Ormond Beach, Florida

Ormond Beach, Florida
Ormond Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 43,080 at the 2020 census. Ormond Beach lies directly north of Daytona Beach and is a principal city of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is known as the birthplace of speed, as early adopters of motorized cars flocked to its hard-packed beaches for yearlong entertainment, since paved roads were not yet commonplace. Ormond Beach lies in Central Eastern Florida.
History
Ormond Beach was once within the domain of the Timucuan Indians. Ormond Beach was frequented by Timacuan Indians, but never truly inhabited until 1643 when Quakers blown off course to the New England area ran ashore. They settled in a small encampment along the Atlantic shore. Early relations with neighboring tribes were fruitful, however, in 1704 a local Timacuan chief, Oseanoha, led a raid of the encampment killing most of the population. In 1708 Spaniards inhabited the area and laid claim until British control began. The city is named for James Ormond I, an Anglo-Irish-Scottish sea captain commissioned by King Ferdinand VII of Spain to bring Franciscan settlers to this part of Florida. Ormond had served Britain and Spain in the Napoleonic Wars as a ship captain, and was rewarded for his services to Spain by King Ferdinand VII. Ormond later worked for the Scottish Indian trade company of Panton, Leslie & Company, and his armed brig was called the Somerset. After returning to Spanish control, in 1821, Florida was acquired from Spain by the United States, but hostilities during the Second Seminole War delayed settlement until after 1842. In 1875, the city was founded as New Britain by inhabitants from New Britain, Connecticut, but would be incorporated in 1880 as Ormond for its early plantation owner.
With its hard, white beach, Ormond became popular for the wealthy seeking relief from northern winters during the Floridian boom in tourism following the Civil War. The St. Johns and Halifax Railway arrived in 1886, and the first bridge across the Halifax River was built in 1887. John Anderson and James Downing Price opened the Ormond Hotel on January 1, 1888. Henry Flagler bought the hotel in 1890 and expanded it to accommodate 600 guests. It would be one in a series of Gilded Age hotels catering to passengers aboard his Florida East Coast Railway, which had purchased the St. Johns & Halifax Railroad. Once a well-known landmark which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, the hotel was razed in 1992.
On December 5, 1896, the Nathan F. Cobb, a wooden schooner built in 1890, ran aground on a sandbar off Ormond.
One of Flagler's guests at the Ormond Hotel was his former business partner at the Standard Oil Company, John D. Rockefeller. He arrived in 1914 and after four seasons at the hotel bought an estate called The Casements, that would be Rockefeller's winter home during the latter part of his life. Sold by his heirs in 1939, it was purchased by the city in 1973 and now serves as a cultural center. It is the community's best-known historical structure.
Beginning in 1902, some of the first automobile races were held on the compacted sand from Ormond south to Daytona Beach. Pioneers in the industry, including Ransom Olds with his Pirate Racer, and Alexander Winton, tested their inventions. The American Automobile Association brought timing equipment in 1903 and the area acquired the nickname "The Birthplace of Speed."
In 1907 Glenn Curtiss set an unofficial world record of 136.36 miles per hour (219.45 km/h), on a 40-horsepower (30 kW) 269 cu in (4,410 cc) Curtiss V-8 motorcycle. Lee Bible, in the record-breaking, but fatal, White Triplex, was less fortunate. Driving on the beach is still permitted on some stretches.
The city was renamed Ormond Beach following a referendum held on April 25, 1950.
Ormond Beach has four downtown riverfront parks and a beachfront park along with 37 other parks and gardens large and small. The historic shopping district located along Granada Boulevard from A1A to Orchard Street is home to dozens of locally-owned shops and restaurants along with historic and cultural sites.
Geography
Ormond Beach is located at (29.286405, –81.074882).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land, and (18.12%) is water. Drained by the Tomoka River, Ormond Beach is located on the Halifax River lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean.
Demographics
2010 and 2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 43,080 people, 18,554 households, and 11,121 families residing in the city.
