Windermere, Florida
Encyclopedia
Windermere is a town in Orange County
, Florida
, in the United States
. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,897. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the town had a population of 2,019. It is expected that the 2010 census will show the town with almost 3000 people. It is part of the Orlando
–Kissimmee
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
During late 2007, the Town of Windermere filed a proposal to annex Isleworth and Butler Bay, another wealthy subdivision. This was met with extensive debate from town residents and an objection from Orange County, which stood to lose millions of dollars of property tax revenue. After lengthy discussions, and battles with the county, Isleworth remained in the county, but Butler Bay was annexed into Windermere with over 90% of its residents approving annexation via a mail in ballot.
Windermere has a Town Manager / City Council form of government. 5 Council members are elected at large for two year terms with 3 running for election in odd years and 2 running for election in even years along with the Mayor. Gary Bruhn has served as Mayor for four consecutive terms since 2004.
Police services are provided by the Windermere Police Department. Fire rescue and emergency medical services are provided by Orange County Fire Rescue
- Fire Station 35, which is located in Windermere. Postal services are provided by the Windermere Post Office. Floridan Aquifer
is Windermere and Orange County's source of drinking and fire hydrant water, which is filtered naturally through hundreds of feet of sand and rock, and then treated by the Orange County Water Division.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 1,897 people, 704 households, and 561 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,688.2 inhabitants per square mile (654.0/km²). There were 723 housing units at an average density of 643.4 per square mile (249.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.68% White, 1.3% Black, 0.05% Native Americans, 2.00% Asian, 0.32% from other races
, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.53% of the population.
There were 704 households out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.3% were married couples
living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 17.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 104.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $88,809, and the median income for a family was $105,737. Males had a median income of $80,693 versus $37,321 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $51,370. About 2.4% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
, a private, coeducational PK-12 college prep school.
It is also home to Windermere Elementary School and Gotha Middle School, Orange County Public Schools
in Windermere, assigned based on the parent/guardian's home address. OCPS also provides school buses for local students.
Windermere is located on an isthmus
between several lakes in the Lake Butler chain. As such, it is on the shortest road route between the east and west sides of the chain. In fact, the next crossing to the south is 7.5 miles (12.1 km) south at Lake Buena Vista
, where County Road 535 (CR 535) and Apopka-Vineland Road
meet. The next crossing to the north is at Gotha
, the north end of the chain of lakes, 2.25 miles (3.6 km) to the north. 2003 Annual Average Daily Traffic
(AADT), much of which is commuters passing through, is 17,197 vehicles per day for Sixth Avenue (the east entrance), 18,362 on Main Street north of Sixth Avenue, and 9,484 on Main Street south of Sixth Avenue.
Windermere tries to regulate traffic
and encourages traffic to use alternate routes. In 2004, two roundabouts were installed downtown with the largest public works project in the town's history. This has greatly improved traffic flow and relieved cut through traffic. A third roundabout was completed in August 2010 at the intersection of Park Avenue and Maguire Road. This is at the Windermere Elementary School intersection. All roads in the downtown area (laid out in a grid) are dirt road
s except for a few through roads:
Until the 1980s, Main Street north of Sixth Avenue and Sixth Avenue east of Main Street were maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation
(FDOT) as part of State Road 439 (SR 439). This was given to Orange County
as CR 439, and Orange County eventually removed all signs and gave the part inside Windermere to the town. Signs put up by FDOT still mark the north end of CR 439 at SR 50, but no other signs exist, in part because Orange County has a general policy of not signing county roads.
The Florida Midland Railroad
, part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
, used to run just west of Main Street; there is now a large grassy area between Main Street and the dirt road (often called Dirt Main Street) that ran just west of the railroad. Windermere had a station on the railroad.
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,897. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the town had a population of 2,019. It is expected that the 2010 census will show the town with almost 3000 people. It is part of the Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
–Kissimmee
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee is a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 59,682. It is the county seat of Osceola County...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Windermere was established in 1889 and chartered in 1925.During late 2007, the Town of Windermere filed a proposal to annex Isleworth and Butler Bay, another wealthy subdivision. This was met with extensive debate from town residents and an objection from Orange County, which stood to lose millions of dollars of property tax revenue. After lengthy discussions, and battles with the county, Isleworth remained in the county, but Butler Bay was annexed into Windermere with over 90% of its residents approving annexation via a mail in ballot.
