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Orlando, Florida

Encyclopedia : O : OR : ORL : Orlando, Florida

This article is about the city in Florida. For other uses, see Orlando.
The city of Orlando is the county seat of Orange County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 185,951 (metropolitan area 1,644,561). A 2004 U.S. Census Estimates population count gave the city population was 205,648 (metropolitan area nearly 1.8 million). It is the sixth-largest city in Florida, and its largest inland city. It is also at the head of the state's third-largest metropolitan area, behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater. Additionally, Orlando is home to the second largest university in Florida, the University of Central Florida.

The city is well known for the tourist attractions in the area, particularly the nearby Walt Disney World Resort, which is in the Reedy Creek Improvement District . Other area attractions include SeaWorld and Universal Orlando Resort. Despite being far from the main tourist attractions, downtown Orlando has recently seen much redevelopment, with many more projects currently under construction or planned. One of the oldest attractions in this area is Gatorland. Orlando sees an estimated 52 million tourists a year. Orlando is the 2nd largest city in the country for number of hotel rooms. It is a leader in medical care and research, especially at Orlando Regional Medical Center, the only statutory teaching hospital in Central Florida.

The city's nickname is "The City Beautiful", though plans are underway to change this title through a local contest. Its symbol is the fountain of Lake Eola. The current mayor is Buddy Dyer.

Contents

History

Some historians date Orlando's name to around 1836 when a soldier named Orlando Reeves allegedly died in the area, during the war against the Seminole Indian tribe. It seems, however, that Orlando Reeves (sometimes Rees) operated a sugar mill and plantation about 30 miles (50 km) to the north at Spring Garden in Volusia County, and pioneer settlers simply found his name carved into a tree and assumed it was a marker for a grave site. They thus referred to the area as "Orlando's grave" and later simply "Orlando."

During the Second Seminole War, the U.S. Army established an outpost at Fort Gatlin, a few miles south of the modern downtown, in 1838. But it was quickly abandoned when the war came to an end.

Prior to being known as it's current name, Orlando was known as Jernigan, after the first permanent settler, cattleman Aaron Jernigan, who acquired land along Lake Holden by the terms of the Armed Occupation Act of 1842. But most pioneers did not arrive until after the Third Seminole War in the 1850s. Most of the early residents made their living by cattle ranching.

Orlando remained a rural backwater during the American Civil War, and suffered greatly during the Federal Blockade. The Reconstruction Era brought a population explosion, which led to the city's incorporation in 1875.

The period from 1875 to 1895 is remembered as Orlando's "Gilded Era," when it became the hub of Florida's citrus industry. But a great freeze in 1894-1895 forced many owners to give up their independent groves, thus consolidating holdings in the hands of a few "citrus barons" which shifted operations south, primarily around Lake Wales in Polk County.

There are a couple of notable homesteaders in the area. First is the Curry family. On their property in east Orlando there was the Econlockahatchee River and everytime it had to be crossed the settlers would "ford the river". This leads its name to one of Orlando's roads, Curry-Ford Rd. Also, just south of the airport in the Boggy Creek area was 150 acres of property homesteaded in the late 1800's by the Ward family. This property is still owned by the Ward family and can be seen from flights out of MCO southbound immediately on the south side of SR-417.

Orlando, as Florida's largest inland city, became a popular resort during the years between the Spanish-American War and World War I.

During World War II, a number of Army personnel were stationed at the Pine Castle AAF. Some of these servicemen stayed in Orlando to settle and raise families. In 1956 the aerospace/defense company Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) established a plant in Orlando. In 1958, Pine Castle AAF was renamed McCoy Air Force Base after Colonel Michael N.W. McCoy.

Orlando is close enough to Patrick Air Force Base, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and Kennedy Space Center for residents to commute to work from the city's suburbs. It also allows easy access to Port Canaveral, an important cruise ship terminal. Because of its proximity to the "Space Coast" near the Kennedy Space Center, many high-tech companies have shifted to the Orlando area.

