Ocoee, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ocoee, Florida
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The Withers-Maguire House
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| Motto(s):
"The Center of Good Living"
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Location in Orange County and the state of Florida
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | Orange |
| Settled (Starke Lake) |
c. Mid-1850s |
| Platted (Ocoee) | October 5, 1883-1886 |
| Incorporated (town) | November 22, 1923 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1925 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Commission-Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 16.67 sq mi (43.17 km2) |
| • Land | 15.61 sq mi (40.43 km2) |
| • Water | 1.06 sq mi (2.74 km2) |
| Elevation | 157 ft (48 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 47,295 |
| • Density | 3,029.79/sq mi (1,169.81/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
34761
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| Area code(s) | 407, 689 |
| FIPS code | 12-51075 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404418 |
Ocoee (/əˈkoʊ.i/) is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2020 US Census, the city had a population of 47,295.
Contents
History
Founding and early history
In the mid-1850s, Dr. J.D. Starke, stricken with malaria, led a group of slaves, similarly stricken, to the north side of an open pine wooded lake that provided clear and clean water to avoid further malaria outbreaks. The camp built by the group provided a base of operations from which to commute during the day to work the fields near Lake Apopka and rest at night. As the camp grew into a village, it took the name Starke Lake, a name the lake upon which the group settled bears to this day. The city's population increased further after the American Civil War as confederate soldiers and their families settled into the area, including Captain Bluford Sims and General William Temple Withers who wintered at the location. Captain Sims received a land grant for a 74-acre parcel to the west of Starke Lake in what is now the downtown portion of Ocoee on October 5, 1883. In 1886, Captain Sims, along with a group of original settlers, led an effort to have the town platted and changed the name to Ocoee, after a river he grew up near in Tennessee. Ocoee is a Cherokee Indian word anglicized from uwagahi, meaning "apricot vine place" and this inspired the choice of the city's flower.
Bluford Sims began groundbreaking work in budding wild orange trees while in Ocoee. His commercial citrus nursery was the first in the United States in Ocoee, supplying many other groves in Florida with their first trees as well as shipping young citrus trees to California. The construction of the Florida Midland Railroad in the 1880s spurred growth in the area and many more settlers moved in.
Incorporation and modern history
Ocoee was incorporated in 1922 (or 1923) and became a city in 1925.
Highway construction was the impetus for Ocoee's growth in the 20th century. State Road 50 (SR 50) was constructed south of downtown Ocoee in 1959 and provided a direct east-west connection between the City and a growing Orlando. The development of what would become Florida State Road 50 made the town more accessible to housing developers. Florida's Turnpike was opened just south of downtown Ocoee in 1964. In late 1990, Ocoee was connected to Orlando by a western extension of Florida State Road 408 (the East-West Expressway) which then joined the Florida's Turnpike south of SR 50. In 2000, the completion of Florida State Road 429 (the Western Expressway) linked Ocoee with Walt Disney World to the south.
Geography
Ocoee is located at 28°34′27″N 81°31′50″W / 28.574050°N 81.530596°W.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.7 square miles (40.6 km2), of which 14.7 square miles (38.1 km2) is land and 0.97 square miles (2.5 km2) (6.12%) is water.
| Climate data for Orlando (Orlando Int'l), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1892–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) |
90 (32) |
97 (36) |
99 (37) |
102 (39) |
101 (38) |
101 (38) |
101 (38) |
103 (39) |
98 (37) |
93 (34) |
95 (35) |
103 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 83.1 (28.4) |
85.0 (29.4) |
87.8 (31.0) |
90.5 (32.5) |
94.3 (34.6) |
96.0 (35.6) |
96.1 (35.6) |
95.5 (35.3) |
94.0 (34.4) |
91.1 (32.8) |
86.6 (30.3) |
83.2 (28.4) |
97.2 (36.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 71.2 (21.8) |
73.9 (23.3) |
78.0 (25.6) |
82.5 (28.1) |
88.1 (31.2) |
90.7 (32.6) |
91.8 (33.2) |
91.6 (33.1) |
89.5 (31.9) |
84.6 (29.2) |
78.4 (25.8) |
72.8 (22.7) |
82.8 (28.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 60.2 (15.7) |
63.0 (17.2) |
66.9 (19.4) |
71.2 (21.8) |
77.3 (25.2) |
81.4 (27.4) |
82.7 (28.2) |
82.8 (28.2) |
81.1 (27.3) |
75.5 (24.2) |
68.5 (20.3) |
62.6 (17.0) |
72.8 (22.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 49.2 (9.6) |
52.1 (11.2) |
55.8 (13.2) |
60.0 (15.6) |
66.4 (19.1) |
72.0 (22.2) |
73.6 (23.1) |
74.1 (23.4) |
72.7 (22.6) |
66.4 (19.1) |
58.6 (14.8) |
52.4 (11.3) |
62.8 (17.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 31.9 (−0.1) |
35.7 (2.1) |
41.1 (5.1) |
47.5 (8.6) |
58.1 (14.5) |
66.7 (19.3) |
69.8 (21.0) |
70.3 (21.3) |
67.2 (19.6) |
53.0 (11.7) |
44.2 (6.8) |
35.2 (1.8) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 19 (−7) |
19 (−7) |
25 (−4) |
37 (3) |
47 (8) |
53 (12) |
64 (18) |
63 (17) |
50 (10) |
38 (3) |
28 (−2) |
18 (−8) |
18 (−8) |
| Average rainfall inches (mm) | 2.35 (60) |
2.38 (60) |
3.77 (96) |
2.68 (68) |
3.45 (88) |
7.58 (193) |
7.27 (185) |
7.13 (181) |
6.06 (154) |
3.31 (84) |
2.17 (55) |
2.58 (66) |
50.73 (1,289) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.6 | 6.8 | 7.4 | 6.2 | 7.5 | 15.6 | 16.3 | 16.6 | 13.2 | 8.0 | 6.3 | 6.6 | 117.1 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 73.1 | 71.0 | 70.3 | 67.2 | 70.5 | 76.4 | 77.9 | 79.4 | 79.1 | 74.9 | 74.8 | 74.5 | 74.1 |
| Source: NOAA (relative humidity 1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, the City of Ocoee has a humid subtropical climate zone (Cfa).
