central Florida

Like many vernacular regions, Central Florida's boundaries are not official or consistent, and are defined differently by different sources. A 2007 study of Florida's regions by geographers Ary Lamme and Raymond K. Oldakowski found that Floridians surveyed identified Central Florida as comprising a large swath of peninsular Florida.Lamme & Oldakowski, p. 329. This area encompassed the interior, including the Orlando metropolitan area, and coastal stretches from the Citrus County south to the Hillsborough County in the west and from Volusia County south to Sebastian in the east.

Central Florida is one of Florida's three most common directional regions, the others being North Florida and South Florida. Lamme and Oldakowski note that the directional region is more commonly used in the interior areas rather than on the coast.Lamme & Oldakowski, p. 335. In fact, while coastal areas often have their own regional vernacular identities such as the Space Coast and the Nature Coast, no vernacular regions were reported on the interior of the state other than Central Florida.

Enterprise Florida, the state's economic development agency, identifies "Central Florida" as one of eight economic regions used by the agency and other state and outside entities, including the Florida Department of Transportation. This definition covers much of the same area as in Lamme and Oldakowski's survey, with some exceptions. The central region includes the Orlando metropolitan area (Orange, Lake, Osceola, and Seminole Counties), and Sumter, Polk counties in the interior, Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties on the west coast and Volusia and Brevard Counties on the east coast.Charting the Course, p. 2.

The central cities of both metropolitan areas (Orlando and Tampa) are in close proximity ({{convert|85|mi}}), and as a result, their two metropolitan areas blend together in the area of Lakeland to make up a larger contiguous population center often referred to as the I-4 corridor.{{cite news|last=Washington |first=The |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jan/28/as-i-4-corridor-goes-so-goes-florida/ |title=As I-4 corridor goes, so goes Florida |newspaper=Washington Times |date=January 28, 2008 |access-date=February 17, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dot.state.fl.us/research-center/Completed_Proj/Summary_TE/FDOT_BD548_07_rpt.pdf |title=FDOT_BD548_07_rpt |access-date=November 4, 2012}} This is a population concentration that stretches from Tampa Bay on the west coast to Daytona Beach and Cape Canaveral on the east coast of the state.

With the exception of hill terrain in Mount Dora, southern Lake County, Polk County (Lake Wales Ridge) Pasco County, and Hernando County (Brooksville Ridge). Central Florida is mostly flatland with significant amounts of open space and over 1,500 lakes and ponds. There is a mixture of wetlands, Cypress, Oak, Maple and Pine forests, pastures, prairies and coastline.[http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr143] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204223309/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr143|date=December 4, 2010}}

Major rivers include the St. Johns River, the Halifax River, the Ocklawaha River and the Econlockhatchee River. Major lakes include Lake Apopka, Lake Tohopekaliga, East Lake Tohopekaliga, Lake Louisa, Lake Monroe, Lake Jessup, and the Butler Chain of Lakes. There are over {{convert|100|mi}} of coastline in Central Florida along the Atlantic Coast.{{cite web|url=http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/html/floridafacts.html |title=FHP: Florida Facts |publisher=Flhsmv.gov |date=July 1, 2000 |access-date=February 17, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003162548/http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/html/floridafacts.html |archive-date=October 3, 2011 }} Major beaches include Canaveral National Seashore, New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach, Cocoa Beach, and Indialantic Beach near Melbourne.

Hurricanes are a threat to the coastal cities as evidenced by the 2004 hurricane season, which brought three major hurricanes to the Central Florida area: Charley, Jeanne, and Frances.File:Belles at Cypress Gardens theme park, Winter Haven, Florida LCCN2011631843.tifWinters are dry and temperate with the average winter high temperature in Orlando being {{convert|71|F}} and the average winter low temperature being {{convert|49|F}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/6229:20 |title = Manhattan, NY Monthly Weather Forecast – weather.com}}{{cite web |url=http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Florida/average-temperatures-florida.php |title=Average Temperatures in Florida |publisher=Current Results |access-date=February 17, 2012}} Summers are hot and humid with high temperatures averaging {{convert|92|F}} and low temperatures averaging {{convert|75|F}}. Peak summer heat generally arrives in early June and continues to early October.[http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/eh105] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110325181729/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/eh105|date=March 25, 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.garden.bsewall.com/topics/hardiness/maps.htm |title=Bill's Garden |publisher=Garden.bsewall.com |access-date=February 17, 2012}}