Perhaps the most critical event for Orlando's economy occurred in 1965 when Walt Disney announced plans to build Walt Disney World. Although Disney had considered the cities of Miami and Tampa for his park, one of the major reasons behind his decision not to locate in those cities was the threat of hurricanes. The famous vacation resort opened in October 1971, ushering in an explosive population and economic growth for the Orlando metropolitan area, which now encompasses Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Lake counties. As a result, tourism became the centerpiece of the area's economy and Orlando is consistently ranked as one of the top vacation destinations in the world.

Another major factor in Orlando's growth occurred in 1970, when the new Orlando International Airport was built from a portion of the McCoy Air Force Base. Four airlines began providing scheduled flights in 1970. The military base officially closed in 1974, and most of it is now part of the airport. The airport still retains the former Air Force Base airport code (MCO). It is considered a world-class facility, and it is one of the most heavily travelled airports in the world.

In addition to McCoy Air Force Base, Orlando also had a naval presence with the establishment of the Orlando Naval Training Center in 1968. Providing training to recruits as well as being a base for selected post basic training programs, the base had a prominent presence in the area. In 1993, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission ordered that the base be closed. The base continued in a diminished capacity until the base closed for good with the last graduates of the base's Naval Nuclear Power School leaving in December of 1998. The former base has been developed into tracts for upscale housing called Baldwin Park.

In the hurricane season of 2004, Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne battered the Orlando area, causing widespread damage and flooding and impeding tourism to the area.

Geography

Orlando Skyline at sunset, from SR-408
Enlarge
Orlando Skyline at sunset, from SR-408

Orlando is located at [28°32′1″N, 81°22′33″W] (28.533513, -81.375789)[Geographic references#1GR1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 261.5 km² (100.9 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 rivaled only by the Twin Cities in the number of natural lakes to be found in its metropolitan area. The Orlando area is home to more than 100 lakes, the largest of which are Lake Apopka, Eustis, Griffin, Harney, Harris, Jesup, Monroe, Sand Lake, Conway, and Tohopekaliga. The region Orlando occupies is generally low-lying, the only exception being minor sand hills formed by wave action in earlier geological eras when sea level was higher. These sand hills are found primarily in the western sections of the metropolitan area, especially in Lake County. The area is also very prone to sink-holes due to the large number of underground limestone caverns that are located in the area. Many of the lakes started as sink holes in recent geologic history.

Neighborhoods

The city of Orlando has 115 neighborhoods in the city limits, some of which are:

  • Airport North
  • Avalon Park
  • Baldwin Park
  • Callahan
  • Central Business District
  • College Park
  • Colonialtown North
  • Colonialtown South
  • Crescent Park
  • Delaney Park
  • Downtown
  • EastWood
  • Lake Davis / Greenwood
  • Lake Eola Heights
  • Lake Formosa
  • Metro North
  • Metrowest
  • Millenia
  • North Orange
  • Park Central
  • Park Lake Highland
  • Rosemont
  • Richmond Heights
  • Rio Pinar
  • Roosevelt Park
  • Southwest
  • Stoneybrook
  • Thornton Park
  • University Heights
  • Waterford Lakes
  • West Colonial

Metropolitan area

In the Orlando area, like most metropolitan areas in Florida, the majority of the population lives outside the city proper. Orlando is the center of a four-county metropolitan area that includes Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Lake counties. Oviedo, in Seminole County, has been listed as one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Clermont (Lake) and Poinciana (Osceola) have also seen explosive growth. Although technically outside of the Orlando metro area, Deltona grew so fast that it overtook Daytona Beach as the largest city in Volusia County as of the 1990 census.

Climate

Orlando has a warm and humid subtropical climate, and there are two major seasons each year. One of those seasons is hot and rainy, lasting from April until November (roughly coinciding with the Atlantic hurricane season). The other is a cooler season (November through March) that brings more moderate temperatures and less frequent rainfall. The area's warm and humid climate is caused primarily by its low elevation and its position just a few degrees north of the Tropic of Cancer, and much of its weather is affected by the movement of the Gulf Stream.

