna
Hurricane Donna in the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season was a Cape Verde-type hurricane which moved across the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispanola, Cuba, The Bahamas, and every state on the East Coast of the United States...

 in 1960.

Tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...

es are not usually connected with the strong thunderstorms of the summer. They are more common during the infrequent storms of winter, as well as in passing hurricanes. The two worst major outbreaks in the area's history, a 1998 outbreak that killed 42 people and a 2007 outbreak that killed 21, both happened in February.

Over the course of a typical year, there are 89 clear days, 147 partly cloudy days, and 132 cloudy days.

Skyscrapers

Metro Orlando has a total of 71 completed skyscrapers. The majority are located in Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by East Marks St in the north, Mills Ave in the east, Orange Blossom Trail in the west, and Kaley Ave in the south...

 and the rest are located in the tourist district southwest of downtown. Skyscrapers built in downtown Orlando have not exceeded 441 ft (134 m) since 1988 when SunTrust Center
SunTrust Center
The SunTrust Center is a skyscraper located in the Central Business District of Orlando, Florida. Rising to , it is the tallest building in Orlando and Central Florida. Completed in 1988, it has 35 stories and 30 floors of usable office space. Originally named the Sun Bank Center, the name changed...

 was completed. There has never been an official reason why, but local architects speculate restrictions imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...

, as the Orlando Executive Airport
Orlando Executive Airport
Orlando Executive Airport is a public-use airport located three nautical miles east of the central business district of Orlando, a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is owned by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority...

 is located four miles (6 km) east of downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by East Marks St in the north, Mills Ave in the east, Orange Blossom Trail in the west, and Kaley Ave in the south...

.

Downtown Orlando

  • The SunTrust Center
    SunTrust Center
    The SunTrust Center is a skyscraper located in the Central Business District of Orlando, Florida. Rising to , it is the tallest building in Orlando and Central Florida. Completed in 1988, it has 35 stories and 30 floors of usable office space. Originally named the Sun Bank Center, the name changed...

    , 1988, 441 ft (134 m), is the tallest skyscraper
    Skyscraper
    A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...

     in Central Florida.
  • The Vue at Lake Eola
    The Vue at Lake Eola
    The VUE at Lake Eola is a residential skyscraper in Downtown Orlando. It is the third tallest building in the city; being only two feet shorter than the Peabody Orlando and shorter than the Suntrust Center. It houses 34 floors of condos and has penthouses on its top level...

    , 2008, 426 ft (130 m) tall, but with 35 stories it has more stories than the SunTrust Center.
  • The Orange County Courthouse
    Orange County Courthouse (Florida)
    The Orange County Courthouse, located in Orlando, Florida, United States, comprises the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida and its associated offices, including Orange County's County Court. "The [courthouse] complex includes a 23-level courthouse tower, two five-story office buildings for the...

    , 1997, 416 ft (127 m).
  • The Bank of America Center (Orlando)
    Bank of America Center (Orlando)
    The Bank of America Center is a 404 foot skyscraper in Downtown Orlando. The building is one of the tallest in the city and is a unique part of the skyline. Its collection of 10 spires gives it an almost gothic appearance, and its staircase design makes it similar in appearance to another Bank of...

     (Formerly Barnett
    Barnett Bank
    Barnett Bank, founded in 1877, eventually became the largest commercial bank in Florida with over 600 offices and $41.2 billion in deposits. The purchase by NationsBank was announced August 29, 1997, but even before signs on Barnett's branches were changed, NationsBank merged with BankAmerica in...

     Plaza),1988, 409 ft (125 m)
  • 55 West on the Esplanade
    55 West on the Esplanade
    55 West is an apartment tower in Downtown Orlando. The building overlooks Church Street Station and stands next to the Suntrust Center. Built in 2009 the building is the fifth tallest building in downtown.-Details:...

    , 2009, 377 ft (115 m)
  • Solaire at the Plaza
    Solaire at the Plaza
    Solaire at the Plaza is a residential tower in Downtown Orlando. The tower is directly above the Premier Trade Plaza. Both were built at exactly the same time and have similar design. The building, like much of the other towers, has a crown that is lit at night...

    , 2006, 359 ft (109 m)
  • Dynetech Center, 2009, 357 ft (109 m)
  • Citrus Center, 1971, 258 ft (79 m) was the first skyscraper constructed in Orlando.
  • Premier Trade Plaza Orlando, 2006, 256 ft (78 m)
  • CNL Center City Commons
    CNL Center City Commons
    CNL Center City Commons is a complex of buildings in Downtown Orlando. The main building is a 250 foot tall skyscraper that is the headquarters of CNL Bank. The complex is also home to Orlando's current city hall, which was built after in the old one was demolished in the same area. The demolition...

    , 1999, 250 ft (76 m)
  • Downtown Orlando Information Center, 2008 located at Seaside Plaza across from the SunTrust Tower

Outside Downtown Orlando

  • Orlando International Airport
    Orlando International Airport
    Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...

     ATC
    Air traffic control
    Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...

     Tower, 2002, 346 ft (105 m)
  • The SeaWorld SkyTower
    SeaWorld SkyTower
    The SeaWorld SkyTower is an observation tower located in the SeaWorld Orlando theme park complex. The tower is the tallest observation tower in Florida, and contains a double decker rotating pod. The tower is the only attraction in the park requiring a separate admission fee...

    , 400 ft (122 m), was the tallest tower in Orange County outside Orlando's city limits until surpassed by the Peabody.
  • The Peabody
    The Peabody Orlando
    The Peabody Orlando is a hotel located next to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. The 28-storey, 891-room hotel was originally constructed in 1986. Opened in late 2010, a $450 million renovation of the hotel added a 34 story building and resort amenities...

     Expansion Tower, Winter 2010, 428 ft (130 m), is the tallest tower in Orange County outside Orlando's city limits.

Demographics

Orlando Demographics
2010 Census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...

Orlando Orange County Florida
Total population 238,300 1,145,956 18,801,310
Population, percent change, 2000 to 2010
28.2% 27.8% 17.6%
Population density 2,327.3/sq mi 1,268.5/sq mi 350.6/sq mi
White or Caucasian (including White Hispanic) 57.6% 63.6% 75.0%
(Non-Hispanic White or Caucasian
Non-Hispanic Whites
Non-Hispanic Whites or White, Not Hispanic or Latino are people in the United States, as defined by the Census Bureau, who are of the White race and are not of Hispanic or Latino origin/ethnicity. Hence the designation is exclusive in the sense that it defines who is not included as opposed to who is...

)
41.3% 46.0% 57.9%
Black or African-American 28.1% 20.8% 16.0%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 25.4% 26.9% 22.5%
Asian 3.8% 4.9% 2.4%
Native American or Native Alaskan 0.4% 0.4% 0.4%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%
Two or more races (Multiracial)
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...

3.4% 3.4% 2.5%
Some Other Race 6.6% 6.8% 3.6%


As of 2010, there were 121,254 households out of which 15.4% were vacant. As of 2000, 24.5% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.4% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.97.

In 2000, the city's population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 37.3% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% 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 91.3 males.

In 2000, the median income  for a household in the city was $35,732, and the median income for a family was $40,648. Males had a median income of $30,866 versus $25,267 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

  for the city was $21,216. About 13.3% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

Orlando is also home to one of the nation's highest population percentage of LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...

 people. According to a study by UCLA, 7.7% of Orlando's population is gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....

, lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...

, bisexual or transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....

; and with 5.7% of the entire metropolitan population, it ranks 9th in the nation.

Orlando has the largest population of Puerto Ricans in Florida and their cultural impact on Central Florida
Central Florida
Central Florida is a regional designation for the area surrounding Orlando in east central Florida, United States. The area represents the third largest population concentration in Florida, after the South Florida and Tampa Bay regions, respectively....

 is similar to that of the large Cuban
Cubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...

 population in South Florida. Orlando is home to the fastest growing Puerto Rican community in the country. Orlando also has a large and growing West Indian and Jamaican
Jamaican American
Jamaican Americans are Americans of Jamaican heritage or Jamaican-born people who live in the United States of America. American citizenship is not a prerequisite of being a Jamaican American as permanent residents are also given this title....

 population.

Languages

As of 2000, 75.43% of all residents speak English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 as their first language
First language
A first language is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity...

, while 16.60% speak Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

, 1.93% speak Haitian Creole, 1.33% speak French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

, and 0.99% of the population speak Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...

 as their mother language.

According to the American Community Survey, 69.3% of Orlando's residents over the age of five spoke only English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 at home. Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

-speakers represented 19.2% of Orlando's population. Speakers of other Indo-European languages
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...

 made up 9.0% of the city's population. Those who spoke an Asian language
Languages of Asia
There is a wide variety of languages spoken throughout Asia, comprising a number of families and some unrelated isolates. Many languages have a long tradition of writing.-Central and North Asian languages:*Turkic**Azeri**Kazak**Kyrgyz**Tatar**Turkish...

 made up 1.9% of the population, and speakers of other languages made up the remaining 0.6% of the populace.

