Osceola County (, ) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the central portion of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 388,656. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Kissimmee Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...

. Osceola County is included in the

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

–

– Sanford, Fla.

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. Being 54.3% Hispanic, Osceola is one of three Hispanic-majority counties in Florida, owing to its large

Puerto Rican American Stateside Puerto Ricans ( es, link=no, Puertorriqueños de Estados Unidos), also ambiguously known as Puerto Rican Americans ( es, link=no, puertorriqueño-americanos,), or Puerto Ricans in the United States, are Puerto Ricans who are in the U ...

population. It also is the 12th-largest majority-Hispanic county in the nation.

Etymology

Osceola County is named for the

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

leader

Osceola Osceola (1804 – January 30, 1838, Asi-yahola in Muscogee language, Creek), named Billy Powell at birth in Alabama, became an influential leader of the Seminole people in Florida. His mother was Muscogee, and his great-grandfather was a S ...

, whose name means "Black Drink Cry si Yaholo.

History

Osceola County was created in 1887. On July 21, 1821, Florida was divided into two counties, named Escambia County to the west and St. John's County to the east. In 1824, the southern part of St. John's County became

Mosquito County Mosquito County (also labeled on maps as Musquito County) is the historic name of an early county that once comprised most of the eastern part of Florida. Its land included all of present-day Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, ...

, with

Enterprise Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to: Business and economics Brands and enterprises * Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company * Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company * Enterpris ...

as the

. In 1844,

Brevard County Brevard County ( ) is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 606,612, making it the 10th-most populated county in Florida. The official county seat is located in ...

was carved out from Mosquito County. When Florida became a state in 1845, Mosquito County was renamed

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

. On May 12, 1887, Osceola was named a county, having been created from both Orange and Brevard Counties. Osceola County reached all the way down to

Lake Okeechobee Lake Okeechobee (), also known as Florida's Inland Sea, is the largest freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the tenth largest natural freshwater lake among the 50 states of the United States and the second-largest natural freshwa ...

until 1917 when

Okeechobee County Okeechobee County () is a county located in the Florida Heartland region of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,644. The county seat is Okeechobee. Okeechobee County comprises the Okeechobee, FL Micropolitan St ...

was formed. Since the late 20th century, Osceola County has experienced a significant influx of migrants from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the unincorporated territory of the United States, and in the

2000 U.S. Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

Puerto Rican was the largest self-reported ancestry group.

Government

Osceola County is a

charter county A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...

, and a subdivision within the

State of Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...

. Voters approved the County Charter in March 1992, and it took effect on October 1, 1992. The structure of County government under the charter does not depart dramatically from the structure of a County government outlined in the

Florida Statutes The ''Florida Statutes'' are the codified, statutory laws of Florida; it currently has 48 titles. A chapter in the Florida Statutes represents all of the relevant statutory law on a particular subject. The statutes are the selected reproduction of ...

. Osceola County Government is governed by three sets of

elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...

officials, each of which independently directs separate branches of County Government. These include: the five-member County Commission, five separate Constitutional Officers, and a number of Judicial Officers. Under State law, the County Commission is responsible for funding the budgets of all Osceola County Government, including the independently elected Constitutional Officers and Judicial Officers, as well as the Commission's own departments. Each independent officer has discretion to administer his or her own programs. The County Commission exercises oversight only over its own departments. Osceola County has five electoral districts each represented by a commissioner. All the commissioners compose the Board of Commissioners that appoint a County Manager. There also is a Commission Auditor and County Attorney.

Legislature

;Board of County Commissioners * District 1 – Peggy Choudhry ( D) * District 2 – Viviana Janer ( D) * District 3 – Brandon Arrington ( D) * District 4 –

Cheryl Grieb Cheryl is a female given name common in English speaking countries. There are several prevailing theories about its etymology. The most common is that it has Italo-Celtic roots and is an Anglicised version of either the French name Cherie (from L ...

( D) * District 5 – Ricky Booth ( R)

Executive

* County Manager – Don Fisher * Deputy County Manager - Beth Knight * Assistant County Manager - Donna Renberg * Commission Auditor - Chijioke Horace Nwachukwu * County Attorney - Frank Townsend

Constitutional officers

* Sheriff – Marco Lopez ( D) * Property Appraiser – Katrina Scarborough ( D) * Clerk of the Circuit Court & County Comptroller – Kelvin Soto, Esq. ( D) * Supervisor of Elections – Mary Jane Arrington ( D) * Tax Collector – Bruce Vickers ( D) * Public Defender – Bob Wesley * State Attorney – Monique Worrell

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (11.9%) is water.

