From the record
56 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
99 topographic sheets cover 79 settlements here, and 56 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
56 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
Drawn when these were printed as single large sheets: the town seen from the air, and the county divided into its farms with every owner named. Each opens the original at the Library of Congress.




Selected from the Digital Public Library of America's 152 image records catalogued for this county. Every one shown here carries a public-domain status or a licence that permits reuse on a site that carries advertising; non-commercial, share-alike and restricted images are excluded. The selection is spread across the county's towns (at most eight per town), so no single institution's bulk upload crowds out the rest. Each opens the holding library's record, and the complete set at the Digital Public Library of America is one click away.



























Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 2,127 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 47 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.















































The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.
Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 1,499 of them, burning about 64,872 acres. 590 started naturally and 195 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Natural | 590 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 231 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 195 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 149 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 139 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 80 |
| Debris and open burning | 57 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 20 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 18 |
| Fireworks | 11 |
| Smoking | 7 |
| Other causes | 2 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. One of them was set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 February 2001 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 7,500 acres | Florida Forest Service | OKEELANTA |
| 15 March 2017 | Recreation and ceremony | 7,302 acres | St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge | NORTH CANE |
| 2 July 1998 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 2,500 acres | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 28 May 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 2,300 acres | Florida Forest Service | CHAIN LINE |
| 3 June 2001 | Natural | 2,135 acres | Florida Forest Service | REFLECTION |
| 21 June 1998 | Natural | 2,000 acres | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 26 May 2017 | Natural | 1,660 acres | Florida Forest Service | WATER PLANT (48) |
| 28 May 2011 | Natural | 1,600 acres | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | WHISPERING PINES |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 755 reports for this county, causing 11 deaths, 210 injuries and about $287,470,990 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 315 |
| Hail | 276 |
| Tornado | 70 |
| Lightning | 41 |
| Funnel Cloud | 26 |
| Heavy Rain | 11 |
| Flood | 9 |
| Flash Flood | 6 |
| Heat | 1 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 1998 | Tornado (F3) | Winter Garden | 3 killed, 70 hurt, $15,000,000 | The Lake County tornado moved into Orange County about 5 miles southwest of Winter Garden moving northeast at 45 mph. It rapidly intensified to a category F3 tornado with estimated winds near 200 mph. The tornado moved through Winter Garden between 11:47 pm and 11:55 pm destroying a mobile home community in Winter Garden. There were three fatalities and 70 injuries. Five hundred structures were either damaged or destroyed. |
| August 1998 | Lightning | Orlando | 2 killed | Two men were struck and killed by lightning while fishing from a canoe in Lake Mack in Orlando. |
| April 1959 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 killed, 9 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Lightning | Ocoee | 1 killed, 2 hurt | A 10 year old girl died about five days after being struck by lightning while holding an umbrella at a bus stop. Two other children were injured. |
| June 2000 | Lightning | Orlando | 1 killed, 2 hurt | A 27 year old man was struck and killed by lightning while standing in a parking lot. Two people near him were injured. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killarney | 1 killed, 1 hurt | A tree fell onto a car traveling southbound on Reams Road near Summerlake Park Boulevard in Winter Garden. A 14 year old female who was in the back seat at the time was extricated from the back seat and transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Two other passengers in the car were uninjured. |
| September 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | (Orl)Orlando Exec Ar | 1 killed, 1 hurt | The ASOS at Orlando Executive Airport, KORL, measured a peak wind gust of 62 mph from a severe thunderstorm. These winds flipped over two small planes at the airport. One plane was unoccupied when it was flipped near a hanger on the airport. A second plane that had two people onboard was flipped as it was taxiing on the main runway. When first responders arrived they found one man had died from his injuries at the scene, and the other man was transported to Orlando Medical Regional Center with serious injuries. |