Metropolitan Statistical Area

Orlando is the hub city of the Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area
Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area
Greater Orlando, also called the Orlando Metropolitan Area and known for census purposes as the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida Metropoltian Statistical Area, is a metropolitan area in the central part of the US state of Florida. Its principal cities are Orlando and the smaller municipalities of...

, colloquially known as "Greater Orlando" or "Metro Orlando". The area encompasses four counties (Orange
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....

, Osceola
Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...

, Seminole
Seminole County, Florida
Seminole County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. Located between Orlando to the south and Deland and Daytona Beach to the north, it is part of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. Its county seat and largest city is Sanford...

 and Lake
Lake County, Florida
Lake County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 210,528. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 307,243. Its county seat is Tavares...

), and is currently the 27th-largest metro area in the United States with a 2007 Census-estimated population of 2,032,496.

In 2000, the population of Orlando's urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...

 was 1,157,431, making it the 3rd largest in Florida and the 35th largest in the United States. As of 2009, the estimated Urban Area population of Orlando is 1,377,342.

When Combined Statistical Area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...

s were instituted in 2000, Orlando was initially joined together with The Villages, Florida
The Villages, Florida
The Villages is a master-planned age-restricted retirement community located mainly in Sumter County, Florida, United States, but also includes portions of Lake and Marion counties. The community is controlled by several Community Development Districts , most of which are controlled by H. Gary...

, Micropolitan Statistical Area, to form the Orlando-The Villages, Florida, Combined Statistical Area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...

. In 2006, the metropolitan areas of Deltona
Deltona, Florida
Deltona is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida and is the largest city in Volusia County. It is located east of DeBary and north of Lake Monroe. It is the twenty-ninth largest city in Florida, with a 2010 Census population of 85,182...

 (Volusia County
Volusia County, Florida
Volusia County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 official county's population was 494,593 . Its county seat is DeLand, and its most populous city is currently Deltona....

) and Palm Coast (Flagler County
Flagler County, Florida
Flagler County was created in 1917 from portions of Saint Johns and Volusia counties. It was named for Henry Morrison Flagler, a famous railroad builder who built the Florida East Coast Railway. Bunnell is the county seat of Flagler County....

) were added to create the Orlando-Deltona-Daytona Beach, Florida, Combined Statistical Area. This new larger CSA has a total population (as of 2007) of 2,693,552, and includes three of the 25 fastest-growing counties in the nation—Flagler ranks 1st; Osceola, 17th; and Lake, 23rd.

Crime

Orlando is the 3rd most dangerous city in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The Orlando police and the Orange County Sheriff's Office have blamed some of the city's crime on gangs, due to the fact that there were 62 active gangs operating in Orlando in 2005.

Economy

Industry

Orlando is a major industrial and hi-tech center. The metro area has a $13.4 billion technology industry employing 53,000 people ; and is a nationally recognized cluster of innovation in digital media, agricultural technology, aviation, aerospace, and software design. More than 150 international companies, representing approximately 20 countries, have facilities in Metro Orlando.

Orlando has the 7th largest research park in the country, Central Florida Research Park
Central Florida Research Park
The Central Florida Research Park, is a research park abutting the main campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, United States...

, with over 1025 acres (4.1 km²). It is home to over 120 companies, employs more than 8,500 people, and is the hub of the nation’s military simulation and training programs. Metro Orlando is home to the simulation procurement commands for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.

Lockheed-Martin has a large manufacturing facility for missile systems, aeronautical craft and related high tech research. Other notable engineering firms have offices or labs in Metro Orlando: KDF, General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...

, Harris
Harris Corporation
Harris Corporation is a Florida-based international communications equipment company that produces wireless equipment, electronic systems, and both terrestrial and spaceborne antennas for use in the government, defense, and commercial sectors. It is also the largest private-sector employer in...

, Mitsubishi Power Systems
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...

, Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....

, Veritas
VERITAS Software
Veritas Software Corp. was an international software company that was founded in 1983 as Tolerant Systems, renamed Veritas Software Corp. in 1989, and merged with Symantec in 2005. It was headquartered in Mountain View, California...

/Seagate
Seagate Technology
Seagate Technology is one of the world's largest manufacturers of hard disk drives. Incorporated in 1978 as Shugart Technology, Seagate is currently incorporated in Dublin, Ireland and has its principal executive offices in Scotts Valley, California, United States.-1970s:On November 1, 1979...

, multiple USAF facilities, Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD
NAWCTSD
The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division of the US Navy is located in Orlando, Florida in the Central Florida Research Park at University of Central Florida. The land and main buildings on which the main NAWCTSD facility is located inside the Research Park is a U.S. Government...

), Delta Connection
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...

 Academy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a private university in the US specializing in aviation and aerospace engineering. It teaches the science, practice, and business of aviation and aerospace. Called "The Harvard of the Sky" by Time Magazine in 1979, Embry-Riddle has a history dating back to...

, GE
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...

, Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation (AFAMS), U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), United States Army Research, Development and Engineering Command
United States Army Research, Development and Engineering Command
The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command is a major subordinate command of the Army Materiel Command, and is charged with "creating, integrating and delivering technology-enabled solutions to our Soldiers." With its headquarters at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, RDECOM...

 United States Army Simulation and Training Technology Center
United States Army Simulation and Training Technology Center
The United States Army Simulation and Training Technology Center provide the United States Department of Defense and United States Department of Homeland Security with state-of-the-art applied research to develop simulation technologies, build on current simulation knowledge, and understand system...

 (STTC), AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...

, Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...

, CAE Systems Flight & Simulation Training, Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...

, Institute for Simulation and Training, National Center for Simulation
National Center for Simulation
The National Center for Simulation is an association of primarily defense industry companies.It was created in 1993 to support collaboration among the defense industry, government, and academia....

, Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...

, and Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...

 Systems. The Naval Training Center until a few years ago was one of the two places where nuclear engineers were trained for the US Navy. Now the land has been converted into the Baldwin Park development. Numerous office complexes for large corporations have popped up along the Interstate 4
Interstate 4
Interstate 4 is a intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida . It also has the Florida Department of Transportation designation of State Road 400, but only a small...

 corridor north of Orlando, especially in Maitland
Maitland, Florida
Maitland is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States, part of the Greater Metro Orlando area. The population was 12,019 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 14,172...

, Lake Mary
Lake Mary, Florida
Lake Mary is a city in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,456 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 15,230...

 and Heathrow
Heathrow, Florida
Heathrow is a census-designated place and an unincorporated suburban community in Seminole County, Florida, United States. Heathrow is located on the I-4 Corridor in Central Florida, 19 miles Northeast of Orlando and 38 miles Southwest of Daytona Beach...

.

Orlando is close enough to Patrick Air Force Base
Patrick Air Force Base
Patrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick. An Air Force Space Command base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing...

, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...

, and Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...

 for residents to commute to work from the city's suburbs. It also allows easy access to Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral is a cruise, cargo and naval port in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world with nearly 2.8 million multi-day cruise passengers passing through during 2010. As a deep water cargo port, it has a high volume of traffic. Over of bulk...

, a cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...

 terminal.

Orlando is the home base of Darden Restaurants
Darden Restaurants
Darden Restaurants, Inc. is a multi-brand restaurant operator headquartered in an unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida, near Orlando. The firm owns several casual dining restaurant chains, most notably Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Red Lobster...

, the parent company of Red Lobster
Red Lobster
Red Lobster is a U.S. chain of seafood restaurants. It also operates in Canada, the UAE and Japan . It is aimed at the mid-level "casual dining" segment of the market...

 and Olive Garden
Olive Garden
Olive Garden is an American restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. It is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in an unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida, near Orlando. Olive Garden operates more than 730 locations globally.- History :The...

 and the largest operator of restaurants in the world by revenue. In September 2009 it moved to a new headquarters and central distribution facility.

Film, television, and entertainment

Another important sector is the film, television, and electronic gaming industries, aided by the presence of Universal Studios
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...

, Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...

, Full Sail University
Full Sail Real World Education
Full Sail University is a for profit trade school located in Winter Park, Florida, and founded in 1979 in Dayton, Ohio, as Full Sail Recording Workshop. Full Sail relocated to Florida in 1980, adding video production and film production courses and, with the move in 1989 to its current campus,...

, UCF College of Arts and Humanities
University of Central Florida College of Arts and Humanities
The UCF College of Arts and Humanities is an academic college of the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida, USA. The dean of the college is José Fernández, Ph.D....

, the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy
Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy
The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy is a graduate school of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida, USA...

, and other entertainment companies and schools. The U.S. modeling, simulation, and training
Institute for Simulation and Training
The Institute for Simulation and Training is a research institute of the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida, USA. The director of the school is Randall Shumaker....