Government
Police services are provided by the Windermere Police Department. Fire rescue and emergency medical services are provided by Orange County Fire Rescue
Orange County Fire Rescue
Orange County Fire Rescue is responsible for all fire suppression, emergency medical services, rescue, fire code enforcement and permitting, and public safety education...
- Fire Station 35, which is located in Windermere. Postal services are provided by the Windermere Post Office. Floridan Aquifer
Floridan Aquifer
The Floridan Aquifer is a portion of the principal artesian aquifer that extends into Florida and is composed of carbonate rock and located beneath the coastal regions of the Southeastern United States and is one of the world's most productive aquifers. It is under all of Florida as well as ...
is Windermere and Orange County's source of drinking and fire hydrant water, which is filtered naturally through hundreds of feet of sand and rock, and then treated by the Orange County Water Division.
Geography
Windermere is located at 28°29′48"N 81°32′2"W (28.496581, -81.533781).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all land.
Climate
The record high temperature in Windermere is 101°F, which took place in 1998, and the record low temperature is 19°F, which took place in 1985.Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,897 people, 704 households, and 561 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,688.2 inhabitants per square mile (654.0/km²). There were 723 housing units at an average density of 643.4 per square mile (249.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.68% White, 1.3% Black, 0.05% Native Americans, 2.00% Asian, 0.32% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.53% of the population.
There were 704 households out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 17.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 104.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $88,809, and the median income for a family was $105,737. Males had a median income of $80,693 versus $37,321 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $51,370. About 2.4% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Windermere is home to Windermere Preparatory SchoolWindermere preparatory school
Windermere Preparatory School is a private, coeducational PK-12 college preparatory school in Windermere, Florida, established in 2000. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Florida Council of Independent Schools, and International Baccalaureate World...
, a private, coeducational PK-12 college prep school.
It is also home to Windermere Elementary School and Gotha Middle School, Orange County Public Schools
Orange County Public Schools
Orange County Public Schools is the public school district for Orange County, Florida. It is based out of the Educational Leadership Center, a seven-story building adjacent to the Amway Arena in Downtown Orlando. As of October 2009, OCPS has an enrollment of over 175,000 students, making it the...
in Windermere, assigned based on the parent/guardian's home address. OCPS also provides school buses for local students.
Transportation
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
between several lakes in the Lake Butler chain. As such, it is on the shortest road route between the east and west sides of the chain. In fact, the next crossing to the south is 7.5 miles (12.1 km) south at Lake Buena Vista
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake....
, where County Road 535 (CR 535) and Apopka-Vineland Road
Apopka-Vineland Road
Apopka-Vineland Road is the name of several roads in Orange County, Florida, roughly forming a line from Apopka south to Vineland. As of now, there is one gap, from Old Winter Garden Road to State Road 50 , which will probably never be filled because of existing residential neighborhoods.The whole...
meet. The next crossing to the north is at Gotha
Gotha, Florida
Gotha is a census-designated place in Orange County, Florida, United States. Gotha is located between Ocoee, Florida and Windermere, Florida, and had a population of 731 as recorded by the 2000 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:The town of...
, the north end of the chain of lakes, 2.25 miles (3.6 km) to the north. 2003 Annual Average Daily Traffic
Annual average daily traffic
Average Annual daily traffic, abbreviated AADT, is a measure used primarily in transportation planning and transportation engineering. It is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for a year divided by 365 days. AADT is a useful and simple measurement of how busy the road is...
(AADT), much of which is commuters passing through, is 17,197 vehicles per day for Sixth Avenue (the east entrance), 18,362 on Main Street north of Sixth Avenue, and 9,484 on Main Street south of Sixth Avenue.
