Orange County, Florida

Orange County is a place in the middle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, it was home to over 1.4 million people, making it the fifth-biggest county in Florida and one of the biggest in the whole country.

The most famous city in Orange County is Orlando, which is the center of a big area known as the Orlando metropolitan area. This area has lots of fun places to visit, like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld Orlando. These attractions draw millions of visitors every year.

Besides being a top spot for tourists, Orange County is also important for work and learning. It has a strong economy with many jobs and businesses. The University of Central Florida is located here, and it is one of the largest universities in the United States with nearly 70,000 students. There are also other schools like Rollins College and Valencia College.

Even with all the buildings and busy places, Orange County still has beautiful natural areas. There are many lakes, such as Lake Apopka, and big parks like Wekiwa Springs. This park has springs, walking paths, and places to camp, offering a peaceful escape from the busy city life.

History

See also: History of Orlando, Florida

The land that is now Orange County was part of the first land to rise from below the Early Oligocene sea about 33.9 to 28.4 million years ago. This area is known as Orange Island. The Rock Spring location in Orange County is a place where many old fossils have been found. These fossils include animals like the giant sloth, mammoth, camel, and the dire wolf that lived around 1.1 million years ago.

In 1821, when Florida became part of the United States, Governor Andrew Jackson created two counties. The area to the south of St. Johns County became Mosquito County, with Enterprise as its county seat. In 1845, Mosquito County was renamed Orange County. As the population grew, new counties like Osceola, Seminole, Lake, and Volusia were formed from its land.

The county faced hard times during the Union blockade, but things improved during Reconstruction. The town of Orlando was founded in 1875 and became a center for Florida’s citrus industry. Orlando grew quickly because of this. Sadly, many orange groves were destroyed by very cold weather in 1983, 1985, and 1989.

After World War II, the land that once grew citrus began to be used for homes and other businesses. In 1965, Walt Disney World was announced and opened in 1971. This brought many visitors and helped the county grow. Other popular places like Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando also opened. Today, Orange County has more theme parks than any other place in the world. Even with all the new development, some historic parts of Orlando are still preserved.

Geography

Orange County in Florida covers 1,003 square miles, with 903 square miles of land and 100 square miles of water. It sits about 89 feet above sea level. The county borders Seminole County to the north, Volusia County to the northeast, Brevard County to the east, Osceola County to the south, Polk County to the southwest, and Lake County to the west.

Most of the county is in the Florida coastal lowlands, with the northwest rising into the Florida Central Highlands. The population is centered in the central and western parts, while the eastern areas are more remote. Orange County was part of the land that rose from the Early Oligocene sea around 33.9–28.4 million years ago, known as Orange Island.

Orange County has six main regions. The central area is the Downtown area of Orlando. The southwest has a tourist strip with resorts and hotels. The west has a mix of working-class, middle-class, and wealthier suburbs. The north has older suburbs, and the east has suburbs with more affordable homes, close to the University of Central Florida. The south has working-class neighborhoods and tourist spots near Kissimmee.

The county has 115 neighborhoods in Orlando and many other areas. Downtown Orlando is the center for government, business, and culture, with many tall buildings, important places like the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and Kia Center, and offices for banks and government.

Lake Nona in the south is a fast-growing area with a golf club and medical facilities, including Nemours Children’s Hospital and the University of Central Florida’s Health Sciences Campus.

The main tourist area is in the southwest. International Drive, or I-Drive, is a big road with many attractions like Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, ICON Park with the Orlando Eye, and Walt Disney World Resort. Other places nearby include Orlando International Premium Outlets, Epic Universe theme park, and the Orange County Convention Center.

Communities west of Downtown Orlando include Apopka, Gotha, Oakland, Ocoee, Pine Hills, Tildenville, and Winter Garden. North of Downtown are Baldwin Park, Eatonville, Fairview Shores, Goldenrod, Lockhart, Maitland, and Winter Park. East of Downtown are Alafaya, Avalon Park, Azalea Park, Bithlo, Christmas, Union Park, and Wedgefield, home to the University of Central Florida. South of Downtown are Conway, Hunter’s Creek, Lake Nona, Meadow Woods, Oak Ridge, Southchase, and Taft.

Main article: List of communities in Orange County, Florida

Orange County has 13 incorporated areas, 38 census-designated places, and 7 unincorporated regions.

Adjacent counties

• Seminole County - north
• Volusia County - northeast
• Brevard County - east
• Osceola County - south
• Polk County - southwest
• Lake County - west

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 1,429,908. The median age was 35.6 years. Many residents were under the age of 18, and some were 65 years or older.