During the height of Orlando's very humid summer season, temperatures rarely fall below 70ºF (21ºC), and daytime highs average in the 90s (32-37°C). Although the city rarely records temperatures over 100°F (38°C), extreme humidity often pushes the heat index to over 110°F (43°C). The city's highest recorded temperature is 102ºF (39ºC), set in 1998. During these months, strong afternoon thunderstorms occur almost daily. These storms are caused by air masses from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean colliding over Central Florida, and they often bring high wind, damaging hail, heavy rainfall (sometimes several inches per hour), and violent lightning. Orlando is sometimes referred to as the lightning capital of the world, but it is actually second to parts of Central Africa in its frequency of strikes. It does have more lightning than any other city in the United States.

During the winter season, humidity is lower and temperatures are more moderate. Average lows in January are around 50ºF (10ºC), and the highs average near 70°F (21°C). Temperatures rarely reach below 32ºF (0ºC), although the coldest temperature ever recorded was 19°F (-7°C) in 1985. The area does get cold enough to facilitate snowfall - however, the winter season is dry, and most freezing temperatures occur after cold fronts have passed. Although no measurable amount has ever been recorded, trace amounts of snow were observed on December 23, 1989. Trace flurries of lake effect snow were reported in nearby coastal Brevard County on January 24, 2003. [link]

The average annual rainfall in Orlando is 50.1 in. (128 cm), most of it occurring in the period from June to September. The months of December through May are Orlando's driest season. During this period (especially in its later months), there is often a wildfire hazard. During some years, fires have been severe. In 1998, an El Niño condition caused an usually wet January and February, followed by drought throughout the spring and summer, causing a record wildfire season that created Greater Orlando's first instances of unhealthy air quality alerts.

Orlando has a considerable hurricane risk, although it is not as high as it is in South Florida's urban corridor or other coastal regions. Since the city is located 40 miles inland from the Atlantic and 60 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes usually weaken before arriving. Storm surges are not a concern since the region is 100 ft (30 m) above sea level. Despite its relatively safe location, the city does see strong hurricanes. During the notorious 2004 hurricane season, Orlando was hit by three hurricanes that caused significant damage. The city also experienced widespread damage during Hurricane Donna in 1960.

NOTE: The record high of 102°F was recorded at Orlando International Airport, and is available from [AccuWeather.com]. (historical data from July is only visible in July and August unless you buy into their premium services) WeatherBase only uses historical data recorded at Orlando Executive Airport. Both airports have official National Weather Service recording stations.

Economy

To no surprise, a large part of the Orlando area economy is involved in the tourist industry. Tourism surrounding Orlando is worth billions of dollars to the area's economy. Over 48 million visitors came to the Orlando region in 2004. The convention industry is also critical to the region's economy, due partly to the multitude of attractions available for all age ranges in the area. The Orange County Convention Center, expanded in 2004 to over two million square feet (200,000 m²) of exhibition space, is now the second-largest convention complex in the United States secondly only to Las Vegas.

The area's economy includes other industries besides tourism, such as manufacturing. Lockheed-Martin has a large manufacturing facility for missile systems, aeronautical crafts and related high tech research due to Orlando's proximity to the NASA Kennedy Space Center. Since the 1970's and 1980's the area is also home to many computer software and hardware firms, such as IBM. Other noteable engineering firms have offices or labs in the Central Florida area: KDF, General Dynamics, Harris, Westinghouse, Siemens, Veritas/Seagate, multiple USAF facilities, Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD), Comair Aviation Academy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, GE, Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation (AFAMS), Army Simulation Training and Instrumentation Command (STRICOM), AT&T, Boeing, CAE Systems Flight & Simulation Training, HP, Institute for Simulation and Training, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Systems. The Naval Training Center until a few years ago this was one of the two places where nuclear engineers were trained for the US Navy. Now the land has been converted into Lake Baldwin Park.

Another developing sector is the film, television, and electronic gaming industries, aided by the presence of Universal Studios, Disney-MGM Studios, Full Sail School, and other entertainment companies and schools. Numerous office complexes for large corporations have popped up along the Interstate 4 corridor north of Orlando, especially in Maitland, Lake Mary and Heathrow. The U.S. modeling, simulation, and training (MS&T) industry is centered around the Orlando region as well, with a particularly strong presence in the Central Florida Research Park adjacent to UCF.

