City Town Info

Orlando, FL


  • Overview
  • Almanac
  • People
  • Local
  • Schools
  • Comments

Orlando, Florida

Introduction to Orlando, Florida

Orlando, Florida, is a city of approximately 200,000 people located in east/central Florida. Orlando is the sixth largest city in Florida. The Orlando metropolitan area is home to nearly 1.8 million people.

Orlando is the undisputed theme-park capital of the United States. It is home to the world famous Walt Disney World Resort, as well as numerous other theme parks. Orlando is also only 45 minutes from Port Canaveral, a major cruise ship port that plays host to at least three major cruise lines and over ten different cruise ships, including the Disney Cruise Line's two ships. As of 2006, Orlando is also home to three Fortune 1000 company headquarters.

Orlando is ranked as the 36th "Most Fun U.S City" in a survey conducted in 2003 by Cranium Inc. Factors taken into account in the ranking include: the number of sports teams, restaurants, dance performances, toy stores, the amount of a city's budget that is spent on recreation, and other factors. Orlando is also consistently ranked as one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

Orlando has a hot, sub-tropical climate that is divided into two main seasons, the warm season (from late spring through early fall), and the cool season. The warm season is hot and very humid. The cool season is more temperate and comfortable. The cool season does occasionally see temperatures below freezing, typically over night. On average, the temperature dips below freezing in Orlando about three times a year.

Orlando History

The area that is now Orlando was originally settled by Native Americans. The first permanent pioneer settlement of Orlando happened in 1842. Settlement did not expand much until after the Third Seminole War in the 1850s. Orlando was incorporated as a town in 1875. At that time, Orlando had 85 residents. Orlando became a popular resort in the late 1800's and early 1900s. Other key dates in Orlando's history include:

  • In 1838, the U.S. Army built Fort Gatlin south of present day Orlando to protect settlers from attacks by Indians.
  • In 1880, the South Florida Railroad extended its line into Orlando.
  • In 1970, the Orlando International Airport was built.
  • In October of 1971, Walt Disney World opened.

Orlando Arts and Culture

Orlando is more than just theme parks. It is also home to many arts and cultural attractions and activities. Orlando offers museums, the performing arts, and much more. Some of Orlando's more notable museums and gardens/arboretums include:

  • The Central Florida Zoological Park
  • The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
  • The Cornell Fine Arts Museum
  • The Harry P. Leu Gardens
  • The Historic Bok Sanctuary
  • The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida
  • The Orlando Science Center

In addition to the numerous shows staged by the many theme parks, for patrons of the performing arts, Orlando has even more to offer. Some of the more notable attractions include:

  • The Imperial Symphony Orchestra
  • The Maitland Art Center

Orlando also offers numerous festivals and outdoor music events, including the Annual Concert Under the Stars at Historic Bok Sanctuary, “Date Night at the Gardens” at the Harry P. Leu Gardens, the Florida Music Festival, the Spring Jazz Stroll, and more.

Orlando Sports and Leisure

Orlando offers a nice assortment of professional sports to keep sports fans happy. Orlando is home to the following major sports teams:

  • Baseball - The Minor League Baseball (MiLB), Daytona Cubs play an hour northeast in Daytona Beach, and the Brevard County Manatees play an hour southeast in Viera. The Cubs are a Class A Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, and the Manatees are a Class A Advanced affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.
  • Basketball - The National Basketball League (NBA) Orlando Magic.
  • Football - The Arena Football League (AFL) Orlando Predators.
  • Hockey - The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) Florida Seals play 30 minutes south in Kissimmee.
  • Soccer - The United Soccer League (USL) USL Premier Development League Ajax Orlando Prospects.

Orlando is also home to two NCAA College Bowl games, the Capitol One Bowl, and the Champs Sports Bowl.

Orlando's climate makes it ideal for outdoor activities. Orlando is close to the coast and all of the associated water sports activities. Orlando also has numerous tennis and sport complexes, horseback riding, Everglades airboat rides, and much more.

Of course, Orlando has enough theme parks to fill any leisure time schedule for a very long time. Orlando is home to Busch Gardens, Cypress Gardens, Discovery Cove, Gatorland, SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort, the Walt Disney World Resort, Wet 'n Wild, and more.