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 38,137 people, 16,617 households, and 10,408 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 36,301 people, 15,629 households, and 10,533 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 17,258 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.28% White, 2.75% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.44% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.20% of the population.
In 2000, there were 15,629 households, out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.75.
In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 27.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $43,364, and the median income for a family was $52,496. Males had a median income of $38,598 versus $26,452 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,364. About 4.2% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
City officials
Elected
Bill Partington, mayor
Lori Tolland, city commissioner, zone 1
Travis Sargent, city commissioner, zone 2
Susan Persis, city commissioner, zone 3
Harold Briley, city commissioner, zone 4
Appointed
Joyce Shanahan, city manager
Randy Hayes, city attorney
Notable people
Paul America, actor
Adelbert Ames, the last surviving general officer of the Civil War, who died at age 97 in 1933
Lisa Andersen, pro surfer
Ben Brainard, stand-up comedian and social media personality
Shirley Chisholm, U.S. Congress member, U.S. presidential candidate
David Allan Coe, musician
Bryan Collyer, racing driver
Phil Dalhausser, 2008 Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball
Jacob deGrom, MLB pitcher for the Texas Rangers
Jimmy Foster, racing driver
Alan Gustafson, NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chief for Hendrick Motorsports
Brian Kelley, musician, member of Florida Georgia Line
Paul LePage, politician
Frederick Dana Marsh, artist
John D. Rockefeller, billionaire industrialist
Freelan Oscar Stanley and Francis Edgar Stanley, co-owners of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company
Corey Walden, professional basketball player, 2019 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP
Harry Wendelstedt, baseball umpire
Sites of interest
Historic places
Anderson-Price Memorial Library Building
The Casements
Dix House
Bulow Creek State Park
Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens
North Peninsula State Park
Tomoka State Park
Other places
Ormond Beach Municipal Airport
Media
Newspapers
Daytona Beach News-Journal, daily newspaper covering the greater Daytona Beach area
Hometown News, community newspaper in print on Fridays and daily on the Internet
The Ormond Beach Observer, a weekly newspaper published in print on Thursdays and daily online, part of the Observer Media Group
Radio stations
AM
WELE, 1380 AM, Ormond Beach, News/Talk
FM
WAVX-LP, 107.1 FM, Ormond Beach, Contemporary Christian
WHOG-FM, 95.7 FM, Ormond Beach, Classic Rock
Economy
Business
Ormond Beach is an active commercial and residential market in the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach MSA. Manufacturers enjoy a healthy business climate and engage in global marketing.
Ormond Beach Business Park and Airpark, a foreign trade zone, is home to 29 companies that provide more than 2,000 jobs.
Recent studies show the workforce to be educated, productive, and competitive with 10 percent underemployed. Seven colleges and universities and the Advanced Technology Center support business needs with career advancement, workforce development, and research. Education, health care, and government are the largest employment sectors within the area.
Among the corporations that call Ormond Beach home are:
Costa Del Mar Headquarters (eye care products)
First Green Bank
Florida Production Engineering (automotive)
Hawaiian Tropic - Tanning Research Laboratories (skin care products)
ABB Thomas & Betts/Homac (electrical connectors, utility products)
Hudson Technologies (deep draw manufacturer)
Microflex Inc.
U.S. Food Service (distributor)
Vital Aire (health care)
Shopping
Historic Ormond Beach/Granada Blvd.
Ormond Mall
Ormond Town Square
River Gate Shopping Center
South Forty Shopping Center
The Trails Shopping Center
Wal-Mart Super Center
Tanger Outlets
Granada Plaza
References
External links
City of Ormond Beach official website
Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce
Ormond Beach MainStreet
Historic Photographs from the Florida State Archives
Populated coastal places in Florida on the Atlantic Ocean
Cities in Volusia County, Florida
Seaside resorts in Florida
Populated places established in 1875
Cities in Florida
Beaches of Volusia County, Florida
Beaches of Florida