Longwood is a delightful city of approximately 57,435, which exudes small town charm within the surrounding dynamic metropolitan area of Orlando. Excellent schools, energetic industrial enterprise, safe and friendly neighborhoods, and easy access to all the amenities of the big city are all here. Enjoy the Old Florida atmosphere as well as all the nearby attractions. You can have the best of both worlds in Longwood.
Location
Longwood is located in Seminole County, in the Orlando metro area of east central Florida, in southeastern United States. Seminole County is bordered by Brevard County to the southeast, Volusia County to the north and east, Orange County to the west and south, and Lake County to the west.
Geography/Terrain
Sitting at an elevation of approximately 72 feet above sea level, Longwood has a total area of 5.6 square miles, 0.3 square miles of which is water. The city is approximately 35 miles west of the Atlantic Ocean and 90 miles east of the Gulf of Mexico. The local terrain is primarily low-lying, with the exception of minor sand hills found primarily in the western sections of the Orlando metropolitan area. The surrounding area has more than 100 lakes, including Lake Apopka, Eustis, Griffin, Harney, Harris, Jesup, Monroe, Sand Lake, Conway, and Tohopekaliga.
Distance to 3 closest major cities
Located just 12 miles from Orlando, the city of Longwood is approximately 86 miles northeast of Tampa, FL; and 114 miles south of Jacksonville, FL.
Jobs
A highly supportive environment for developing commercial and industrial businesses is found in Longwood, with roughly 465 acres devoted to commercial use and 355 acres for industrial purposes. It is within commuting distance of Orlando, whose major employers are Walt Disney World, Adventist Health System, Publix, Universal Orlando, Orlando Regional Healthcare System, Wal-Mart, Winn-Dixie, Lockheed Martin, Marriott International, and McDonald’s. Educational, health and social services provide17.0% of the employment in the city, professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services provide 12.6%, retail trade provides 11.4%, and construction provides 10.6%. Unemployment in the area is a low 3.40% and recent job growth is 5.52%. The average commute time is 27 minutes. The median household income is $69,044, and the average per capita income is $32,691.
Housing
There are excellent housing options available in Longwood, from stately executive estates to more modest town homes. You can find homes in exclusive gated communities, homes with lake front views, or golf course frontage, Mediterranean style homes, condominiums, duplexes, and more. The market is strong, and there are a growing number of homes available, including outstanding homes from communities such as Alaqua, Sabal Point, Sweetwater, and Wekiva.
Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf
Residents and visitors of Longwood can enjoy the Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park. This system of blackwater streams and wetlands along the Wekiva River and Blackwater Creek is home to black bears, river otters, alligators, wood storks, and sandhill cranes. Other recreational activities in the park include walking the Sand Hill Nature Trail, paddling along the Wekiva River or equestrian camping. Local parks include Reiter Park, Candyland Park, Magnolia Park, and Sandalwood Park. Soldier’s Creek Park covers 315 acres with a boardwalk and ball fields. The city is also home to Longwood Memorial Gardens, with its beautiful new fountain.
Just north of Longwood is Big Tree Park, which has 11 acres of natural vegetation, marshlands, and a boardwalk leading to "The Senator", a remarkable 3,500-year-old Bald Cypress tree. This renowned park attraction is 118 feet tall and 35 feet around, and contains 3,781 cubic feet of wood!
Longwood offers a Youth Golf Clinic for children between the ages of 5 and 9, as well as Longwood Futsal, which is a youth soccer instructional league for children from the ages of 7 to 14. The Community Services Recreation Division also offers Tennis Youth Clinics for children ages 4 up through high school. Additional recreational activites include co-ed softball and seniorcize.
Some outstanding golf courses are there to be enjoyed in Longwood. The Alaqua Country Club is one of the best semi-private golf courses in Orlando, with outstanding greens and fairways. The Diamond Players Club Wekiva is a semi-private course with tree-lined fairways and rolling terrain. The Legacy Club at Alaqua Lakes is a beautiful and expansive semi-private course, set in the midst of a wildlife preserve. Rolling Hills Golf Club is a private course, which challenges golfers of all skill levels, and Sabal Point Country Club is a semi-private course with tight fairways and well-kept greens.
Special Attractions/Events
There are various festivities and special events in Longwood. The city’s historic district has a famous annual art and crafts show every year, and Halloween is celebrated safely with a Fall Festival. In May you can join the fun at “Rock the Park and Skatewave” in Reiter Park. This occasion has its own DJ, a skate park, a rock climbing wall, and a skating demonstration. At the Longwood Community Building, you can enjoy Bluegrass Picking once a month or the weekly Movie Nights.
Longwood is home to the Bradlee-McIntyre House. Constructed around 1885, it is the single remaining "cottage" in both Orange and Seminole counties. Its style is characteristic of the showy houses of the Victorian Period.
Shoppers will find that antiques are plentiful in Longwood, with the numerous antique shops located in the historic town and Longwood Village Shops. In the historic downtown section, the old and new combine easefully. Even the oak-canopied streets are both bricked and asphalted.
Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places
The community of Longwood was named for a neighborhood of Boston, MA. It dates back approximately to the end of the Second Seminole War. During the early 1800's, forts were set up in the area as bases for military action. As the threat of Seminole Indian attacks diminished, many settlers moved to Longwood, establishing orange groves and other crops. When word reached the North of the warm Florida climate, more and more settlers moved to the Central Florida area. Many of the early buildings from this time are still in existence today in downtown Longwood.
One of the Longwood historical homes is called “The Inside-Outside House”. It was the home of one Captain Pierce and was built in 1870 outside of Boston, Massachusetts. It was one of the first pre-fabricated houses in the country. The studs and bolts are located on the exterior of the house, which was why it was called, "The Inside-Outside House". In 1873, the Captain had the house dismantled and shipped via the Atlantic Ocean down to Jacksonville, Florida and then down the St. John's River to Sanford. Once in Sanford, it was shipped by mule-packs twenty-two miles southwest to Altamonte Springs. Here the house was used as a way station for Federal troops traversing through Altamonte Springs. When Captain Pierce retired, he and his family lived out the remainder of their years in the Indoor-Outdoor House. Years later, the Central Florida Society for Historic Preservation saved the house from demolition and moved it to Longwood, where it operates as a gift shop.
Longwood is the birthplace of Robert Kass, a college football player for the East Carolina Pirates. The infamous Al Capone is known to have often visited the town.
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