Christmas, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christmas, Florida
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Location in Orange County and the state of Florida
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County |  Orange |
| Area | |
| • Total | 45.22 sq mi (117.13 km2) |
| • Land | 45.21 sq mi (117.10 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 43 ft (13 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,439 |
| • Density | 53.94/sq mi (20.83/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
32709
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| Area code(s) | 407, 689, 321 |
| FIPS code | 12-12250 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0280429 |
Christmas is a small community in Orange County, Florida, United States. It's not a city, but a special area called a census-designated place. It is part of the larger Orlando area.
In 2010, about 1,146 people lived here. Christmas is famous for a few cool things. It has the world's biggest alligator-shaped building, which is over 200 feet long! You can also visit Fort Christmas Historical Park, which shows what a fort from the Second Seminole War looked like. People also love to send their holiday mail from the Christmas post office to get a special "Christmas" postmark.
Christmas is also the hometown of James Hughlette "Tex" Wheeler. He was a famous sculptor. He made a bronze statue of the racehorse Seabiscuit. This statue is proudly displayed at Santa Anita Park in California. He also created a statue of the American humorist Will Rogers in Oklahoma. Tex Wheeler is buried in the Fort Christmas Cemetery.
Contents
History of Christmas, Florida
How Christmas Got Its Name
The town of Christmas got its name on December 25, 1837. On that day, about 2,000 U.S. Army soldiers and volunteers arrived in the area. They built a fort there and named it Fort Christmas. This fort was one of more than 200 forts built during the Second Seminole War. Later, in 1892, a post office opened in Christmas.
Where is Christmas, Florida?
Geography and Location
Christmas is located in Florida at coordinates 28.5324 degrees North and 80.9940 degrees West. The area is about 8.9 square kilometers (3.4 square miles) in total. All of this area is land.
Christmas in Books and Media
Paper Towns Novel Setting
Christmas is one of the places mentioned in John Green's book Paper Towns, which came out in 2008. In the story, three high school students from Orlando go on an adventure. They are trying to find their friend who has disappeared. An old, empty mini-mall in Christmas is one of the places they search. They find important clues there that help them in their search.
Population of Christmas
How Many People Live Here?
The population of Christmas has changed over the years.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2000 | 1,162 | — | |
| 2010 | 1,146 | −1.4% | |
| 2020 | 1,310 | 14.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, there were 1,310 people living in Christmas. There were 546 households and 450 families.
Who Lives in Christmas?
Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Christmas in 2020:
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 1,160 | 88.5% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 67 | 5.1% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Asian (NH) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 83 | 6.3% |
| Total | 1,310 |
In 2010, the average age of people in Christmas was 41 years old. About 46.9% of the residents were women, and 53.1% were men.
Images for kids
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American Sculptor James Hughlette "Tex" Wheeler's Headstone, located in the Fort Christmas Cemetery in Christmas, Florida. Mr. Wheeler is best known for his sculptures of the famed racehorse Seabiscuit and the jockey who rode him to fame, George Woolf at Santa Anita Park in California as well as a statue of Will Rogers at the Will rogers Memorial in Claremore, Oklahoma.
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"Swampy", the World's Largest Gator, at Jungle Adventures Nature Animal Park
See also
In Spanish: Christmas (Florida) para niños
