Wikis
| Daytona Beach | |||
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| — City — | |||
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| Nickname(s): The World's Most Famous Beach | |||
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| Coordinates: 29°12′26″N 81°02′16″W / 29.20722°N 81.03778°WCoordinates: 29°12′26″N 81°02′16″W / 29.20722°N 81.03778°W | |||
| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Florida |
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| County | Volusia | ||
| Incorporated | July 1876 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Commission-Manager | ||
| - Mayor | Glenn Ritchey | ||
| - City Manager | James Chisholm | ||
| Area [1] 1 | |||
| - City | 64.93 sq mi (168.2 km2) | ||
| - Land | 58.68 sq mi (152.0 km2) | ||
| - Water | 6.25 sq mi (16.2 km2) 9.6% | ||
| Elevation [2] 3 | 9 ft (4 m) | ||
| Population (1 July 2006)[3] 2 | |||
| - City | 64,421 | ||
| - Density | 1,092.6/sq mi (421.9/km2) | ||
| - Metro | 496,575 | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 32114-32126, 32198 | ||
| Area code(s) | 386 | ||
| FIPS code | 12-16525[4] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0281353[5] | ||
| Website | http://www.ci.daytona-beach.fl.us/ | ||
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,421.[3] Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had a 2006 population of 496,575. Daytona Beach is a principal city in the Fun Coast region of the state of Florida.[6]
The city is historically known as having a beach where the hard packed sand allows motorized vehicles to drive on the beach in restricted areas.[7] This hard packed sand made Daytona Beach a mecca for motorsports, with the old Daytona Beach Road Course having hosted races for over 50 years. This course was replaced in 1959 by the Daytona International Speedway. The city is also the headquarters for NASCAR and the Grand American Road Racing Association.
Daytona Beach is a year-round family-friendly resort area, but could also accurately be called a seasonal town, with large groups of out-of-towners descending upon the city for various events, most notably Speedweeks in early February when over 200,000 NASCAR fans come to attend the season-opening Daytona 500. Other events include the NASCAR Coke Zero 400 race in July, Bike Week in early March, Biketoberfest in mid October, and the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race in January. In the past Daytona Beach catered to spring breakers, but in recent years most of the vacationers have migrated to other sites, like Panama City Beach.
The area was once inhabited by the Timucuan Indians, who lived in fortified villages. War and disease, however, would decimate the tribe. Florida was acquired from Spain by the United States in 1821, although permanent settlement was delayed until after the Second Seminole War from 1835 to 1842. When the Civil War ended, Florida experienced a boom in tourism.
The city was founded in 1870 and incorporated in 1876. It was named for its founder, Matthias D. Day. In 1886, the St. Johns & Halifax River Railway arrived in Daytona. The line would be purchased in 1889 by Henry Flagler, who made it part of his Florida East Coast Railway. The separate towns of Daytona, Daytona Beach and Seabreeze merged as "Daytona Beach" in 1926, at the urging of civic leader J.B. Kahn and others. By the 1920s, it was dubbed "The World's Most Famous Beach".
Daytona's wide beach of smooth, compacted sand attracted automobile and motorcycle races beginning in 1902, as pioneers in the industry tested their inventions. On March 8, 1936, the first stock car race was held on the Daytona Beach Road Course. In 1959, William France created NASCAR and the Daytona International Speedway to replace the beach course. Automobiles are still permitted on certain areas of the beach, at a maximum speed of 10 mph.
The city and its beaches, lined with hotels, motels, condominiums and houses, attract over 8,000,000 tourists each year. In a wide variety of price ranges, hotel and motel rooms are typically plentiful even during special events. Daytona Beach has high security around its main hotel locations, with multiple cameras filming hotel and beach areas. It is one of the few places in the world where a car can be driven on an ocean beach. Most other driving beaches require 4 wheel drive or other special equipment.[citation needed]
During motorcycle events (Bike Week and Biketoberfest), several thousand bikers from all over the world visit the greater Daytona Beach area. While the city is often associated with spring break, the efforts of the local government to discourage rowdiness, combined with the rise of other spring break destinations, have nearly ended Daytona's former preeminence as a spring break destination.