The racial makeup of the county included many different groups. There were White, Black or African American, Asian, and people from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents made up a large part of the population.

Most people lived in urban areas, with only a small number living in rural areas.

There were many households in the county, some with children and some without. Many homes were owned by the people living there, while others were rented.

Economy

Corporate

See also: List of Orlando companies

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Atlantic.net, Central Florida Expressway Authority, Darden Restaurants, Miller's Ale House, Planet Hollywood, and Tijuana Flats (among others) have their main offices in the county.^{[excessive citations]}

Other companies with offices in the county include (but are not limited to):

• Amazon
• JetBlue
• Lockheed Martin
• Tupperware

Orange County Convention Center is a convention center located in the county. It is the main public convention center for the Central Florida region and the second-largest convention center in the United States, after McCormick Place in Chicago. Located on the south end of International Drive, the OCCC offers 7,000,000 sq ft (650,000 m²) of space, 2,100,000 sq ft (200,000 m²) of which is exhibit space. The OCCC hosts events attracting about 1.5 million people each year, adding $2.5 billion to the region's economy.

Healthcare

Orange County has been a growing center for healthcare in Central Florida. Two of the largest healthcare groups in the county are AdventHealth and Orlando Health, which were both started in the county. Currently, the main office for Orlando Health is in Orange County, while the main office for AdventHealth is in nearby Seminole County.

Lake Nona Medical City (a master-planned community) is a 650-acre (260 ha) health and science area in Lake Nona. The city is home to the University of Central Florida's Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, the College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, and the College of Dental Medicine, along with its teaching hospital. The city also includes the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, Nemours Children's Hospital, and the University of Florida's College of Pharmacy (ranked #5 among all pharmacy schools in the nation).

Shopping

The many visitors to Orange County make it a big shopping place for the State of Florida. The Florida Mall is located in unincorporated Orange County, and with a gross leasable area of 1,718,000 square feet (159,600 m²) it is one of the largest single-story malls in the United States and the largest mall in Central Florida. With over 250 stores and many places to eat (including 25 quick-service restaurants and 8 sit-down restaurants), The Florida Mall welcomes over 20 million visitors each year, including people from other countries.

Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista. The 120-acre (49 ha) complex includes four different areas: Marketplace, The Landing, Town Center, and West Side. Walt Disney Imagineers used ideas from real coastal towns in Florida, such as St. Augustine and Coral Gables. Universal CityWalk in Orlando is the fun and shopping place next to the theme parks of Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando.

Other big shopping places in the county include Dezerland Park Orlando, Disney's Flamingo Crossings, The Mall at Millenia, Orlando Fashion Square, Orlando International Premium Outlets, Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets, Waterford Lakes Town Center, West Oaks Mall, Winter Garden Village, and Winter Park Village.

Sports

Main article: Sports in Orlando, Florida

Orange County is home to two big professional sports teams: the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and Orlando City SC of Major League Soccer (MLS). There are also smaller professional teams, such as the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, the Orlando Predators of the National Arena League (NAL), and the Orlando Anarchy of the Women's Football Alliance. The UCF Knights, the sports teams of the University of Central Florida, compete in NCAA Division I.

The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a 220-acre (89 ha) multi-purpose sports complex located at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake. The complex includes nine places, hosting professional and amateur sports events all year. Most famous of the events held at the places include the 2020 NBA Bubble (because of the COVID-19 pandemic), the MLS is Back tournament, the 2016 Invictus Games, the Pro Bowl skills competition from 2017 to 2020, the 1997 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, and the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games. The Atlanta Braves used the places for spring training from 1997 to 2019, along with the Tampa Bay Rays using the complex in 2023 spring training, because Charlotte Sports Park was badly damaged by Hurricane Ian the year before.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour is played each March at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, a private golf resort owned since 1974 by Arnold Palmer in the community of Bay Hill. Other well-known golf clubs in the county are the Eagle Creek Golf Club, the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, and the Rio Pinar Country Club. The Golf Channel was once based in Orange County. However, in February 2020, it was reported that the Golf Channel would move its television work with the rest of NBC Sports to its places in Stamford, Connecticut. GolfNow and GolfPass services still mainly work out of the greater Orlando area.