The combination of high temperatures, high humidity, and opposing sea breezes from both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, results in significant thunderstorm activity from June to September for the interior counties. Central Florida records more lightning strikes per area than any other region in Florida, and Florida records more lightning strikes than any other state in the US. As a result, Florida, and more specifically, Central Florida, is often referred to as the "Thunderstorm capital of the USA",{{cite web|url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/ltg/crh_ltg_stats_usa.php |title=NWS Pueblo, CO – Lightning Casualty Statistics USA Page |publisher=Crh.noaa.gov |date=August 31, 2010 |access-date=February 17, 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/lightning_map.htm |title=NWS Lightning Frequency Safety Map |publisher=Lightningsafety.noaa.gov |access-date=February 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122014917/http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/lightning_map.htm |archive-date=January 22, 2012 |url-status=dead }} or "Lightning Alley."{{Cite web |last=Campos |first=Candace |date=2021-07-22 |title=Central Florida leads nation in lightning strikes. Here’s 5 shocking lightning myths to know |url=https://www.clickorlando.com/weather/2021/07/22/central-florida-leads-nation-in-lightning-strikes-heres-5-shocking-lightning-myths-to-know/ |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=WKMG |language=en}}

These severe thunderstorms often make Central Florida prone to many tornadoes. However, they are usually small, short lived, and almost always rated as EF0 or EF1 size storms.

According to the Köppen climate classification, Central Florida has a subtropical climate. A climate that is typical for the majority of the state, except for South Florida, which has a tropical climate. Unlike South Florida, where temperatures below {{convert|32|°F}} practically never occur, Central Florida can see occasional freezing temperatures in the some winters (though brief). Consequently, most of Central Florida cannot accommodate the same tropical plants found in Southern Florida with the exception of coastal areas in the Tampa Bay area, Brevard county, and Indian River county due to maritime influences of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.{{Cite book|title=The Biology of Trees Native to Tropical Florida|last=Tomlinson|first=Philip Barry|publisher=Harvard University Printing Office|year=1980|location=Allston, Massachusetts U.S.A.|pages=1, 8–10|quote=C.S. Sargent designated ...major "tree regions" of [North America] ...each distinguished by a complex of tree species... [The] smallest of these ...called "Tropical Florida" ...[in which] 87.5% have an otherwise tropical distribution; in Florida they are at [their] northern limit. ...The distribution of tropical tree species within south Florida is not known in any detail although the generalized distribution of all species is well summarized by Little (1978). A single latitudinal line does not separate the foras of south and central Florida... Since the factor limiting the distribution of tropical species in a northern direction is almost certainly minimum winter temperature, an approximate indication of the limits... is the 54-degF January isotherm for the state. Figure 5}} However, winters are still warmer than most other areas of the United States in winter. Central Florida’s typical high temperatures in the winter are around {{convert|70|°F}}. The low temperatures near 50 F.

{{Weather box

|location = Orlando (Orlando International Airport), Florida (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1952–present)