| July 1997 | Heat | Orlando | 1 killed | A high temperature of 97 degrees was recorded at Orlando International Airport. This was only six degrees above normal, but the heat claimed one life. A 22 year old man was found unconscious a parking lot laying on the hot asphalt. He was taken to a hospital where his internal temperature was recorded at 106 degrees. He died later that day. |
| January 1978 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 23 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| January 1973 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 16 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| February 1992 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 11 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| February 1983 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 9 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| November 1990 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 9 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| August 2011 | Lightning | Vineland | 8 hurt | A lightning strike hit near the Laguna Restaurant at SeaWorld's Discovery Cove. Three guests on the restaurant patio and five water park staff nearby at an adjacent photo shop were indirectly struck and sustained minor injuries. All persons were examined, treated, and released from local hospitals and urgent care centers. |
| February 1998 | Tornado (F3) | (Mco)Orlando Intl Ar | 5 hurt, $5,000,000 | The Kissimmee tornado moved into Orange County southeast of Orlando International Airport as a category F3. The tornado affected rural swampy areas, striking few structures except for lakeside neighborhoods on the shores of Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane. The tornado lifted as it approached the St. Johns River on the east central border of Orange County in the Tosohatchee State Preserve. |
| July 1999 | Lightning | Orlando | 3 hurt | Three construction workers were injured by lightning in Orlando. One worker was hospitalized. The other two were treated and released. |
| July 1999 | Lightning | Orlando Intl Arpt | 3 hurt | Three workers on a taxiway at Orlando International Airport were standing near a crane when they were struck by lightning. One worker was hospitalized. The other two were treated and released. |
| June 1996 | Lightning | Orlando | 3 hurt | no account filed |
| January 1986 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | 3 hurt | no account filed |
| July 2015 | Lightning | Edgewood | 2 hurt | Two women were struck by lightning in advance of an approaching storm, as they were standing outdoors in the driveway of a home in Orlando. Doctors believe one woman sustained a direct strike to her head. She was transported to a hospital in serious condition, but was able to be released the following day. The second woman was struck indirectly and refused medical treatment. |
| September 2010 | Lightning | South Apopka | 2 hurt | An isolated early evening thunderstorm developed just south of Wekiva High School, where a football game was underway. School officials suspended the game and asked spectators to evacuate the stadium. As the stadium was being cleared, lightning struck one of four towering light posts and two people were injured (one person was leaning against a metal fence adjacent to the stands). Both individuals were transported to the hospital and were later released. |
| August 2009 | Lightning | Winter Garden | 2 hurt | A lightning bolt struck a tree and injured two children that were standing beneath it. The 14 year old male and 12 year old female were both transported to a local hospital with non life threatening injuries. The female was still on the ground when emergency personnel arrived and had burn injuries consistent with a lightning strike. |
| July 2009 | Lightning | (Mco)Orlando Intl Ar | 2 hurt | Two AirTran employees were injured by a lightning strike at Orlando International Airport. A bolt of lightning hit near a ramp while workers were loading bags onto a flight. Both workers were transported to area hospitals and were expected to recover. It appears the lightning strike eminated from the anvil of a cluster of storms centered 15 to 20 miles southeast of the airport. The time of the event is approximate. |
| July 1996 | Lightning | Orlando | 2 hurt | no account filed |
| March 1981 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 1 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Lightning | Union Park | 1 hurt, $30,000 | A Union Park woman was hospitalized with burns from a fire started by a lightning strike. |
| May 1976 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1973 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| March 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ocoee | 1 hurt, $20,000 | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orlando | 1 hurt, $5,000 | Severe thunderstorms produced dime size hail in the Disney area and blew down a large tree onto a house in Orlando injuring one person. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orlando | 1 hurt, $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds damaged the roof and broke windows at a restaurant in east Orlando. A woman was injured by flying glass. |