Tourism and hospitality

See also: List of amusement parks in Central Florida and List of Orlando, Florida attractions

Tourism is a big part of Orange County's economy. Known as the 'Theme Park Capital of the World', the county is home to Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld Orlando, among many other theme parks. As of 2022, with over 2.9 million visitors, Orlando was the third-most visited city in the U.S. after New York City and Miami. Orlando International Airport is the 7th-busiest airport in the United States and the 18th-busiest in the world. The county has 7 of the 10 most visited theme parks in North America (5 of the top 10 in the world), as well as the 4 most visited water parks in the U.S. The Walt Disney World resort is the area's biggest attraction. The resort is home to, the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, Disney's Blizzard Beach and Disney Springs. Universal Orlando includes Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Volcano Bay and Universal CityWalk. SeaWorld Orlando is an animal theme park, with many marine wildlife shows, along with an amusement park, Aquatica water park, and Discovery Cove. Other theme parks include Fun Spot Orlando, Icon Park, Madame Tussauds, and Sealife Aquarium.

Along with these tourist places, the county is also home to the main offices for these theme parks' work. One of the two main offices for Disney Experiences is in Lake Buena Vista (the other office is in Glendale, California). There were reports that Disney planned to grow more of their main office work in Orange County, moving more jobs over the next few years to a new 60-acre office place in the Lake Nona area of the county, with as many as 90% of the moved jobs being Imagineering jobs. However, the planned move was stopped in May 2023 because of the disagreement between Disney and Florida's governor Ron DeSantis. United Parks & Resorts (formerly SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. or SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment) is an American theme park and fun company, with main offices in Orange County. Along with SeaWorld, United Parks & Resorts is the parent company for the theme parks Adventure Island, Aquatica, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, Sesame Place, Water Country USA, and Worlds of Discovery.

Because of tourism, helping guests is very important to the county's economy. Westgate Resorts, an American timeshare resort company, was started and is still based in the county. As of July 2021, Westgate Resorts has 22 places across the United States. Other big helping companies with a big economic place (both main office and in its resort places) within the county include:

• Hilton Grand Vacations Club
• Marriott Vacation Club International
• Ryman Hospitality Properties
• Travel + Leisure Co. (formerly part of Wyndham Worldwide)

Government

The county runs under a special set of rules called a charter. This charter acts like a constitution, explaining how the local government works. A special group can suggest changes to the charter, and voters decide if these changes should be added.

Four areas of the U.S. House of Representatives help represent parts of Orange County.

Orange County residents have representatives in Tallahassee, the state capital, with seats in both the Senate and the House.

The county has a board of commissioners to help run things. This board includes an elected mayor and six commissioners. The mayor is chosen by everyone in the county, while each commissioner is chosen by people living in specific parts of the county. They all serve four-year terms, with some elections happening every presidential election year and others happening in the years between. The county also has other important officers like a clerk of courts, sheriff, and tax collector, all elected by voters for four-year terms.

Politics

Orange County is found along a very important road called Interstate 4. This road has often decided close elections in the past because voters here were known for choosing different parties. They might pick a Democrat for one race and a Republican for another.

For many years, Orange County supported Republican leaders. It changed from voting for Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 to Thomas E. Dewey in 1948. It stayed strongly Republican for a long time, even giving Barry Goldwater over half of its votes in 1964.

But things started to change in the 1990s. By 2000, more people in Orange County were registered as Democrats. This helped Al Gore become the first Democrat to win the county since 1944. In 2008, Barack Obama won the county by a large margin. Since then, Orange County has often voted for Democratic leaders.

In 2024, the race was very close, with Kamala Harris winning by just 13 points. This was the closest race in the county since 2004. Florida is now seen as a place where one party usually wins, so future campaigns might not focus much on the state.

Voter registration

Education

Orange County has many schools and colleges for students of all ages.

The Orange County Public Schools help students learn all across the county. They have many schools, with over 200,000 students learning in them. The schools are led by a group of elected leaders who decide how to run the schools.

There are also several colleges and universities in the area. The University of Central Florida is the biggest university in the country with over 70,000 students. Other schools nearby include Rollins College in Winter Park, Valencia College with several campuses, and Full Sail University which offers many different kinds of programs.

Libraries

Main article: Orange County Library System

The Orange County Library System helps people in Orange County find books and information. It started in 1923 and now has 16 libraries. You can borrow books, join free programs, and use online resources.

Some cities, like Maitland and Winter Park, have their own libraries. People who live there can get a special card to borrow from Orange County libraries for one year. This card is free, but there may be small charges for using the internet at the library. However, you can use the Wi-Fi for free.

Sites of interest

Orange County, Florida, has many interesting places to visit.

