Encyclopedia
The
city of
Orlando is the county seat of
Orange County, Florida. As of the
2000 census, the city population was 185,951 . A 2005
U.S. Census Estimates population count gave the city population was 213,233 . It is the sixth-largest city in Florida, and its largest inland city. It is also at the head of the
Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Orlando-Kissimmee MSA is Florida's third-largest metropolitan area, behind
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater. Additionally, Orlando is home to the second largest
university in Florida, the
University of Central Florida.
The city is well known for the tourist attractions in the area, particularly the nearby
Walt Disney World Resort, which is in the
Reedy Creek Improvement District . Other area attractions include
SeaWorld and
Universal Orlando Resort. Despite being far from the main tourist attractions, downtown Orlando has recently seen much
redevelopment, with many more projects currently under construction or planned. One of the oldest attractions in this area is
Gatorland. Orlando sees an estimated 52 million tourists a year. Orlando is the 2nd largest city in the country for number of hotel rooms. It is a leader in medical care and research, especially at Orlando Regional Medical Center, the only statutory teaching hospital in Central Florida.
The city's nickname is "The City Beautiful", though plans are underway to change this title through a local contest. Its symbol is the fountain of Lake Eola. The current mayor is Buddy Dyer.
History
Some historians date Orlando's name to around 1836 when a soldier named Orlando Reeves allegedly died in the area, during the war against the
Seminole Indian tribe. It seems, however, that Orlando Reeves operated a sugar mill and plantation about 30 miles to the north at Spring Garden in Volusia County, and pioneer settlers simply found his name carved into a tree and assumed it was a marker for a grave site. They thus referred to the area as "Orlando's grave" and later simply "Orlando."
During the
Second Seminole War, the U.S. Army 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.
Prior to being known as its current name, Orlando was known as Jernigan, after the first permanent settler, cattleman Aaron Jernigan, who acquired land along Lake Holden by the terms of the Armed Occupation Act of 1842. But most pioneers did not arrive until after the
Third Seminole War in the 1850s. Most of the early residents made their living by cattle ranching.
Orlando remained a rural backwater during the
American Civil War, and suffered greatly during the Federal Blockade. The
Reconstruction Era brought a population explosion, which led to the city's incorporation in 1875.
The period from 1875 to 1895 is remembered as Orlando's "Gilded Era," when it became the hub of Florida's citrus industry. But a great freeze in 1894-1895 forced many owners to give up their independent groves, thus consolidating holdings in the hands of a few "citrus barons" which shifted operations south, primarily around
Lake Wales in
Polk County.
There are a couple of notable homesteaders in the area. First is the Curry family. On their property in east Orlando there was the Econlockahatchee River and everytime it had to be crossed the settlers would "ford the river". This leads its name to one of Orlando's roads, Curry-Ford Rd. Also, just south of the airport in the Boggy Creek area was 150 acres of property homesteaded in the late 1800's 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.
Orlando, as Florida's largest inland city, became a popular resort during the years between the
Spanish-American War and
World War I.
During
World War II, a number of Army personnel were stationed at the Pine Castle AAF. Some of these servicemen stayed in Orlando to settle and raise families. In 1956 the aerospace/defense company Martin Marietta established a plant in Orlando. In 1958, Pine Castle AAF was renamed
McCoy Air Force Base after Colonel Michael N.W. McCoy.
Orlando is close enough to
Patrick Air Force Base,
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and
Kennedy Space Center for residents to commute to work from the city's suburbs. It also allows easy access to
Port Canaveral, an important
cruise ship terminal. Because of its proximity to the "Space Coast" near the
Kennedy Space Center, many high-tech companies have shifted to the Orlando area.
Perhaps the most critical event for Orlando's economy occurred in 1965 when
Walt Disney announced plans to build
Walt Disney World. Although Disney had considered the cities of Miami and Tampa for his park, one of the major reasons behind his decision not to locate in those cities was the threat of hurricanes. The famous vacation resort opened in October 1971, ushering in an explosive population and economic growth for the Orlando metropolitan area, which now encompasses
Orange,
Seminole,
Osceola, and
Lake counties. As a result,
tourism became the centerpiece of the area's economy and Orlando is consistently ranked as one of the top vacation destinations in the world.
Another major factor in Orlando's growth occurred in 1970, when the new
Orlando International Airport was built from a portion of the
McCoy Air Force Base. Four airlines began providing scheduled flights in 1970. The military base officially closed in 1974, and most of it is now part of the airport. The airport still retains the former Air Force Base airport code . It is considered a world-class facility, and it is one of the most heavily travelled airports in the world.