| February 1983 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | 1 hurt, $250 | no account filed |
| July 1953 | Tornado | not stated | 1 hurt, $250 | no account filed |
| August 2023 | Lightning | (Mco)Orlando Intl Ar | 1 hurt | A 28 year old woman was struck and severely injured by lightning while walking her dog in the 9000 block of Dowden Road in Lake Nona. |
| June 2018 | Lightning | (Orl)Orlando Exec Ar | 1 hurt | Per reports relayed via local broadcast media, an Orlando man working on the roof of his home was struck by lightning and injured. Two neighbors called 911 after finding the injured man laying on the ground behind his home, though he was conscious at the time. Orlando firefighters arrived at the man's home, which is located on Lake Arnold Place, near Primrose Drive just south of State Road 408. Firefighters transported the man to a local hospital as a trauma alert. The injured man survived his injuries. |
| August 2016 | Lightning | Pine Hills | 1 hurt | A 14 year old male student was standing in a parking lot at the First Academy in Orlando when lightning struck a tree nearby. The student was transported to a local hospital and was admitted in stable condition. He was released from the hospital the following day. |
| August 2015 | Lightning | Conway | 1 hurt | Lightning struck a home within eastern Orange County and started a small fire. A teenager inside the home, using a computer was injured from the lightning strike. The girl was transported to a local hospital, where she was treated and released. |
| June 2008 | Lightning | Winter Park | 1 hurt | A Winter Park man was slightly injured by lightning while setting on his apartment balcony. |
| April 2007 | Lightning | Pine Hills | 1 hurt | A man was knocked unconscious by lightning while standing next to his personal water craft at Moss Park. He was revived by CPR. |
| August 2007 | Lightning | Winter Park | 1 hurt | A school crossing guard was struck and injured by lightning while on duty in Winter Park. He was hospitalized with burns and released. |
| July 2005 | Lightning | Pine Hills | 1 hurt | A male construction worker was injured by lightning while working on a roof. |
| June 2005 | Lightning | Orlando | 1 hurt | A male road construction worker was injured by lightning and transported to a local hospital. |
| June 2005 | Lightning | Orlando | 1 hurt | A man was injured by lightning while outside in the City of Orlando. |
| July 2004 | Lightning | Orlando | 1 hurt | A man was hospitalized after being struck by lightning in Orlando. |
| March 2001 | Lightning | Apopka | 1 hurt | asdfasdf |
| August 1997 | Lightning | Orlando | 1 hurt | A thirteen year old boy on a motorized skateboard was struck and seriously injured by lightning. |
| September 2022 | Flood | (Mco)Orlando Intl Ar | $206,000,000 | Rainfall totals averaging between 8 to 12 inches, with locally higher amounts of up to 16 inches were reported, resulting in widespread and historic street, residential, urban, and poor drainage flooding throughout the county. The combined effects of Ian led to total estimated damages of approximately $206M across 1727 properties, mainly due to widespread and historic flooding. |
| July 2001 | Heavy Rain | Orlando | $20,000,000 | The roof collapsed at a flight training center when excessive water collected on the roof due to a clogged drain. Flight simulators valued at over 30 million dollars were damaged. Around 2.5 inches of rain fell in the Orlando area that day. |
| October 2024 | Flood | (Mco)Orlando Intl Ar | $15,000,000 | Orange County Emergency Management reported significant urban, street, and low-lying flooding as a result of 3 to 6 inches (southeast) 8 to 12 inches (northwest) of rain in association with Hurricane Milton. A period of very heavy rainfall rates associated with the core of the storm led to flash flooding during the overnight period (Oct 9 - 10). |
| April 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orlando | $2,500,000 | A severe thunderstorm swept just south of downtown Orlando blowing down numerous large trees that damaged about five homes. Doors and roofs of two warehouses were damaged. A wind gust to 71 mph was recorded at Orlando Executive Airport damaging two aircraft. Thirty telephone service trucks were damaged, most with broken glass. Total damage was estimated between $2 and $3 million. |
| June 1967 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| August 2010 | Lightning | Isleworth | $2,000,000 | Frequent to excessive cloud to ground lightning erupted within a cluster of storms over western Orange County between 1530 and 1600 LST. During the next two hours, three homes in Windermere caught fire due to earlier lightning strikes. The first house, damaged by fire, was reported at 1644 LST. One fireman sustained minor indirect injuries due to smoke inhalation while fighting the fire. At 1652 LST, a fire was reported within a large estate home. The fire destroyed the home. A third house fire was reported nearby at 1740 LST and this home was damaged by fire. The following day, shortly before 0900 LST and 15 hours after the lightning storm, another estate home in Windermere caught fire and was destroyed. Fire officials believed that lightning from storms the previous afternoon struck the house and smoldered overnight. One fireman was treated for smoke inhalation while fighting this fire, an indirect, minor injury related to the lightning strike. |
