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Daytona Beach, FL
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Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,421.
Daytona Beach is a year-round resort area. The city is historically known for its motorsports, with both Daytona International Speedway and the old Daytona Beach Road Course having hosted races for over a century. The city is also the headquarters for NASCAR and the Grand American Road Racing Association. Daytona could accurately be called a seasonal town, with large groups of out-of-towners descending upon the city for various events, most notably Speedweeks in early February when over 200,000 NASCAR fans come to attend the season-opening Daytona 500. Other events include the NASCAR Pepsi 400 race in July (now Coke Zero 400), Bike Week in March, Biketoberfest in October and Black College Reunion in March and April. In the past Daytona Beach catered to spring breakers, but in recent years many of the breakers have migrated to other sites, like Panama City. Daytona Beach has tried to clean up its image but in the last few years spring breakers have come back again in smaller numbers.
Daytona Beach is a year-round resort area. The city is historically known for its motorsports, with both Daytona International Speedway and the old Daytona Beach Road Course having hosted races for over a century. The city is also the headquarters for NASCAR and the Grand American Road Racing Association. Daytona could accurately be called a seasonal town, with large groups of out-of-towners descending upon the city for various events, most notably Speedweeks in early February when over 200,000 NASCAR fans come to attend the season-opening Daytona 500. Other events include the NASCAR Pepsi 400 race in July (now Coke Zero 400), Bike Week in March, Biketoberfest in October and Black College Reunion in March and April. In the past Daytona Beach catered to spring breakers, but in recent years many of the breakers have migrated to other sites, like Panama City. Daytona Beach has tried to clean up its image but in the last few years spring breakers have come back again in smaller numbers.
HistoryThe area was once inhabited by the Timucuan Indians, who lived in fortified villages. War and disease, however, would decimate the tribe. Florida was acquired from Spain by the United States in 1821, although permanent settlement was delayed until after the Second Seminole War from 1835 to 1842. When the Civil War ended, Florida experienced a boom in tourism.
The city was founded in 1870 and incorporated in 1876. It was named for its founder, Matthias D. Day. In 1886, the St. Johns & Halifax River Railway arrived in Daytona. The line would be purchased in 1889 by Henry Flagler, who made it part of his Florida East Coast Railway. The separate towns of Daytona, Daytona Beach and Seabreeze merged as "Daytona Beach" in 1926, at the urging of civic leader J.B. Kahn and others. By the 1920s, it was dubbed "The World's Most Famous Beach".
Daytona's wide beach of smooth, compacted sand attracted automobile and motorcycle races beginning in 1902, as pioneers in the industry tested their inventions. On March 8, 1936, the first stock car race was held on the Daytona Beach Road Course. In 1959, William France created Daytona International Speedway to replace the beach course. Automobiles are still permitted on the beach, although now only at slow speeds.
"The World's Most Famous Beach"The city and its beaches, lined with hotels, motels, condominiums and houses, attract over 8,000,000 tourists each year. In a wide variety of price ranges, hotel and motel rooms are typically plentiful except during special events. Daytona Beach has high security around its main hotel locations, with multiple cameras filming hotel and beach areas. It is one of the few places in the world where a family car can be driven on an ocean beach. Most other driving beaches require 4 wheel drive or other special equipment.
During motorcycle events (Bike Week and Biketoberfest), several hundred thousand bikers from all over the world visit the greater Daytona Beach area. While the city is often associated with spring break, the efforts of the local government to discourage rowdiness, combined with the rise of other spring break destinations, have nearly ended Daytona's former preeminence as a spring break destination.
Special events that draw visitors to Daytona Beach include:
Speedweeks (Daytona 500 NASCAR race, Rolex 24 sports car race, and others) Coke 400, was the Pepsi 400, NASCAR race on or around July 4 (Traditionally called the Firecracker 400) Daytona Beach Bike Week Daytona 200 motorcycle race in March Biketoberfest in October Turkey Run car show and events during Thanksgiving weekend (Traditionally called the Turkey Rod Run) Black College Reunion (BCR) (date varies) Spring break (date varies, usually the first and second week of March) Dayton to Daytona - date varies, but is usually the second week of May
Daytona Beach is also home to the headquarters of NASCAR, Grand-Am, International Speedway Corporation and the LPGA.
Geography and climateDaytona Beach is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 64.93 mi² (168.17 km²). of which is land and is water. Water is 9.6% of the total area.