In addition to
McCoy Air Force Base, Orlando also had a naval presence with the establishment of the Orlando Naval Training Center in 1968. Providing training to recruits as well as being a base for selected post basic training programs, the base had a prominent presence in the area. In 1993, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission ordered that the base be closed. The base continued in a diminished capacity until the base closed for good with the last graduates of the base's Naval Nuclear Power School leaving in December of 1998. The former base has been developed into tracts for upscale housing called Baldwin Park.
In the
hurricane season of 2004,
Hurricanes Charley,
Frances, and
Jeanne battered the Orlando area, causing widespread damage and
flooding and impeding tourism to the area.
Geography
Orlando is located at .
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 261.5 kmē . 242.2 kmē of it is land and 19.3 kmē of it is water.
Orlando is rivaled only by the
Twin Cities in the number of natural lakes to be found in its metropolitan area. The Orlando area is home to more than 100 lakes, the largest of which are Lake Apopka, Eustis, Griffin, Harney, Harris, Jesup, Monroe, Sand Lake, Conway, and Tohopekaliga. The region Orlando occupies is generally low-lying, the only exception being minor sand hills formed by wave action in earlier geological eras when sea level was higher. These sand hills are found primarily in the western sections of the metropolitan area, especially in Lake County. The area is also very prone to sink-holes due to the large number of underground limestone caverns that are located in the area. Many of the lakes started as sink holes in recent geologic history.
Neighborhoods
The city of Orlando has 115 neighborhoods in the city limits, some of which are:
*Airport North
*Avalon Park
*Baldwin Park
*Callahan
*Central Business District
*College Park
*Colonialtown North
*Colonialtown South
*Crescent Park
*Delaney Park
*Downtown
|
*EastWood
*Lake Davis / Greenwood
*Lake Eola Heights
*Lake Formosa
*Metro North
*Metrowest
*Millenia
*North Orange
*Park Central
|
*Park Lake Highland
*Parramore
*Rosemont
*Richmond Heights
*Rio Pinar
*Roosevelt Park
*Southwest
*Stoneybrook
*Thornton Park
|
*University Heights
*Washington Shores
*Waterford Lakes
*West Colonial
|
Metropolitan area
In the
Orlando area, like most metropolitan areas in Florida, the majority of the population lives outside the city proper. Orlando is the center of a four-county metropolitan area that includes
Orange,
Osceola,
Seminole and
Lake counties.
Oviedo, in Seminole County, has been listed as one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.
Clermont and
Poinciana have also seen explosive growth. Although technically outside of the Orlando metro area,
Deltona grew so fast that it overtook
Daytona Beach as the largest city in
Volusia County as of the 1990 census. Melbourne, in neighboring Brevard County, also has seen significant growth in recent years.
Climate
Orlando has a warm and humid subtropical
climate, and there are two major seasons each year. One of those seasons is hot and rainy, lasting from April until October . The other is a cooler season that brings more moderate temperatures and less frequent rainfall. The area's warm and humid climate is caused primarily by its low elevation and its position relatively close to the
Tropic of Cancer, and much of its weather is affected by the movement of the
Gulf Stream.
During the height of Orlando's very humid summer season, temperatures rarely fall below 70 °F , and daytime highs average in the 90s . Although the city rarely records temperatures over 100 °F , extreme humidity often pushes the heat index to over 110 °F . The city's highest recorded temperature is 102 °F , set in 1998. During these months, strong afternoon thunderstorms occur almost daily. These storms are caused by air masses from the
Gulf of Mexico and the
Atlantic Ocean colliding over Central Florida, and they often bring high
wind, damaging
hail, heavy
rainfall , and violent
lightning. Orlando is sometimes referred to as the lightning capital of the world, but it is actually second to parts of
Central Africa in its frequency of strikes. It does have more lightning than any other city in the
United States.
During the winter season, humidity is lower and temperatures are more moderate. Average lows in January are around 50 °F , and the highs average near 70 °F . Temperatures rarely reach below 32 °F , although the coldest temperature ever recorded was 16 °F in 1985. Because the winter season is dry and most freezing temperatures occur after cold fronts have passed, Orlando experiences no real snowfall. Although no measurable amount of snow has ever fallen , trace amounts were officially observed on December 23, 1989, and trace flurries of
ocean effect snow were also reported in nearby coastal Brevard County on January 24, 2003. When flurries do occur, most are isolated incidents that are never officially recorded.