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 87

|Feb record high F = 89

|Mar record high F = 93

|Apr record high F = 97

|May record high F = 100

|Jun record high F = 100

|Jul record high F = 101

|Aug record high F = 100

|Sep record high F = 98

|Oct record high F = 95

|Nov record high F = 91

|Dec record high F = 90

|year record high F = 101

|Jan avg record high F = 83.5

|Feb avg record high F = 85.5

|Mar avg record high F = 88.4

|Apr avg record high F = 91.1

|May avg record high F = 94.5

|Jun avg record high F = 96.1

|Jul avg record high F = 96.1

|Aug avg record high F = 95.4

|Sep avg record high F = 93.8

|Oct avg record high F = 91.0

|Nov avg record high F = 86.7

|Dec avg record high F = 83.7

|year avg record high F = 97.2

|Jan high F = 71.8

|Feb high F = 74.9

|Mar high F = 78.9

|Apr high F = 83.6

|May high F = 88.4

|Jun high F = 90.8

|Jul high F = 92.0

|Aug high F = 91.6

|Sep high F = 89.6

|Oct high F = 84.7

|Nov high F = 78.3

|Dec high F = 73.8

|year high F = 83.2

|Jan mean F = 60.6

|Feb mean F = 63.6

|Mar mean F = 67.3

|Apr mean F = 72.2

|May mean F = 77.3

|Jun mean F = 81.2

|Jul mean F = 82.6

|Aug mean F = 82.6

|Sep mean F = 81.0

|Oct mean F = 75.5

|Nov mean F = 68.2

|Dec mean F = 63.3

|year mean F = 73.0

|Jan low F = 49.5

|Feb low F = 52.4

|Mar low F = 55.8

|Apr low F = 60.7

|May low F = 66.3

|Jun low F = 71.6

|Jul low F = 73.2

|Aug low F = 73.7

|Sep low F = 72.4

|Oct low F = 66.2

|Nov low F = 58.2

|Dec low F = 52.9

|year low F = 62.7

|Jan avg record low F = 33.2

|Feb avg record low F = 36.5

|Mar avg record low F = 41.3

|Apr avg record low F = 49.2

|May avg record low F = 58.2

|Jun avg record low F = 67.5

|Jul avg record low F = 70.5

|Aug avg record low F = 70.7

|Sep avg record low F = 67.8

|Oct avg record low F = 53.4

|Nov avg record low F = 44.4

|Dec avg record low F = 37.6

|year avg record low F = 31.3

|Jan record low F = 19

|Feb record low F = 26

|Mar record low F = 25

|Apr record low F = 38

|May record low F = 48

|Jun record low F = 53

|Jul record low F = 64

|Aug record low F = 65

|Sep record low F = 57

|Oct record low F = 43

|Nov record low F = 32

|Dec record low F = 20

|year record low F = 19

|precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 2.48

| Feb precipitation inch = 2.04

| Mar precipitation inch = 3.03

| Apr precipitation inch = 2.58

| May precipitation inch = 4.02

| Jun precipitation inch = 8.05

| Jul precipitation inch = 7.46

| Aug precipitation inch = 7.69

| Sep precipitation inch = 6.37

| Oct precipitation inch = 3.46

| Nov precipitation inch = 1.79

| Dec precipitation inch = 2.48

|year precipitation inch = 51.45

| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

| Jan precipitation days = 7.0

| Feb precipitation days = 6.4

| Mar precipitation days = 6.8

| Apr precipitation days = 6.3

| May precipitation days = 8.4

| Jun precipitation days = 16.2

| Jul precipitation days = 17.1

| Aug precipitation days = 17.2

| Sep precipitation days = 14.2

| Oct precipitation days = 8.4

| Nov precipitation days = 6.0

| Dec precipitation days = 7.1

| year precipitation days = 121.1

|Jan snow inch =

|Feb snow inch =

|Mar snow inch =

|Apr snow inch =

|May snow inch =

|Jun snow inch =

|Jul snow inch =

|Aug snow inch =

|Sep snow inch =

|Oct snow inch =

|Nov snow inch =

|Dec snow inch =

|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days =

|Feb snow days =

|Mar snow days =

|Apr snow days =

|May snow days =

|Jun snow days =

|Jul snow days =

|Aug snow days =

|Sep snow days =

|Oct snow days =

|Nov snow days =

|Dec snow days =

|year snow days =

|source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00012815&format=pdf

| title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| accessdate = October 24, 2022

}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/normals-monthly/1991-2020/access/USW00012815.csv

| title = Monthly Normals 1991-2020

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| accessdate = October 24, 2022

}} }}

File:Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings with her dog- Cross Creek, Florida (4901703528).jpg a Pulitzer Prize for her glimpse at life in central Florida.]]

At the end of the Civil War, aside from the cattle, cotton, and coastal lands, much of Central Florida was wetlands. It took a major drainage project financed by businessman Hamilton Disston in the 1880s to make these wetland areas available for settlement.

Sanford was incorporated in 1877 as a port city at the Lake Monroe intersection and the St. Johns River. It was envisioned as a transportation center; the city's founder, Henry S. Sanford, nicknamed it "the Gate City of South Florida". It became a hub for shipping agricultural products, which earned the city another nickname, "Celery City".

