Orange County Orlando

The name "Orange County" might conjure of images of California Dreamin' in other parts of the country, but in the Sunshine State Orange County is at the heart of Central Florida tourism, with Orlando serving as the county seat.

As the name suggests, Orange County used to be dominated by the citrus industry up until the early 1970s. The county's fortunes began to revolve around tourism after Walt Disney World opened in 1971 and several hard freezes in the 1980s damaged the orange crops to the point that it was no longer profitable to sustain the orange groves that used to line the rural landscape.

Unlike large northern cities surrounded by smaller suburban towns, Orange County has a considerable amount of unincorporated areas, many of which have an Orlando address. Orange County has over 1 million residents, with Orlando being the largest incorporated city. In addition to Orlando there are 12 other incorporated municipalities, including Winter Park, Maitland, and Lake Buena Vista (where Walt Disney World is located). There are three times as many unincorporated communities in Orange County; any green street sign with an orange on it lets visitors know that they are in unincorporated Orange County.