The average annual rainfall in Orlando is 50.1 in. , most of it occurring in the period from June to September. The months of December through May are Orlando's driest season. During this period , there is often a wildfire hazard. During some years, fires have been severe. In 1998, an
El Niņo condition caused an usually wet January and February, followed by drought throughout the spring and early summer, causing a record wildfire season that created Greater Orlando's first instances of unhealthy air quality alerts.
Orlando has a considerable
hurricane risk, although it is not as high as it is in
South Florida's urban corridor or other coastal regions. Since the city is located 40 miles inland from the Atlantic and 60 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes usually weaken before arriving. Storm surges are not a concern since the region is 100 ft above sea level. Despite its relatively safe location, the city does see strong hurricanes. During the notorious
2004 hurricane season, Orlando was hit by three hurricanes that caused significant damage, with
Hurricane Charley the worst of these. The city also experienced widespread damage during
Hurricane Donna in 1960.
NOTE: The record high of 102 °F was recorded at Orlando International Airport, and is available from . WeatherBase only uses historical data recorded at Orlando Executive Airport. Both airports have official National Weather Service recording stations.Economy
A large part of the Orlando area economy is involved in the tourist industry. 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, expanded in 2004 to over two million square feet of exhibition space, is now the second-largest convention complex in terms of space in the United States, trailing only McCormick Place in
Chicago. The city vies with Chicago and
Las Vegas for hosting the most convention attendees in the United States.
The area's economy includes other industries besides tourism, such as manufacturing.
Lockheed-Martin has a large manufacturing facility for missile systems, aeronautical craft and related high tech research due to Orlando's proximity to the
NASA Kennedy Space Center. Since the 1970s, the area has also been home to many computer software and hardware firms, such as
IBM. Other notable engineering firms have offices or labs in the Central Florida area:
KDF,
General Dynamics,
Harris, Westinghouse, Siemens, Veritas/Seagate, multiple
USAF facilities, Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division , Delta Connection Academy,
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, GE, Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation , Army Simulation Training and Instrumentation Command ,
AT&T,
Boeing, CAE Systems Flight & Simulation Training,
HP, Institute for Simulation and Training,
Northrop Grumman,
Raytheon 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.
Another developing sector is the film, television, and electronic gaming industries, aided by the presence of
Universal Studios,
Disney-MGM Studios,
Full Sail School, and other entertainment companies and schools. Numerous office complexes for large corporations have popped up along the
Interstate 4 corridor north of Orlando, especially in
Maitland,
Lake Mary and
Heathrow. The U.S.
modeling, simulation, and training industry is centered around the Orlando region as well, with a particularly strong presence in the
Central Florida Research Park adjacent to
UCF.
Nearby
Maitland is the home of Tiburon, a division of the video game company
Electronic Arts. Originally Tiburon Entertainment, it was acquired by EA in 1998 after years of partnership, particularly in the famous
Madden NFL series and
NCAA Football series of video games. Due to this, there were rumors in 2005 that EA may move its corporate HQ to Orlando.
There is a very low unemployment rate in Greater Orlando of 3.1% as of July 2006. The result is explosive growth that has led to
urban sprawl in the surrounding area and skyrocketing housing prices. 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. House prices continue to rise, reaching a record $252,900 in July 2006. Many apartments have been turned into condos since 2003.
Due to this, many young adults and those in the lower class are having a difficult time finding housing within Orange County. A spring 2006
Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper [i] of the Orlando, Florida [i] region. ...
article stated that in order to afford rent for a single bedroom apartment in Orange County one would be forced to earn at least a $20 per hour wage.
Companies and organizations that have their corporate headquarters or a major presence in the area:
Transportation
Air
Orlando is served primarily by
Orlando International Airport, though nearby Orlando Sanford International Airport also serves the area. Orlando Executive Airport is used for charter flights and
General Aviation.
Roads
Its major freeway is
Interstate 4, which crosses
Florida's Turnpike southwest of Downtown Orlando. It is also served by the toll roads of the
Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority, particularly the East-West Expressway , which crosses I-4 downtown.
The East West Expressway is undergoing major construction with the addition of lanes, concrete barrier walls, sound walls, and a better scenic view. This project began in 2005 and is not yet complete.
Because of the massive
urban sprawl in the area and outdated and unplanned transit infastructure, traffic congestion is a growing concern. Fundamentally, the lack of east-west mobility in the area creates severe traffic issues every weekday.
