City of Lakes Orlando is located in the center of Florida a peninsula that has such warm weather it is called the Sunshine State The city has more than 100 lakes Lake Eola is right in the middle of Orlando It is 80 feet 24 4 meters deep A fountain in the center of Lake Eola is the symbol for the city The Eola Sunday Market located around the lake is considered one of the best in Central Florida 4
Though it’s called a lake Lake Eola is actually a sinkhole 5
The origin of Orlando’s name is still a mystery because there is no official documentation about it Some think the name comes from a soldier named Orlando Reeves who fought in the Seminole Wars in the 1800s Could be but this theory is considered local legend by historians Orlando Notes Before it became a busy city Orlando’s land was mostly used for cattle ranching Orlando’s Lake Lucerne is surrounded by skyscrapers hotels and businesses 6
Local Landmarks Orlando is the 77th largest city in the United States This bustling city was once covered in orange groves and fields for cattle Now it's filled with tall buildings such as the Orange County Courthouse a busy place for lawyers judges and citizens The Orange County Courthouse complex opened in 1997 It is 416 feet 127 meters tall and has 1.5 million square feet 139,354 square meters of floor area 7
