Ormond Beach is a city in

central Florida Central Florida is a Regions of the United States#Florida, region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, in ...

in Volusia County. 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 , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

settlers to this part of Florida. Ormond had served

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

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 The trans-Atlantic trade in deerskins was a significant commercial activity in Colonial America that was greatly influenced, and at least partially dominated, by Scottish traders and their firms. This trade, primarily in deerskins but also in ...

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 A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policie ...

. The St. Johns and Halifax Railway arrived in 1886, and the first bridge across the

Halifax River The Halifax River is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, located in northeast Volusia County, Florida. The waterway was originally known as the North Mosquito River, but was renamed after George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax (for whom ...

was built in 1887. John Anderson and James Downing Price opened the

Ormond Hotel The Ormond Hotel (also known as The Flagler Hotel) was a historic hotel in Ormond Beach, Florida, United States. It was located at 15 East Granada Boulevard. History Built by John Anderson and J. D. Price, the hotel opened on January 1, 1888. B ...

on January 1, 1888.

Henry Flagler Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil, which was first based in Ohio. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder ...

bought the hotel in 1890 and expanded it to accommodate 600 guests. It would be one in a series of

Gilded Age In United States history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1877 to 1900, which was sandwiched between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and West ...

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 John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...

. He arrived in 1914 and after four seasons at the hotel bought an estate called

The Casements The Casements is a mansion in Ormond Beach, Florida, U.S., famous for being the winter residence of American oil magnate John D. Rockefeller. It is currently owned by the city of Ormond Beach and is used as a cultural center and park. It is loc ...

, 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 Ransom Eli Olds (June 3, 1864 – August 26, 1950) was a pioneer of the American automotive industry, after whom the Oldsmobile and REO brands were named. He claimed to have built his first steam car as early as 1887 and his first gasoline-powe ...

with his Pirate Racer, and

Alexander Winton Alexander Winton (June 20, 1860 – June 21, 1932) was a Scottish-American bicycle, automobile, and diesel engine designer and inventor, as well as a businessman and racecar driver. Winton founded the Winton Motor Carriage Company in 1897 in Clev ...

, tested their inventions. The

American Automobile Association American Automobile Association (AAA – commonly pronounced as "Triple A") is a federation of motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a privately held not-for-profit national member association and service organization with over 60 mi ...

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 The Curtiss V-8 motorcycle was a V8 engine-powered motorcycle designed and built by aviation and motorcycling pioneer Glenn Curtiss that set an unofficial land speed record of on January 24, 1907. The air-cooled F-head engine was developed for ...

. 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. File:Royal Arch Oak.jpg, Royal Arch Oak in c. 1905 File:Ormond Hotel FL 1905.jpg, Ormond Hotel in c. 1905 File:Santa Lucia Orange Grove, Ormond, FL.jpg, Orange Grove in c. 1905 File:The Bostrom Oaks, Ormond, FL.jpg, Bostrom Oaks in c. 1908 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.

City officials

Elected

* Bill Partington, mayor * Dwight Selby, city commissioner, zone 1 * Troy Kent, city commissioner, zone 2 * Susan Persis, city commissioner, zone 3 * Rob Littleton, city commissioner, zone 4

Appointed

* Joyce Shanahan, city manager * Randy Hayes, city attorney

Notable people

* Paul America, actor *

Adelbert Ames Adelbert Ames (October 31, 1835 – April 13, 1933) was an American sailor, soldier, and politician who served with distinction as a Union Army general during the American Civil War. A Radical Republican, he was military governor, U.S. Sena ...

, the last surviving general officer of the

, who died at age 97 in 1933 *

Lisa Andersen Lisa Andersen (born March 8, 1969) is an American four-time world surfing champion. She won four successive world titles from 1994 to 1997. She was named ASP's Rookie of the Year in 1987. She was named as one of the 100 "Greatest Sportswomen of ...

, pro surfer *

Shirley Chisholm Shirley Anita Chisholm ( ; ; November 30, 1924 – January 1, 2005) was an American politician who, in 1968, became the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm represented New York's 12th congressional dist ...

, U.S. Congress member, U.S. presidential candidate * David Allan Coe, musician *

Phil Dalhausser Philip "Phil" Peter Dalhausser (born January 26, 1980) is a Swiss-born American professional beach volleyball player, playing as a blocker. He and his former playing partner, Todd Rogers, were the 2007 AVP Tour and FIVB world champions. Dalha ...