Rail
The Orlando area is served by one through railroad,
CSX Transportation's A line , and some spurs, mostly operated by the Florida Central Railroad.
Amtrak passenger service runs along the CSX A line. See also
. In 2005 Federal and state funding was granted for the establishment of the Central Florida Commuter Rail service to operate on the CSX A line tracks between Deltona and Poinciana, passing through the downtown area and surrounding urban neighborhoods along the way. The service is 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 cover approximately 80% of the estimated $400 million cost for track modifications and construction of stations along the route. Pending approval by the county governments involved and the set aside of matching funds, the line is projected to begin operations in 2009.
The following major railroad stations have existed in Orlando:
- Amtrak Orlando station
- Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Orlando station
- Seaboard Air Line Railroad Orlando station
Buses
Orlando is served by
LYNX, which runs bus service in the tri-county area .
Light rail
Several attempts have been made to bring a
light rail system to Orlando, but each one has met with failure due to a perceived lack of public interest and various conflicts over a potential route. Walt Disney World officials have been particularly adamant that a light rail line run from Orlando International Airport to the resort, drawing opposition from other vacation destinations who fear loss of business. Local residents also oppose the idea of funding what is essentially a private beeline to Disney that will do little to alleviate the growing traffic problems in the area. This is in addition to
the statewide debate over high speed rail, the various plans of which all center around Orlando.
Another attempted route was a rail going between Tampa, Orlando, and Miami.
Education
Public education is handled by
Orange County Public Schools. Some of the larger private schools include
Trinity Preparatory School,
Lake Highland Preparatory School,
Bishop Moore High School,
New School of Orlando,
Orlando Christian Academy, and
Forest Lake Academy.
Area institutions of higher education
...
, Orlando campus
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Pro Deo et Veritate ...
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 185,951 people, 80,883 households, and 42,382 families residing in the city. The
population density was 767.9/kmē . There were 88,486 housing units at an average density of 365.4/kmē . The racial makeup of the city was 61.10%
White, 26.70%
African American, 1.43% Asian, 0.34% Native American, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 5.41% from
other races, and 2.54% from two or more races. 17.79% of the population were
Hispanic or Latino of any race. [Total is greater than 100% because Hispanics may be of any race.] The city has large Puerto Rican,
Colombian,
Venezuelan, Haitian, Vietnamese communities , and a growing number of
Russian and
British residents.
There were 80,883 households out of which 24.5% 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 the city the 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.
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 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.
Culture
Like fellow Florida cities Miami and Tampa, Orlando has a large and increasing number of
Hispanic residents living in the city. Orlando is home to one of the nation's largest and rapidly-growing Puerto Rican communities . This is reflected by the abundance of Hispanic-themed restaurants and radio stations. Spanish-language music, such as
reggaeton, is common on Orlando radio stations. The
Orlando Magic basketball team is the only team in the
NBA to have a Latin Night, which is geared towards the Hispanic population in the area. Throughout the city, many Puerto Rican flags can be found on or near buildings, including car dealerships. The city's local newspaper,
The Orlando Sentinel, publishes a weekly all-Spanish newspaper called El Sentinel.
Not all Hispanics in Central Florida are Puerto Rican, however. A large portion of these Latinos are also of
Cuban descent, largely refugees or their children from the
Cuban Revolution.
Orlando has an equally large
African-American population. The city is located within six miles of
Eatonville, Florida, the first all-black town to be incorporated in the
United States.
Orlando is also becoming popular with
Russian immigrants seeking careers or relocating their families to warmer climates. The growth rate of Russians in Central Florida is second only to the rising Hispanic population. The Russian community, made up of several countries of the former Soviet Union, has the Russian language as their common bond. are growing in popularity as is the number of Russian-American marriages.
Orlando is also home to a large Vietnamese population, as well as its very own "Little Vietnam" on East Colonial Drive.
Arts and entertainment
Orlando has been the home of several notable acts since the mid 1990s, including
Britney Spears,
NSYNC and the
Backstreet Boys, as well as Creed, Trivium,
From First to Last,
matchbox twenty, Seven Mary Three,
DJ Icey,
DJ Baby Anne and DJ Jimmy Joslin.
Sister Hazel and
Less Than Jake are from near by Gainesville, as is superstar
Tom Petty.
The
hip hop music scene,
metal scene, rock music scene, Latino scene, are all active within the city and is largely home to the Florida Breakbeat movement.
Comedian
Wayne Brady is also from Orlando, as is actor
Wesley Snipes.
Orlando has also been called
Hollywood East 