 (MS&T) industry is centered on the Orlando region as well, with a particularly strong presence in the Central Florida Research Park
Central Florida Research Park
The Central Florida Research Park, is a research park abutting the main campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, United States...

 adjacent to University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...

 (UCF). Nearby Maitland is the home of Tiburon, a division of the video game company Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...

. Tiburon Entertainment was acquired by EA in 1998 after years of partnership, particularly in the Madden NFL
Madden NFL
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...

 series and NCAA Football series
NCAA Football series
NCAA Football is a football video game series in which you play as any current Division I FBS college team. This game is developed by EA Sports. Because of NCAA rules, current college players are not permitted to be used as the cover athletes...

 of video games.

Healthcare

Orlando has two non-profit hospital systems: Orlando Health
Orlando Health
Orlando Health is a private, not-for-profit network of community and specialty hospitals based in Orlando, FL. Orlando Health comprises Orlando Regional Medical Center, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, South Seminole Hospital,...

 and Florida Hospital
Adventist Health System
The Adventist Health System is a non-profit health care organisation which operates facilities within the Southern and Midwestern regions of the United States...

. Orlando Health's Orlando Regional Medical Center
Orlando Regional Medical Center
Orlando Regional Medical Center , is a 808-bed tertiary hospital in downtown Orlando, Florida.-External links:* Official Website* Official Website...

 is home to Central Florida's only Level I trauma center
Trauma center
A trauma center is a hospital equipped to provide comprehensive emergency medical services to patients suffering traumatic injuries. Trauma centers grew into existence out of the realization that traumatic injury is a disease process unto itself requiring specialized and experienced...

, and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies
Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies
Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies is a 285-bed hospital located in Orlando, Florida, United States, and is a part of Orlando Health.- External links :* Official Website* Official Website...

 and Florida Hospital Orlando
Florida Hospital Orlando
Located in Orlando, Florida, Florida Hospital treats over 32,000 inpatients and 53,600 outpatients annually. This 900+ bed, acute-care community hospital also serves as a major tertiary facility for much of the Southeast...

 have the area's only Level III neonatal intensive care unit
Neonatal intensive care unit
A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit —also called a Special Care Nursery, newborn intensive care unit, intensive care nursery , and special care baby unit —is an intensive care unit specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants.The problem of premature and congenitally ill infants is not a...

s. Orlando's medical leadership will be further advanced with the completion of University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...

's College of Medicine, a new VA Hospital
Veterans Health Administration
The Veterans Health Administration is the component of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs led by the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health that implements the medical assistance program of the VA through the administration and operation of numerous VA outpatient clinics,...

 and the new Nemours Children’s Hospital, which will be located in a new medical district in the Lake Nona area of the city.

Housing and employment

Historically, the unemployment rate in Greater Orlando was low, which resulted in growth that led to urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...

 in the surrounding area and, in combination with the United States housing bubble
United States housing bubble
The United States housing bubble is an economic bubble affecting many parts of the United States housing market in over half of American states. Housing prices peaked in early 2006, started to decline in 2006 and 2007, and may not yet have hit bottom as of 2011. On December 30, 2008 the...

, to a large increase in home prices. Metro Orlando's unemployment rate in June 2010 was 11.1 percent, was 11.4 percent in April 2010, and was about 10 percent in about the same time of year in 2009. Housing prices in Greater Orlando went up 34% in one year, from an average of $182,000 in August 2004 to $245,000 in August 2005, and eventually to a record $255,000 in February 2007. From there, with the economic meltdown, prices plummeted, with the average bottoming out at $94,950 in January 2011.

Tourism

For tourist information, see Wikitravel:Orlando.

A vital part of the Orlando area economy is tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

. The Orlando area is home to Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...

, Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort is a theme park resort in Orlando, Florida. It is wholly owned by NBCUniversal and its affiliates. The resort consists of two theme parks , Universal CityWalk , and three Loews Hotels...

, and SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park, and marine-life based zoological park, near Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group...

. Over 48 million visitors came to the Orlando region in 2004. The convention industry is also critical to the region's economy. The Orange County Convention Center
Orange County Convention Center
The Orange County Convention Center is the primary public convention center for the Central Florida region. The center currently ranks as the second largest convention center in the United States . The OCCC offers of total space, of which is exhibit space...

, expanded in 2004 to over two million square feet (200,000 m²) of exhibition space, is now the second-largest convention complex in terms of space in the United States, trailing only McCormick Place
McCormick Place
McCormick Place is the largest convention center in the United States. It is made up of four interconnected buildings sited on and near the shore of Lake Michigan, about 4 km south of downtown Chicago, Illinois, USA. McCormick Place hosts numerous trade shows, including the Chicago Auto Show,...

 in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

. The city vies with Chicago and Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

 for hosting the most convention attendees in the United States.

The Walt Disney World resort is the area's largest attraction with its many facets such as the Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...

, Epcot
Epcot
Epcot is a theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort, located near Orlando, Florida. The park is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was initially named...

, Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...

, Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom is an animal theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort. The fourth park built at the resort, it opened on April 22, 1998, and it is the largest single Disney theme park in the world, covering more than . It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely...

, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, and Downtown Disney
Downtown Disney (Florida)
Downtown Disney is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Downtown Disney is open to the public, requires no admission fee, and offers complimentary parking and transportation to all Disney-operated Walt Disney...

. SeaWorld Orlando is a large park that features numerous zoological displays and marine animals alongside an amusement park with roller coasters and water park. Universal Orlando, like Walt Disney World, is a multi-faceted resort comprising Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...

, CityWalk
Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort is a theme park resort in Orlando, Florida. It is wholly owned by NBCUniversal and its affiliates. The resort consists of two theme parks , Universal CityWalk , and three Loews Hotels...

, and Islands of Adventure
Islands of Adventure
Universal's Islands of Adventure is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened May 28, 1999 as part of an expansion that, along with CityWalk Entertainment District, the Portofino Bay Hotel, and Hard Rock hotel, converted Universal Studios Florida into the Universal Orlando Resort...

. The Wet 'n Wild water park is another famous attraction. SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park, and marine-life based zoological park, near Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group...

 also comprises more than one park, alongside Aquatica and Discovery Cove
Discovery Cove
Discovery Cove is a theme park in Greater Orlando, Florida. Guests can interact with a variety of marine animals, most notably bottlenose dolphins. The park is located adjacent to sister parks SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica. In addition to swimming with dolphins, Discovery Cove guests can interact...

. Orlando attractions also appeal to many locals who want to enjoy themselves close to home.

Hotels

Orlando has the most hotels, and the second largest number of hotel rooms in the country (after Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

), and is one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions. Accommodations in Orlando historically catered to the budget-conscious family and few luxury hotel options existed outside of Walt Disney World property. With the expansion of the Orange County Convention Center in 2004, luxury hotels began opening in the city. This started with the opening of the JW Marriott Orlando and the Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 75 properties located in major cities and resorts in 24 countries worldwide...

 Orlando at Grande Lakes. As of 2010, Orlando offers several 4 Star hotels throughout the market. The newest luxury hotel to open in Orlando is the Waldorf Astoria-Orlando, completed in 2010. It is the first Waldorf Astoria built from the ground up since the flagship hotel opened in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 in 1931.

Golf

Numerous golf courses can be found in the city, with the most famous being Bay Hill Club and Lodge
Bay Hill Club and Lodge
The Bay Hill Club and Lodge is a private golf resort located in Bay Hill, near Orlando, Florida. It has been owned by Arnold Palmer since 1974. The club is the host to the annual Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour.- External links :**...

, home to the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Orlando ranks as the fourth most popular city, based on where people want to live, according to a 2009 Pew Research Center study.

Entertainment and performing arts

The hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

, metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

, rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

, reggaeton
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...

 and Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...

 music scenes are all active within the city. Orlando is known as "Hollywood East" because of numerous movie studios in the area. Major motion picture production was active in the city during the mid-to-late 1990s, but has slowed in the past decade. Probably the most famous film-making moment in the city's history occurred with the implosion of Orlando's previous City Hall for the movie Lethal Weapon 3
Lethal Weapon 3
Lethal Weapon 3 is a 1992 American action film directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo and Stuart Wilson. It is a sequel to Lethal Weapon and Lethal Weapon 2, and it is part of the Lethal Weapon film series.The movie is set in 1992, six years after...

. Orlando is now a large production center for television shows, direct-to-video productions, and commercial production. In early 2011, filmmaker Marlon Campbell constructed A-Match Pictures and Angel Media Studios; a multi-million dollar film and recording facility that has been added to the list of major studios in the city.

Until recently, Walt Disney Feature Animation operated a studio in Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...

 at the Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...

. Feature Animation-Florida was primarily responsible for the films Mulan, Lilo & Stitch
Lilo & Stitch
This article is about the movie. For the television series, see Lilo & Stitch: The Series.Lilo & Stitch is a 2002 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released on June 21, 2002...