Kissimmee, originally named Allendale, after Confederate Major J.H. Allen, who operated the first cargo steamboat on the Kissimmee River, boomed in the 1880s. It was the headquarters of Hamilton Disston's drainage company. The city was an important regional steamship port, owing that status to its location on Lake Tohopekaliga. Expanding the railroads into Central Florida eliminated the need for Kissimmee's steamship industry.{{cite web|url=http://visulate.com/rental/visulate_search.php?REPORT_CODE=CITY&state=FL®ion_id=3 |title=East Central Florida |publisher=Visulate.com |access-date=July 2, 2014}}

The Great Freeze of 1894-1895 ruined citrus crops, which had a detrimental ripple effect on the economy.Type Studies from the Geography of the United States by Charles Alexander McMurry, Macmillan & Company, 1908, page 81.

The hard-packed sand of Volusia County's beaches lent itself to auto races beginning in 1903 before paved roads were common, leading to the area's reputation for cars and racing.{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2016-09-14 |title=Florida Frontiers “Racing on the Beach” |url=https://myfloridahistory.org/frontiers/article/131 |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=Florida Historical Society |language=en}} Ormond Beach was a popular spot for those who liked fast cars after the turn of the 20th century because the hard-packed beach was ideal for going fast. The same beach had led to the development of a tourist resort by Henry Flagler. It later attracted Flagler's former business partner John D. Rockefeller, who had a winter home in Ormond.

During and after World War II, the U.S. Army Air Forces (U.S. Air Force after 1947) and the U.S. Navy established several training facilities and operational bases in the region, mainly for aviation activities, followed by space exploration sites. In the late 1940s, the U.S. military established a missile testing facility on Merritt Island near Cape Canaveral. The land was largely undeveloped and the agreeable climate allowed for year-round operations. When NASA later searched for a long-term base in the 1960s to launch spacecraft, it chose the Merritt Island site next to Cape Canaveral for its access to the testing facility and nearby communities. NASA purchased over {{convert|100000|acres|km2}} of land for the Kennedy Space Center.

Deltona was developed in 1962 as a planned retirement community. It is now the largest city in Volusia County.

File:Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins02.jpg

File:Winslow Homer - Spanish Moss, Tampa bay, Florida (1886).jpg

The construction of the Walt Disney World Resort was a transforming event for greater Orlando. Walt Disney wanted a location with abundant available land that was more accessible for the residents of the eastern United States to visit. Not only was there ample land in Central Florida, but it was inexpensive, and the inland location offered some protection from hurricanes. Plans were announced in 1965, and the theme park opened to the public in 1971.

Lamme and Oldakowski's survey identifies several demographic, political, and cultural elements that characterize Central Florida and distinguish it from other areas of the state. While people from all parts of the state associated their area as part of the South, people in the southern part of Central Florida did not typically identify their area as part of "Dixie", while people in northern Central Florida did. People from Central Florida usually did not consider their region part of the Bible Belt.

File:Jackson Rooming House Tampa.jpgs during the era of racial segregation in central Florida. The hotel played host to prominent figures such as Count Basie, Cab Calloway, James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, and Ray Charles. ]]

Politically, while North Florida overwhelmingly was considered conservative and South Florida was considered more liberal, the majority of Central Florida residents (52%) considered their area moderate; 41% considered it conservative, and 7% liberal.Lamme & Oldakowsi, p. 336. Lamme and Oldakowski's survey tracks with Barney Warf and Cynthia Waddell's studies of Florida's political geography during the 2000 Presidential election.Warf & Waddell, pp. 88. Central Florida's economy is very similar to that in South Florida. Compared to the more diversified North Florida economy, tourism is by far the most significant industry in Central and South Florida, along with a much smaller but significant agricultural industry.Lamme & Oldakowsi, pp. 336–337.

File:SilverSpursRodeo.jpg

Lamme and Oldakowski's survey also found some cultural indicators that characterize Central Florida. In general, Central Florida was similar to North Florida and differed from South Florida in these measures. In Central and North Florida, American cuisine was the most popular food, in contrast to South Florida where ethnic foods were equally popular.Lamme & Oldakowsi, p. 337. Additionally, while there was little geographical variation for most styles of music, there was regional variation for both country and Latin music. Country was popular in Central and North Florida, and less so in South Florida, while Latin was less popular in Central and North Florida, and more so in South Florida.

