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HOST CITY INFORMATION

Welcome to Orlando: The City Beautiful! O-town might be home to some of the nation’s greatest theme parks, but the city has much more to offer than just roller coasters.

General Information

 

Diversity in Orlando

The City of Orlando has a strong commitment to diversity and its support of diversity related initiatives by the National League of Cities and Faces of Florida.

A Brief History of Orlando

Historians date Orlando's name to around 1837, when a soldier named Orlando Reeves allegedly died in the area during the Second Seminole War. The namesake operated a sugar mill and plantation, and pioneer settlers found his name carved into a tree and assumed it was a marker for his grave site. They then referred to the area as "Orlando's grave" and later simply Orlando. A memorial beside Lake Eola designates the spot where he fell.

In 1856, Orlando became the county seat of the new Orange County. It remained a rural backwater during the Civil War, and suffered greatly during the Union blockade. The Reconstruction Era brought a population explosion, which led to Orlando's incorporation as a town on July 31, 1875, with an area of 4 square miles, and as a city in 1885.

Perhaps the most critical event in Orlando's history occurred in 1965 when Walt Disney announced plans to build Walt Disney World. Although Disney had considered Miami and Tampa for his park, but decided on Orlando because of its inland location. The vacation resort opened in October , 1971, ushering in an explosive population and economic growth for the Orlando metropolitan area. As a result, tourism became the centerpiece of the area's economy. Orlando is consistently ranked as one of the top vacation destinations in the world, and now boasts more theme parks and entertainment attractions than anywhere else in the world.

Web Links

Local Attractions

Theme Parks

Performing Arts and Museums

Day Trips

Shopping & Nightlife

City Stats

  • Population - According to the United States Census Bureau the estimated population of the city is approximately 227,907; and of the metropolitan area, 2,045,322. It is the fifth largest city in Florida and the fourth largest metropolis in the Southeast United States.
  • Location - Orlando is a major city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan region. The city of Orlando has a total area of 261.5 km² (101 mi²). 242.2 km² (93.5 mi²) of it is land and 19.3 km² (7.5 mi²) of it (7.39%) is water. Orlando is, on average, 106 feet (32 m) above sea level.

Fun Facts

  • Orlando the third most visited American city among travelers in the year 2007.
  • Orlando is home to the University of Central Florida, one of the largest universities by student enrollment in the nation.
  • Forbes magazine lists Orlando among the “Best Places for Business and Careers.”
  • It would take 67 days to experience the more than 100 attractions offered in Orlando.
  • The Kennedy Space Center is approximately an hour's drive east of Orlando.
  • Until recently, Walt Disney Feature Animation operated a studio out of Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort. Feature Animation-Florida was primarily responsible for the films Mulan and Lilo & Stitch.
  • Beat generation icon Jack Kerouac lived in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando during the time his novel On the Road was published in 1957.

 

Information and pictures provided by: Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, Inc.

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