Travel
City of Orlando
Nicknames: The City Beautiful, O-Town
Population (2006 projected)
City: 220,186
Metro: 1,972,961
The city of Orlando is the sixth largest city in Florida and is home to the University of Central Florida, which is the second largest university in Florida and has the sixth largest campus in the United States.
The city is best known for the many tourist attractions in the area, in particular the nearby Walt Disney World Resort, which is located in Lake Buena Vista about 20 miles south of Orlando. Other notable area attractions include Sea World and Universal Studios Orlando. The region sees an estimated 52 million tourists a year.
Orlando has the second largest number of hotel rooms in the country (after Las Vegas, Nevada), and is one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions with the Orange County Convention Center, the country’s second largest in square footage. It is also known for its wide array of golf courses, with numerous courses available for any level of golfer. Despite being several miles away from the main tourist attractions, downtown Orlando is undergoing major redevelopment with a number of residential and commercial towers.
Climate
July Weather
Average daytime high: 92° F (33° C)
Average nighttime low: 73° F (22° C)
Average monthly rainfall: 8.1 in. (20 cm)
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 May until October (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 relatively close to 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 70° F (21° C), 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 (45° C). 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.
The average annual rainfall in Orlando is 50.1 in. (128 cm), most of it occurring in the period from June to September.
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 (64 km) inland from the Atlantic and 60 miles (97 km) 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, with Hurricane Charley the worst of these. The city also experienced widespread damage during Hurricane Donna in 1960.