Overview
East Central Florida is a region of Florida in the Southeastern United States, lying between South Florida and the culturally Southern North Florida to the north.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Oct–Apr. Summer highs reach about 92°F; winter lows dip to about 50°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jun and Aug. (climate data from nearby Orlando)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- MCO Orlando International Airport, Orlando — 5 mi away (major hub). Directions
- SFB Orlando Sanford International Airport, Orlando — 19 mi away (major hub). Directions
East Central Florida is served by Greyhound Bus Lines, which has scheduled stops in Orlando and other cities. The Greyhound routes connect with other major cities in the United States of America.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Food for you
In Titusville, rock shrimp and other local seafood are specialty.
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Understand
The central part of Florida's peninsula has few geographical features, and those that exist do not separate central Florida into regions. The large Orlando metropolitan area is the most significant feature that comes between the eastern and western coasts, but due to the presence of Daytona Beach and other coastal cities with little in common with the inland metropolis, the term "East Central Florida" is not a shared cultural identity. It is more accurately a group of neighboring counties — Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia, and Brevard — with little in common.
East Central Florida is most accurately divided into two regions, though these do not correspond with county lines. First is the coastal region, which attracts tourists visiting beaches and the Kennedy Space Center. Second is the inland region, dominated by Orlando and known for Orlando Airport and theme parks. The dividing line between the coast and inland regions roughly follows the route of I-95, a few miles inland from the Intracoastal Waterway, which separates the tourist islands and the mainland.
Regions
Space Coast
The home of Kennedy Space Center and the Brevard County Manatees baseball team.
Lake County
A destination for many natural attractions, including part of Ocala National Forest, part of Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Griffin State Park, Lake Louisa State Park, and Rock Springs Run State Reserve.
Greater Orlando
Home to Orlando, Walt Disney World, and Houston Astros Spring Training Baseball.
Volusia County
Roughly the size of Rhode Island, the county promotes the area as being the "Fun Coast," as the local area code 386 spells out the word "fun."
Cities
- Cape Canaveral - Home of the Kennedy Space Center and Port Canaveral
- Cocoa Beach - Beach community near Kennedy Space Center
- Daytona Beach - Home of Daytona International Speedway and the Daytona Cubs baseball team
- Melbourne - A principal city of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville metropolitan area
- New Smyrna Beach - Offers miles of beautiful beaches
- Orlando - Home of Universal Studios and SeaWorld
- Ormond Beach - Offers miles of beautiful beaches
- Sanford - Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens
- Titusville - west of the Kennedy Space Center
Other destinations
- Blue Spring State Park
- Canaveral National Seashore
- Disney World
- Ocala National Forest
- Universal Orlando
Get in
By plane
- Orlando International Airport (MCO) - close to Disney World and the surrounding attractions south of Downtown Orlando. It airport offers car rentals and free shuttles to Disney World for visitors.
- Orlando-Sanford International Airport - in Sanford, north of Orlando. Orlando-Sanford is geared to airlines that operate charter services, such as Allegiant Airlines in the United States, and a host of flights from the United Kingdom. Icelandair offers nonstop flights to Iceland. The airport is approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of Orlando International Airport.
- Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) - the largest airport in Volusia County, which is served by Delta, JetBlue, and American Airlines.
- Melbourne International Airport (MLB) - fly directly into Melbourne Beach and hop right on to a surf board!
By bus
East Central Florida is served by Greyhound Bus Lines, which has scheduled stops in Orlando and other cities. The Greyhound routes connect with other major cities in the United States of America.
Get around
By train
Place Sun Rail
Sun Rail is a north-south train on weekdays through Sanford, Orlando, and Kissimmee, from Poinciana at its southern end, and DeBary at its northern end. Bus connection is provided from Orlando International Airport to the Sand Lake Road station by Links 11, 42 and 111; and from Orlando-Sanford International Airport to the Sanford station by Link 46E.
By bus
- LYNX - Public transportation by Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority. With the main hub centered on Orlando, bus service provided in Osceola, Orange, and Seminole Counties. Some buses link to neighboring counties. Service to Disney World is available.
- SCAT - Public Transportation by Space Coast Area Transit, offers bus service around Brevard County.
- VOTRAN - Volusia County Transportation service. Offers buses, shuttles, special services for the disabled and elderly. Connection offered with LYNX to reach Orlando.
See
- John F. Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Center in Cape Canaveral
- Canaveral National Seashore - 24 miles of undeveloped beach, sea turtle nesting.
- Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge features manatee, bird, and other wildlife watching, hiking, canoeing and kayaking.
- Public Beaches - Brevard County and Volusia County.
Do
- Surfing in Cocoa-Rockledge and Daytona Beach
Eat
In Titusville, rock shrimp and other local seafood are specialty.
Stay safe
General information about safety in Florida is found at Florida#Stay safe, while specific details about safety can be found in individual city articles.
Go next
Nearby
Orlando
City / town · 144 listings · 4 mi away
Winter Park
City / town · 27 listings · 7 mi away
Maitland
City / town · 10 listings · 10 mi away
Eatonville
City / town · 5 listings · 10 mi away
Universal Orlando
City / town · 154 listings · 10 mi away
Altamonte Springs
City / town · 14 listings · 12 mi away
Casselberry
City / town · 11 listings · 12 mi away
Oviedo
City / town · 3 listings · 13 mi away
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