Port Orange

Understand

Port Orange is made up of several distinct neighborhoods. The city encompasses 26.4 square miles and is home to over 50,000 residents. While it has a city center surrounding a lake, there isn't a commercial downtown area, as it's not a particularly tourist-oriented destination. It is farther from the beaten path than either Daytona Beach or New Smyrna Beach, cities to the north and south respectively, but enough of it is upscale that it's worth a visit for its shopping and partially-suburban, partially-urban landscape.

History

The original settlers of the Port Orange area were the Timucuan and Seminole Indians. During Florida's plantation period, Patrick Dean was granted 995 acres in 1804 from the Spanish Crown which later was named the Dunlawton Plantation. The fertile soil was favorable for citrus, indigo, and sugar cane which could be shipped to market on the Halifax River. The plantation was destroyed by the Seminole Indians during the Second Seminole War in 1836. The Dunlawton Sugar Mill on Old Sugar Mill Road is the last remnant of the old plantation.

The second major era for Port Orange occurred after the Civil War. Dr. John Milton Hawks, an abolitionist and United States Army Surgeon, along with other Union Army officers formed the Florida Land and Lumber Company and brought 500 freed slaves to public lands along the Halifax River, north of Spruce Creek in 1866. Dr. Hawks moved the settlement he was credited with naming Orange Port in February 1867 from the Mosquito Inlet (Ponce Inlet) to where the community lies today. By April 1867, the settlement's name change to Port Orange because another town in the United States already had the former name. Port Orange was incorporated in 1926.

Get in

By plane

Port Orange only offers Spruce Creek Airport, a small private airport, which is part of the Spruce Creek Fly-In real estate community. If you need to fly here, you will need to find a commercial flight arriving to either Daytona Beach International Airport (the closest), Orlando International Airport, or Jacksonville International Airport.

By train

Amtrak offers the Amtrak Auto Train service with its southern Terminus located in Sanford (Florida), about 35 miles west of Port Orange. The Amtrak Auto Train carries passengers and automobiles between Sanford and Lorton, Virginia, effectively serving as a car-rail link from Florida to the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. You can easily drive your car into Port Orange after departing from the Auto Train.

Amtrak offers regular passenger service with the closest stop being near the city of DeLand. This stop is rather remote and is not recommended as an option.

By bus

Greyhound Bus Lines offers bus service to nearby Daytona Beach. Upon arrival at the Daytona Beach bus station, you will need to either transfer to a local Volusia County bus or take a taxicab to complete your trip to Port Orange.

By car

Port Orange is easily accessed by car, as Interstate 95 passes by just west of the city, and U.S. Highway 1 passes through the center of the city; it is named "South Ridgewood Avenue."

Get around

By bus

Votran is the name of the local Volusia County bus service, which also provides a public transit connection to nearby Daytona Beach. The buses offer service in Port Orange, M-Sa 7AM-7PM. Votran is a cheap way to get around and is handicap accessible. The website provides maps and timetables. Buses travel to most sites and places of interest. Cost: $1.75 per trip, or $3.75 for a one-day bus pass (Valid for all routes).

By car

Getting around by car is generally easy and convenient in Port Orange. The major roads are all wide and easy to drive on with all the major areas signposted, but traffic jams around major intersections are common in the afternoons, and around the tourist areas on Saturday nights. Important roads in the city include Williamson Boulevard in the west, Dunlawton Boulevard connecting the east/west portions of the city, and US-1 going from north to south in the east. Traffic can be heavy on Dunlawton and slow on US-1.

Learn

Daytona State College has one campus in Daytona Beach and another in New Smyrna Beach/Edgewater.

Stay safe

Florida has a high occurrence of hurricanes. You might want to check the Hurricane safety page if you are visiting Florida. Beware of lightning in the central part of the state. Also, there is a high occurrence of tornadoes in Florida, so check the Tornado safety page.

Port Orange has varying crime intensity by neighborhood. Tourist areas rarely have violent crimes, but theft is an occasional occurrence. The 911 number for fire and police emergencies is in effect in Port Orange.

Go next

• Daytona Beach - Port Orange's famous neighbor to the north offers NASCAR racing and other special events.
• Daytona Beach Shores - A quiet, small city northeast of Port Orange along the beach peninsula.
• New Smyrna Beach - Just to the south of Port Orange lies New Smyrna Beach. The city lays claim to excellent backwater and offshore fishing, golf, historical sites, cultural events and eclectic shopping and dining experiences along historical Flagler Avenue and Canal Street.
• Ponce Inlet - A scenic fishing village located the southern tip of the beach peninsula. Here you will find the historic Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, Marine Science Center, local charter fishing boats, along with several of the area's best seafood restaurants.