Population	25,055
Size	17.75 square miles
Location	20 miles west of Daytona Beach
Government	Mayor-Commission with an appointed City Manager
Contact	City Hall (386) 740-5700

In 1876, a Fairport, New York manufacturer named Henry Addison DeLand met with friends in the pine woods west of Daytona to plan a new community that was to be named for its found. He and other early pioneers had a vision to build the "Athens of the South" along the lake-studded shores of the St. Johns River.

The City of DeLand was incorporated in 1882, and Deland Academy was founded a year later in the reading room of the First Baptist Church. In 1886, Stetson University (Florida's first private university), was given its name in honor of John B. Stetson, a Philadelphia hatmaker who had become a generous benefactor.

The political history of the city is quite colorful. Following a spirited election in 1887, the county seat was moved to Deland from Enterprise where it had been situated since 1854. The first of two courthouses was built in DeLand in 1890.

Henry A. Deland passed away in 1908 but his spirit lives on in this community that has lived up to the founder's dream of an "Athens of Florida." Present-day DeLand is a center for business, culture, education and government for a Volusia County population of more than 509,545. The local economy is diversified among manufacturing, tourism, retail, agribusiness, government, educational institutions and professional services.

Location	Northwest of DeLand in West Volusia County
Government	Volusia County Council
Principal Business	Agriculture

The economical mainstay of this community is farming. Fern and citrus growing and horse breeding provided the livelihood for most residents.

The springs at DeLeon Springs are the center attraction for this area. This natural spring is within an approximate 600-acre park. The spring has a water temperature of 72° and flows into three lakes before entering the St. Johns River. Over the course of Florida's history, many battles have been waged over "ownership" of the spring. The native Americans of this area considered the springs to have a spiritual power. Early settlers wanted to harness the mechanical power of the water gushing from the fissure in the spring. A sugar mill was built at this site with a water whell providing pwer. Today this is teh site of the Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant - a popular area attraction.

The Spring Garden Ranch Training Center offers the excitement of harness racing. Training of the standard bred horses is from October to April and visitors can watch trackside from the second floor observation deck of the restaurant.

Size	6.8 square miles
Contact	City Hall (386) 775-5400

The City is proud of its small town ambiance, while offering all the amenities necessary for today’s fast-paced lifestyle. Residents are fortunate to have some of the safest and most affordable neighborhoods in Volusia County. One can choose to live in a single-family home, manufactured home, condominiums or even rental apartments. Because of its desirable location in Volusia County, several gated communities are being developed in the area. Within the City of Orange City there are many homes that are graced with medium and estate-sized lots. These lots have many large trees, which helped Orange City to become designated as “Tree City USA.”

Orange City has established its own Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Sites. This brings the old buildings, homes, land areas and other aspects of our history alive, so we can keep the history, not just documented with pictures, but have actual buildings, artifacts and personal stories for all to share.

Being a full-service municipality, Orange City offers residents and local businesses a wide variety of recreational opportunities for a well-balanced quality of life. Orange City is known for Blue Spring State Park, a 2700-acre park designated as a Manatee Refuge Area that connects to the scenic St. John's River, providing residents and visitors with access to some of Florida's most beautiful bodies of water.

Affordable housing, excellent City and County services, low taxes, low crime rates, well-maintained parks for people of all ages. There is access to national chain-based shopping malls and restaurants. With all this in and around town, Orange City is a great place to live, work and play.

Population	82,973
Size	46 square miles
Contact	City Hall (386) 561-2100

The City is situated in the southwest Volusia County area and can be characterized as an "edge city" to the Orlando Metropolitan Area. The City of Deltona is adjacent to the Cities of DeBary, Orange City, Lake Helen, and is in close proximity to the City of DeLand. The City of Deltona also abuts the rural communities of Cassadaga, Enterprise and Osteen.

According to the Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing, the southwest Volusia County area had a population of approximately 100,000 and a projected increase to approximately 150,000 by the year 2010.

The main transportation network within the City is made up of a series of residential collectors, some of which function as minor arterials. Interstate-4 provides regional transportation access and allows Deltona to be very accessible to the Daytona Beach and Orlando Metropolitan Area. Deltona is approximately 25 miles from both cities.

From a regional perspective, the US 17-92 corridor is a main hub of commercial activity. This trend of commercial use is evident in the Cities of DeBary, DeLand and Orange City's existing land use pattern; commercial activity also occurs along Enterprise Road and Saxon Boulevard to just east of Interstate-4.

MACKLE BROTHERS MASTER PLAN: In 1963, the Mackle Brothers began construction of the Deltona Lakes subdivision. The subdivision included out-parcels for drainage retention, apartments, churches, parks, commercial centers, an industrial area, a community (civic) center, and a golf course. The community was originally marketed to senior citizens looking for the ideal place to retire. According to the 1970 U.S. Census, the Deltona Census Designated Place (CDP) had just over 4,000 residents and a median age of 62 years. Subsequent to the development of Disney World, and the growth of the regional population, the marketing scheme changed and residential lots were sold to broader interests. In 1974, the Deltona Lakes subdivision was approved as a Planned Unit Development (PUD) by the Volusia County Council. A housing boom occurred in the 1980's and by 1990, the average age of the 51,000 Deltona CDP residents was 35 years old. Before the City incorporated on December 31, 1995, Deltona was recognized as a geographic location by the U.S. Census Bureau. It should be noted that the Deltona CDP is a little larger in geographic size than the actual City boundary.