Orlando, Florida

Orlando, Florida
City
Top row: Downtown Orlando; 2nd row: Orange County Courthouse, Universal Studios Florida, Walt Disney World; 3rd row: Gatorland, SeaWorld Orlando, Amway Center; 4th row: Lake Eola fountain, Camping World Stadium, Church Street Station
Flag Seal
Nickname:  The City Beautiful
Location in Orange County and the state of Florida.
Orlando Location in the United States
Coordinates: 28.54°N 81.38°W / 28.54; -81.38
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Orange
Incorporated (town)	July 31, 1875
Unincorporated	July 1879
Re-Incorporated	October 1879
Incorporated (city)	1885
Government
• Type	Mayor–Commission
• Mayor	Buddy Dyer (D)
Area
• Total	294.61 km2 (113.75 sq mi)
• Land	272.51 km2 (105.22 sq mi)
• Water	22.10 km2 (8.53 sq mi)
• Urban	1,690.3 km2 (652.64 sq mi)
Elevation	25 m (82 ft)
Population  (2020)
• Total	307,573
• Rank	58th, U.S.
• Density	1,017.10/km2 (2,923.14/sq mi)
• Urban	1,853,896 (26th U.S.)
• Metro	2,673,376 (22nd U.S.)
• CSA	4,197,095 (15th U.S.)
Demonym	Orlandoan
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	32801–32899
Area code(s)	321, 407
FIPS code	12-53000
GNIS feature ID	0288240
Interstates
U.S. Routes
Major State Routes
Website	www.cityoforlando.net

This article is about the city in the state of Florida. For other meanings, see Orlando (disambiguation).

Orlando is a city in the center of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County. It contains 307,573 people as of 2020. It is number four among cities in Florida by number of people. The current mayor, or leader, of Orlando is Buddy Dyer.

History

Orlando was created in 1836 when someone found a tree where the name "Orlando Reeves" was carved. Thinking it was a place of burial, they named the site "Orlando's grave". It was cut to Orlando later.

Before the American Civil War, Orlando was a center of trade in cattle. After the war, many people came to the town. Orlando became a city in 1875. Before 1900, Orlando was a center of orange farming. After 1900, it became a popular place for visitors.

Orlando was an important base for the military during World War II, as home of Pinecastle Army Air Field. Lockheed Martin (once Martin Marietta) opened a manufacturing site in Orlando in 1956.

In 1965, Walt Disney said that he would build a large amusement park southwest of the city. That place, Walt Disney World Resort, opened

In 1971, after Walt Disney World opened, Orlando is now very popular as a tourism city, attracting millions of visitors each year from every place in the world.

Three hurricanes moved over Orlando in 2004, causing billions of U.S. dollars of damage.

Climate

Orlando has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa in the Koeppen climate classification). Summers are hot and wet; winters are warm with moderate rainfall.

Transport

A major road in Orlando is Interstate 4. Another major road is State Road 408. They meet downtown. Florida's Turnpike also meets Interstate 4 southwest of the city.

Orlando International Airport is one of the biggest airports in the United States.

Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses also go to Orlando.

There are also numerous transportation services offering private car and limo services in the Orlando area, catering to theme park transportation needs for destinations such as Disney World, Universal Studios, and nearby resorts.

Sports

The Orlando Magic are an NBA basketball team in Orlando. They play at TD Waterhouse Centre.

The Orlando Predators are an football team with the Arena Football League in Orlando. They play at the TD Waterhouse Centre.

Other websites

• The Orlando Travel & Visitors Bureau
• The Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Orlando Transportation Services | Private Car Service and Limo Service