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Kissimmee, FL


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Kissimmee, Florida

Introduction to Kissimmee, Florida

Kissimmee, Florida is 17 miles S of Orlando, Florida (center to center) and 68 miles E of Tampa, Florida. It's located in Osceola county in Central Florida along the shore of Lake Tohopekaliga, which is locally referred to as Lake Toho. It has a large Hispanic population which includes a large number of Puerto Ricans. Residents often take day trips to the scenic beaches. Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios and the Epcot Center are nearby. The city is popular with tourists due to offering hotels and motels that are typically less expensive than the hotels near Disney World and the other popular nearby Florida attractions.

Kissimmee History

The area was established in the mid-19th century and known as Allendale. Kissimmee was incorporated as a city in 1883. Hamilton Disston was largely responsible for the initial growth of the municipality. His large drainage business was located in Kissimmee. Disston had a contract with Florida to drain the southern portion of the state, in return for owning half of the acreage he successfully drained. He became one of the largest single landowners in the nation.

The Kissimmee shipyard produced steamboats to transport people as well as goods for Disston's dredging and land speculation enterprises. The steamships lost a significant amount of business due to the popularity of trains for transporting people and goods. The Kissimmee area became a prominent location for raising cattle. In 1971 Disney World opened and tourism and development became the important factors for the economy and the cattle industry decreased in importance. In 2004 Hurricane Charlie damaged homes and numerous buildings.

Kissimmee Attractions

  • Oldtowm.
  • Osceola Center for the Arts.
  • Osceola County Historical Society & Museum.
  • The Houston Astros participate in Spring Training in Kissimmee at the Osceola County Stadium.
  • Silver Spurs Arena is popular for concerts and other events.
  • Warbird Museum restores World War II aircraft to flying condition. Tours are available of the work shops, planes and aircraft which are being restored.
  • Osceola County Historic Courthouse.
  • A world of Orchids.
  • Green Meadows Petting Farm.
  • Pirate's Island of Kissimmee.
  • Jungleland Zoo.

Kissimmee Activities

The notable Osceola County Softball Complex is a popular location and includes five quality softball fields. The Austin-Tindall Regional Park is popular for sports activities. The city features a large water park and numerous golf courses including Kissimmee Golf Club, Ginn Reunion Resort Golf Course and Kissimmee Oaks Golf Club. Excellent fishing opportunities are available at Lake Toho.

Visitors have opportunities to take a tour of the region's working cattle ranches. Tours of the Boggy Creek wetlands are available. The close by Lake Buena Vista is popular for outdoor activities. The Kissimmee Chain of Lakes is well known for its largemouth bass fishing. Residents and visitors can easily take day trips to Melbourne Beach and other shoreline destinations.

Kissimmee Transportation

The city is served by the Orlando International Airport.

High Points

Kissimmee strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Florida):

CategoryTrophy
Racial Diversity
(vs. Peers)
Top 6%Kissimmee Racial Diversity

Comparative Profile of Kissimmee, FL

Comparing Kissimmee to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Florida (State):

Ratings range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).


The People

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Racial Diversity1010
Male Share of the Population88
Children Under 5 Years Old89
Female Share of the Population33
Age of the Population21
Senior Citizens21
Well-Paid Single Men13

Families

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Average Household Size89
Portion of People Married45

Wealth

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
People Above Poverty35
College Educated Adults35
People in Middle Class or Better24
Median Family Income24

Commute & Sprawl

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Walking and Biking to Work77
Public Transportation Use69
Short Commute Times55
Working at Home12

Housing

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Seasonal and Vacation Housing107
Housing Recently Built1010
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals910
Affordability of Property Taxes85
Affordability of Rents53
People Living Alone32

Crime

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Low Property Crime34
Low Violent Crime24

Detailed pages on related topics: Kissimmee collegesKissimmee travelKissimmee apartments and mortgage.

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Additional Details

Kissimmee CollegesKissimmee Colleges
Kissimmee colleges and trade schools.
Kissimmee Hotels & TravelKissimmee Hotels & Travel
Kissimmee hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation.
Kissimmee MortgageKissimmee Mortgage
Kissimmee property, mortgage, and real estate.

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