Nearby Maitland is the home of Tiburon, a division of the video game company Electronic Arts. Originally Tiburon Entertainment, it was acquired by EA in 1998 after years of partnership, particularly in the famous Madden NFL series and NCAA Football series of video games. Due to this, there were rumors in 2005 that EA may move its corporate HQ to Orlando.

The diversifying economy has led to an incredibly low unemployment rate in Greater Orlando of 2.8% as of May 2006."[Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment: May 2006]." United States Department of Labor. June 28, 2006. Retrieved on July 9, 2006. The result is explosive growth that has led to urban sprawl in the surrounding area and skyrocketing housing prices. Housing prices in Greater Orlando went up 34% in one year, from an average of $182,000 in August 2004 to $245,000 in August 2005. House prices continue to rise, reaching a record $252,000 in May 2006."[Metropolitan Orlando Housing Trends Summary]." Orlando Regional Realtor Association. 2006. Retrieved on June 6, 2006. Many apartments have been turned into condos within the since 2003.

Due to this many young adults and those in the lower class are having a difficult time finding housing within Orange County. A spring '06 Orlando Sentinel article stated that in order to afford rent for a single bedroom apartment in Orange County one would be forced to earn at least a $20/hour wage.

Companies and organizations that have a their corporate headquarters or a major presence in the area:

Transportation

A LYNX bus stop on North Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando.
Enlarge
A LYNX bus stop on North Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando.

Air

Orlando is served primarily by Orlando International Airport, though nearby Orlando Sanford International Airport also serves the area. Orlando Executive Airport is used for charter flights and General Aviation.

Roads

Its major freeway is Interstate 4, which crosses Florida's Turnpike southwest of Downtown Orlando. It is also served by the toll roads of the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority, particularly the East-West Expressway (SR 408), which crosses I-4 downtown.

The East West Expressway (SR 408) is undergoing major construction with the addition of lanes, concrete barrier walls, sound walls, and a better scenic view. This project began in 2005 and is not yet complete.

Because of the massive urban sprawl in the area and outdated and unplanned transit infastructure, traffic congestion is a growing concern. Fundamentally, the lack of east-west mobility in the area creates severe traffic issues every weekday.

Rail

The Orlando area is served by one through railroad, CSX Transportation's A line (formerly the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's main line), and some spurs, mostly operated by the Florida Central Railroad. Amtrak passenger service runs along the CSX A line. See also [a map of these railroads]. In 2005 Federal and state funding was granted for the establishment of the Central Florida Commuter Rail service to operate on the CSX A line tracks between Deltona and Poinciana, passing through the downtown area and surrounding urban neighborhoods along the way. The service is expected to substantially reduce traffic congestion along the I-4 corridor, especially between downtown Orlando and the suburban communities in Seminole and Volusia Counties. The Federal and state funds would cover approximately 80% of the estimated $400 million cost for track modifications and construction of stations along the route. Pending approval by the county governments (Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola) involved and the set aside of matching funds, the line is projected to begin operations in 2009.

The following major railroad stations have existed in Orlando:

Buses

Orlando is served by LYNX, which runs bus service in the tri-county area (Osceola-Orange-Seminole).

Light rail

Several attempts have been made to bring a light rail system to Orlando, but each one has met with failure due to a perceived lack of public interest and various conflicts over a potential route. Walt Disney World officials have been particularly adamant that a light rail line run from Orlando International Airport to the resort, drawing opposition from other vacation destinations who fear loss of business. Local residents also oppose the idea of funding what is essentially a private beeline to Disney that will do little to alleviate the growing traffic problems in the area. This is in addition to the statewide debate over high speed rail, the various plans of which all center around Orlando.

Education

Public education is handled by Orange County Public Schools. Some of the larger private schools include Trinity Preparatory School, Lake Highland Preparatory School, Bishop Moore High School, New School of Orlando, Orlando Christian Academy, and Forest Lake Academy.

