Why Ocoee
Ocoee is an urban municipality located in Orange County, Florida, forming part of the broader Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford metropolitan area. Spanning approximately 15.7 square miles, of which nearly one square mile is covered by water, the city recorded a population of 47,295 residents during the 2020 census. Situated in central Florida, the area experiences a humid subtropical climate marked by hot, humid summers and generally mild winter seasons.
The settlement originated in the mid-1850s when Dr. J.D. Starke established a camp on the northern shore of a clear, pine-surrounded body of water to escape malaria outbreaks. Workers based at the site commuted daily to cultivate fields near Lake Apopka. After the American Civil War, the community grew as new residents arrived, including Captain Bluford Sims and General William Temple Withers. In 1886, Captain Sims led efforts to officially plat the town, renaming it Ocoee after a river in his home state of Tennessee. The name derives from an anglicized Cherokee word meaning "apricot vine place," which also influenced the selection of the municipal flower.
Ocoee played a notable role in Florida's agricultural development. Captain Sims established the nation's first commercial citrus nursery in the town, supplying young citrus stock to groves across Florida and shipping trees as far as California. The arrival of the Florida Midland Railroad in the 1880s further stimulated local expansion, leading to official incorporation in the early 1920s and city status by 1925.
The city's history also includes a severe tragedy. On November 2, 1920, following efforts by Black residents to exercise their right to vote, a white mob destroyed the town's African-American neighborhood, taking dozens of lives and driving out the remaining Black population. Ocoee remained an all-white sundown town for over four decades until the city commission issued an official proclamation in 2018 acknowledging the massacre.
Modern transportation developments transformed Ocoee throughout the mid-to-late 20th century. The construction of Florida State Road 50, Florida's Turnpike, State Road 408, and State Road 429 established key arterial routes connecting the community directly to Orlando and Walt Disney World. Historical transit links include the former Tavares and Gulf Railroad station, which still stands today as the building used by the local Lions Club.
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