daytona facts

THE DAYTONA BEACH AREA FACTS AT A GLANCE

GEOGRAPHY
The Daytona Beach area is located in Florida's Central East Coast region. It includes eight communities stretching 23 miles (36.8 kilometers) along the Atlantic Coast. Daytona Beach is the largest municipality within the county of Volusia. Other cities in the Daytona Beach area include Ormond Beach, Ormond By-the-Sea, South Daytona, Daytona Beach Shores, Holly Hill, Ponce Inlet and Port Orange. There are three major rivers in the area: the St. Johns River at the western boundary of Volusia County, the Tomoka River leading from the resort area inland through the Tomoka State Park, and the Halifax River, also known as the Intracoastal Waterway, which runs parallel to the coastline.

THE BEACH
The beach is 23 miles long and up to 500 feet wide at low tide. The gentle slope and tides have packed the hard, white sands nearest the ocean, enabling automobile access. Of the 23 miles of beach, 16 miles allow driving and parking during the day and when the tide permits. The sand becomes softer as one moves further inland from the waterline. Sand dunes in the area can reach as high as 25 feet.

The beach became well known because it was used as a proving ground for developing the automobile engine. That technology was also put in use in developing aircraft engines for World War II fighters. Thus, the world's eyes were on Daytona Beach each time an automobile raced along the beach in the late '30s and early '40s attempting new land speed records.

THE WEATHER
The average annual temperature is a warm 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius), and the average water temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. A typical January might range between the mid 60s and low 70s during the day and the 50s at night. Occasionally, there are cooler days but the temperature along the beach will usually be several degrees warmer than it is 15 miles (24 kilometers) inland. This moderating effect occurs because of ocean breezes, which also keep the climate mild in the winter.

TOURISM
The Daytona Beach Area is one of the most popular destinations in America. More than eight million visitors from throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe come to the area each year including senior citizens, families, students, honeymooners and single adults.

The Daytona Beach area has approximately 400 hotels and motels with a combined total of more than 13,000 sleeping rooms. The area is a year-round destination because of good weather, special sporting and cultural events and its proximity to other major attractions.
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The Daytona Beach Area At A Glance.
The Daytona Beach area is only an hour's drive from the greater Orlando area and its attractions, and even closer to St. Augustine and the Kennedy Space Center.

Orlando 53 miles
St. Augustine 53 miles
Tampa 139 miles
Miami 251 miles
Atlanta 419 miles