, and the early stages of Brother Bear
Brother Bear
Brother Bear is a 2003 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures, the forty-fourth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics. In the film, an Inuit boy pursues a bear in revenge for a battle that he provoked in which...

 and contributed on various other projects. Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...

's Soundstage 21 is home to TNA Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...

's flagship show TNA Impact!
TNA iMPACT!
Impact Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that currently airs in the United States and Canada on Spike...

. Nickelodeon Studios, which through the 1990s produced hundreds of hours of GAK-filled game shows targeted at children , no longer operates out of Universal Studios Florida. The Florida Film Festival
Florida Film Festival
The Florida Film Festival, produced by Enzian Theater in Maitland, Florida, is an annual international film festival. Showcasing the best American independent and foreign films, the festival has become one of the most respected regional film events in the United States.-Overview:The Festival...

 which takes place in venues throughout the area is one of the most respected regional film festivals in the country and attracts budding filmmakers from around the world. Orlando is very popular among independent filmmakers. Orlando's indie film scene has been active since Haxan Film's The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur footage. The film was produced by the Haxan Films production company. The film relates the story of three student filmmakers The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur...

 (1999) and a few years later with Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is a South African actress, film producer and former fashion model.She rose to fame in the late 1990s following her roles in 2 Days in the Valley, Mighty Joe Young, The Devil's Advocate and The Cider House Rules...

 winning her Academy Award for Monster (2003). A Florida state film incentive has also helped increase the number of films being produced in Orlando and the rest of the state.

The Orlando Metropolitan Area is home to a substantial theater population. Several professional and semi-professional houses and many community theaters include the Central Florida Ballet, Orlando Shakespeare Theater
Orlando Shakespeare Theater
The Orlando began its first season with two Shakespearean productions in 1989. Based in Florida in Orlando's Loch Haven Park, Orlando Shakes has performed 41 mainstage productions of Shakespeare's works...

, Orlando Repertory Theatre, Mad Cow Theatre
Mad Cow Theatre
Mad Cow Theatrebegan in late 1997 as a simple two-show project between a group of actors/directors in a former blueprint studio in Maitland, Florida...

, and IceHouse Theatre in Mount Dora
Mount Dora, Florida
Mount Dora is a U.S. city in Lake County, Florida. As of July 1, 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the Mount Dora population at 11,564. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

. Orlando Theatre Project
Orlando Theatre Project
The Orlando Theatre Project is a nonprofit professional theatre company based in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. The company was founded in 1985 and operates under an Actors' Equity Association contract....

, closed in 2009. Additionally, both University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...

 and Rollins College
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....

 (Winter Park) are home to theater departments that attract an influx of young artists to the area.

The Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre
Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre
The Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre is a major performing arts auditorium in Orlando, Florida and seats 2,518. It is part of the larger Orlando Centroplex organization which manages several facilities....

 hosts national Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

 tours on a regular basis. This venue, built in 1926, will be replaced by the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts in 2012.

In 2007, Orlando became the host city for the World Ballet Competition, a yearly event bringing together dancers from around the world to compete.

The Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival
Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival
The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival is a 13 day annual arts festival held during the month of May in Orlando, Florida. The festival includes theater, music, dance, and art. It was the first American Fringe Festival and has now grown to be one of the largest in the United States...

, which draws touring companies from around the world, is hosted in various venues over Orlando's Loch Haven Park every spring. At the festival, there are also readings and fully staged productions of new and unknown plays by local artists. Also in the spring, there is The Harriett Lake Festival of New Plays, hosted by Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Founded in 2002, the Orlando Cabaret Festival showcases local, national, and internationally renowned cabaret artist to Mad Cow Theatre in Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by East Marks St in the north, Mills Ave in the east, Orange Blossom Trail in the west, and Kaley Ave in the south...

 each spring.

Orlando is home to several dinner theaters, as well, including: " Medieval Times, " " Arabian Nights, " and " Pirates Dinner Adventure, " to name more major ones. " Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede " sat down in Orlando, until early 2008, when the company decided to close this fourth, and newest location.

Shopping malls

  • The Florida Mall
    The Florida Mall
    The Florida Mall is a large enclosed shopping mall in Orlando, Florida. It opened its doors in 1986. It is located on the southeast corner of Orange Blossom Trail and Sand Lake Road. The mall has over 250 stores...

     is the largest mall in Orlando and one of the largest single-story malls in the USA at over 1849000 sq ft (171,777.7 m²). There are over 250 stores, seven anchor department stores, and the Florida Mall Hotel & Conference Center Tower. It is located outside the city proper in unincorporated Orange County
    Orange County, Florida
    Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....

  • The Mall at Millenia
    The Mall at Millenia
    The Mall at Millenia is an upscale contemporary indoor shopping mall located in Orlando, Florida just off of Interstate 4 at Conroy Road near the northern end of International Drive. Opened in 2002, it has over 150 stores, and is anchored by Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Neiman Marcus...

     is a contemporary two-level upscale shopping mall, including the department stores of Bloomingdale's
    Bloomingdale's
    Bloomingdale's is an American department store owned by Macy's, Inc. .Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side...

    , Macy's
    Macy's
    Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...

    , and Neiman Marcus
    Neiman Marcus
    Neiman Marcus, formerly Neiman-Marcus, is a luxury specialty retail department store operated by the Neiman Marcus Group in the United States. The company is headquartered in the One Marcus Square building in Downtown Dallas, Texas, and competes with other department stores such as Saks Fifth...

    . The mall covers an area of 1,118,000 ft² (103,866 m²). IKEA
    IKEA
    IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...

     Orlando opened adjacent to the mall on November 14, 2007.
  • Orlando Fashion Square
    Orlando Fashion Square
    The Orlando Fashion Square Mall is a two-story indoor shopping mall located in Orlando, Florida. It is anchored by Dillard's, JC Penney, Macy's and Sears....

     is the nearest indoor shopping mall to Downtown Orlando
    Downtown Orlando
    Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by East Marks St in the north, Mills Ave in the east, Orange Blossom Trail in the west, and Kaley Ave in the south...

     and one of the first to open in the city. The mall features 4 anchor department stores and a 14-screen Premiere Cinema theater.
  • Festival Bay Mall
    Festival Bay Mall
    Festival Bay Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located on International Drive in Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened in 2002 as a property of the Belz Factory Outlets, it is owned by FB Orlando Acquisition Company, LLC and managed by Paragon Outlet Partners LLC. The mall is in size with Bass...

     on International Drive
    International Drive
    International Drive is the main tourist strip of Orlando, Florida, located several miles southwest of proper Downtown Orlando in the southernmost limits of the city...

     is home to stores, a skate park, and a theater.

Sports

Orlando is the home city of the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...

 NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 team, the Orlando City S.C. USL Pro
USL Pro
The USL Professional Division, commonly known as USL Pro , is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011....

 soccer team, the Orlando Predators
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 19 seasons in a row, as of the season, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000...

 Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...

 team, and the UCF Knights
UCF Knights
The UCF Knights are the athletics teams of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. All of UCF's varsity sports teams are known as the Knights, with the women's teams sometimes referred to as the "Lady Knights." The Knights, which includes the university's 16 varsity sports teams,...

 college athletics teams. The city will host the 2012 NBA All-Star Game
2012 NBA All-Star Game
The 2012 NBA All-Star Game is an exhibition basketball game that is scheduled be played on February 26, 2012 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, home of the Orlando Magic. This game will be the 61st edition of the National Basketball Association All-Star Game and will be played during the 2011–12...

 (pending resolution of the 2011 NBA lockout
2011 NBA lockout
The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . The owners began the work stoppage at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011. The main issues dividing the owners and the players are revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap...

) in the new Amway Center which opened in late 2010.

It has also been home to several successful minor league sports teams which have won two Arena Bowls, two titles in ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

, three titles in minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...

, one title in soccer, one title in arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....

, and one title in roller hockey
Roller hockey
Roller Hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using skates with wheels. The term "Roller Hockey" is often used interchangeably to refer to two variant forms chiefly differentiated by the type of skate used. There is traditional "Roller Hockey," played with quad roller skates, and...

.

Orlando was once home to the Orlando Solar Bears part of the International Hockey League until the league folded in 2001.

Many major athletes are from Orlando, such as baseball players A.J. Pierzynski and Johnny Damon
Johnny Damon
Johnny David Damon is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. From 2000–2008, he was third among active players in runs and seventh in hits and stolen bases . He is currently second among active leaders in triples , five behind Carl Crawford...

, football players Warren Sapp
Warren Sapp
Warren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...

, Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson (running back)
Christopher Duan Johnson is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League...

, Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather is an American football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 24th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Meriweather's mother gave birth to him when...

, Deacon Jones
Deacon Jones
David D. "Deacon" Jones is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.Jones specialized in quarterback sacks, a term attributed to him...

