Page 30 - Za's Pages August 2017

Orlando Population 2017

Orlando has an estimated population of 254,000, which ranks 77th in the United States and a population density of 2,327
people per square mile, or 899 per square kilometer. The urban area is the 32nd largest in the country with 1.5 million
people, while the Greater Orlando metropolitan area has a population of 2.13 million, which is the 26th largest in the
country, the 6th largest in the Southeastern U.S. and the 3rd largest in Florida. Orlando is the largest inland city in Flori-
da and the 5th largest city in Florida.

Orlando Demographics

At the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Orlando was:

-White: 57.6% (non-Hispanic: 41.3%)
-Black or African American: 28.1%
-Asian: 3.8%
-Native American or Alaska Native: 0.4%
-Pacific Islander: 0.1%
-Two or more races: 3.4%
-Other race: 6.6%
-Hispanic or Latino of any race: 25.4%

Orlando has the largest Puerto Rican and fastest-growing population in Florida with a cultural impact similar to that of
Cuban Americans in South Florida. The Hispanic population of the city has grown dramatically in the last few decades
from just 4% in 1980 to 25% in 2010. There is also a large Caribbean and West Indian population in the city with many
Tobagonians, Trinidadians and Jamaicans and a large Haitian community.

Orlando History

The Orlando area was sparsely populated by several Native American tribes before European settlers arrived in 1536. The
name Orlando is believed to come from a soldier named Orlando Reeves who died in 1835, supposedly after a Native
American attack in the area during the Second Seminole War, although there are many legends about the city’s name and
there are no military records of Orlando Reeves.

The Second Seminole War from 1835 to 1842 arose over disagreements between natives and early American settlers on
issues including slaves and cattle. The natives eventually moved away and pioneers built a town around Fort Gatlin, which
was constructed south of present-day Orlando city limits in 1838 to protect settlers from Indian attacks. A small town was
built around the fort by 1840 and named Jernigan after cattleman Aaron Jernigan, the first permanent settler.

Orlando remained a rural area through the American Civil War but the Reconstruction Era brought a population boom and
the city was incorporated in 1875. 1875 to 1895 was Orlando’s Gilded Era as it became the hub for the state’s massive
citrus industry but a massive freeze shifted operations further south. Between the Spanish-American War and World War
I, Orlando became a popular resort town.

Orlando was really put on the map when Walt Disney announced plans to construct Walt Disney World in 1965. He chose
Orlando over Tampa or Miami to avoid the risk of hurricanes and the world-famous resort opened in 1971, exploding the
economic growth and population of Orlando and making it one of the most visited cities in the country. Tourism remains a
centerpiece of the region’s economy.

Orlando Population Growth

Between 2010 and 2012, Orlando enjoyed the second-highest population growth in Florida, adding more than 7,100
residents in two years. Miami was the fastest growing, adding 15,000 people. Orlando is also the second-fastest growing
metropolitan region in the United States in 2014 with a growth rate of more than 2% per year, losing to Austin, Texasbut