, 2008 Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball *

Jacob deGrom Jacob Anthony deGrom (born June 19, 1988), is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets. Prior to playing professionally, deGrom attend ...

, MLB pitcher for New York Mets *

Alan Gustafson Alan Arthur Gustafson (born August 5, 1975) is an American NASCAR Cup Series crew chief who works for Hendrick Motorsports as the crew chief of their No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Chase Elliott in the NASCAR Cup Series. He and Elliott won ...

, NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chief for Hendrick Motorsports * Brian Kelley, musician, member of

Florida Georgia Line Florida Georgia Line is an American country music duo founded in 2010 by Tyler Hubbard of Georgia and Brian Kelley of Florida, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. Their 2012 debut single " Cruise" broke two major sales records: it was ...

Paul LePage Paul Richard LePage (; born October 9, 1948) is an American politician who served as the 74th Governor of Maine from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, LePage served two terms as a city councilor in Waterville, Maine, before being ...

, politician *

Frederick Dana Marsh Frederick Dana Marsh (1872 – December 20, 1961) was an American illustrator. Born in 1872 to a prosperous Chicago stockyard merchant, Marsh attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he worked with artists preparing murals fo ...

, artist *

, billionaire industrialist *

Freelan Oscar Stanley Freelan Oscar Stanley (June 1, 1849 – October 2, 1940) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, hotelier, and architect. He made his fortune in the manufacture of photographic plates but is best remembered as the co-founder, with his brother Fra ...

and

Francis Edgar Stanley Francis Edgar Stanley, also known as F. E. Stanley (June 1, 1849 – July 31, 1918), was an American businessman and was the co-founder, along with his twin brother Freelan Oscar Stanley, of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company which built the ...

, co-owners of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company * Corey Walden, professional basketball player, 2019

Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP The Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP, or Israeli Basketball Super League MVP, is an annual basketball award that is presented to the most valuable player in a given season of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, which is the top-tier level ...

Harry Wendelstedt Harry Hunter Wendelstedt Jr. (July 27, 1938 – March 9, 2012) was an umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1966 to 1998. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He umpired in the World Series in 1973, 1980, 1986, 1991 ...

, baseball umpire

Sites of interest

Historic places

* Anderson-Price Memorial Library Building *

* Dix House * Bulow Creek State Park
Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens
* North Peninsula State Park *

Tomoka State Park Tomoka State Park is an Florida State Park located along the Tomoka River, three miles (5 km) north of Ormond Beach on North Beach Street. Fauna Among the wildlife of the park are West Indian manatees, alligators, white-tailed deer, go ...

Other places

Ormond Beach Municipal Airport Ormond Beach Airport , also known as Ormond Beach Municipal Airport, is a general aviation airport located to the northwest of the city of Ormond Beach in Volusia County, Florida, United States. History OMN was established in 1943 as Outlying Fi ...

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 The Tomoka River is a north-flowing river in Volusia County, Florida, United States. It drains an area of about and has a length of .U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed Apri ...

, Ormond Beach is located on the

lagoon and the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Afr ...

Demographics

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 African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...

, 0.17% Native American, 1.44% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oce ...

, 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. 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. Canoeing on the Upper Tomoka

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. 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.

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

WHOG-FM WHOG-FM (95.7 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. Licensed to Ormond-By-The-Sea, Florida, the station serves the Daytona Beach metropolitan area. The station is owned by Southern Stone Communications. The radio studios ...

, 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 Costa Del Mar or simply Costa is an American manufacturer of polarized sunglasses based in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of EssilorLuxottica. Their sunglasses are popular in the sport sunglasses market, and are consider ...

Headquarters (eye care products) * First Green Bank * Florida Production Engineering (automotive) *

Hawaiian Tropic Hawaiian Tropic is an American brand of suntan lotion. Hawaiian Tropic was founded by Ron Rice in 1969. Rice became the largest private manufacturer of sun care products in the United States, until Hawaiian Tropic was acquired by Playtex Prod ...

- Tanning Research Laboratories (skin care products) * ABB Thomas & Betts/Homac (electrical connectors, utility products) * Hudson Technologies (deep draw manufacturer) *

Microflex Inc. Microflex Inc. is an international corporation manufacturing flexible metal products based in Ormond Beach, Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of ...

* 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
* * {{authority control 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