, Brandon Siler, Mike Sims-Walker, Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall
-2006:Before the regular season even began, Marshall suffered a slight tear to his PCL in a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions. Although the injury sidelined him for a couple of weeks, he was able to return and play 15 games during the regular season. Marshall had a total of 20 catches, 309...

, and basketball players Amar'e Stoudemire and Darius Washington, and soccer player Michelle Akers
Michelle Akers
Michelle Akers is a former leading American association football player, who starred in the historic 1991 and 1999 Women's World Cup victory by the U.S.. She won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the 1991 tournament...

. Orlando is home to many notable athletes former and present, including baseball players Carlos Peña
Carlos Peña
Carlos Felipe Peña is a Dominican professional baseball left-handed first baseman. He played previously with the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs.Although he was born in Santo Domingo and his family is from San Francisco de Macorís,...

, Frank Viola
Frank Viola
Frank John Viola, Jr. is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins , New York Mets , Boston Red Sox , Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays . A three-time All-Star, he was named World Series MVP with the Twins in 1987 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 1988...

, Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...

; basketball players Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...

; and many golfers, including Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...

, Mark O'Meara
Mark O'Meara
Mark Francis O'Meara is an American professional golfer who was a prolific tournament winner on the PGA Tour and around the world from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s...

 and Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...

. The area's golf professionals reside largely in the Isleworth and Lake Nona neighborhoods.

Media

Orlando is the center of the 19th-largest media market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...

 in the United States according to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...

 as of the 2010-11 TV season. Its primary newspaper, Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...

, is the second-largest newspaper in Florida by circulation. The Sentinels Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

 edition, El Sentinel
El Sentinel (Orlando)
El Sentinel also known as El Sentinel de Orlando is a weekly Spanish-language newspaper published in Orlando, Florida for Florida Central area by the Sun-Sentinel Company, a subsidiary of the Tribune Company of Chicago, which also publish the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.The South Florida area on the...

, is the largest Spanish language newspaper in Florida.

Newspapers

  • Orlando Sentinel
    Orlando Sentinel
    The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...

  • Orlando Business Journal
    Orlando Business Journal
    Orlando Business Journal is a newspaper in Orlando, Florida, United States covering general business news, major events in Florida and around the world, with sections on global news and local news, business news and political news, Florida cultural life and newspaper classified ads...

  • Orlando Weekly
    Orlando Weekly
    The Orlando Weekly is an alternative newsweekly distributed in the Greater Orlando area of Florida. It features local news, views, arts, entertainment, local music coverage, an events calendar and classifieds...

  • The Watermark

Government

Orlando is governed via the mayor-council system. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote. The six members of the city council are each elected from districts.

Mayor: Buddy Dyer
Buddy Dyer
John Hugh "Buddy" Dyer is mayor of Orlando, Florida, first elected in 2003. He is a member of the United States Democratic Party. Previously he represented Orlando in the Florida State Senate for ten years, including three years when he was the Senate Democratic leader.-Early life:Dyer was born in...



City Council:
  • District 1: Phil Diamond
  • District 2: Tony Ortiz
  • District 3: Robert Stuart
  • District 4: Patty Sheehan
  • District 5: Daisy W. Lynum
  • District 6: Samuel Ings

Education

Public primary and secondary education is handled by Orange County Public Schools
Orange County Public Schools
Orange County Public Schools is the public school district for Orange County, Florida. It is based out of the Educational Leadership Center, a seven-story building adjacent to the Amway Arena in Downtown Orlando. As of October 2009, OCPS has an enrollment of over 175,000 students, making it the...

. Some of the private schools include Orlando Lutheran Academy
Orlando Lutheran Academy
The Orlando Lutheran Academy was a private Lutheran school, grades 6-12, located in Orlando, Florida. The school's creed stated the school as being "dedicated to excellence, integrity, and service." Since it's inception in 1975, OLA remained one of the few Lutheran schools in Florida, and won...

, Forest Lake Academy
Forest Lake Academy
Forest Lake Academy is a private high school outside Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.-The Lake Winyah School:...

, The First Academy
The First Academy
The First Academy is a Christian private school in Orlando, Florida. The school was founded in 1986 and will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2012!...

, Trinity Preparatory School
Trinity Preparatory School
Trinity Preparatory School of Florida is an independent college preparatory day-school for students in grades 6 to 12, located east of Winter Park, Florida, a suburb of Orlando. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church.-History:...

, Lake Highland Preparatory School
Lake Highland Preparatory School
Lake Highland Preparatory School is a private school in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1970. It is the largest private school in Orlando. Lake Highland Preparatory School is a Pre-K through 12, coeducational, private, day school situated on a campus on Lake Highland in the heart of Orlando...

, Bishop Moore High School
Bishop Moore High School
Bishop Moore Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando, Florida. It remains the only Catholic high school in Greater Orlando. It is located within the Diocese of Orlando. The school was built in 1954 and was named after Bishop John...

 and Orlando Christian Prep
Orlando Christian Prep
Orlando Christian Prep is an independent, coeducational PK-12 Baptist day school located in Orlando, Florida. It is an extension of the work of Orlando Baptist Church. Orlando Christian Prep is home to approximately 400 students from pre-kindergarten through high school and has programs in...

.

Area institutions of higher education

State universities

  • University of Central Florida
    University of Central Florida
    The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...

  • Florida A&M University College of Law
    Florida A&M University College of Law
    Florida A&M University College of Law or FAMU College of Law is an ABA-accredited law school in Orlando, Florida, United States. It is part of Florida A&M University.-History:...


State colleges

  • Valencia College
  • Seminole State College of Florida (Sanford
    Sanford, Florida
    Sanford is a city in, and the county seat of, Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 38,291 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 50,998...

    , Oviedo
    Oviedo, Florida
    Oviedo is a city in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,316 as of the 2000 census. As of 2009, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 32,961...

    , and Altamonte Springs
    Altamonte Springs, Florida
    Altamonte Springs is a city in Seminole county in the U.S. state of Florida, which had a population of 41,496 at the 2010 census. Located primarily in Seminole County, the city is in the northern suburbs of the Orlando–Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the United States...

    )

Private universities, colleges, and others

  • Anthem College, Orlando Campus
  • Asbury Theological Seminary
    Asbury Theological Seminary
    Asbury Theological Seminary is a multi-denominational, graduate institution that offers a variety of master degree and postgraduate degree programs through the schools of Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation, Theology and Formation, Practical Theology, World Missions and Evangelism, and...

    , Orlando Campus
  • Belhaven University, Orlando Campus
  • Columbia College, Orlando Campus
  • Connecticut School of Broadcasting
    Connecticut School of Broadcasting
    The Connecticut School of Broadcasting is a national career college based in Farmington, Connecticut, United States with a focus on Television and Radio certification and training in areas such as television anchoring, commercial radio performance and journalism including production...

    , Orlando Campus
  • DeVry University
    DeVry University
    DeVry University and DeVry Institute of Technology are divisions of DeVry Inc , a proprietary, for-profit higher education organization that is also the parent organization for Keller Graduate School of Management, Ross University, American University of the Caribbean, Apollo College, Western...

    , Orlando campus
  • Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law
    Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law
    The Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law law school located in Orlando, Florida. The school is an academic college of Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. Barry Law offers various programs for full-time and part-time students, including a three-year daytime program and a four-year extended...

    , Barry University
    Barry University
    Barry University is a private, Catholic university, which was founded in 1940 in Miami Shores, Florida, a suburb north of Downtown Miami. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami....

  • Florida Institute of Technology
    Florida Institute of Technology
    Florida Institute of Technology, also known as Florida Tech, is an independent private technical research university located in Melbourne, Florida, United States. Founded in 1958 as Brevard Engineering College, the institute has been known by its present name since 1966. Florida Tech's curriculum...

    , Orlando campus
  • Florida Metropolitan University
    Florida Metropolitan University
    Everest University, formerly Florida Metropolitan University is a system of for-profit universities with most of their campuses located in the state of Florida in the United States. The Everest University System also has campuses located throughout the United States and Canada, making it one of...

    , Orlando campus
  • Full Sail University (in Winter Park
    Winter Park, Florida
    Winter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...

    )
  • Herzing College
    Herzing College
    Herzing University is a for-profit, career-focused institution of higher education that awards diplomas, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees and master's degrees in a variety of disciplines...

     (in Winter Park)
  • Hindu University of America
    Hindu University of America
    The Hindu University of America, also known as the International Vedic Hindu University, is a U.S. non-profit educational institution based in Orlando, Florida...

  • International Academy of Design & Technology-Orlando
    International Academy of Design & Technology-Orlando
    The International Academy of Design and Technology in Orlando, which was founded in 1977, offers students the opportunity to obtain a Bachelor’s or Associate degree. IADT - Orlando offers a variety of academic programs, including a Fashion Design & Merchandising Program, Game Design & Development...

