Central Florida is a region in the U.S. state of Florida, generally understood to comprise the central portion of the state. Though definitions vary, it typically includes the Greater Orlando area and sometimes the Tampa Bay area, encompassing up to thirteen counties including Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Brevard and Volusia.
The region is one of Florida’s three directional divisions, alongside North Florida and South Florida. Central Florida has experienced rapid demographic change: between July 2023 and July 2024, the Orlando metropolitan statistical area grew by 2.7 per cent, adding approximately 75,969 residents and making it the fastest-growing large metro region in the United States by percentage that year. The area’s expansion reflects broader patterns of population movement into Florida’s interior, driven by economic development, tourism infrastructure and climate migration. For naturalists and adventurers, Central Florida offers access to diverse ecosystems ranging from Atlantic coastal habitats to inland wetlands, springs and scrublands that support species found nowhere else in North America.
