Longwood, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Longwood, Florida
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| City of Longwood | ||
Longwood Historic District
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Location in Seminole County and the state of Florida
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Florida |
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| County | Seminole | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Mayor–Commission | |
| Area | ||
| • City | 5.86 sq mi (15.17 km2) | |
| • Land | 5.50 sq mi (14.26 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.35 sq mi (0.91 km2) | |
| Elevation | 75 ft (23 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • City | 15,087 | |
| • Density | 2,741.10/sq mi (1,058.26/km2) | |
| • Metro | 2,082,421 | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP codes |
32750-32779
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| Area code(s) | 407, 689, 321 | |
| FIPS code | 12-41250 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404953 | |
| Website | www.longwoodfl.org | |
Longwood is a city located in Seminole County, Florida, United States. It is part of the larger Orlando area. In 2020, about 15,087 people lived here.
Contents
History of Longwood
Early Growth and World War II
Longwood started growing a lot during World War II. Many military people moved to the area. They worked at new air bases nearby, like Naval Air Station Sanford and Orlando Army Air Base.
By the 1950s, these bases became even bigger. More military families chose to live in and around Longwood. In 1959, the city had just over 1,000 residents. A new school, Longwood Elementary, opened in 1960.
Longwood Slade Airport
During the 1950s and 1960s, Longwood even had its own small airport. It was called Longwood Slade Airport. This airport had a grass runway and was mostly used by private planes. It closed in the late 1960s. The land was then used to build homes in a neighborhood called The Woodlands.
New Industries and Disney World
The 1960s and 1970s brought many new jobs to Longwood. These jobs came from the military and the space industry. People worked at places like Martin-Marietta and the NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center.
A huge change happened in October 1971. Walt Disney World opened nearby. This, along with other tourist spots, brought even more growth. New technology companies also moved to the area.
Longwood Today
Some military bases closed in the 1960s and 1970s. But other jobs grew across Central Florida. Longwood became a place where people lived. They often worked in other parts of Seminole County or nearby Orange County. By 2000, the city had grown to over 13,700 residents. It also worked to make its historic downtown area better.
Geography of Longwood
Longwood covers about 5.6 square miles (14.5 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 5.3 square miles (13.7 square kilometers). The rest, about 0.3 square miles (0.8 square kilometers), is water.
Economy and Jobs
Top Employers in Longwood
Many people in Longwood work for different companies. Here are some of the biggest employers in the city:
| # | Employer | # of Employees | % of Total City
Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orlando Health - South Seminole Hospital | 1022 | 6.03% |
| 2 | Kustom | 700 | 4.13% |
| 3 | UPS | 653 | 3.85% |
| 4 | Comprehensive Energy Services | 439 | 2.59% |
| 5 | D&B Building Services | 349 | 2.06% |
| 6 | Collis Roofing | 234 | 1.38% |
| 7 | S.I. Goldman | 234 | 1.38% |
| 8 | Seminole County Schools | 222 | 1.31% |
| 9 | Cascade Heights | 202 | 1.19% |
| 10 | Criticom Management Resources,LLC | 193 | 1.14% |
Population Facts
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 57 | — | |
| 1920 | 106 | — | |
| 1930 | 318 | 200.0% | |
| 1940 | 406 | 27.7% | |
| 1950 | 717 | 76.6% | |
| 1960 | 1,689 | 135.6% | |
| 1970 | 3,203 | 89.6% | |
| 1980 | 10,029 | 213.1% | |
| 1990 | 13,316 | 32.8% | |
| 2000 | 13,745 | 3.2% | |
| 2010 | 13,657 | −0.6% | |
| 2020 | 15,087 | 10.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The city's population has grown a lot over the years. In 1890, only 57 people lived in Longwood. By 2020, the population was 15,087.
Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Longwood:
| Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 10,123 | 9,309 | 74.12% | 61.70% |
| Black or African American | 612 | 922 | 4.48% | 6.11% |
| Native American or Alaska Native | 47 | 26 | 0.34% | 0.17% |
| Asian | 448 | 652 | 3.28% | 4.32% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian | 9 | 5 | 0.07% | 0.03% |
| Some other race | 44 | 101 | 0.32% | 0.67% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial | 222 | 648 | 1.63% | 4.30% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,152 | 3,424 | 15.76% | 22.70% |
| Total | 13,657 | 15,087 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
In 2020, there were 15,087 people living in Longwood. These people lived in 5,697 households. About 3,769 of these were families.
Fun Things to See and Do
Points of Interest
Longwood has several interesting places to visit:
- Bradlee-McIntyre House: A historic house you can explore.
- Lady Liberty tree: A very old and large tree.
- Longwood Hotel: Another historic building in the city.
- Longwood Historic District: An area with many old and important buildings.
- Longwood (SunRail station): The local train station.
- The Senator tree: Another famous old tree, though it was sadly lost in a fire.
Education in Longwood
The public schools in Longwood are part of Seminole County Public Schools. Longwood has schools for all ages, from kindergarten to high school.
Elementary Schools (Grades K–5)
- Longwood Elementary School (reopened in 2017)
- Sabal Point Elementary School
- Wekiva Elementary School
- Woodlands Elementary School
Middle Schools (Grades 6–8)
- Greenwood Middle School (in Lake Mary)
- Milwee Middle School
- Rock Lake Middle School
- Teague Middle School (in Altamonte Springs)
High Schools (Grades 9–12)
- Lake Brantley High School (in Altamonte Springs)
- Lake Mary High School (in Lake Mary)
- Lyman High School
Private Schools
- Pace Brantley Preparatory School
Longwood in Movies
In 1965, Longwood was used as a filming location for a movie! It was called Johnny Tiger. The movie came out in 1966 and starred Robert Taylor. It pretended to be a town next to a Seminole Indian reservation in south Florida.
Getting Around Longwood
Major Roads
A small part of Interstate 4 runs along the west side of Longwood. State Road 434 goes right through the city. It connects to US Highway 17/92 on the east side.
I-4 (Interstate 4)
US 17 / US 92
SR 434
CR 427 (Ronald Reagan Boulevard)
Public Transportation
You can get around Longwood and the surrounding areas using public transport:
- Lynx: This is the local bus service.
- SunRail: This is a commuter train that connects Longwood to other cities in the area.
Famous People from Longwood
Many interesting people have connections to Longwood:
- Jared Bernhardt: A wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons football team.
- Bishop Clint S. Brown: A gospel musician and pastor.
- Rusty Day: A singer from the band Cactus.
- Peter Demens: He helped build the Orange Belt Railroad and co-founded St. Petersburg.
- Mandy Moore: A famous singer, songwriter, and actress.
- Matt Morgan: A retired wrestler who also used to be the mayor of Longwood.
- David Richardson: A politician who served in the Florida House of Representatives.
- R.C. Sproul: A well-known theologian.
- Phyllis Thaxter: An actress.
- Logan Warmoth: A baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays organization.
- Graham Zusi: A soccer player for the United States men's national soccer team.
See also
In Spanish: Longwood (Florida) para niños