Special events that draw visitors to Daytona Beach include:
Daytona Beach is also home to the headquarters of NASCAR, Grand-Am, International Speedway Corporation, United States Tennis Association in Florida, and the LPGA.
Daytona Beach is located at 29°12′26″N 81°02′16″W / 29.207309°N 81.037900°W.[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 64.93 mi2 (168.17 km2). of which 58.68 square miles (152 km2)is land and 6.25 square miles (16 km2) is water. Water is 9.6% of the total area.
The city of Daytona Beach is split in two by the Halifax River lagoon, part of the Intracoastal Waterway, and sits on the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered on the north by Holly Hill and Ormond Beach and on the south by Daytona Beach Shores, South Daytona and Port Orange. The major highways that serve the city are the east-west Interstate 4 and the north-south Interstate 95, which intersect near the city. Other major roads in the city include US 92/International Speedway Boulevard, U.S. 1/Ridgewood Avenue, State Road 40 and A1A/Atlantic Avenue.
Daytona Beach has a humid subtropical climate, typical of the southeastern United States. Summers are hot and humid with highs usually in the 90s and a heat index often exceeding 100 degrees. Thunderstorms are frequent in summer afternoons and the hot, humid weather can last right through the fall months. Winters are dry and mild, marked by a constant series of cold fronts and warm-ups. Temperatures dip into the low 30s and upper 20s on rare occasion, and freezes are not common. Frost occurs a few times a year mainly in the inland areas, but is rare along the beaches. Snowfall is extremely rare. Temperatures in spring are famously pleasant with warm afternoons, cool evenings, and far less humidity. This beach-going weather attracts tourists back to the beaches usually by early March.
Despite its warm location, there were a few catastrophic freezes in the area's history. Early settlers only left vague records, but severe freezes were indicated on: Jan. 2-3, 1766; Feb. 7-8, 1835; and Jan. 16, 1857. The cold weather was so severe that crops such as orange trees were killed and several plantation owners abandoned the area as a result.[9][10]
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 87 | 89 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 102 | 102 | 100 | 99 | 95 | 89 | 88 |
| Norm High °F | 69.7 | 71.1 | 75.6 | 79.8 | 85 | 88.8 | 91 | 90.1 | 87.9 | 82.6 | 76.9 | 71.4 |
| Norm Low °F | 47.1 | 48.8 | 53.7 | 58 | 64.5 | 70.6 | 72.4 | 72.8 | 71.9 | 65.3 | 57 | 50.1 |
| Rec Low °F | 15 | 24 | 26 | 35 | 44 | 52 | 60 | 65 | 52 | 41 | 27 | 19 |
| Precip (in) | 3.13 | 2.74 | 3.84 | 2.54 | 3.26 | 5.69 | 5.17 | 6.09 | 6.61 | 4.48 | 3.03 | 2.71 |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [11] | ||||||||||||
Because of Daytona Beach's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, the city has a significant chance of receiving hurricanes and tropical storms every hurricane season. However, prior to 2004, major hurricanes are only recorded as skirting by the coast of Daytona Beach without any direct hits.
Hurricane Floyd passed along the Florida coast in September 1999, which caused significant beach erosion and collapsed about 200 ft. section of the Daytona Beach Pier.
The 2004 Hurricane season was particularly tumultuous in the Daytona Beach area. Hurricane Charley was a very fast-moving, compact storm, which made landfall near Port Charlotte, Florida, on August 13, swept across the state and hit Daytona Beach from the inland before reentering the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricane Frances was a very large storm in size, which moved made landfall at Hutchinson Island South, Florida (near Port St. Lucie, Florida) in the early hours of September 5, and caused a significant amount of collateral damage. Portions of Daytona Beach were without electricity or phone service for ten days following Frances due to downed lines or shorted transformers. Just three weeks later, Hurricane Jeanne formed in the Atlantic Ocean and made landfall only six miles from the same spot Frances hit, at Hutchinson Island South, Florida, on September 26. Following the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season, the names Charlie, Frances, and Jeanne were all retired from use.
