Central Florida is a regional designation for the area surrounding Orlando in east central Florida, United States. The area represents the third largest population concentration in Florida, after the South Florida and Tampa Bay regions, respectively.[clarification needed]
Although agreement on the exact boundaries of 'Central Florida' can vary, the region is generally considered to be Orlando and its surrounding suburbs, including Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, Brevard, and Volusia counties. Polk, Flagler, and Sumter counties are often included in Central Florida demographics and are primarily served by Orlando media outlets.
Major rivers include the St. Johns River, the Ocklawaha River, the Halifax River, and the Econlockhatchee River. Major lakes include Lake Apopka, Lake Tohopekaliga, East Lake Tohopekaliga, Lake Louisa, Lake Monroe, Lake Jessup, and the Butler Chain of Lakes.
There are over 100 miles (160 km) of coastline in Central Florida along the Atlantic Coast.[4] Major beaches include Canaveral National Seashore, New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach,Cocoa Beach, Florida, and Indiatlantic Beach near Melbourne, FL.
Winters are dry and temperate with the average winter high temperature in Orlando being 72 °F (22 °C).[5][6] Summers are hot and humid with high temperatures averaging 92 °F (33 °C). Peak summer heat generally arrives in early June and continues to early October.[7][8]
Theme Parks
Other major attractions include Kennedy Space Center, Legoland Florida, Bok Tower Gardens, Daytona International Speedway, The Holy Land Experience, and Gatorland. Central Florida also has a wide variety of natural attractions including the Wekiwa Springs State Park, Blue Spring State Park, Rock Springs Run State Reserve, Canaveral National Seashore, and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The region also boasts an extensive network of recreational trails (jogging, biking, equestrian, etc.). While many connections are already in place, construction continues and will link all of the trails and greenways. Major trails include the Cady Way, Cross Seminole and West Orange Trails.
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