Orlando "Must See" Attractions

Orlando has attractions too numerous to do justice in a simple list. Some of Orlando's more unique attractions include:

  • Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in nearby Maitland
  • Busch Gardens
  • Cirque du Soleil-La Nouba
  • Cypress Gardens
  • Discovery Cove
  • Gatorland
  • SeaWorld Orlando
  • Universal Orlando Resort
  • Walt Disney World Resort

Orlando at Night

Nightlife in Orlando is centered in the downtown area, and around the major theme parks. In downtown Orlando, one can find comedy clubs, dance clubs, martini bars, pubs, sophisticated lounges, and sports bars. Universal CityWalk at Universal Orlando Resort features dining, shopping, movie theatres and five nightclubs. Downtown Disney also offers movies, dining, shopping, and seven clubs at Downtown Disney's Pleasure Island.

High Points

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

CategoryTrophy
Public Transportation Use
(vs. State)
Top 8%Orlando Public Transportation Use
Racial Diversity
(vs. Peers)
Top 12%Orlando Racial Diversity

Comparative Profile of Orlando, FL

Comparing Orlando 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 Diversity910
Well-Paid Single Women88
Female Share of the Population75
Well-Paid Single Men67
Senior Citizens62
Age of the Population52
Male Share of the Population57
Children Under 5 Years Old37

Families

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Portion of People Married21
Average Household Size14

Wealth

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
College Educated Adults78
People Above Poverty54
People in Middle Class or Better55
Median Family Income35

Commute & Sprawl

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Public Transportation Use710
Walking and Biking to Work56
Short Commute Times45
Working at Home34

Housing

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Seasonal and Vacation Housing104
People Living Alone98
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals910
Housing Recently Built87
Affordability of Property Taxes65
Affordability of Rents33

Crime

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Low Property Crime11
Low Violent Crime11

Detailed pages on related topics: Orlando collegesOrlando travelOrlando mortgage and property.

You are visiting:
All StatesFlorida > Orlando

Additional Details

Orlando CareersOrlando Careers
Orlando career and employment information.
Orlando CollegesOrlando Colleges
Orlando colleges and trade schools.
Orlando Hotels & TravelOrlando Hotels & Travel
Orlando hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation.
Orlando MortgageOrlando Mortgage
Orlando property, mortgage, and real estate.

Career and College Resources on CityTownInfo

Real-World Career Reports

Career Stories from workers: daily activities, job tips, best/worst job aspects, training, etc.

Career Videos. Professional videos on 800+ jobs, featuring actual employees.

Daily Career & Education News from our staff. We're an approved Google News provider!

Career Reference and Data

Resource Center. A starting point for all CityTownInfo career and college resources.

Career Overviews of hundreds of careers: descriptions, salaries, forecasts, schools, more.

Top Cities for each career. Lists and maps; salaries by city.

Top Industries. Lists of major hiring industries by career, with salaries.

City Comparisons, showing most common jobs, highest paying, etc.

Original Career Articles and Studies

Best Careers Not Requiring Degrees: Good pay, job growth, low need for degrees.

Helpful Articles, many in "how-to" format; e.g., "How to Become a Chef".

Interactive College Search Tools

College Search Scout™. Search by degree, location, major, athletics, etc.

CollegeMatch™. Find school most similar to one of interest.

College Directories and Lists

These lists link to thousands of detailed school profiles.

Colleges by State. Nearly every college and trade school in the country.

Colleges Listed Alphabetically. About 7,000 colleges & trade schools, including online schools.

Exceptional Schools. Lists of the "best/most/highest/lowest" schools.

Places Similar to Orlando

We've crunched the numbers to create PlaceMatch™, which compares thousands of cities and towns to find the places most similar to each.

Find places similar to Orlando

Historic Orlando

photo

Court House and Lake Eola from Hotel San Juan c1904.

Select a photo to view (Source):

Court House and Lake Eola from Hotel San Juan c1904.

Court house and Lake Evla from Hotel San Juan c1904.

Hotel San Juan and Orange Avenue c1904.

Additional Resources


Large City Map

Info for Orlando Government Officials

Are you an official in the Orlando government or quasi-government agency such as the chamber of commerce, visitors bureau or economic development council? If so, visit our information page for government officials to see how CityTownInfo can support you.

Spread The Word

Webmasters & Bloggers: Please link to this page on Orlando. Just copy the HTML below and paste it into your web page or blog.


Copyright © 2004-2010. All Rights Reserved. Moving Traffic, Inc., operator of CityTownInfo.com, is not a broker or a lender, and all offers for loans or mortgages found on this site are made solely by the advertiser.