In 2009, the estimated total population of the Central Florida, including the populations of Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Volusia, and Lake Counties region was 3.3 million people.{{cite web |url=http://www.slideshare.net/gwinters/the-incredible-orlando-market |title=Slideshow Failed Conversion |publisher=Slideshare.net |access-date=February 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080320064902/http://www.slideshare.net/gwinters/the-incredible-orlando-market |archive-date=March 20, 2008 |url-status=dead }} If the populations of Polk and Sumter counties were included, the estimated population would be 3.969 million people.{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}} Exponential growth has fueled Central Florida for the past thirty years.

As of 2007 there were 70,000 Asians in Central Florida according to the U.S. Census. There were almost 1,900 Japanese persons, making up 3% of the Asians.Persaud, Babita. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20110103080921/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2007-12-16/news/japanskul16_1_japanese-language-kanji-orlando Japanese residents in Central Florida strive to keep their children's legacy alive with Japanese culture and language courses at Orlando Hoshuko school]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20150216112457/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2007-12-16/news/japanskul16_1_japanese-language-kanji-orlando Archive]). Orlando Sentinel. December 16, 2007. Retrieved on February 16, 2015.

Selected cities in Central Florida arranged by population:

Agriculture has occupied a large portion of Central Florida's economy, with winter strawberries,{{cite web|url=http://www.ipmcenters.org/cropprofiles/docs/FLstrawberries.html |title=Crop Profile for Strawberry in Florida |access-date=January 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001012755/http://www.ipmcenters.org/cropprofiles/docs/FLstrawberries.html |archive-date=October 1, 2012 }} citrus, timber, vegetables,{{Cite web |url=http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Marketing-and-Development/Education/For-Researchers/Florida-Agriculture-Overview-and-Statistics |title=Florida Agriculture Overview and Statistics |access-date=January 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109152150/http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Marketing-and-Development/Education/For-Researchers/Florida-Agriculture-Overview-and-Statistics |archive-date=January 9, 2014 |url-status=dead }} and aquaculture{{Cite web |url=http://inthefieldmagazine.com/about/hillsborough-cover-story |title=Hillsborough Cover Story |access-date=January 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109144508/http://inthefieldmagazine.com/about/hillsborough-cover-story |archive-date=January 9, 2014 |url-status=dead }} all making major contributions.

File:Traveling through the orange groves- Florida (5517544276).jpg

Tourism is a large contributor to Central Florida's economy.

The area has economically diversified in the past decade. As a high-tech industrial hub, Metro Orlando has the seventh largest research park in the U.S., Central Florida Research Park, the engineering and business school of the University of Central Florida. It has defense companies such as Lockheed Martin and Siemens.{{cite web|url=http://www.cfrp.org/ |title=Central Florida Research Park |publisher=Cfrp.org |access-date=February 17, 2012}}

Medical research is prominent at Tampa's University of South Florida and Orlando's University of Central Florida, as well as the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute biomedical research facility.{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2011/02/13/synergy-city-medical-researchers-head-for-lake-nona/ |title=Synergy city: Medical researchers head for Lake Nona – Orlando Sentinel |publisher=Articles.orlandosentinel.com |date=February 13, 2011 |access-date=February 17, 2012}} USF in particular is a national leader in cancer and dementia research.

The Tampa Bay area has become a center of high-tech manufacturing and research,{{Cite web | url=http://www.floridatrend.com/article/16072/tampa-bay-high-tech-hotbed | title=Tampa Bay: High Tech Hotbed}}{{cite web|url=http://www.floridahightech.com/publication/e-newsletter/2013-02.html |title=Florida High Tech Corridor e-Newsletter |access-date=January 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109144258/http://www.floridahightech.com/publication/e-newsletter/2013-02.html |archive-date=January 9, 2014 }} while both Orlando and the Tampa Bay area are centers for the financial industry, especially insurers and back-end operations for large banking companies.

