Volusia County, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Volusia County
County
Volusia County courthouse in DeLand, built in 2001
Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Florida
Founded	December 29, 1854
Named for	Community of Volusia
Seat	DeLand
Largest city	Deltona
Area
• Total	1,432.44 sq mi (3,710.0 km2)
• Land	1,101.03 sq mi (2,851.7 km2)
• Water	331.40 sq mi (858.3 km2)  23.14%
Population  (2020)
• Total	553,543
• Density	503/sq mi (194/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	6th, 7th

Volusia County is a county in the east-central part of Florida, a state in the United States. It's located between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. In 2020, about 553,543 people lived here. This was a big increase from 2010!

Volusia County was created on December 29, 1854. It was formed from a part of Orange County. The county was named after a community called Volusia. This community is in the northwestern part of the county. The first county seat (the main town for county government) was Enterprise. Since 1887, the county seat has been DeLand.

Volusia County is part of a larger area called the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area. This means it's connected to other nearby cities.

What Does "Volusia" Mean?

The exact meaning of the name "Volusia" is a bit of a mystery. But there are a few interesting ideas about where it came from:

• Some people think it means "Land of the Euchee." The Euchee Indians moved into this area in the early 1700s. They lived about 10 miles south of the Volusia community.
• Another idea is that it was named after a British settler named Voluz. He owned a large farm (plantation) on the St. Johns River in the late 1700s.
• It might also come from the name Veluche. This was the last name of a French or Belgian person who ran a trading post in Volusia. Over time, Veluche might have changed to Volusia.
• Some believe the town was started and named by someone called Jere Volusia.
• A final theory suggests the Spanish named it after a famous Roman lawyer, Lucius Volusius Maecianus. He wrote many books and even taught the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius.

A Look Back: Volusia County's History

Volusia on the right bank of the St. Johns River (around 1835)

Timucua owl totem found near Hontoon Island in the St. Johns River, Volusia County

Volusia County got its name from its biggest community, Volusia. The Florida government created the county by splitting Orange County on December 29, 1854. Back then, only about 600 people lived in Volusia County.

Long ago, the land that is now Volusia County was home to native groups like the Timucua and Mayaca peoples. Sadly, these groups no longer exist as separate tribes today. Many of them became sick or were affected by conflicts after European traders and settlers arrived. You can still see large shell mounds at Tomoka State Park and other places. These mounds show where these ancient people lived.

During the time when the British controlled Florida, a settlement called New Smyrna was started. It was in the southeast part of what is now Volusia County. This colony was connected to St. Augustine, the capital of East Florida, by a road called the Kings Road. When the colony didn't work out, many settlers, including people from Menorca and Greece, moved to St. Augustine.

The Seminole Indians, who are descendants of the Creek tribe, also lived in different parts of Volusia County. During a conflict called the Second Seminole War (1836–1842), the Seminole burned a large sugar farm in what is now Daytona Beach.

In 1836, a fort and supply base called Fort Florida was built. This was on the east side of the St. Johns River, in the area that is now DeBary.

Exploring Volusia County's Geography

Avenue of Moss-Covered Oaks, Near Ormond, Florida -- an 1893 print

Volusia County covers about 1,432 square miles. About 1,101 square miles are land, and 331 square miles (23.1%) are covered by water.

The county is bordered by the St. Johns River and Lake Monroe to the west. To the east, it has the Atlantic Ocean. Volusia County is about the same size as Rhode Island. It's located about 50 miles northeast of Orlando. It's also 60 miles north of the Kennedy Space Center and 89 miles south of Jacksonville.

What Are the Main Areas of Volusia County?

The government of Volusia County divides the area into three main regions:

• East Volusia: This area is also known as the greater Daytona Beach area. It includes cities like Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, and Port Orange. It's named after the Halifax River that flows through it.
• Southeast Volusia: This region is often called the greater New Smyrna Beach area. It includes cities such as New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, and Oak Hill.
• West Volusia: This part is known as St. Johns River country because the St. Johns River is nearby. It includes cities like DeLand, Deltona, and Orange City. Deltona is the largest city in all of Volusia County.

Which Counties Are Next to Volusia?