| Climate data for Orlando (Orlando Int'l), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1892–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) |
90 (32) |
97 (36) |
99 (37) |
102 (39) |
101 (38) |
101 (38) |
101 (38) |
103 (39) |
98 (37) |
93 (34) |
95 (35) |
103 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 83.1 (28.4) |
85.0 (29.4) |
87.8 (31.0) |
90.5 (32.5) |
94.3 (34.6) |
96.0 (35.6) |
96.1 (35.6) |
95.5 (35.3) |
94.0 (34.4) |
91.1 (32.8) |
86.6 (30.3) |
83.2 (28.4) |
97.2 (36.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 71.2 (21.8) |
73.9 (23.3) |
78.0 (25.6) |
82.5 (28.1) |
88.1 (31.2) |
90.7 (32.6) |
91.8 (33.2) |
91.6 (33.1) |
89.5 (31.9) |
84.6 (29.2) |
78.4 (25.8) |
72.8 (22.7) |
82.8 (28.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 60.2 (15.7) |
63.0 (17.2) |
66.9 (19.4) |
71.2 (21.8) |
77.3 (25.2) |
81.4 (27.4) |
82.7 (28.2) |
82.8 (28.2) |
81.1 (27.3) |
75.5 (24.2) |
68.5 (20.3) |
62.6 (17.0) |
72.8 (22.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 49.2 (9.6) |
52.1 (11.2) |
55.8 (13.2) |
60.0 (15.6) |
66.4 (19.1) |
72.0 (22.2) |
73.6 (23.1) |
74.1 (23.4) |
72.7 (22.6) |
66.4 (19.1) |
58.6 (14.8) |
52.4 (11.3) |
62.8 (17.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 31.9 (−0.1) |
35.7 (2.1) |
41.1 (5.1) |
47.5 (8.6) |
58.1 (14.5) |
66.7 (19.3) |
69.8 (21.0) |
70.3 (21.3) |
67.2 (19.6) |
53.0 (11.7) |
44.2 (6.8) |
35.2 (1.8) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 19 (−7) |
19 (−7) |
25 (−4) |
37 (3) |
47 (8) |
53 (12) |
64 (18) |
63 (17) |
50 (10) |
38 (3) |
28 (−2) |
18 (−8) |
18 (−8) |
| Average rainfall inches (mm) | 2.35 (60) |
2.38 (60) |
3.77 (96) |
2.68 (68) |
3.45 (88) |
7.58 (193) |
7.27 (185) |
7.13 (181) |
6.06 (154) |
3.31 (84) |
2.17 (55) |
2.58 (66) |
50.73 (1,289) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.6 | 6.8 | 7.4 | 6.2 | 7.5 | 15.6 | 16.3 | 16.6 | 13.2 | 8.0 | 6.3 | 6.6 | 117.1 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 73.1 | 71.0 | 70.3 | 67.2 | 70.5 | 76.4 | 77.9 | 79.4 | 79.1 | 74.9 | 74.8 | 74.5 | 74.1 |
| Source: NOAA (relative humidity 1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 794 | — | |
| 1940 | 702 | −11.6% | |
| 1950 | 1,370 | 95.2% | |
| 1960 | 2,628 | 91.8% | |
| 1970 | 3,937 | 49.8% | |
| 1980 | 7,803 | 98.2% | |
| 1990 | 12,778 | 63.8% | |
| 2000 | 24,391 | 90.9% | |
| 2010 | 35,579 | 45.9% | |
| 2020 | 47,295 | 32.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 and 2020 census
| Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 19,086 | 18,029 | 53.64% | 38.12% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 5,968 | 10,869 | 16.77% | 22.98% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 91 | 115 | 0.26% | 0.24% |
| Asian (NH) | 1,945 | 3,051 | 5.47% | 6.45% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 19 | 40 | 0.05% | 0.09% |
| Some other race (NH) | 277 | 857 | 0.78% | 1.81% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 799 | 2,372 | 2.25% | 5.02% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7,394 | 11,962 | 20.78% | 25.29% |
| Total | 35,579 | 47,295 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 47,295 people, 14,428 households, and 11,474 families residing in the city.
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 35,579 people, 11,586 households, and 9,178 families residing in the city.
Transportation
Ocoee was served by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. The Ocoee station burned in a fire of undetermined origin on December 4, 1928. The Tavares and Gulf Railroad's terminus was in Ocoee. Its former station still stands and is the home of the Ocoee Lions Club.
Education
Residents are zoned to Orange County Public Schools.
High schools serving sections of Ocoee include Ocoee High School, West Orange High School. and Olympia High School.
Notable people
- Brian Barber, former MLB player and amateur scouting director for the Philadelphia Phillies
- Bart Bryant, professional golfer
- Aubrey Perry, soccer player
- Grant Riller, professional basketball player
See also
In Spanish: Ocoee (Florida) para niños