Daytona Beach is not immune to the threat of tornadoes. Historical tornado activity is about 33% above the national average. On February 22, 1998 a tornado killed 13 people, injured 36 people, and caused $31 million in damages. Tornadoes also hit the city on Christmas Day, 2006. Some people were injured, but no fatalities were reported. Very significant damage was done to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's campus as the F2 tornado that touched down in Daytona Beach cut through the heart of the campus. It destroyed 50 of the school's 75 aircraft, mostly Cessnas. More info can be found: tornadoes of 2006, and at.[12]
On July 3 1992, a 27 mile long Rogue wave hit the Volusia County beaches. The wave's range was from Ormond Beach in the north, to New Smyrna Beach on the south. The crest was 9 feet high and centered at Daytona Beach. Sailboats crashed ashore onto cars and many people suffered cuts and bruises from glass and debris. Two people required hospitalization and 200 vehicles were damaged. 75 injuries were reported. The prevailing theory is that an underwater landslide caused the rogue wave, although others have theorized that it was the result of a squall line.[13][14]
Under Daytona Beach's commission-manager form of government, voters elect a City commission which consists of seven members who serve four-year, staggered terms. Six are elected by district, the Mayor is elected city-wide.
The City Commission establishes ordinances and policies for the city. It also reviews and approves the city budget annually. The Commission appoints a City Manager, who carries out the will of the Commission and handles day-to-day business.
The city of Daytona Beach made national headlines when it selected the several mile radius around Main Street as a blighted area and has targeted it for redevelopment. The city has sued the owners of land in this area to take away the land and give it to a developer in California. In the past eminent domain cases, the land was taken for building roads, schools, and other government buildings. In this case, the city has sued landowners to build taller buildings which will give the city more property taxes. This was summarized in National Public radio podcast: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4760258 and in Entrepreneur Magazine: http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2005/january/74866.html The city's pro-eminent domain argument for this Main Street area is explained in this article: http://www.ci.daytona-beach.fl.us/cityhall/redev/plans/MAIN%20ST%20REDEV%20PLAN.pdf
Daytona Beach is part of Florida's 7th congressional district and is part of Florida's 27th Legislative District.
Florida's 7th congressional district, covering portions of Flagler County, Putnam County, St. Johns County, Seminole County and Volusia County, is represented by John Mica (R). Florida is represented in the Senate by Mel Martinez (R, Orlando) and Bill Nelson (D, Orlando).
The 27th legislative district of the Florida Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Evelyn J. Lynn (R, Ormond Beach) and in the State House of Representatives by Dwayne L. Taylor (D, Daytona Beach). The Governor of Florida is Charlie Crist (R, St. Petersburg). The Lieutenant Governor of Florida is Jeff Kottkamp (R, Cape Coral).
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 771 |
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| 1900 | 1,690 | 119.2% | |
| 1910 | 3,721 | 120.2% | |
| 1920 | 6,841 | 83.8% | |
| 1930 | 16,598 | 142.6% | |
| 1940 | 22,584 | 36.1% | |
| 1950 | 30,187 | 33.7% | |
| 1960 | 37,395 | 23.9% | |
| 1970 | 45,327 | 21.2% | |
| 1980 | 54,176 | 19.5% | |
| 1990 | 61,921 | 14.3% | |
| 2000 | 64,112 | 3.5% | |
| Est. 2007 | 64,371 | 0.4% | |
| Population 1910-2000.[15] | |||
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 64,112 people, 28,605 households, and 13,844 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,092.6/mi2 (421.8/km2). There were 33,345 housing units at an average density of 568.3/mi2 (219.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 62.33% White, 32.75% African American, 1.73% Asian, 0.32% Native American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.05% from other races, and 1.76% from two or more races. 3.48% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 28,605 households out of which 18.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.1% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.6% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.6% under the age of 18, 16.6% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,439, and the median income for a family was $33,514. Males had a median income of $25,705 versus $20,261 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,530. 23.6% of the population and 16.9% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 34.9% of those under the age of 18 and 12.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
The Museum of Arts and Sciences is the primary cultural facility for Daytona Beach and Volusia County. Other museums located in the city include the Southeast Museum of Photography and the Halifax Historical Museum. The Museum of Arts and Sciences is actually a collection of museums and galleries and includes the Klancke Environmental Complex, the Cuban Museum, Root Family Museum featuring one of the largest Coca-Cola(R) collections in the world, the Dow American Gallery and the Bouchelle Center for Decorative Arts which together form what is probably one of the finest collections of furniture and decorative arts in the Southeast. There are also changing exhibitions and a new children's science center planned to open in 2008.