| July 2019 | Lightning | North Orlando | $1,000,000 | As a thunderstorm moved across Winter Park, lightning struck the peak of a building on the Rollins College campus. Although the lightning didn't result in a fire, the strike burnt a large amount of insulation within the attic. The burnt insulation was then deposited as thick soot throughout five classrooms and twenty offices via the air conditioning system. The result was one million dollars in property damage. |
| June 2020 | Tornado (EF1) | Belle Isle | $956,000 | A National Weather Service damage survey and numerous eyewitness reports, photographs and video confirmed a waterspout/tornado moved north along a 5.1 mile path from Lake Conway to Thornton Park. The peak intensity was estimated at 100-105 mph.||A waterspout initially formed on the west-central portion of Lake Conway at approximately 1820LST and traveled north, briefly coming onshore and crossing a narrow strip of land at Hoffner Avenue, then moving back over water, crossing Little Lake Conway. The waterspout then moved back onshore as a tornado at the south end of Ferncreek Avenue. The tornado nearly paralleled Ferncreek Avenue and Martin Street as it moved nearly due north, crossing State Road 408, and lifting at Lake Lawsona Park at approximately 1832LST.||Damage was continuous along a 5.1 mile swath with a width of 350-500 yards. As the tornado came onshore at Hoffner Avenue it briefly attained EF-1 intensity (peak winds estimated at 85-90 mph) resulting in severe damage to the roof of a lakefront home and numerous large trees were toppled. Damage along much of the remainder of the path was rated EF-0 (winds estimated 65-85 mph).||The EF-0 damage consisted generally of uprooted trees, toppled trees, and snapped large branches. Several large trees fell onto homes, causing significant damage mainly to roofs. Multiple vehicles were damaged due to downed trees and fallen large branches. ||The tornado reached peak intensity of EF-1 in the vicinity of Ferncreek Avenue, Lake Margaret Drive and Carmia Drive (estimated peak winds 100-105 mph). Several one story apartment buildings lost significant portions of their roofs.||There were no injuries or fatalities. The OrangeCounty Property Appraiser's Office reported 42 homes and businesses were damaged, totaling $955,748. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orlando | $590,000 | Local broadcast media relayed reports of large trees that were downed by a severe thunderstorm onto two homes in the Orlando area. The falling trees caused significant damage to both structures, and City of Orlando officials condemned both homes. One home was located on the 100th block of North Hillside Avenue, and the other near the 1600th block of Jassamine Avenue. |
| January 2011 | Lightning | Fullers | $500,000 | Lightning strike to a 4000 square foot home started a fire which destroyed the home. |
| January 1995 | Tornado (F1) | Orlando | $500,000 | A small F1 tornado touched down briefly along the west edge of Orlando near Lake Hiawassee. Fifty-seven homes received minor damage, mainly to porches, awnings and pool screens. The garage on one home was completely destroyed. |
| October 1994 | Tornado (F1) | Callahan | $500,000 | Six workers were hospitalized after being struck by lightning at a highrise building construction site. Only one of the six sustained serious injuries. |
| July 2019 | Lightning | Beulah | $440,000 | Local broadcast media relayed reports from Orange County Fire Rescue that a home along Butler Bay Court in Windermere was destroyed by a fire, which was started after lightning struck the home. The residents of the home had left before the lightning strike occurred. The Orange County Property Appraisers website indicated the home's property value to be approximately $440,000. |
| September 2010 | Lightning | Windermere | $400,000 | Lightning from a strong storm over Windermere struck a home and caused a fire which destroyed the home. Two firemen were treated for smoke inhalation while fighting the fire. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 9 workings inside this county. 2 still produce and 7 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand | 4 |
| Clay, Sand and Gravel, Construction | 2 |
| Clay | 2 |
| Limestone, General | 1 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F&W Mines - Hwy 520 Mine | Limestone, General | Producer | Limestone | |
| Avalon Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Plymouth Pit | Clay, Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Plymouth Pit | Clay, Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Warren Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Hubbard Construction - Bradshaw "C" Mine | Sand | Unknown | Sand | |
| Hubbard Construction - Moss Park Prop. D Mine | Sand | Unknown | Sand | |
| Hubbard Construction - Moss Park Prop. E Mine | Sand | Unknown | Sand | |
| Schofield Corp. of Orlando - Schofield Pit | Sand | Producer |
Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.
