About Orlando
When looking at the booming metropolis of Orlando, it is hard to believe that once upon a time it was just a modest town surrounded by cow pastures and citrus fields. Today, Orlando is home to some of the most identifiable attractions in the world including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World
Sea World, as well as prestigious athletes, glamorous movie stars, and millionaires. With a population of over 1 million, this tropical city is the sixth largest city in Florida. In fact, the majority of Central Florida defines itself by its distance to Orlando, forcing smaller surrounding cities and towns to fight to hold on to their identities.
Orlando has consistently ranked as one of the top vacation destinations in the world. An abundance of nightclubs, restaurants, and bars bring this urban metropolis to life. The 18,000-seat Amway Arena offers a wide range of entertainment for sports fans including Orlando Magic basketball games, Orlando Predators Football League games, and much more. Abundant in entertainment, this city has nearly 100 attractions including five of the top 10 in the world. In 2006 alone, 16.6 million people visited the Magic Kingdom, 10.5 million traveled to Epcot, and 9.1 million explored Disney's MGM studios.
Orlando is the 27th largest metro area in the United States with an estimated population of nearly 2 million. A cultural center, its diverse population is made up of Puerto Rican, Colombian, Venezuelan, French, Canadian, Arab, Indian, British, American and many other communities. The city's music, theater, art and restaurant scenes have all been influenced by this eclectic melting pot of unique backgrounds and tastes. Reggaeton and Hispanic music dominate the radio stations and the local newspaper even publishes a weekly Spanish newspaper called El Sentinel. Orlando also has a large Vietnamese population. "Little Vietnam" has become a neighborhood landmark in the city with numerous restaurants and stores selling merchandise from across Asia. Orlando is one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the nation with uniquely defined neighborhoods springing up around every corner.
Often referred to as the Hollywood of the East, there are many cinematic businesses in the area. For years, Walt Disney Feature Animation ran a studio out of Disney/MGM Studios at the Walt Disney Resort. Much of the animation for recognizable films like Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear was produced at Animation-Florida. Orlando also represents the capital of pop music with well-known artists like Britney Spears, Mandy Moore, NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys all originating from the hip metropolis. Additionally, the theatre industry is booming here. Professional and semi-professional community theatres are dispersed throughout the community: Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Repertory Theatre, Starlight Dinner Theatre, and Seaside Music Theatre to name a few.
A popular resort destination, Orlando is within driving distance to several beaches, offering an escape from the fast-paced life of the city. Take a day trip to Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Cocoa Beach, Clearwater Beach or New Smyrna Beach to enjoy activities like sunning, fishing, boating, sea kayaking, kite flying and much more.
Why Orlando?
With the second largest concentration of hotel rooms out of any city in the U.S., Orlando prides itself in being one of the busiest cities in America for conferences and conventions. Orlando also offers an estimated 26,000 vacation home rentals, 16,000 vacation ownership homes, and a wide array of golf courses. On International Drive alone, there are more than 10 miles of accommodations and attractions including more than 100 hotels, over 450 stores, two major outlet malls, SeaWorld Orlando, and the Orange County Convention Center.
Approximately 50 million people visit Orlando every year. While a large portion of the city's economy is driven by the tourism industry, the convention industry is also a crucial piece of the city's economic backbone. Moreover, Orlando competes with cities like
Chicago
Chicago Gold Coast, Chicago and Vegas
Las Vegas at Night, Las Vegas for hosting the most convention attendees in the United States. However, the area's economy is not completely supported by the tourism and convention industries. Several other notable companies operate out of Orlando as well: AAA, Lockheed-Martin, SunTrust Bank, The Golf Channel, Scholastic, NBC Universal and the Walt Disney Company to name a few. Orlando is also one of the fastest-growing retail markets in United States; at least five upscale department stores have opened here in the last year.
As a result of a 2004 expansion to over two million square feet, the Orange County Convention Center now has the second-largest amount of event space in the United States. A 160-seat lecture hall, the 2,643-seat Chapin Theater, the 62,000 square foot multi-purpose Valencia Room, 8 food courts, 92,000 square feet of assembly areas, and 74 meeting rooms make up this impressive facility. With hundreds of fabulous attractions, restaurants, hotels, a state-of-the-art convention center, and an international airport located within a few miles of Orlando's central business district, Orlando provides all of the necessary services to ensure the success of any meeting or event.
Orlando Key Area Facts
Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Convention Center: Orange County Convention Center
Airports: Orlando International Airport (MCO)
| Population | 220,180 | Destination Type Listings |
| Hotels | 510 | • Beach destination |
| Hotel Rooms | 112,000 | • Golf destination |
| Unique Venues | 550 | • Smoke free restaurants |
| Restaurants | 8,580 |
Orlando Climate Information
Defined by its warm and humid subtropical climate created by its low elevation and close proximity to the Tropic of Cancer, Orlando only experiences two major seasons every year. The first season lasts from May until October and consists of extremely hot and often rainy weather; temperatures rarely fall below 70 °F with daytime highs averaging in the 90s. The annual precipitation in Orlando is 50.1 inches.
The second season stretches from November to March, bringing more moderate temperatures and drier weather. During this season, there is a decrease in humidity, as well as temperature. Average lows are around 50 °F, although temperatures do drop below freezing every once in a while; average highs consistently remain in the 70s.
Situated just 40 miles inland from the Atlantic and 60 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, Orlando is somewhat at risk to Hurricanes. However, since the city is 100 feet above sea level, typical effects of these tropical storms such as storm surge are not of concern. In fact, most storms weaken considerably before arriving in Orlando. Despite the potential for hurricanes, visitors are attracted to this paradise for its mild winters and sunshine.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High -°F | 87 | 90 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 97 | 95 | 89 | 90 |
| Avg High -°F | 72 | 73 | 77 | 83 | 88 | 91 | 92 | 92 | 89 | 84 | 77 | 73 |
| Avg Low -°F | 50 | 51 | 55 | 61 | 67 | 71 | 73 | 73 | 72 | 66 | 56 | 51 |
| Rec Low -°F | 24 | 28 | 31 | 40 | 52 | 60 | 67 | 64 | 56 | 43 | 29 | 20 |
| Rainfall - in. | 2.1 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 3 | 6.5 | 8.1 | 7.2 | 6.8 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 2.1 |