Windermere tries to regulate traffic
Traffic calming
Traffic calming is intended to slow or reduce motor-vehicle traffic in order to improve the living conditions for residents as well as to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Urban planners and traffic engineers have many strategies for traffic calming...
and encourages traffic to use alternate routes. In 2004, two roundabouts were installed downtown with the largest public works project in the town's history. This has greatly improved traffic flow and relieved cut through traffic. A third roundabout was completed in August 2010 at the intersection of Park Avenue and Maguire Road. This is at the Windermere Elementary School intersection. All roads in the downtown area (laid out in a grid) are dirt road
Dirt road
Dirt road is a common term for an unpaved road made from the native material of the land surface through which it passes, known to highway engineers as subgrade material. Dirt roads are suitable for vehicles; a narrower path for pedestrians, animals, and possibly small vehicles would be called a...
s except for a few through roads:
- Main Street from the northern boundary (as Maguire Road, which heads north to Ocoee) south to 12th Street; the pavement turns west at 12th Street onto Chase Road, which connects to CR 535
- Sixth Avenue east from Main Street to the town line, where it becomes Conroy-Windermere Road
- Second Avenue west from Main Street (serves a peninsulaPeninsulaA peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
) - "Dirt Main Street", just west of Main Street (opposite where the railroad used to run), from Third Avenue to Seventh Avenue
- Several other paved roads exist in the outskirts, in areas that have been annexedAnnexationAnnexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
since the original town was formed.
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of the Florida State Road Department...
(FDOT) as part of State Road 439 (SR 439). This was given to Orange County
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
as CR 439, and Orange County eventually removed all signs and gave the part inside Windermere to the town. Signs put up by FDOT still mark the north end of CR 439 at SR 50, but no other signs exist, in part because Orange County has a general policy of not signing county roads.
The Florida Midland Railroad
Florida Midland Railroad (defunct)
The Florida Midland Railway Company was incorporated under the general incorporation laws of Florida, and surveyed a line* from Lake Jessup, in Orange county, to Leesburg, in Sumter County....
, part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
, used to run just west of Main Street; there is now a large grassy area between Main Street and the dirt road (often called Dirt Main Street) that ran just west of the railroad. Windermere had a station on the railroad.
Notable residents
- Johnny DamonJohnny DamonJohnny David Damon is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. From 2000–2008, he was third among active players in runs and seventh in hits and stolen bases . He is currently second among active leaders in triples , five behind Carl Crawford...
- Tampa Bay RaysTampa Bay RaysThe Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
outfielder - Joey FatoneJoey FatoneJoseph Anthony "Joey" Fatone, Jr. is an American singer, dancer, actor and television personality. He is best known as a member of the boyband, 'N Sync, in which he sang baritone. In 2007, he came in second place on the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars...
- Member of 'N Sync'N SyncN Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick... - Jay GarnerJay GarnerJay Montgomery Garner is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who was appointed in 2003 as Director of the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq following the 2003 invasion of Iraq but was soon replaced by Ambassador Paul Bremer and the ambassador's successor...
- retired General - Charles T. WellsCharles T. WellsCharles T. Wells was a member of the Florida Supreme Court from 1994 until March 3, 2009, when he retired. He was appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles. He served as Chief Justice from July 1, 2000, until June 30, 2002. He is perhaps most noted for presiding over appeals brought to the Court as...
- former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice - Tiger WoodsTiger WoodsEldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
(professional golfer) and his ex-wife Elin NordegrenElin NordegrenElin Maria Pernilla Nordegren is a former Swedish model and the ex-wife of professional golfer Tiger Woods.- Early life :Nordegren was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her mother, Barbro Holmberg, is a politician and the former Swedish migration and asylum policy minister, and the current Governor of... - Shaquille O'NealShaquille O'NealShaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
- former professional basketball player - Paula CreamerPaula CreamerPaula Creamer is an American professional golfer on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. As a professional, she has won 11 tournaments, including 9 LPGA Tour events. Creamer has been as high as number 2 in the Women's World Golf Rankings. She was the 2010 U.S...
- LPGA Professional Golfer
External links
- Town of Windermere Official site