Orange County

Where Is Orange County?

Orange County sits in the geographic center of the Greater Orlando region. It is the largest county by population and contains the city of Orlando, the region's primary employment center, as well as Orlando International Airport, the Orange County Convention Center, and the northern portion of the Walt Disney World Resort.

Orange County is bordered by Seminole County to the north, Osceola County to the south, Lake County to the northwest, and Polk County to the southwest. The county covers approximately 1,000 square miles.

Major Cities and Communities

Orange County contains a wide range of incorporated cities, unincorporated communities, and master-planned developments:

• Orlando is the county seat and largest city, home to downtown, major employment centers, the medical district, and numerous neighborhoods ranging from historic to modern.
• Winter Park is known for its walkable downtown, Park Avenue shopping and dining, Rollins College, and established residential neighborhoods.
• Winter Garden has a revitalized historic downtown, the West Orange Trail, and access to new-construction communities in the Horizon West area.
• Windermere is a small town known for its proximity to the Butler Chain of Lakes and large-lot residential properties.
• Lake Nona is a large master-planned community in southeastern Orange County focused on medical, technology, and wellness-oriented development.
• Horizon West is one of the largest master-planned communities in the country, with multiple villages, builders, and price points.
• Dr. Phillips is an unincorporated community along the southern portion of the Sand Lake Road corridor, known for restaurant row and proximity to the tourist area.
• Apopka is a growing city in the northwestern part of the county with a mix of established neighborhoods and new construction.

For deeper looks at the county's signature districts, see the Park Avenue, Winter Garden Downtown, and Lake Nona local life guides.

Transportation

Orange County is crossed by I-4, the Florida Turnpike, SR 408, SR 417, and SR 429. Commute patterns vary significantly depending on where you live and work. Lake Nona residents may use SR 417 for airport and east Orlando commutes. Winter Garden and Horizon West residents often use SR 429. Downtown Orlando is accessible from most parts of the county within 15 to 45 minutes depending on traffic.

Housing and Development

Orange County's housing market ranges from older neighborhoods near downtown Orlando to brand-new master-planned developments in Horizon West and Lake Nona. Price points vary widely. Winter Park and Windermere tend to be at the higher end of the market. Parts of south Orange County, Apopka, and areas near the Osceola County border offer more affordable options.

New construction is concentrated in Horizon West, Lake Nona, and the area around the SR 429 corridor. Builders active in the area include Lennar, KB Home, Pulte, Meritage, and M/I Homes, among others. In 2026 Horizon West's active selling includes Pulte's Parkside Trails and Silverleaf Oaks, Dream Finders' Hamlin Meadows, Ashton Woods' Northlake at Ovation, M/I Homes' Encore at Ovation, Del Webb Oasis (55+), and Osprey Ranch, with prices ranging from the low $400,000s to over $1 million. In Lake Nona, D.R. Horton's Nona West townhomes (from about $400,000) offer an entry point near the master plan, Toll Brothers is building Laurel Pointe estate homes and the Alora townhome community, and Lennar, Pulte, and Beazer continue selling at Storey Park, Eagle Creek, and Gatherings. Availability and pricing shift by phase, so confirm the current sheet with each builder.

Lakes

Orange County contains numerous lake systems. The Butler Chain of Lakes in the Windermere area is one of the most well-known, with 13 connected lakes supporting boating, skiing, and fishing. The Conway Chain of Lakes in south Orlando and the Lake Conway chain serve nearby residential communities. Lake Eola in downtown Orlando is a signature landmark.

Things to Consider

• Tourist-area traffic near the I-4/International Drive corridor can be significant, especially during peak tourism seasons.
• A mailing address that says "Orlando" does not necessarily mean you are within Orlando city limits. Many unincorporated areas carry an Orlando mailing address.
• Orange County property taxes fund local government and schools. Verify the specific millage rate for your area.
• Several communities are within Community Development Districts (CDDs) with additional annual assessments.

Schools and Education

Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) is the largest school district in Central Florida, serving all of Orange County, including Orlando, Winter Park, Windermere, Dr. Phillips, Apopka, and Lake Nona. Contact: www.ocps.net, (407) 317-3200.

For the 2026-27 school year, OCPS opened two new elementary schools (one in the Horizon West area and one in Lake Nona) and closed seven campuses amid declining enrollment: Union Park Middle School and the Bonneville, Orlo Vista, Chickasaw, Eccleston, McCoy, and Meadow Woods elementary schools. New campus construction is paused for about four years. The district also revised its magnet application process to a single application with up to three ranked choices, combined with GPA-based criteria and lottery placement. The 2027-28 magnet and scholastic academy application window opened October 13, 2026 and closes December 18, 2026.

School zones are address-based and can change. Verify the assignment for any specific address with the OCPS school locator, and see the school districts guide for details.