File:Ferris Groves; Floral City, Florida-2.JPG

File:Putnam Family at the Strawberry Festival Parade in Plant City.jpg

Active military installations in the region include Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station located on the Atlantic coast; MacDill Air Force Base, Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater and Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg on the Gulf Coast; and Naval Support Activity Orlando, the Navy Pinecastle Impact (Bombing) Range, and the Avon Park Air Force Range located inland. These are augmented by major commands that are tenant activities at these installations, such as the headquarters for United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) and the headquarters for United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) at MacDill AFB, the Naval Ordnance Test Unit and Coast Guard Station Port Canaveral at Cape Canaveral SFS, and other Active, Reserve, Army National Guard, and Air National Guard activities that are located as either stand-alone facilities or as tenants on the active duty installations.

File:Millenia Mall 02.JPG

Additional former facilities that have since been closed and converted to civilian use include Hillsborough Army Air Field, a World War II training range which is now part of a neighborhood, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and the University of South Florida; Naval Air Station Sanford, which closed in 1968 and is the present day Orlando-Sanford International Airport; McCoy Air Force Base, which closed in 1975 and is the present day Orlando International Airport; and Orlando Air Force Base, which was transferred to the Navy in 1968 and renamed Naval Training Center Orlando until its BRAC-directed closure in 1999 and conversion to the present day Baldwin Park neighborhood.

The other major U.S. Government installations in Central Florida is the Kennedy Space Center, a NASA facility located adjacent to Cape Canaveral SFS, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Outpatient Clinic at Baldwin Park (former Orlando AFB Hospital / former Naval Hospital Orlando) and the VA Hospital at Lake Nona.

File:Remington A cracker cowboy.jpg

File:Daytona International Speedway on the day of the Daytona 500.JPG

• Walt Disney World Resort, which includes Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon and Disney's Blizzard Beach
• SeaWorld Orlando
• Universal Orlando Resort, which includes Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Volcano Bay
• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island
• Legoland Florida
• Gatorland
• Fun Spot America Theme Parks

Central Florida has four major zoos, the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Sanford,[http://www.centralfloridazoo.org/ Welcome to the Central Florida Zoo] "Central Florida Zoo.com the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay animal park, and Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. There are also two theme parks in Orlando featuring animals, albeit to a much lesser extent: Disney's Animal Kingdom and SeaWorld Orlando.

Central Florida also has a wide variety of natural attractions including the Bok Tower Gardens, Wekiwa Springs State Park, Blue Spring State Park, Rock Springs Run State Reserve, Canaveral National Seashore, and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The region also boasts an extensive network of recreational trails (jogging, biking, equestrian, etc.). While many connections are already in place, construction continues and will link all of the trails and greenways. Major trails include the Cady Way, Cross Seminole and West Orange Trails. Many of the top ranked beaches in the United States are located in Central Florida.

Major international airports include:

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|

• Orlando International Airport
• Daytona Beach International Airport
• Orlando-Sanford International Airport
• Tampa International Airport
• St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport
• Melbourne International Airport
• Leesburg International Airport
• Lakeland Linder International Airport
• Winter Haven's Gilbert Airport
• Space Coast Regional Airport

}}

File:Shrimp, snapper, grouper, and stone crab fishing boats at Cortez, Florida.jpg

Port Canaveral, located in Cape Canaveral 45 minutes east of Orlando, is a cruise, cargo, and naval port. It is one of the busiest ports in Florida and is economically tied to Orlando. Locally perceived to be Orlando's seaport, Port Canaveral is the closest port for tourists and Orlando residents alike to cruise on Disney Cruise Lines and Carnival Cruises. Future plans for the port include a rail and natural gas line running directly to Orlando International Airport.

Another major seaport of the region is Port Tampa Bay, which is one of the busiest in the state and is on the verge of a huge expansion which will allow it to compete on an international level.

File:EgmontkeyWith.JPG, and is a National Wildlife Refuge and a state park. Early in the Civil War, Confederate blockade-runners used the island as a base.]]