Volusia County shares borders with several other counties:

• Flagler County to the north
• Brevard County to the south
• Seminole and Orange Counties to the southwest
• Lake County to the west
• Marion and Putnam Counties to the northwest

Parks and Natural Areas to Explore

Volusia County has many beautiful parks and natural places:

Rivers and Waterways

The county is home to many important rivers and waterways:

Fun Places to Visit

Volusia County has many attractions for visitors and residents:

• Athens Theater in DeLand
• Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach
• Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach (famous for racing!)
• Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach
• Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet
• Museum of Arts and Sciences (Daytona Beach)
• Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum in Ponce Inlet
• Skydive DeLand at DeLand Airport
• Volusia County Fair and Expo Center in DeLand

Who Lives in Volusia County?

As of the 2020 census, there were 553,543 people living in Volusia County. There were 220,386 households and 136,510 families.

In 2020, the population was made up of different groups:

In 2000, the average age in the county was 42 years old. About 20.3% of the population was under 18.

How Does Volusia County Make Money?

The economy of Volusia County is strong and growing. The total economic output of the county, called the gross metro product (GMP), increased from $12.98 billion in 2005 to $13.69 billion in 2006. This shows a lot of money moving around in the economy.

Many things help the economy grow. People feel good about spending money, and about 28,800 new residents moved to the county. Also, new buildings and projects added over $1.11 billion in investments. Health-care services and other professional services also grew steadily.

Manufacturing is a big part of Volusia County's economy. In 2006, there were over 430 manufacturing businesses. These jobs pay well, with an average annual wage of $37,632 in 2006. This was higher than the county's overall average wage of $32,200. Manufacturing helps the local economy more than many other types of businesses.

Getting Around Volusia County

Airports

Volusia County has several airports:

• Daytona Beach International
• DeLand Municipal Airport
• Massey Ranch Airpark
• New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport
• Ormond Beach Municipal Airport
• Pierson Municipal Airport
• Spruce Creek Airport (Private)

Main Roads

Many important roads help people travel through Volusia County:

• I-95 is a major highway that runs north and south along the east coast.
• I-4 is a main highway that goes east and west through Central Florida.
• US 1 is a main local road that runs north and south through eastern Volusia County.
• US 17 is a main local road that runs north and south through western Volusia County.
• US 92 is an east-west route that connects to the International Speedway Boulevard.
• SR A1A is a beautiful road that runs along the coast.

Buses and Trains

The Volusia County Parking Garage in Daytona Beach

The local bus service is called Volusia County Public Transit System (VOTRAN). Buses run throughout the county from Monday to Saturday. They are also accessible for people with disabilities. A ride costs $1.25, or you can get a one-day pass for $3.00.

You can also travel by train with Amtrak. The Silver Meteor and Silver Star routes serve Volusia County. For travel between Volusia County and Orlando, there's a commuter train called SunRail. This train line started in 2014 and reaches as far north as DeBary. It reached the DeLand Amtrak station in August 2024.

Learning in Volusia County

Public schools in Volusia County are managed by Volusia County Schools.

Public High Schools

There are also private schools, like Father Lopez Catholic High School.

Colleges and Universities

The life-sized Wright Flyer statue at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach campus.

Volusia County is home to several colleges and universities:

Vocational Schools

These schools teach specific job skills:

News and Entertainment

Newspapers

• The West Volusia Beacon: An online newspaper covering DeLand and West Volusia.
• The Daytona Beach News-Journal: A daily newspaper covering all of Volusia County.
• Orlando Sentinel: A newspaper based in Orlando that also covers Volusia County.
• The Avion Newspaper: The student newspaper for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.

Television

WDSC-TV is a public TV station in Daytona Beach. It broadcasts to 10 counties in Central Florida. The TV station WESH is also located near Daytona Beach and Orlando. Other major TV stations from Orlando also serve Volusia County.

Radio

You can listen to many radio stations in Volusia County:

AM Radio Stations

FM Radio Stations

Towns and Cities in Volusia County

Cities

Towns

• Pierson
• Ponce Inlet

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but don't have their own local government:

Other Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially cities or towns:

Images for kids

• 

  Volusia County courthouse in DeLand, built in 2001

See Also

In Spanish: Condado de Volusia (Florida) para niños