Winter Garden, Florida

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Winter Garden, Florida
Location in Orange County and the state of Florida
Location in Orange County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 28°33′37″N 81°35′3″W / 28.56028, -81.58417
Country Flag of the United States United States
State Flag of Florida Florida
County  Orange
Government
 - Mayor John Rees (Nonpartisan)
 - City Manager Mike Bollhoefer
Area
 - Total 12.1 sq mi (31.3 km²)
 - Land 12.1 sq mi (31.2 km²)
 - Water 0 sq mi (0.1 km²)
Elevation 125 ft (38 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 14,351
 - Density 1,186/sq mi (458.5/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 34777, 34778, 34787
Area code(s) 407
FIPS code 12-78250[1]
GNIS feature ID 0293423[2]
Downtown Winter Garden on the West Orange Trail, with Plant Street at left.
Downtown Winter Garden on the West Orange Trail, with Plant Street at left.

Winter Garden is a city located 14 miles (23 km) west of downtown Orlando in western Orange County, Florida. As of 2007, the city population was estimated at 28,400 according to the City of Winter Garden. The population will continue to grow at an extremely quick rate as new housing communities are built.

The City of Winter Garden is also known as "the land of pleasant living".

Contents

[edit] Geography

Winter Garden is located at 28°33′37″N, 81°35′3″W (28.560328, -81.584069).[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.3 km² (12.1 mi²). 31.2 km² (12.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.17%) is water.

Winter Garden is bordered on the south by the town of Windermere, on the east by the city of Ocoee, on the west by the town of Oakland, and on the north by Lake Apopka.

[edit] Topography

The terrain is characterized by a gentle to moderately slopping topography. The lowest elevation in the city is 66 feet (20 m) near Lake Apopka. The highest elevation is 190 feet (58 m) located in the South West corner of the City.

[edit] Climate

Winter Garden 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.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 14,351 people, 5,380 households, and 3,663 families residing in the city. The population density was 459.4/km² (1,190.2/mi²). There were 5,861 housing units at an average density of 187.6/km² (486.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.60% White, 13.25% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 6.45% from other races, and 2.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.50% of the population.

There were 5,380 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.1 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,858. About 10.1% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Transportation

State Road 50 (W. Colonial Dr) bisects the city into northern and southern sections. The portion south of State Road 50, formerly occupied by orange groves and farmland, has recently been the site of the development of numerous large-scale communities, including Stoneybrook West, Stonecrest, Westfield, and Wintermere Pointe. A disparity exists between these new affluent residents, many of whom have moved from South Florida, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, and the New York metropolitan area, and longtime residents, many of whom are much less well-off.

The toll road Western Beltway (SR 429) was completed in late 2006 and it links I-4 near mile marker 58 in Osceola County with Florida's Turnpike at Winter Garden. Other major roads through Winter Garden include Orange County Road 535 and Orange County Road 545. CR 535 (also called Winter Garden - Vineland Road) begins at SR 50 and bisects the southern half of the city and proceeds south to Windermere, Lake Buena Vista and Walt Disney World where it becomes State Road 535. CR 545 (also called Avalon Road) beings at SR 50 and proceeds south along the western edge of Winter Garden and along the border between Orange and Lake Counties. This area remains mostly rural but is quickly developing because of the nearby toll road. CR 545 currently ends at US 192 in Kissimmee at the border to Osceola County.

[edit] Points of interest

The West Orange Trail
The West Orange Trail
The Winter Garden Heritage Museum, originally a station on the Orange Belt Railway (later part of the ACL).
The Winter Garden Heritage Museum, originally a station on the Orange Belt Railway (later part of the ACL).

[edit] Shopping

Winter Garden Village at Fowler's Grove is on the northeast corner of the intersection of CR-535, SR-429, and Stoneybrook West Parkway. This project, which would provide 1,150,000 square feet (107,000 m²) of dining and retail stores, opened in October 2007. Anchors include Super Target, Lowe's, Best Buy, Staples, Ross, Old Navy, Linens N Things, Sports Authority, Party City, and Marshalls. [1]

Historic Downtown Winter Garden is a charming downtown full of restaurants, boutiques, gift shops, cafes, museums, a centre for the arts, a theater, and a hotel. Visit www.mywintergarden.com for a list of other types of sevices downtown Winter Garden has to offer.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.