The city of Daytona Beach is split in two by the Halifax River lagoon, part of the Intracoastal Waterway, and sits on the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered on the north by Holly Hill and Ormond Beach and on the south by Daytona Beach Shores, South Daytona and Port Orange. The major highways that serve the city are the east-west Interstate 4 and the north-south Interstate 95, which intersect near the city. Other major roads in the city include US 92/International Speedway Boulevard, US 1/Ridgewood Avenue and A1A/Atlantic Avenue.
Daytona Beach has a humid subtropical climate, typical of the southeastern United States. Summers are hot and humid with highs usually in the 90s and a heat index often exceeding 100 degrees. Thunderstorms are frequent in summer afternoons and the hot, humid weather can last right through the fall months. Winters are dry and mild, marked by a constant series of cold fronts and warm-ups. Temperatures dip into the low 30s and upper 20s on occasion, and freezes are not uncommon. Frost occurs a few times a year mainly in the inland areas, but is rare along the beaches. Snowfall is very rare. Temperatures in spring are famously pleasant with warm afternoons, cool evenings, and far less humidity. This beach-going weather attracts tourists back to the beaches usually by early March.
Daytona Beach is not immune to the threat of tornadoes. Historical tornado activity is about 33% above the national average. On February 22, 1998 a tornado killed 13 people, injured 36 people, and caused $31 million in damages. Tornadoes also hit the city on Christmas Day, 2006. Some people were injured, but no fatalities were reported. Very significant damage was done to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's campus as the F2 tornado that touched down in Daytona Beach cut through the heart of the campus. It destroyed 50 of the school's 75 aircraft, mostly Cessnas. More info can be found: tornadoes of 2006, and at. On February 2, 2007 two suburbs of Daytona Beach: New Smyrna Beach and Ponce Inlet were struck by a tornado in the outbreak of the 2007 Central Florida Tornadoes.
Law and governmentLocal GovernmentUnder Daytona Beach's commission-manager form of government, voters elect a City Commission which consists of seven members who serve four-year, staggered terms. Six are elected by district, the Mayor is elected city-wide.
The City Commission establishes ordinances and policies for the city. It also reviews and approves the city budget annually. The Commission appoints a City Manager, who carries out the will of the Commission and handles day-to-day business.
Local elected officials Mayor - Glenn Ritchey Zone 1 Commissioner - Rick Shiver Zone 2 Commissioner - Yvonne Newcomb-Doty Zone 3 Commissioner - Shiela K. McKay-Vaughan Zone 4 Commissioner - Robert A. Gilliland Zone 5 Commissioner - Dwayne L. Taylor Zone 6 Commissioner - Cassandra G. Reynolds City Manager (appointed) - James Chisholm
Federal, state and county representation Daytona Beach is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of Florida's 27th Legislative District.
CultureDaytona Beach is located roughly at the southern end of the cultural South, so its culture has remained somewhat Southern. The architecture and style of its older homes and buildings and the culture and speech of its older, locally-born inhabitants leaves no doubt as to its cultural Southern roots.
The Museum of Arts and Sciences is the primary cultural facility for Daytona Beach and Volusia County. Other museums located in the city include the Southeast Museum of Photography and the Halifax Historical Museum. The Museum of Arts and Sciences is actually a collection of museums and galleries and includes the Klancke Environmental Complex, the Cuban Museum, Root Family Museum featuring one of the largest Coca-Cola(R) collections in the world, the Dow American Gallery and the Bouchelle Center for Decorative Arts which together form what is probably one of the finest collections of furniture and decorative arts in the Southeast. There are also changing exhibitions and a new children's science center planned to open in 2008.
The city to the north (Ormond Beach) includes the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and the city to the south (New Smyrna Beach) includes the renowned Atlantic Center for the Arts also boast several museums and galleries making this region of central Florida something akin to Orlando's Cultural Coast.
SportsIn addition to motorsports, Daytona is also the home of the Daytona Cubs, a minor league baseball team of the Florida State League and the Daytona Beach ThunderBirds, an arena football team of the af2.
Media Newspapers The Daytona Beach News-Journal - Online edition of daily newspaper covering the Greater Daytona Beach Area. Orlando Sentinel - Newspaper and news site based in Orlando with a bureau covering Daytona Beach and Volusia County.