Adjacent counties

– north *

– northeast *

Indian River County Indian River County ( es, Condado de Río Indio, link=) is a county located in the Treasure Coast region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 159,788. Its seat is Vero Beach. It is Florida's 7th richest county ...

– east *

– southeast *

Highlands County Highlands County is a county located in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 101,235. Its county seat is Sebring. Highlands County comprises the Sebring-Avon Park, FL Metropolita ...

– south *

Polk County Polk County is the name of twelve counties in the United States, all except two named after president of the United States James Knox Polk: * Polk County, Arkansas * Polk County, Florida * Polk County, Georgia * Polk County, Iowa * Polk Count ...

– west * Lake County – northwest

Transportation

Rail

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

's A-line, formerly the

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967 it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast L ...

mainline, and originally built by the

South Florida Railroad The South Florida Railroad was a railroad from Sanford, Florida, to Tampa, Florida, becoming part of the Plant System in 1893 and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. It served as the southernmost segment of the Atlantic Coast Line's m ...

in the 1880s, runs through the urbanized northern part of the county. CSX has leased the line to the FDOT. Intercity passenger service is provided by Amtrak at Kissimmee station and commuter passenger service is operated by

SunRail SunRail is a commuter rail system in the Greater Orlando, Florida, area. Services began on May 1, 2014. The system comprises 16 stations along a former CSX Transportation line connecting Volusia County and Osceola County through Downtown Orland ...

, with stops at Kissimmee and Poinciana.

Airports

* Kissimmee Gateway Airport

Major highways

* Interstate 4 * Florida's Turnpike * State Road 417 * State Road 429 * Osceola County Road 522 FL

Osceola Parkway Osceola Parkway, signed as County Road 522 (CR 522) since around 2003 (and originally planned as State Road 424), is a , partially tolled arterial road extending east–west across the northern boundary of Osceola County, Florida, roughly p ...

* US 441 * / US 17/92 ( Orange Blossom Trail) * US 192

US 192 U.S. Route 192 (US 192) is an east–west route of the United States Numbered Highway system in central Florida. It runs from U.S. Route 27 ( State Road 25) in Four Corners, Lake County, east past Walt Disney World and through Kissimmee, ...

* CR 15 * Florida 60

SR 60 *

John Young Parkway State Road 423 (SR 423), known for most of its length as John Young Parkway, and Lee Road east of Orange Blossom Trail, is a four- and six-lane surface road in the U.S. state of Florida. SR 423 runs from SR 408 north to U.S. Routes 17/ 92 (US ...

Demographics

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 388,656 people, 109,642 households, and 81,168 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 162,661 housing units at an average density of 122 per square mile (83/km²). The majority of Hispanics/Latinos in the county are Puerto Ricans, who account for an estimated 33.7% of the population and are the largest ancestral group in the county. 38.2% of the county population is affiliated with a religious congregation. There are 206 or more religious congregations in the county. 16.5% are

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

; 1.3% are Mormons; 3.5% are

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

, 3.7% are

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

, 1.4% are

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

, 8.3% are members of other Christian faiths, 0.1% are

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

, 0.2% affiliate with an eastern faith, and 3.2% affiliate with Islam. There were 111,539 households, 57% were married couples living together, 23% had a female householder with no spouse present, 7% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 13% were non-families. The average household size was 3.4 persons per household. In the county, the population was spread out, with 12% being 0 to 9 years old, 15% 10 to 19, 14% 20 to 29, 15% from 30 to 39, 13% from 40 to 49, 11% 50 to 59, and 19% who were 60 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $52,279. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $22,196. About 13.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 18.00% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The

School District of Osceola County, Florida The School District of Osceola County, Florida is a school district serving all of Osceola County, Florida., the district had 71 schools. History The school opened in unknown. There was only one other middle school in Kissimmee at the time. It ...

serves the county. The county is home to 47 schools, not including colleges.

Colleges

* Johnson University Florida * Florida Technical College * Heritage University & Seminary *

Stetson University Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I–4 corridor in Central Florida with the primary undergraduate campus in DeLand. The university was founded in 1883 and was later established in 1887 ...

