Sanford scene is on the "other side" of Orlando

Central Florida isn’t just about Orlando - there’s another side -- Seminole County.

And Sanford on the shores of historic Lake Monroe is away from the hustle and bustle of Orlando and the big attractions. Seminole County is 45 minutes from Disney, 15 minutes from Downtown Orlando, 45 minutes from Daytona Beach and less than one hour from Kennedy Space Center.

The main attraction in Sanford and other Seminole County communities are links to old Florida. It’s everything you love about Orlando – and a whole lot less. Less crowds. Less traffic. And you’ll find many of the same name-brand hotels found in Orlando, but we’ll put you up in style for significantly less.

Eco-Tourism

Seminole County is a bird watcher's paradise with bald eagles, osprey and herons. It is also the natural habitat for the gray fox, white-tailed deer, river otter, Florida black bear and of course, the American alligator. In winter months, you can see the endangered Florida manatee feeding on aquatic vegetation in the St. Johns River.

For more exotic animals, visit the 116-acre Central Florida Zoo located in Sanford, which has a fascinating new Australian exhibit featuring a breeding pair of red kangaroos.

Historic Sanford

In 1845, Florida became a state and Mellonville became county seat of Orange County with its county seat across Lake Monroe at Enterprise. Orange groves were planted and the first fruit packing plant built in 1869 at Mellonville, west of what is now Sanford.

In 1870, General Henry Shelton Sanford bought 12,548 acres west of Mellonville. He laid out the community of Sanford believing it would become a transportation hub. A colony of Swedes was recruited, arriving by steamboat in 1871 to settle the town and work its groves.

Incorporated in 1877 with a population of 100, Sanford absorbed Mellonville in 1883. The South Florida Railroad ran a line from Tampa to Sanford, where the Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railroad ran a line to Jacksonville, and the area became the largest shipper of oranges in the world. Arriving by steamer in April 1883, President Chester A. Arthur vacationed a week at the Sanford House, a lakeside hotel.

Visitors at the Sanford House included General Ulysses S. Grant. While there, Grant ventured across Lake Monroe to attend services at All Saints Episcopal Church in Enterprise.

In 1913, Sanford became county seat of Seminole County, created from Orange County. Agriculture continued to dominate the economy until 1940, when it became cheaper to cultivate produce in frost-free South Florida.

In 1942, Naval Air Station Sanford was established. At its peak in 1943-45, NAS Sanford was home to 360 officers, 1,500 enlisted men and 150 WAVES. The base was closed in 1946, but was reactivated in 1950 because of the Korean War and the Cold War. It was closed in 1968.

The airfield was given to the city in 1969, renamed Sanford Airport, and redeveloped as a general aviation airport. The airport began airline service in 1995 and was renamed Orlando-Sanford International Airport.

Sanford retains a significant collection of older commercial and residential architecture on streets shaded by live oaks hung with Spanish moss. Its charm has made Sanford a setting for movies, including My Girl, Passenger 57, Rosewood, and Monster, based on the life of Aileen Wuornos, a Daytona Beach prostitute who became a serial killer.