Southwest Orange census division · 32830 · Near Bear Island · Windermere quadrangle
11 sheets, 1953 to 1979
East Orange census division · 32820 · On Long Branch · Bithlo quadrangle
14 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Southwest Orange census division · 32830 · Intercession City quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Orlando census division · 32812 · Pine Castle quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1979
No longer a settlement
Orlando census division · 32812 · Near Oak Island · Orlando East quadrangle
14 sheets, 1955 to 1994
Winter Garden-Ocoee census division · 34787 · Near Gator Island · Winter Garden quadrangle
14 sheets, 1955 to 1979
Southwest Orange census division · 32836 · Lake Jessamine quadrangle
12 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Orlando census division · 32751 · Near Druid Isle · Orlando West quadrangle
15 sheets, 1955 to 1995
Orlando census division · 32809 · Near Oak Island · Pine Castle quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Winter Garden-Ocoee census division · 34761 · Winter Garden quadrangle
14 sheets, 1955 to 1979
Southwest Orange census division · 34787 · Winter Garden quadrangle
14 sheets, 1955 to 1979
Southwest Orange census division · 32837 · Kissimmee quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Southwest Orange census division · 34787 · Near Deer Island · Clermont East quadrangle
13 sheets, 1955 to 1979
Southwest Orange census division · 32836 · Windermere quadrangle
11 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Southwest Orange census division · 34786 · Winter Garden quadrangle
14 sheets, 1955 to 1979
Southwest Orange census division · 32819 · Lake Jessamine quadrangle
12 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Orlando census division · 32812 · Pine Castle quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1979
No longer a settlement
Orlando census division · 32751 · Near Druid Isle · Casselberry quadrangle
15 sheets, 1955 to 1994
Winter Garden-Ocoee census division · 34761 · Winter Garden quadrangle
14 sheets, 1955 to 1979
No longer a settlement
Orlando census division · 32809 · Lake Jessamine quadrangle
12 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Orlando census division · 32809 · Pine Castle quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1979
No longer a settlement
Winter Garden-Ocoee census division · 34787 · Near Hull Island · Clermont East quadrangle
13 sheets, 1955 to 1979
Winter Garden-Ocoee census division · 34761 · Winter Garden quadrangle
14 sheets, 1955 to 1979
Orlando census division · 32801 · On Fern Creek · Orlando West quadrangle
15 sheets, 1955 to 1995
Orlando census division · 32809 · Near Oak Island · Pine Castle quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Orlando census division · 32812 · Pine Castle quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Southwest Orange census division · 34786 · Windermere quadrangle
11 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Union Park census division · 32829 · Narcoossee NW quadrangle
11 sheets, 1953 to 1979
No longer a settlement
Southwest Orange census division · 32819 · Lake Jessamine quadrangle
12 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Winter Garden-Ocoee census division · 34787 · Winter Garden quadrangle
14 sheets, 1955 to 1979
Southwest Orange census division · 32821 · Lake Jessamine quadrangle
12 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Winter Garden-Ocoee census division · 34787 · Near Gator Island · Winter Garden quadrangle
14 sheets, 1955 to 1979
Orlando census division · 32789 · Near Isle of Sicily · Orlando East quadrangle
14 sheets, 1955 to 1994
East Orange census division · 32832 · Near Crosby Island · Narcoossee NW quadrangle
11 sheets, 1953 to 1979
No longer a settlement
The vanished settlements of Orange County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.