  • ITT Technical Institute
    ITT Technical Institute
    ITT Technical Institute is a for-profit technical institute with over 130 campuses in 38 states of the United States. ITT Tech is owned and operated by ITT Educational Services, Inc. , a publicly traded company headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. ITT Educational Services, Inc...

    , Lake Mary Campus
  • Keiser University
    Keiser University
    Keiser University is a private university that provides educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels in traditional and online delivery formats...

    , Orlando Campus
  • McBurney College (Orlando Campus)
  • Nova Southeastern University
    Nova Southeastern University
    Nova Southeastern University, commonly referred to as NSU or Nova, is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian, research university located in Broward County, Florida, with its main campus in the town of Davie...

    , Orlando campus
  • Palm Beach Atlantic University
    Palm Beach Atlantic University
    Palm Beach Atlantic University is a comprehensive nondenominational faith-based university with a core emphasis on character formation by integrating a Christian worldview with the liberal arts and selected professional studies...

    , Orlando Campus
  • Reformed Theological Seminary
    Reformed Theological Seminary
    Reformed Theological Seminary is a non-denominational, evangelical Protestant seminary. RTS's first campus remains in Jackson, Mississippi, United States though the school has expanded to include several additional campuses.-Founding:...

    , Orlando campus
  • Remington College
    Remington College
    Remington College is an affiliated group of privately owned non-profit post-secondary educational institutions. Remington Colleges, Inc. operates 20 campuses in several US states. Some of the affiliated institutions have been in operation since the 1940s. It is a for-profit college...

     of Nursing, Lake Mary, FL
  • Rollins College
    Rollins College
    Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....

     (in Winter Park)
  • Strayer University
    Strayer University
    Strayer University, formerly Strayer College of Baltimore, Maryland, is a private, for-profit educational institution. The Strayer University campuses are owned by Strayer Education, Inc. , headquartered in Herndon, Virginia....

    , Orlando campus
  • University of Florida
    University of Florida
    The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...

     College of Pharmacy
    University of Florida College of Pharmacy
    The University of Florida College of Pharmacy is an American pharmacy school founded in 1923 and located in Gainesville, Florida. The Doctor of Pharmacy program is fully accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education....

     (in Apopka
    Apopka, Florida
    Apopka is a city located in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,969 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2006, the city grew to 53,563. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area. Apopka is an Indian word for “Potato...

    )
  • University of Phoenix
    University of Phoenix
    The University of Phoenix is a for-profit institution of higher learning. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group Inc. which is publicly traded , an S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona...

    , Orlando campus
  • Webster University
    Webster University
    Webster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...

    , Orlando Campus

Airports

  • The Orlando International Airport
    Orlando International Airport
    Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...

     (MCO) is Orlando's primary airport and currently the second busiest airport in the state of Florida closely behind Miami International Airport
    Miami International Airport
    Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...

    . The airport serves as a secondary hub and corporate headquarters for AirTran Airways
    AirTran Airways
    AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...

     and focus city for Southwest Airlines
    Southwest Airlines
    Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...

     and JetBlue Airways
    JetBlue Airways
    JetBlue Airways Corporation is an American low-cost airline. The company is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. Its main base is John F. Kennedy International Airport, also in Queens....

    . The airport serves as a major international gateway for the mid-Florida region with major foreign carriers including Lufthansa
    Lufthansa
    Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...

    , British Airways
    British Airways
    British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...

    , Air France
    Air France
    Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...

    , Virgin Atlantic, Aer Lingus
    Aer Lingus
    Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...

    , TAM, and Aeromexico
    Aeroméxico
    Airways of Mexico, SA de CV , operating as Aeroméxico, is the flag carrier airline of Mexico based in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. It operates scheduled domestic and international services to North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia...

    .
  • The Orlando Sanford International Airport
    Orlando Sanford International Airport
    Orlando-Sanford International Airport is a public commercial air service airport in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. It was originally constructed as a military installation known as Naval Air Station Sanford that was in operation as a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance...

     (SFB) in nearby suburb of Sanford
    Sanford, Florida
    Sanford is a city in, and the county seat of, Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 38,291 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 50,998...

     serves as a secondary airport for the region and is a focus city airport for Allegiant Air
    Allegiant Air
    Allegiant Air is an American low-cost airline owned by Allegiant Travel Co. that operates scheduled and charter flights. Allegiant Travel Company is a publicly traded company with 1,300 employees and one billion USD market capitalization...

    .
  • The Orlando Executive Airport
    Orlando Executive Airport
    Orlando Executive Airport is a public-use airport located three nautical miles east of the central business district of Orlando, a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is owned by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority...

     (ORL) near Downtown Orlando serves primarily executive jets, flight training schools, and general small-aircraft aviation.

Major highways

  • Interstate 4
    Interstate 4
    Interstate 4 is a intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida . It also has the Florida Department of Transportation designation of State Road 400, but only a small...

     is Orlando's primary interstate highway. Orlando is the second-largest city served by one interstate, preceding Austin, Texas
    Austin, Texas
    Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

     and is the largest metropolitan area in the US serviced by a single interstate. The interstate begins in Tampa, Florida
    Tampa, Florida
    Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

     and travels northeast across the mid-section of the state directly through Orlando ending in Daytona Beach. As a key connector to Orlando's suburbs, downtown, area attractions, and both coasts, I-4 commonly experiences heavy traffic and congestion. I-4 is also known as State Road 400.
  • East-West Expressway (Toll 408) is a major east to west highway managed by the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority
    Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority
    The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority is an expressway authority responsible for construction, maintenance and operation of toll roads in Orange County, Florida, United States, which includes the city of Orlando. It was founded in 1963 for the purpose of building the Bee Line Expressway,...

    . The highway intersects with I-4 in Downtown Orlando
    Downtown Orlando
    Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by East Marks St in the north, Mills Ave in the east, Orange Blossom Trail in the west, and Kaley Ave in the south...

     providing a key artery for residents commuting from eastern and western suburbs including the University of Central Florida
    University of Central Florida
    The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...

     area. The highway also intersects with the Central Florida Greeneway (Toll 417) and Florida's Turnpike
    Florida's Turnpike
    Florida's Turnpike , designated as the Ronald Reagan Turnpike, and originally known as the Sunshine State Parkway is a north–south toll road that runs through 11 counties in the Florida peninsula, from U.S...

    . By late 2006 the I-4/408 interchange had almost completed undergoing a major overhaul that creats multiple fly-over bridges and connectors to ease heavy traffc. The agency recently finished construction of lane expansions, new toll plazas, and sound barriers along the roadway, though much work remains to be done.
  • Beachline Expressway (Toll 528) provides key access to the Orlando International Airport
    Orlando International Airport
    Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...

     and serves as a gateway to the Atlantic coast, specifically Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral.
  • Central Florida Greeneway (Toll 417) is a key highway for East Orlando, the highway is also managed by the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority
    Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority
    The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority is an expressway authority responsible for construction, maintenance and operation of toll roads in Orange County, Florida, United States, which includes the city of Orlando. It was founded in 1963 for the purpose of building the Bee Line Expressway,...

     and serves as Orlando's eastern beltway. The highway intersects with the East-West Expressway (Toll 408), the Beachline Expressway (Toll 528), and begins and ends on Interstate 4.
  • Daniel Webster Western Beltway (Toll 429) serves as Orlando's western beltway. The highway serves as a "back entrance" to Walt Disney World from Orlando's northwestern suburbs including Apopka via Florida's Turnpike
    Florida's Turnpike
    Florida's Turnpike , designated as the Ronald Reagan Turnpike, and originally known as the Sunshine State Parkway is a north–south toll road that runs through 11 counties in the Florida peninsula, from U.S...

    .
  • John Land Apopka Expressway (Toll 414) A new east to west tollway serving northern Orlando. Phase I opened on February 14, 2009 and extends from US 441
    U.S. Route 441 in Florida
    U.S. Route 441 in Florida is a north–south United States Highway. It runs from Miami in South Florida northwest to the Georgia border north of the Lake City area....

     to Florida State Road 429. Phase II will link SR 429 to US 441 several miles west of the current SR 429 intersection.

  • Florida's Turnpike
    Florida's Turnpike
    Florida's Turnpike , designated as the Ronald Reagan Turnpike, and originally known as the Sunshine State Parkway is a north–south toll road that runs through 11 counties in the Florida peninsula, from U.S...

     (Toll 91) is a major highway that connects northern Florida with Orlando and terminates in Miami.

Rush hours and traffic

Orlando, like other major cities, experiences gridlock and traffic jams daily, especially when commuting from the northern suburbs in Seminole County
Seminole County, Florida
Seminole County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. Located between Orlando to the south and Deland and Daytona Beach to the north, it is part of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. Its county seat and largest city is Sanford...

 south to downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....

 and from the eastern suburbs of Orange County to Downtown. Heavy traffic is also common in the tourist district south of downtown. Rush hours (peak traffic hours) are usually weekday mornings (after 7am) and afternoons (after 4pm). There are various traffic advisory resources available for commuters including dialing 5-1-1
5-1-1
5-1-1, initially designated for road weather information, is a transportation and traffic information telephone hotline in some regions of the United States and Canada. Travelers can dial the three-digit telephone number 5-1-1 on traditional landline telephones and most mobile phones. It is an N11...

