Home › Central Florida › Orlando Metro › Orange County › Apopka

Apopka Florida

Along with the foliage industry, Apopka is remembered for their 2001 baseball US Little League championship. If you’re relocating to the Apopka area, just 12 miles northwest of Orlando, take a closer look at what to expect living in Apopka, Florida.

All About Apopka

The city is about 24.9 square miles in size with much of it being used for agricultural, outside of the portion used for residential and commercial use. It has a modest population of 41,540 as of 2010 in a popular area just northwest of Orlando. It was first inhabited by Seminole Indians back in 1842 when they set up home along the Apopka river banks and it saw much growth in the 1850’s when the agricultural opportunities were realized. The area got its name from the Timucuan Indian language to mean “big potato.”

The town wasn’t incorporated until 1882 after much growth in the 1860’s and 180’s, and it’s now considered one of the fastest growing areas in central Florida, thanks in part to new construction on Highway 429.

What to Expect Living in Apopka

You’ll love living in central Florida, especially the Apopka area. Because of the massive agricultural opportunities, the area continues to grow and has some of the most exclusive addresses in the region. You’ll find the multi-million dollar foliage industry booming with plants, roses, bulbs, and flowers blooming everywhere. While the area is thriving, a few spots were purchased by the government during World War II and shut down to restore back to normal some polluted bodies of water.

There are some exciting historical spots around town that you won’t want to miss. Dating back to 1885 is the Apopka Seaboard Air Line Railway Depot found over on E Station St. Check out the Walte-Davis House on S Central Ave dating back to 1886 and the 1887 Mitchell-Tibbetts House on E Orange St. From 1924 is the Ryan & Company Lumber Yard over on E Fifth Street with the Carroll Building on S Park Ave dating back to 1932. These buildings are all on the US National Register of Historic Places.

Other Fascinating Facts about Apopka

Today, you’ll find the longest-serving mayor in the United States serving Apopka, John H. Land, who was first elected in 1949. The area is known for the bridge over State Road 441 that connects the Rails-to-Trails system in two sections to allow pedestrians and bicyclists across the West Orange Trail.

A new Adventist Health hospital was added in Northwest Apopka along the 429 Expressway. Being located just 16 miles northwest of Downtown Orlando makes it an exciting place to live and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Mid-Florida Research and Education Center calls itself home here. You also can’t beat a city with an average temperature in the 70s or 80s.

If you’ve ever dreamt in living in a town known for being one of the “friendliest cities in America” by Forbes Magazine, Apopka is that place.