Radio AM
WNDB, 1150 AM, Daytona Beach, News/Talk/SportsWROD, 1340 AM, Daytona Beach, StandardsWMFJ, 1450 AM, Daytona Beach, Religious
FM
WJLU, 89.7 FM, Daytona Beach, ReligiousWAPN, 91.5 FM, Daytona Beach, ReligiousWKRO, 93.1 FM, Edgewater CountryWCFB, 94.5 FM, Daytona Beach, Urban Adult ContemporaryWHOG, 95.7 FM, Ormond-By-The-Sea, Classic Rock WIKD-LP, 99.1 FM, Daytona Beach, Campus Radio of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityWJHM, 101.9 FM, Daytona Beach, Mainstream UrbanWVYB, 103.3 FM, Holly Hill, CHR Pop
INTERNET ONLY
FROGFM.COM, Daytona Beach, CountryREIGNRADIO.COM, Daytona Beach, Christian Rock
Television WESH, analog channel 2, digital channel 11, NBCWCEU, analog channel 15, digital channel 33, PBSCentral Florida News 13, Bright House Networks cable channel 13EducationPublic primary and secondary education is handled by Volusia County Schools. Daytona Beach has two public traditional high schools, Seabreeze High School and Mainland High School. Some of the larger private schools include Father Lopez Catholic High School.
Colleges and universities Bethune-Cookman University Daytona Beach Community College Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University University of Central Florida, Daytona Beach Campus Palmer College of Chiropractic
Vocational schools The Airline Academy - Offers flight training for pilots and other airline professionals. Keiser College WyoTech (formerly AMI) Offers automotive repair, motorcycle repair, and marine repair training. Phoenix East Aviation - Offers flight training for pilots.Notable inhabitants Dan Allen, comedian Duane Allman and Gregg Allman, musicians Vince Carter, professional basketball player Bill France, founder of NASCAR Ryan Lochte, 2004 Olympic medalist in swimming Mary McLeod Bethune, civil rights activist Kevin Nash, professional wrestler Josef Papp, engineer who was awarded patents related to the development of a fusion engine and claimed to have invented a jet submarine. Ron Rice, former owner/founder of Hawaiian Tropic Glen "Fireball" Roberts, former NASCAR driver David Sholtz, 26th governor of Florida. Mike Skinner, NASCAR driver Howard Thurman, author and theologian T. K. Wetherell, president of Florida State University Robert Wright, musical theater writer Lee Apperson, professional body builder and former Mister America Fulgencio Batista, 19th Cuban President Ransom Eli Olds, Automobile PioneerPoints of interest Daytona 500 Experience Daytona Beach Bandshell and Oceanfront Park Complex Daytona International Speedway Daytona Lagoon Water Park Halifax Historical Museum International Motorsports Hall of Fame Jackie Robinson Ballpark Main Street Pier Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center and Visual Arts Gallery Museum of Arts and Sciences News Journal Center Seaside Music Theater Southeast Museum of Photography The Ocean Center List of Registered Historic Buildings in Daytona Beach, FloridaSister cities Bayonne, FranceExternal links
City of Daytona Beach Daytona Beach Chamber of Commerce Daytona Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau
Center Stage Designs; Home Staging/Interior Design Services
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tags:
beach, ocean, racing, water
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By HenryMag
2 days
BUDDY TRIP TO FLORIDA! Cars, racing and motors is the theme of this trip. This was the Best MENs trip I had :) Only a weekend long but FUN!
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By Danbilo554
2 days
A lot of fun activities in Daytona Beach, adventures and attractions for the whole family with plenty of time to relax on the beach!
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12 people reviewed Daytona Beach
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Top
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at 7:20AM September 3, 2009
The beach was clean and beautiful. The weather was beautful the whole time we were there. We walked the beach and went sight seeing. Pretty cool place.
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at 1:10AM May 29, 2008
Fun, fun place to be, especially if you don't bring your kiddos. Even so, there are many family friendly activities offered by Daytona Beach. Miniature gold courses aboud, museums, gift shops, specialty shops, playgrounds, nature centers...and of course the beach itself. Great restaurants. terrible for seashell hunting, unless you go into Canaveral National Seashore closer to new Smyrna Beach.
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at 10:00AM July 28, 2009
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at 1:00PM February 9, 2009
It better be good!
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at 7:20PM July 25, 2008
I'll be back...
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at 4:15PM May 29, 2008
No need to even go back here. I found it to be a total dump!
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at 9:44AM May 29, 2008
Our road trip to the area before I moved to Orlando. My friends live there so that makes it better!
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at 10:15PM May 28, 2008
All i have to say is "daytona 500"
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at 7:46PM May 28, 2008
Good Beach!
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at 4:44PM May 28, 2008
Nice long beach.. and motorcycles..
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at 2:53PM May 28, 2008
Dayton is ok, I went there to see my sister play softball. I liked the track of course, but I didn't get to hit the beach actually.
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at 3:21AM May 28, 2008
Got the worst sun burn in my life.
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Daytona Beach Things to Do
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Daytona Beach Restaurants
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