 (a free automated traffic advisory system provided by the Florida Department of Transportation
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of the Florida State Road Department...

, available by dialing 511), visiting the Florida 511 Web site, listening to traffic reports on major radio stations, and reading electronic traffic advisory displays (also called Variable-message signs, information is also provided by FDOT) on the major highways and roadways.

Rail

The Orlando area is served by one through railroad, CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

's A line (formerly the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...

's main line), and some spurs, mostly operated by the Florida Central Railroad
Florida Central Railroad (current)
The Florida Central Railroad is one of several short line railroads run by the Pinsly Railroad Company. Its only interchange point is with CSX in downtown Orlando, Florida; it has trackage rights from there south to Taft Yard...

. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

 passenger service runs along the CSX A line. See also a map of these railroads.
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

 intercity passenger rail service operates from the Orlando Amtrak Station
Orlando (Amtrak station)
The Orlando Amtrak station lies south of Downtown Orlando, about a mile south of the old stations at Church Street and Central Boulevard. It was built in 1926 by M. A. Griffith and W. T. Hadlow for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in the Spanish Mission style, and used by the Seaboard Coast Line...

 south of downtown. The Mission Revival-style
Mission Revival Style architecture
The Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century for a colonial style's revivalism and reinterpretation, which drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California....

 station has been in continuous use since 1927, first for the Atlantic Coast Line
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...

, then the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad was a former Class I railroad company operating in the Southeastern United States beginning in 1967. Its passenger operations were taken over by Amtrak in 1971...

 (signage for which is still displayed over the station's main entrance). Amtrak's Silver Meteor
Silver Meteor
The Silver Meteor is a 1389-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Silver Service brand, running from New York City, New York, south to Miami, Florida, via the Northeast Corridor to Washington, D.C., thence via Richmond, Virginia; Fayetteville, North Carolina; North Charleston, South...

 and Silver Star
Silver Star (Amtrak)
The Silver Star is a 1522-mile passenger train route in the Silver Service brand operated by Amtrak, running from New York City south to Miami, Florida via the Northeast Corridor to Washington, DC, then via: Richmond, Virginia; Raleigh, North Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia;...

 service Orlando four times daily, twice bound for points north to New York City and twice bound for points south to Miami
Miami (Amtrak station)
Miami is a train station on the southern end of two popular inter-city trains, the Amtrak Silver Meteor and Silver Star. The station is located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, on the border of Miami and Hialeah, ten miles northwest of downtown Miami...

. Orlando also serves as a transfer hub for Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach bus service. Orlando Station has the highest Amtrak ridership in the state, with the exception of the Auto Train
Auto Train
Auto Train is an scheduled train service for passengers and their automobiles operated by Amtrak between Lorton, Virginia , and Sanford, Florida . Although there are similar services around the world, the Auto Train is the only one of its kind in the United States...

 depot located in nearby Sanford
Sanford (Amtrak station)
Sanford is a railroad terminal in Sanford, Florida. It is the southern terminus for Amtrak's Auto Train which runs between this station and Lorton, VA. The original facility, which opened in 1971, was an older and smaller facility than the terminal at Lorton...

.

Historically, Orlando's other major railroad stations have included:
  • Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Orlando station
    Church Street Station (Orlando)
    Church Street Station, also called the Old Orlando Railroad Depot is a historic U.S. depot in Orlando, Florida. It is located at Depot Place and West Church Street, and is a planned station on the proposed SunRail commuter rail system. It is also a commercial entertainment development in downtown...

     (now Church Street Station, a commercial development)
  • Seaboard Air Line Railroad Orlando station (Central Avenue Station; 1898–1955.)

Commuter rail

In 2005, federal and state funding was granted for the establishment of SunRail
SunRail
SunRail is a planned commuter rail system in the greater Orlando, Florida area, linking Poinciana to DeLand through Downtown Orlando...

, a local commuter rail service, to operate on the CSX A line tracks between DeLand
DeLand, Florida
DeLand is the county seat of Volusia County, Florida. In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 24,375. It is part of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 436,575 in 2006...

 and Poinciana
Poinciana, Florida
Poinciana is a census-designated place in Osceola and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Florida. It lies southwest of Kissimmee and about east of Haines City...

, passing through the downtown area and surrounding urban neighborhoods along the way. The service was expected to substantially reduce traffic congestion along the I-4 corridor, especially between Downtown Orlando and the suburban communities in Seminole and Volusia Counties. The federal and state funds would have covered approximately 80% of the estimated $400 million cost for track modifications and construction of stations along the route. The counties involved had approved local matching funds in 2007 and the line was projected to begin operations in 2011. However, the project was ultimately voted down by Florida State Senate in 2008 and again in 2009 due to an amendment that would have approved a $200 million insurance policy for the system. Although there had been growing concern the system would be scrapped, a deadline extension combined with a new insurance arrangement with CSX brought new hope that SunRail will be completed after all.
In a special session in December 2009, the Florida Legislature approved commuter rail for Florida, which also enabled high-speed rail federal funding.

Attempts to establish a smaller light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...

 service for the Orlando area were also considered at one time, but were also met with much resistance.

High speed rail

On January 28, 2010, President Obama said that Florida would be receiving $1.25 billion to start the construction of a statewide high speed rail system with Orlando as its central hub. The first stage would have connected Orlando and Tampa, Florida and was expected to be completed by 2014. The second stage was to connect Orlando and Miami, Florida. The project was canceled by Gov. Rick Scott in 2011, and on March 4, 2011, the Florida Supreme Court unanimously turned down the request of two state senators to force Scott to accept federal funding for the project.

Regional

Orlando is served by LYNX
Lynx (transportation)
LYNX is a bus system run by the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, serving the Orlando, Florida region. Bus routes are referred to as Links. Standard adult one-way fare is $2 with free single transfers valid for 90 minutes...

; it provides local transit service covering a five-county area: Orange
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....

, Seminole
Seminole County, Florida
Seminole County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. Located between Orlando to the south and Deland and Daytona Beach to the north, it is part of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. Its county seat and largest city is Sanford...

, Osceola
Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...

, Lake
Lake County, Florida
Lake County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 210,528. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 307,243. Its county seat is Tavares...

, and Volusia
Volusia County, Florida
Volusia County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 official county's population was 494,593 . Its county seat is DeLand, and its most populous city is currently Deltona....

.

National

Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...

 offers intercity bus service from Orlando to multiple locations across the country. The Orlando Greyhound Station is located west of Downtown Orlando.

Sister cities

Orlando has ten International Sister Cities as listed by the City of Orlando Office of International Affairs.
Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...

, Spain Curitiba
Curitiba
Curitiba is the capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná. It is the largest city with the biggest economy of both Paraná and southern Brazil. The population of Curitiba numbers approximately 1.75 million people and the latest GDP figures for the city surpass US$61 billion according to...

, Brazil Guilin
Guilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...

, PR China Kiryat Motzkin, Israel Orenburg
Orenburg
Orenburg is a city on the Ural River and the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies southeast of Moscow, very close to the border with Kazakhstan. Population: 546,987 ; 549,361 ; Highest point: 154.4 m...

, Russia Reykjanesbær
Reykjanesbær
Reykjanesbær is a municipality on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland.It is made up of the towns Keflavík, Njarðvík, the village of Hafnir and, since 2006, Ásbrú. The municipality was created in 1995 when the inhabitants of the three towns voted to merge them into one...

, Iceland Marne-la-Vallée
Marne-la-Vallée
Marne-la-Vallée is a new town located near Paris, France.Disneyland Paris, Val d'Europe,Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée,and École des Ponts ParisTech are located in Marne-la-Vallée.-Status:...

, France Tainan City, Republic of China (Taiwan)
Urayasu
Urayasu, Chiba
is a city located in the far western corner of northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 164,822 and a population density of 9530 persons per km²...

, Japan Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...

, Mexico Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...

, Palestine Vientiane
Vientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...

, Laos Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...

, United States Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...

, United Kingdom Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...

, PR China Belém
Belém
Belém is a Brazilian city, the capital and largest city of state of Pará, in the country's north region. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon with a busy port, airport and bus/coach station...

, Brazil


Marne La Vallée, Anaheim, and Urayasu are connected to Orlando as homes of other Disney theme parks (Disneyland Resort Paris
Disneyland Resort Paris
Disneyland Paris is a holiday and recreation resort in Marne-la-Vallée, a new town in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. The complex is located from the centre of Paris and lies for the most part within the commune of Chessy, Seine-et-Marne....