Museums

Some of the museums you can explore include the Albin Polasek House and Studio, Casa Feliz, Central Florida Railroad Museum, Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, Corporal Larry E. Smedley National Vietnam War Museum, Crealdé School of Art, Maitland Historical Museum, Maitland Telephone Museum, Mennello Museum of American Art, Museum of the Apopkans, Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Science Center, Pulse Memorial and Museum (still being built as of 2024), Randall Made Knives, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Rollins Museum of Art, Well'sbuilt Hotel, William H. Waterhouse House, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Park Historical Museum, Withers-Maguire House, WonderWorks, and the Zora Neale Hurston Museum of Fine Arts.

Culture and wildlife

You can also visit beautiful places like Harry P. Leu Gardens, which has 50 acres of gardens, lakes, and nature trails. Other spots include the Annie Russell Theatre, Beacham Theatre, Bob Carr Theater, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Dr. Phillips House, Enzian Theater, Garden Theatre, Gatorland, Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, Kraft Azalea Park, Palm Cottage Gardens, The Plaza Live, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, and Universal Music Plaza Stage.

Themed attractions

Parks

Sports venues

Some places where sports teams play include Addition Financial Arena, home to UCF's basketball teams, Camping World Stadium for the Citrus Bowl and Pop-Tarts Bowl, FBC Mortgage Stadium for UCF's football team, Inter&Co Stadium for Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride soccer teams, Kia Center for the Orlando Magic basketball team, Orlando Solar Bears ice hockey team, and Orlando Predators indoor football team, The Stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports, and The Venue at UCF for UCF's volleyball team.

Golf courses

Golf lovers can enjoy courses at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Eagle Creek Golf Club, Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, Orange County National Golf Center, Rio Pinar Country Club, and Winter Park Country Club and Golf Course.

Transportation

Airports

• Orlando Apopka Airport, a small airport for private planes, is located in Apopka and does not have regular passenger flights.
• Orlando Executive Airport is a public airport owned by GOAA for private jets and small planes. It helps ease traffic at Orlando International Airport.
• Orlando International Airport is the busiest airport in Florida. It is owned by GOAA and serves both regular passengers and private planes.

Major highways

• I-4
• Florida's Turnpike
• International Drive
• US 17 / US 92
• US 192 (Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway)
• US 441 (Orange Blossom Trail)
• SR 15
• SR 50 (Colonial Drive)
• SR 408 (East–West Expressway)
• SR 414 (John Land Apopka Expressway)
• SR 417 (Central Florida GreeneWay)
• SR 423 (John Young Parkway)
• SR 426 (Fairbanks Avenue/ Aloma Avenue)
• SR 429 (Western Expressway)
• SR 435 (Kirkman Road)
• SR 436 (Semoran Boulevard)
• SR 438 (Princeton Street)
• SR 451
• SR 453
• SR 482 (Sand Lake Road)
• SR 500
• SR 520
• SR 527 (Orange Avenue)
• SR 528 (Beachline Expressway)
• SR 535 (Apopka-Vineland Road)
• SR 536 (World Center Drive)
• SR 551 (Goldenrod Road)

Public transportation

• Amtrak is a train service with stops in Orlando and Winter Park.
• Brightline is a fast train that started in 2023, connecting Orlando International Airport to West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
• Greyhound provides bus travel from Orlando to many places in the United States.
• Lynx runs buses in Orange County and nearby areas like Lake, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, and Volusia.
• SunRail is a train with stations in Orange County and nearby areas.

Communities

Cities

• Apopka
• Bay Lake
• Belle Isle
• Edgewood
• Lake Buena Vista
• Maitland
• Ocoee
• Orlando
• Winter Garden
• Winter Park

Towns

• Eatonville
• Oakland
• Windermere

Census-designated places

• Alafaya
• Azalea Park
• Bay Hill
• Bithlo
• Christmas
• Clarcona
• Conway
• Dr. Phillips
• Fairview Shores
• Four Corners
• Goldenrod
• Gotha
• Holden Heights
• Holden Lakes
• Horizon West
• Hunter's Creek
• Lake Butler
• Lake Hart
• Lake Mary Jane
• Lockhart
• Meadow Woods
• Oak Ridge
• Orlo Vista
• Paradise Heights
• Pine Castle
• Pine Hills
• Rio Pinar
• Sky Lake
• South Apopka
• Southchase
• Taft
• Tangelo Park
• Tangerine
• Tildenville
• Union Park
• University
• Wedgefield
• Williamsburg
• Zellwood

Other unincorporated communities

• Andover Lakes
• Chinatown
• Fairvilla
• Killarney
• Plymouth
• Reedy Creek Improvement District
• Vineland