Area institutions of higher education

Demographics

As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 185,951 people, 80,883 households, and 42,382 families residing in the city. The population density was 767.9/km² (1,988.9/mi²). There were 88,486 housing units at an average density of 365.4/km² (946.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.10% White, 26.70% African American, 2.90% Asian, 0.34% Native American, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 5.41% from other races, and 2.54% from two or more races. 17.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. [Total is greater than 100% because Hispanics may be of any race.] The city has large Puerto Rican, Colombian, Haitian, Vietnamese communities (among others), and a growing number of Russian and British (mostly English) residents.

There were 80,883 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.4% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 37.3% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,732, and the median income for a family was $40,648. Males had a median income of $30,866 versus $25,267 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,216. About 13.3% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Like fellow Florida cities Miami and Tampa, Orlando has a large and increasing number of Hispanic residents living in the city. Orlando is home to one of the nation's largest and rapidly-growing Puerto Rican communities (particulary its metropolitan area). This is reflected by the abundance of Hispanic-themed restaurants and radio stations. Spanish-language music, such as reggaeton, is common on Orlando radio stations. The Orlando Magic basketball team is the only team in the NBA to have a Latin Night, which is geared towards the Hispanic population in the area. Throughout the city, many Puerto Rican flags can be found on or near buildings, including car dealerships. The city's local newspaper, The Orlando Sentinel, publishes a weekly all-Spanish newspaper called El Sentinel.

Not all Hispanics in Central Florida are Puerto Rican however. A large portion of these Latinos are also of Cuban descent, largely refugees or their childredn from the Cuban Revolution.

Orlando has an equally large African-American population. The city is located within six miles of Eatonville, Florida, the first all-black town to be incorporated in the United States.

Many American northerners (Yankees) also have moved to the area. This is a result of many snowbirds who visit seasonally in the area and then decide to either reitre to the area, or their children also move to more favorable climate.

Orlando is also becoming popular with Russian immigrants seeking careers or relocating their families to warmer climates. The growth rate of Russians in Central Florida is second only to the rising Hispanic population. The Russian community, made up of several countries of the former Soviet Union, has the Russian language as their common bond. [Community and cultural groups] are growing in popularity as is the number of Russian-American marriages.

Arts and Entertainment

Orlando has been the home of several notable acts since the mid 1990's, including Britney Spears, NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, as well as Creed,Trivium,From First To Last, matchbox twenty, Seven Mary Three, DJ Icey, and DJ Jimmy Joslin. Sister Hazel and Less Than Jake are from near by Gainsville,as is superstar Tom Petty.

The hip hop music scene, metal scene, rock music scene, Latino scene, are all active within the city and is largely home to the Florida Breakbeat movement.

Comedian Larry the Cable Guy is from Orlando, having gotten his start on WJRR. Comedian Wayne Brady is also from Orlando, as is actor Wesley Snipes.

Orlando has also been called Hollywood East because of its large film-oriented population, mostly as a result of Disney-MGM, Universal Studios, Full Sail, and the UCF Film Program.

Area attractions

For tourist information, see .
The Orlando area is home to a wide variety of tourist attractions, including the Walt Disney World resort, Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld Orlando. The Walt Disney World resort is the area's largest attraction with its many facets such as the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, and Downtown Disney. SeaWorld Orlando is a large adventure park that features numerous zoological displays and marine animals alongside an amusement park with roller coasters and water park. Universal Orlando, like Walt Disney World, is a multi-faceted resort comprised of Universal Studios, CityWalk, and the Islands of Adventure theme park.

Other attractions in the Orlando area include:

Sports

Orlando is home to the Orlando Magic, an NBA pro basketball franchise that plays at the TD Waterhouse Centre in downtown Orlando. The team made it to the NBA Finals in 1995. The TD Waterhouse Centre, originally known as the O-Rena, has become a topic of local political debate. Opened in 1989, the TD Waterhouse Centre is one of the oldest arenas in the NBA, and many politicians, including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, want to either renovate the arena or construct a completely new sports facility. The ultimate decision on the fate of the TD Waterhouse Centre is yet to be determined.

The Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League also play at the TD Waterhouse Centre. Since joining the league in 1991, they have become one of the legendary franchises in the young league, having an infamous rivalry with the Tampa Bay Storm, two ArenaBowl titles (1998 and 2000), and several historic moments including the league's only shutout to date and a procession called the Miracle Minute where they scored two touchdowns with two-point conversions and forced a safety to come from behind in the final minute of a game to win.

Orlando was a stronghold of minor-league ice hockey throughout the 1990's, being home of the Orlando Solar Bears of the now-defunct International Hockey League. Historically successful, they won the Turner Cup championship in 2001 to end the IHL's final season. In 2002, the Atlantic Coast Hockey League formed with Orlando forming one of the charter franchises, the Orlando Seals, which won their Commissioner's Cup in 2003. They moved to the World Hockey Association 2 in 2003, then the Southern Professional Hockey League in 2004. The City of Orlando revoked their lease for the TD Waterhouse Centre, forcing them to sit out the 2004-05 season. They moved to Kissimmee and became the Florida Seals in November 2004.

The Citrus Bowl is the home of the Capital One Bowl (formerly the Florida Citrus Bowl) and the Champs Sports Bowl (formerly the Tangerine Bowl). It also hosts regular-season football games for the University of Central Florida (NCAA Division I-A) and Jones High School, as well as the annual Florida Classic played between the NCAA Division I-AA Football teams from Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman College. It hosted soccer games for the FIFA World Cup '94 and the 1996 Summer Olympics when each were hosted by the United States.

The Orlando Renegades were a USFL team playing at the Citrus Bowl in 1985. They folded with the league in 1986. The Orlando Thunder were a charter team in the World League of American Football in 1991 and 1992. They lost the World Bowl to the Sacramento Surge in 1992. Like all other American teams, it was dropped in the World League reorganization of 1995. The Orlando Rage were a member of the XFL that played at the Citrus Bowl, and only played in 2001. That team has since been revived in the minor-league Southern States Football League (SSFL).

The Citrus Bowl was also the home of the fictional NFL team, the Orlando Breakers, which was featured in the last two seasons of the television sitcom Coach. The team was a plot device to reflect the 1995 addition of the Jacksonville Jaguars to the real-life NFL.

Orlando will gain an expansion franchise in the Major Indoor Soccer League for the 2007 - 2008 season. Orlando also will receive an expansion franchise in the American Basketball Association for the 2007 season. The team has been named the Orange Men. The Orlando Lions were a member of the third incarnation of the American Soccer League in the late 1980s/early 1990s. The Orlando Sundogs were a minor-league soccer team in the A-League that played in the Citrus Bowl. They were disbanded in 1997 after only playing one year. Presently, two lower-division soccer teams call Orlando home: the Premier Development League's (PDL) Central Florida Kraze, and Ajax Orlando. The Kraze won the PDL Championship in 2004, while Ajax (pronounced EYE-acks) is the only Amercian subsidiary of global soccer power Ajax Amsterdam of the Dutch Eredivisie (professional soccer league).

Tinker Field, named for baseball hall-of-famer Joe Tinker, is a historic baseball stadium next to the Citrus Bowl, currently out of use. It was formerly the spring training home of the Minnesota Twins (and the Washington Nationals/Senators before them) and AA Southern League affiliates of the Twins, Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Cracker Jack Stadium, situated in the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex, is the baseball stadium that is currently used in Orlando. The spring training home of the Atlanta Braves, it played host to the games of the Pool D teams in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.

Serious talk has been made on bringing Major League Baseball to Orlando. Current mayor Buddy Dyer said he would like to see it in the future. Orlando was a finalist city in the expansion for the 1993 season. Ironically, they were mentioned as a possible destination for one of the 1993 expansion teams, the Florida Marlins, during that team's investigation of new locations should Miami fail to build them a new baseball stadium.

Media

Radio

AM

FM

Television

Sister cities

Orlando has nine sister cities:Sister cities from [Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)]. Retrieved on June 6, 2006.

Seine-et-Marne is particularly notable to Orlando, as it is the home of Disneyland Resort Paris. As such, the Départment gave Orlando a 1:13 scale model of the Eiffel Tower that now sits in the France area of the World Showcase at Epcot. It is made of copper just like the original, but additionally painted in copper paint. Since the France area is supposed to represent Paris at the end of the 19th century, the paint keeps the tower at Epcot from oxidizing into the typical green color of the original Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty, also copper.

