| Information On Kissimmee |
| Osceola County was
created in 1886. Osceola County is a 1,506 square mile area that
serves as the south/central boundary of the Central Florida Region
and the Greater Metropolitan Area. The City of Kissimmee, the County
Seat, is 18 miles due south of Orlando. Osceola’s only other
incorporated City, St. Cloud, is 9 miles east of Kissimmee, and
approximately 45 miles west of the City of Melbourne on the Atlantic
Coast. |
| Osceola County has historically served as a transportation crossroad and is currently crossed by the Florida East Coast, Seaboard and Amtrak Railroad Systems, Interstate Highway 4 and U.S. 17/92, 441, 192 and the Florida Turnpike. The transportation network includes connections to the Orlando Beltway and Osceola Parkway, which provide access from the Turnpike to Walt Disney World. Osceola County is served by the Kissimmee Municipal Airport and is just 10 miles south of Orlando International Airport. |
| As the "headwaters"
of the South Florida Water Management district and the Lake Okeechobee/Florida
everglades ecosystem, Osceola County is bounded by the Kissimmee
River, is crossed by a number of partially accessible creeks, and
is home to the Kissimmee Chain-of-Lakes, that includes some of the
State’s largest and finest fishing and recreational attractions. |
Osceola's economic
base is dominated by tourism, serving as a "gateway" to
Disney World and other Central Florida attractions. The area's historical
investments in ranching and citrus are still very strong, while
light industry and service enterprises are growing due to Osceola's
transportation advantages and proximity to the Greater Orlando area. |
| Kissimmee has a strong historical association with the Florida cattle frontier. On the other hand, St. Cloud's roots include a northern land baron, who failed in an attempt to site a sugarcane plantation nearby, while the city's birth was primarily due to an early land sale organized by Union Army Civil War Veterans. |
The contrasting origins of Kissimmee
and St. Cloud are still reflected in many ways in the background
of Osceola County's present population. This includes native Floridians,
a large and growing number of immigrant settlers and retirees from
the north, and of course, a large and continuous influx of visitors
and tourists from just about everywhere. |
| Situated in Central Florida, Kissimmee is
not only in the immediate vicinity of Walt Disney World, Universal
Studios and Sea World, it also has some major attractions of its
own. Shopping opportunities abound with several outlet malls and
quaint downtown shops and restaurants. Leisure activities are high
on the agenda and Kissimmee/St Cloud's location enables visitors
to take advantage of the wealth of accommodation in the area and
access all the major attractions with comparative ease. The Kissimmee
Waterway is a spectacular natural area and the Kissimmee River is
one of Florida's top ten bass lakes, making this a popular fishing
destination. Lake Okeechobee enjoys a world-class reputation as
a prime bass producer. Boggy Creek Airboat Rides give scenic airboat
tours that allow visitors to view wildlife in the Central Everglades.
A World of Orchids is a climate-controlled tropical garden housing
a collection of orchids from all over the globe. For those who seek
knowledge of other cultures, Splendid China is a unique, 76-acre
outdoor exhibit that features China's most famous landmarks. |
| For visitors best accomodation in Kissimmee is Quality Inn Kissimmee FL Hotel. |