, Disneyland Resort
Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort is a recreational resort in Anaheim, California. The resort is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks and Resorts division and is home to two theme parks, three hotels and a shopping, dining, and entertainment area known as Downtown Disney.The area now...

, and Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo Disneyland
is a 115 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and opened on April 15, 1983...

, respectively). Swindon Town, UK has also been twinned with Orlando. Orlando has special co-operative status with Qingdao.

Foreign consulates

Given Orlando's status as a busy international tourist destination and growing industrial and commercial base, Mexico
Diplomatic missions of Mexico
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Mexico, excluding honorary consulates. Mexico's foreign service started in 1822, the year after the signing of the Treaty of Cordoba which marked the beginning of Mexico's independence...

 and the United Kingdom opened consulates in Orlando. Other countries operating consulates in Orlando are Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, the Ivory Coast, and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

. As a result, Orlando now has the second highest number of foreign consulates in Florida next to Miami.

In popular culture

Portions of the 1959 novel Alas, Babylon
Alas, Babylon
Alas, Babylon is a 1959 novel by American writer Pat Frank . It was one of the first apocalyptic novels of the nuclear age and remains popular fifty years after it was first published...

 by Pat Frank take place in Orlando including McCoy Air Force Base
McCoy Air Force Base
With McCoy's closure as an active air force installation in 1975, the site was redeveloped and is known today as Orlando International Airport, which carries the airport code MCO .- History :...

 (now Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...

). Orlando was later revealed to have been destroyed in two nuclear bomb blasts, one downtown and one at the air base. The main town in the series, Fort Repose, was based on nearby Mount Dora
Mount Dora, Florida
Mount Dora is a U.S. city in Lake County, Florida. As of July 1, 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the Mount Dora population at 11,564. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

.

The low-budget films Ernest Saves Christmas
Ernest Saves Christmas
Ernest Saves Christmas is a 1988 Touchstone Pictures comedy film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. It is the third film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, and chronicles Ernest's attempt to find a replacement for an aging Santa Claus.-Plot:A man who claims to be Santa...

, Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector
Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector
Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector is a 2006 comedy film starring American stand-up comedian Larry the Cable Guy. Larry, a municipal restaurant health inspector, is assigned a new rookie partner after recklessly closing restaurants for code violations, Amy Butlin , by his boss, Bart Tatlock...

, and Never Back Down
Never Back Down
Never Back Down is a 2008 action film starring Sean Faris, Amber Heard, Cam Gigandet, and Djimon Hounsou. It was theatrically released on March 14, 2008. The film's respective tagline is "Win or lose.....

 take place in and were filmed entirely in Orlando. Other major motion pictures filmed in Orlando include Passenger 57
Passenger 57
Passenger 57 is a 1992 American action film starring Wesley Snipes and Bruce Payne. The film's success made Snipes a popular action hero icon.-Plot:...

, D.A.R.Y.L.
D.A.R.Y.L.
D.A.R.Y.L. is a 1985 American science fiction film which was written by David Ambrose, Allan Scott and Jeffrey Ellis. It was directed by Simon Wincer and stars Barret Oliver, Mary Beth Hurt, Michael McKean, Danny Corkill, and Josef Sommer...

, Jaws 3, My Girl
My Girl (film)
My Girl is a 1991 drama film directed by Howard Zieff and written by Laurice Elehwany. The film depicts the coming-of-age of a young girl who faces many different emotional highs and lows and stars Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis in their first film together since 1983's Trading Places. The film...

, Parenthood, Problem Child 2
Problem Child 2
Problem Child 2 is the 1991 comedy film sequel to the 1990 sleeper hit Problem Child; a continuation of the exploits of an adopted orphan boy who deliberately wreaks havoc everywhere he goes...

, Lethal Weapon 3
Lethal Weapon 3
Lethal Weapon 3 is a 1992 American action film directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo and Stuart Wilson. It is a sequel to Lethal Weapon and Lethal Weapon 2, and it is part of the Lethal Weapon film series.The movie is set in 1992, six years after...

, Dead Presidents
Dead Presidents
Dead Presidents is a 1995 American crime film written by Michael Henry Brown and also written, produced and directed by the Hughes brothers , starring Larenz Tate, Keith David, Chris Tucker, Freddy Rodriguez, N'Bushe Wright and Bokeem Woodbine...

, The Waterboy
The Waterboy
The Waterboy is a 1998 American comedy film directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler alongside Henry Winkler, Kathy Bates, Jerry Reed, and Fairuza Balk. Lynn Swann, Lawrence Taylor, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Cowher, Paul Wight, and Rob Schneider have cameos...

, Olive Juice
Olive Juice
Olive Juice is a romantic comedy shot on location in Mount Dora, Kissimmee and Orlando, Florida. It was the feature film directorial debut for Ken Hastings. It was one of the more significant independent films produced in the Florida film industry....

, and Monster.

Scenes were also filmed for the Transformers: Dark of the Moon sequel at the Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...

 in early October 2010.

Exterior shots of Orlando's Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium were used in the television series Coach
Coach (TV series)
Coach is an American television sitcom that aired for nine seasons on ABC from 1989 to 1997. The series starred Craig T. Nelson as Hayden Fox, head coach of the fictional Division I-A college football team, the Minnesota State University Screaming Eagles...

. In the show, the Citrus Bowl was the home stadium of the fictional Orlando Breakers franchise during the series' final two seasons (1995–1997).

Orlando is home to numerous recording studios and producers, and as a result, contributed heavily to the Boy Band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...

 craze of the mid-1990s. The groups The Backstreet Boys, NSync, and O-Town all started in Orlando before becoming nationwide successes. The alternative groups Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty is an American rock band, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995...

 and Seven Mary Three
Seven Mary Three
Seven Mary Three, occasionally abbreviated to 7 Mary 3 or 7M3, is an American hard rock band. They have released seven studio albums and one live album, and are best known for their hit singles "Cumbersome", "Water's Edge", "Lucky", and "Wait"....

 are from Orlando, as is the Christian hip-hop act Group 1 Crew
Group 1 Crew
Group 1 Crew is a Christian hip hop band signed to Fervent Records and Warner Bros. Records. They made their debut with their hit song "Can't Go On" on WOW Hits 2007. Soon after they released their first EP I Have a Dream . The band released their self-titled debut full-length studio album, Group 1...

. The city is home to Florida Breaks
Florida breaks
Florida breaks, also referred to as Florida breakbeat, is a genre of breakbeat music which, as the name suggests, is most popular in the areas around the US state of Florida but is recognized as a unique sound around the world. Florida breaks became popular in the club culture of the southeast...

, with prominent DJs DJ Icey
DJ Icey
DJ Icey, , is a DJ and electronic music producer, credited by Allmusic as having helped to "jump-start the increasingly fertile dance scene in and around Orlando, FL, during the '90s". E, the Incredibly Strange History of Ecstasy credits him as "the prime founder of the Funky Breaks and the Florida...

 and DJ Baby Anne
DJ Baby Anne
DJ Baby Anne , who refers to herself as "The Bass Queen", is an Orlando-based DJ and producer who works with live sets and original mixes that fuse Electro with Miami Bass and funky breaks.-Discography:...

 hailing from Orlando. They still spin at Orlando clubs. Orlando also has a prominent metal scene, spawning bands such as Death.

The songs "Orlando" by The Ugly Americans, "Welcome to Orlando" by Kilowatthours, and "Orlando" by Smilez & Southstar are based on the city. Orlando is also mentioned in Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...

's "Thug Angels" and "Perfect Gentleman", "Area Codes" by Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...

, "I Am Not Locked Down" by TReal
Tréal
Tréal is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France.-References:* * -External links:* *...

, "Whoot! There It Is!" by 95 South
95 South
95 South was a Miami bass duo of AB and Daddy Black from Jacksonville, Florida. The group's name is a reference to Interstate 95, which passes through the city. Their biggest success was the 1993 hit "Whoot, There It Is" from their debut album Quad City Knock, which reached #11 on the Billboard...

, and many songs from DJ Magic Mike
DJ Magic Mike
DJ Magic Mike from Orlando, Florida is one of the most pivotal Miami bass producers.- Career :Magic Mike made his debut in the world of Miami Bass productions when he met Miami based producer/rapper Rod Whitehead in 1986...

.

In the Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon", Elder Price's dream mission location is Orlando. He treats Orlando as a sort of paradise, and dreams of escaping there.

The Chevrolet Orlando
Chevrolet Orlando
The Chevrolet Orlando is a five-door, seven-seat compact MPV manufactured by GM Korea under the Chevrolet division for world-wide markets-First generation :It was introduced as a concept vehicle at the 2008 Paris Motor Show...

 is named after the city.

Recognition

In 2010, Orlando was listed as a Gamma world-city in the World Cities Study Group’s inventory by Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...

. According to Loughborough, Orlando ranks alongside other cities such as Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, Milwaukee, and Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...

.

See also


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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