Orlando in Florida

22 December 2017 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  16 minutes

Downtown Orlando - Church Street Station © Miosotis Jade/cc-by-sa-4.0

Downtown Orlando – Church Street Station © Miosotis Jade/cc-by-sa-4.0

Orlando is a city and the county seat of Orange County. Located in Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2.4 million, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures released in March 2016, making it the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the United States, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States, and the third-largest metropolitan area in Florida. As of 2017, Orlando has an estimated city-proper population of 277,000, making it the 73rd-largest city in the United States, the fourth-largest city in Florida, and the state’s largest inland city. The City of Orlando is nicknamed “The City Beautiful,” and its symbol is the fountain at Lake Eola. Orlando is also known as “The Theme Park Capital of the World” and in 2014 its tourist attractions and events drew more than 62 million visitors. The Orlando International Airport (MCO) is the thirteenth-busiest airport in the United States and the 29th-busiest in the world. As one of the world’s most visited tourist destinations, Orlando’s famous attractions form the backbone of its tourism industry: Walt Disney World, located approximately 21 miles (34 km) southwest of Downtown Orlando in Bay Lake, opened by the Walt Disney Company in 1971; the Universal Orlando Resort, opened in 1999 as a major expansion of Universal Studios Florida. With the exception of Walt Disney World, most major attractions are located along International Drive.   read more…

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