Orlando

Located in the heart of the U.S. state of Florida, Orlando is the county seat of Orange County. Orlando city is part of the Orlando Metropolitan Area, which is often called as Greater Orlando. Besides Orange County, the Orlando Metropolitan Area comprises Lake County, Osceola County and Seminole County. Ranked as the 27th largest metropolitan area in the United States, Greater Orlando is inhabited by 2,082,628 individuals.

Orlando was incorporated on 31st July 1875 and was designated as a city in 1885. However, the history of the city dates back to 1836, when European settlers arrived in the city. Before their arrival, the area was inhabited by Creek and other Native American tribes.

For the protection of settlers from attacks by Indians, the U.S. Army built Fort Gatlin along the shore of present day Lake Gatlin, south of downtown Orlando. Till 1850, a small community, known as Jernigan, established a permanent settlement around the Fort.

Later in 1856, the community officially changed its name to Orlando. The history behind the origin of the name Orlando is not yet clear and there are around four stories associated with the origin of the name.

According to the local legend, Orlando was named after the soldier, Orlando Reeves, who died in 1835 during the Second Seminole War. With 85 inhabitants, 22 of whom were qualified voters, the Town of Orlando was incorporated in 1875. During the period between the Spanish-American War and World War I, Orland emerged as a popular resort.

Extensive housing development was experienced by Orlando in the 1920s, during the Florida Land Boom. In the late 1920s, when several hurricanes along with the Great Depression hit Florida, the housing boom came to an end. From 1939 to 1945, during World War II, several army personnel were stationed at the Orlando Army Air Base. Out of these army personnel, most of them settled in Orlando itself.

The economy of the city saw a major leap in 1965, when Walt Disney announced the construction of Walt Disney World in the Orlando Metropolitan Area. Population and economic growth was triggered with the opening of Walt Disney World Resort in October 1971.

Orlando city is inhabited by 2,38,300 individuals, making it the fifth largest city of Florida, in terms of population. Of the total population, 57.6% are White or Caucasian, while 41.3% of the population comprises non-Hispanic Whites. Orlando is home to the largest population of Puerto Ricans, West Indian and Jamaican population in Florida.

Presently, Orlando is one of the most visited American cities, with 48 million tourists visiting the city annually. The city is home to the Universal Orlando Resort, Orange County Convention Centre and SeaWorld Orlando.

Located 34 km south-west of Downtown Orlando, Lake Buena Vista is home to the Walt Disney World, which attracts innumerable tourists. Owing to the numerous movie studios in the area, Orlando is known as the Hollywood East.   

The best time to visit Orlando is between June and August. The city can also be visited in January, February and March.