See also

References

Central Florida News 13

External links




Cities and communities of Orange County, Florida

County seat Orlando

Incorporated places Apopka | Bay Lake (part of Walt Disney World) | Belle Isle | Eatonville | Edgewood | Lake Buena Vista (part of Walt Disney World) | Maitland | Oakland | Ocoee | Orlando | Plymouth | Windermere | Winter Garden | Winter Park
Unincorporated places Azalea Park | Bay Hill | Bithlo | Christmas | Conway | Doctor Phillips | Fairview Shores | Goldenrod | Gotha | Holden Heights | Hunters Creek | Lake Butler | Lake Hart | Lockhart | Meadow Woods | Oak Ridge | Orlo Vista | Paradise Heights | Pine Castle | Pine Hills | Reedy Creek Improvement District (special taxing district) | Sky Lake | South Apopka | Southchase | Taft | Tangelo Park | Tangerine | Tildenville | Union Park | University Park | Vineland | Wedgefield | Williamsburg | Zellwood
'''Adjacent Counties Volusia | Brevard | Osceola | Polk | Seminole | Lake

State of Florida
(Government | History | Floridians)

Capital: Tallahassee
Largest cities: Cape Coral | Clearwater | Coral Springs | Fort Lauderdale | Gainesville | Hialeah | Hollywood | Jacksonville | Lakeland | Miami | Miami Gardens | Miramar | North Miami | Orlando | Pembroke Pines | Plantation | Pompano Beach | Port St. Lucie | St. Petersburg | Sunrise | Tallahassee | Tampa | West Palm Beach
Other notable communities: Altamonte Springs | Apopka | Aventura | Boca Raton  | Bonita Springs | Boynton Beach | Bradenton | Brandon | Coconut Creek | Cooper City | Coral Gables | Davie | Daytona Beach | Deerfield Beach | Delray Beach | Deltona | Dunedin | Fort Myers | Fort Pierce | Greenacres | Hallandale Beach | Homestead | Jupiter | Kissimmee | Lake Mary | Lake Worth | Lakeland | Largo | Lauderdale Lakes | Lauderhill | Margate | Melbourne | Miami Beach | North Lauderdale | North Miami Beach | North Miami | Oakland Park | Ocala | Ocoee | Ormond Beach | Oviedo | Palm Bay | Palm Beach Gardens | Palm Harbor | Panama City | Pensacola | Pinellas Park | Plant City | Plantation | Port Charlotte | Port Orange | Riviera Beach | Royal Palm Beach | St. Augustine | Sanford | Sarasota | Spring Hill | Sunrise | Tamarac | Temple Terrace | Titusville | Vero Beach | Wellington | Weston | Winter Haven | Winter Park | Winter Springs
Regions: Central Florida | Emerald Coast | First Coast | Florida Panhandle | Florida Keys | Gold Coast | Nature Coast | North Central Florida  | South Florida | Southwest Florida | Space Coast | Sun Coast | Tampa Bay Area | Treasure Coast | Walt Disney World
Counties: Alachua | Baker | Bay | Bradford | Brevard | Broward | Calhoun | Charlotte | Citrus | Clay | Collier | Columbia |Dade |DeSoto | Dixie | Duval | Escambia | Flagler | Franklin | Gadsden | Gilchrist | Glades | Gulf | Hamilton | Hardee | Hendry | Hernando | Highlands | Hillsborough | Holmes | Indian River | Jackson | Jefferson | Lafayette | Lake | Lee | Leon | Levy | Liberty | Madison | Manatee | Marion | Martin | Miami-Dade | Monroe | Nassau | Okaloosa | Okeechobee | Orange | Osceola | Palm Beach | Pasco | Pinellas | Polk | Putnam | Santa Rosa | Sarasota | Seminole | St. Johns | St. Lucie | Sumter | Suwannee | Taylor | Union | Volusia | Wakulla | Walton | Washington

 

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