What's New in Orange County (November 2026)

These are verified developments from the past year that can affect a relocation decision. Planned projects are labeled as planned until construction starts. For the full rundown, see the Central Florida news page.

• Amendment 3 passes: Florida voters approved Amendment 3 on November 3, 2026. The homestead exemption on non-school taxes rises to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property drops from 10% to 5%. School-board taxes are not reduced. See the property tax guide.
• School tax referendum renewed: Orange County voters renewed the OCPS One-Mill referendum on November 3 with about 79% approval, preserving roughly $700 million a year for district operations including teacher pay and school security.
• Waymo expands: The driverless ride-hailing service nearly doubled its Orlando coverage to about 120 square miles on October 27, adding the Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando Science Center, and City Hall.
• OUC's new electric billing: DemandLevel pricing took effect November 1, with a lower per-kilowatt-hour rate plus a fixed monthly demand charge, and OUC has proposed a fuel-rate decrease that would save the typical home about $5 a month.
• Trader Joe's opens in Waterford Lakes: The grocery chain opened its second Orlando store November 5 on Alafaya Trail near UCF, with stores confirmed for Kissimmee and Maitland.
• RoseArts breaks ground: On October 2, 2026, the developer broke ground on RoseArts, a $2.6 billion mixed-use district on the former Lake Orlando Golf Course site in northwest Orlando, with 5,650 apartments planned. It is the largest infill development in the city's history; phase 1 has nearly 1,600 units and up to 150,000 square feet of retail.
• Vision 2050 growth plan: Orange County's new comprehensive plan, designed to steer growth away from rural areas such as Wedgefield, returned for a vote in September 2026 with a developer opt-out provision and is expected to replace Destination 2030 on December 21, 2026.
• I-4 at Sand Lake Road: The interchange is being rebuilt as a diverging diamond, with a new ramp system opened in May 2026 and full completion expected in late 2027. Florida's Turnpike is also building a new Sand Lake Road interchange just west of I-4 through late 2027, so the area will have active construction for a while.
• Toll road widening: The Central Florida Expressway Authority is widening SR 429 and SR 417 from four to six lanes with Flex Lanes and adding capacity on SR 528 and SR 408, part of a $4.2 billion five-year plan that also includes the new SR 516 corridor, now under construction with a partial opening targeted for spring 2027.
• SunRail and transit studies: A funded engineering study is evaluating the Sunshine Corridor to Orlando International Airport, the Orange County Convention Center, and International Drive, with completion expected in 2027. In late September 2026 the county took a first step on the STAR rapid-transit plan for Colonial Drive, Semoran Boulevard, and Orange Blossom Trail.
• Orlando International Airport: The first of four new Gate Link trams entered service in October 2026, and the airport authority approved about $1.6 billion in new capital projects. New international routes include Frontier's first South American service to Bogotá, Cartagena, and Medellín starting December 2026.
• Horizon West: Orange County approved a roughly $63 million widening of Ficquette Road from two to four lanes and a new phase of the Horizon West Regional Park. Population in the area has grown more than 300% in a decade.
• New construction: Horizon West and Lake Nona remain the county's busiest new-home markets in 2026. Horizon West's active selling includes Pulte's Parkside Trails and Silverleaf Oaks, Dream Finders' Hamlin Meadows, Ashton Woods' Northlake at Ovation, M/I Homes' Encore at Ovation, and Del Webb Oasis (55+), with new-build prices from the low $400,000s to over $1 million. In Lake Nona, D.R. Horton is selling the Nona West townhome community (from about $400,000), Toll Brothers is building Laurel Pointe estate homes and Alora townhomes, and Lennar, Pulte, and Beazer continue at Storey Park, Eagle Creek, and Gatherings. See the Nona West guide for one of the area's newer entry-level options.
• Sunbridge: The City of Orlando annexed about 6,300 acres of the master plan in 2024, and Taylor Morrison broke ground in May 2026 on Heron Bay, the first Orange County neighborhood (homes expected to open in late 2026), with Toll Brothers and Pulte Homes adding phases.
• Jobs and healthcare: Universal's Epic Universe opened in May 2025 (about 14,000 jobs), AdventHealth's $1 billion Orlando campus expansion includes a 440-bed patient and surgical tower, and BJ's Wholesale Club announced a $29.35 million expansion of its Orlando logistics hub in September 2026.
• Utilities: OUC is phasing in demand-based pricing in 2026, with a lower rate per kilowatt-hour plus a flat monthly fee, and a small water-rate increase took effect October 1, 2026.

Verification: FDOT project pages, Central Florida Expressway Authority, SunRail, MCO (flymco.com), Orlando Business Journal, GrowthSpotter, and Orange County government releases. Last reviewed November 6, 2026.