* Valencia College - Osceola Campus & Poinciana Campus

Libraries

There are currently six branches of the Osceola County Library System: * Buenaventura Lakes Library - Kissimmee, FL * Hart Memorial Library - Kissimmee, FL * Kenansville Library - Kenansville, FL * Poinciana Library - Kissimmee, FL * St. Cloud Veterans Memorial Library - St. Cloud, FL * West Osceola Library - Celebration, FL The Hart Memorial Library is home to the Ray Shanks Law Library, and TechCentral the library system's "creative space".

History

Until 1989, there was no independent Osceola Library System. Instead, Osceola patrons were taken care of by Orange County Library System. Before that, there were two libraries, which are still named after the original independent libraries, run by women's organizations: Veteran's Memorial in Saint Cloud and Hart Memorial Library in Kissimmee. In 1910, land for the Hart Memorial Library was donated by a widow of a former Florida Governor, Carrie S. Hart. It was located on North Stewart Avenue in Kissimmee . In 1914, women pooled money together from themselves and other community members to build the actual building and Annie Palmer Fell, another widow of a prominent Florida man, donated furnishings and books from her personal collection to begin building inventory in the new library. In 1968, the location moved to a 4,000 square foot building on Broadway and Dakin. Hart Memorial Library is the Osceola headquarters and is now located in a 43,000 square building . Veteran's Memorial Library was at first a reading room until enough funds were raised to build the first official location on Massachusetts Avenue in Saint Cloud. In the early 70's the location moved to a former SunBank location on 10th Street and New York Avenue. In 1995, this branch moved for its final time to a larger building on Indiana Avenue and 13th street where it is still located today. The first Poinciana Branch was opened in 1988. It was a modular building and consisted of a 14,000 book collection. This branch was eventually moved into a larger location with a collection of 40,000 books and computer access for patrons. Osceola Library Systems began as an independent organization on April 1, 1989. In 1990, the Buenaventura Library opened. In 1991, volunteers helped open the Kenansville Branch Library in a shared space with the old Kenansville school. During the 2004 hurricanes, the collection was a total loss. It was rebuilt in 2007 with a larger collection, including books, DVDs, and computer/wifi access.

Communities

Cities

* St. Cloud

Census-designated places

* Buenaventura Lakes *

Campbell Campbell may refer to: People Surname * Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell Given name * Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer * Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...

* Celebration * Four Corners * Poinciana *

Yeehaw Junction Yeehaw Junction is a census-designated place (CDP) in central Florida in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 240. The area was confused with Buenaventura Lakes CDP in the 2000 census, and the cor ...

Other unincorporated communities

* Bull Creek * Deer Park * Harmony *

Holopaw Holopaw is an American indie (music), indie band from Gainesville, Florida. The band was named after the town of Holopaw, Florida, Holopaw in Osceola County, Florida, although none of the members of the band have ever lived there. One of its ...

* Kenansville * Narcoossee * Whittier – the hamlet along Harvey Road especially near its intersection with Whitman Road; Zip Code: 34739. * Intercession City

Planned development

Currently, a new suburb is planned in Osceola County called

Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...

. If completely built, it would house up to 240,000 residents.

Special districts

Reedy Creek Improvement District The Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) is the governing jurisdiction and special taxing district for the land of Walt Disney World Resort. It includes within the outer limits of Orange and Osceola counties in Florida. It acts with the sa ...

* Crescent Lake Common Facilities District

Former communities

* Apoxsee * Illahaw * Kicco * Locosee * Nittaw * Runnymede * Tohopkee

Notes

References

External links

*
Kissimmee Convention & Visitors Bureau

Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce

Osceola County Guide

Florida Association of Counties (FAC)

Government links/Constitutional offices

Osceola County Charter

Osceola County Government / Board of County Commissioners

Osceola County Supervisor of Elections

Osceola County Property Appraiser

Osceola County Sheriff's Office

Osceola County Tax Collector
* Kissimmee Utility Authority (local power and Internet provider)

Library System

Osceola Library System

Special Districts

School District of Osceola County

South Florida Water Management District

St. Johns River Water Management District

Judicial branch

Osceola County Clerk of Courts

Public Defender, 9th Judicial Circuit of Florida
serving

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

and Osceola Counties
Circuit and County Court for the 9th Judicial Circuit of Florida

History

Osceola County Collection on RICHES Mosaic Interface
{{Coord, 28.06, -81.15, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-FL_source:UScensus1990 Florida placenames of Native American origin Charter counties in Florida 1887 establishments in Florida Counties in Greater Orlando Populated places established in 1887 Hispanic and Latino American culture in Florida