Limited Access Freeways and Expressways:

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|

• Interstate 4 (Florida State Road 400)
• Interstate 75 (SR 93 and 93A)
• Interstate 275 (SR 93)
• Interstate 175 (SR 594)
• Interstate 375
• Interstate 95 (SR 9)
• Florida's Turnpike (SR 91)
• Florida State Road 100 – Moody Boulevard
• Florida State Road 528 – Beachline Expressway
• Florida State Road 408 – Holland East/West Expressway
• Florida State Road 417 – Central Florida GreeneWay
• Florida State Road 429 – Western Expressway
• Florida State Road 414 – Apopka Bypass
• Florida State Road 570 – Polk Parkway
• Florida State Road 589 – Veteran's Expressway
• Florida State Road 618 – Selmon Expressway

}}

Major Surface Arterials:

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|

• U.S. Highway 441
• U.S. Highway 17-92
• U.S. Highway 27
• U.S. Highway 192
• U.S. Highway 1
• U.S. Highway 98
• Florida State Road 19
• Florida State Road 33
• Florida State Road 46
• Florida State Road 415
• Florida State Road 436
• Florida State Road 50
• Florida State Road 60
• Florida State Road 520

}}* U.S. Highway 41

{{distinguish|Florida Heartland}}

File:"Meeting Friends Along the Dixie Highway in Florida" (10689946803).jpg

A regional commuter rail network is being developed in Central Florida. The first of these initiatives, SunRail, is a commuter rail line that runs from DeLand south to Kissimmee. The first phase was completed in 2014 with the full system in place in 2015. Amtrak also serves Central Florida running on CSX Transportation's A line and stops at the Orlando Amtrak station. The Auto Train stops in Sanford, Florida, north of downtown Orlando.

As of 2022, a high speed rail between Orlando and Miami is currently being developed by Brightline, who plans to extend the rail to Tampa after completion.{{Cite web |title=Brightline Florida {{!}} Brightline |url=https://www.gobrightline.com/brightline-florida |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=www.gobrightline.com}}

{{main|Education in Florida}}

Florida's public primary and secondary schools are administered by the Florida Department of Education.

File:GriffinChapel.jpg|Eckerd College
{{small|St. Petersburg}}

File:FIT Clemente-1.jpg|Florida Institute of Technology
{{small|Melbourne}}

File:Saint Leo University main campus.JPG|Saint Leo University
{{small|St. Leo}}

File:Pfeiffer Chapel HABS, FLA,53-LAKE,1A-14.jpg|Florida Southern College
{{small|Lakeland}}

File:Florida Polytechnic Night (38978059454).jpg|alt=Florida Polytechnic University Lakeland FL|Florida Polytechnic University Lakeland

File:UCFlibrary.jpg|University of Central Florida
{{small|Orlando}}

File:USF Marshall Center Running of the Bulls.JPG|University of South Florida

File:UT minaret.JPG|University of Tampa
{{small|Tampa}}

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Portal|Florida}}

• {{cite journal |last1= Lamme |first1= Ary J. |last2= Oldakowski |first2= Raymond K. |title= Spinning a new geography of vernacular regional identity: Florida in the twenty-first century |journal= Southeastern Geographer |volume= 47 |issue= 2 |pages= 320–340 |doi= 10.1353/sgo.2007.0029 |date= November 2007 |s2cid= 129577530 }}
• {{cite journal |last1= Warf |first1= Barney |last2= Waddell |first2= Cynthia | title = Florida in the 2000 presidential election: historical precedents and contemporary landscapes | journal = Political Geography | volume = 21 | issue = 1 | pages = 85–90 | doi = 10.1016/S0962-6298(01)00063-4 | date = January 2002 }}
• {{cite report|author= Anthony J. Catanese Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions at Florida Atlantic University |year= 2006 |title= Charting the Course: Where is South Florida Heading? |publisher= Florida Atlantic University |url= http://www.soflo.fau.edu/course/report.pdf |access-date= March 30, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111216100938/http://www.soflo.fau.edu/course/report.pdf |archive-date= December 16, 2011 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}
• [https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/?s=1&coll=137 A History of Central Florida Collection on the RICHES Mosaic Interface Map]

• {{wikivoyage-inline|Central Florida}}
• [http://stars.library.ucf.edu/ahistoryofcentralfloridapodcast/ A History of Central Florida Podcast]

{{Geography of Florida}}

{{Coord|28|55|37|N|81|43|17|W|region:US-FL|display=title}}

Category:Central Florida

Category:Regions of Florida

Category:Orange County, Florida

Category:Osceola County, Florida

Category:Seminole County, Florida

Category:Lake County, Florida

Category:Brevard County, Florida

Category:Volusia County, Florida

Category:Hillsborough County, Florida

Category:Pinellas County, Florida

Category:Polk County, Florida

Category:Sumter County, Florida