Orlando, Florida

The city of Orlando is the county seat of Orange County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 185,951 (metropolitan area 1,644,561). A 2004 U.S. Census Estimates population count gave the city had a total population of 205,648 (metropolitan area nearly 1.8 million). It is the sixth-largest city in Florida, and its largest inland city. It is also at the head of the state's third-largest metropolitan area, behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Tampa-St. Petersburg. Additionally, Orlando is home to the second largest university in Florida, the University of Central Florida.

Economy

To no surprise, a large part of the Orlando area economy is involved in the tourist industry. Tourism surrounding Orlando is worth billions of dollars to the area's economy. Over 48 million visitors came to the Orlando region in 2004. The convention industry is also critical to the region's economy, due partly to the multitude of attractions available for all age ranges in the area. The Orange County Convention Center, expanded in 2004 to over two million square feet (200,000 m²) of exhibition space, is now the second-largest convention complex in the United States. The Orlando International Airport is a world-class facility, and one of the most heavily traveled airports in the world.

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The area's economy also has other industries apart from tourism, such as the presence of manufacturing in the region. Lockheed-Martin has a large manufacturing facility for aeronautical crafts and related high tech research due to Orlando's proximity to the NASA Kennedy Space Center. The area is also home to many computer software and hardware firms that located here in the 1970's and 1980's such as IBM. Another sector that is developing is the film, television, and electronic gaming industries, aided by the presence of Universal Studios, Disney-MGM Studios, Electronic Arts, Full Sail School, and other entertainment companies and schools. Numerous office complexes for large corporations have popped up along the Interstate 4 corridor north of Orlando, especially in Maitland, Lake Mary and Heathrow. The U.S. modeling, simulation, and training (MST) industry is centered around the Orlando region as well, with a particularly strong presence in the UCF Research Park.

Related Topics:
Lockheed-Martin - NASA - Kennedy Space Center - IBM - Interstate 4 - Maitland - Lake Mary - Heathrow

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The diversifying economy has led to an incredibly low unemployment rate in Greater Orlando of 3.7% as of July 2005. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2005) The result is explosive growth that has led to urban sprawl in the surrounding area and skyrocketing housing prices. Housing prices in Greater Orlando have gone up 34% in one year, from an average of $182,000 in August 2004 to $245,000 in August 2005. (Source: Orlando Regional Realtor Association)

Related Topics:
July 2005 - Urban sprawl - August 2004 - August 2005

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Companies that have a their corporate headquarters or a major presence in the area:

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• Adventist Healthcare System
• AirTran
• Albertsons
• Darden Restaurants, Inc., parent company of Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and Bahama Breeze
• EA Games
• Gaylord Entertainment
• Hughes Supply Incorporated
• IBM
• Lockheed-Martin
• Loews Hotels
• Luctor International, parent company of Van Gogh Vodka and Van Gogh Gin
• Marriott International
• Oracle Corporation
• Publix Supermarkets
• Siemens AG, Siemens Westinghouse
• Sprint Corporation
• SunTrust Bank
• T.G. Lee Dairy
• Tupperware Corp.
• Universal Orlando Resort
• The Walt Disney Company