Novels set in Daytona Beach include:
There have been a number of movies based on Daytona Beach, usually with a racing theme. The most recent example was the 1990 hit Days of Thunder, parts of which were filmed in Daytona Beach and nearby DeLand.
Chris Rea wrote the song Daytona which was in his 1989 album The Road to Hell
Daytona Beach was also the destination of a group of plagued teenagers in the movie The Final Destination 2.
| Club | League | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daytona Cubs | FSL, Baseball | Jackie Robinson Ballpark | 1993 | 2 |
| Daytona Beach ThunderBirds | af2, Arena football | Ocean Center | 2006 | 0 |
In addition to motorsports, Daytona is also the home of the Daytona Cubs, a minor league baseball team of the Florida State League and the Daytona Beach ThunderBirds, an arena football team of the af2.
There are a number of golf courses in Daytona Beach.
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A large part of the Daytona Beach area economy is involved in the tourist industry. Over 8 million visitors came to the Daytona Beach area in 2004.
The area's economy includes other industries besides tourism, such as manufacturing. Daytona Beach provides a dynamic business environment with opportunities for the development and growth of smaller, home grown businesses and large corporate enterprises. It's a community with a talented and diverse workforce. Daytona Beach has industrial sites within an enterprise zone and sites within a foreign trade zone adjacent to Daytona Beach International Airport. A medical office park provides additional sites. Prime Interstate 4 and Interstate 95 sites are available with excellent access to road, air, rail and water transportation.
Companies and organizations that have their corporate headquarters or a major presence in the area:
Public primary and secondary education is handled by Volusia County Schools. Daytona Beach has two public traditional high schools, Seabreeze High School and Mainland High School. Some of the larger private schools include Father Lopez Catholic High School.
Passenger airline services are located at Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB), which is centrally located within the city, adjacent to Daytona International Speedway. The city first located its airport at this location in 1930, with terminals being constructed in 1952 and 1958. The present facility was constructed in 1992 at the cost of $46 million, and includes both a Domestic terminal and an International terminal. Despite the new facilities, DAB has found difficulty in attracting and retaining carriers, having seen Continental Airlines, AirTran Airways, and United Airlines discontinue flights to Daytona in 2007 and 2008.[16] LTU & American Airlines also serviced Daytona Beach during the 1980's and 1990's, both of which ended all flights in 1994 & 1997.
Current passenger airlines serving DAB include Delta Air Lines, with service non-stop to Atlanta, GA and US Airways, flying non-stop to Charlotte, NC. Both carriers offer connecting service from those cities to destinations worldwide.
International flights from Daytona Beach are available to destinations in the Bahamas through air-taxi and charter services Airgate Aviation [1]and IslandPass. Non-stop flights are available from DAB to Marsh Harbour, Treasure Cay, and North Eleuthera.[17]
DAB is heavily used for the purpose of general aviation, largely due to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, whose campus is located at the airport.
Other airports nearby are Orlando International Airport and Jacksonville International Airport, both of which are approximately one and one half hours away.
Daytona Beach is easily accessible by I-95 that runs North and South and I-4 connecting Daytona Beach with Orlando and Tampa. U.S. 1 (Ridgewood Avenue) also passes through Daytona Beach. A1A is a scenic North/South route along the beach.
The Volusia County Parking Garage is located at 701 Earl Street at North Atlantic Avenue (A1A). The garage is strategically located, next to the Ocean Center, Daytona Lagoon, and across the street from the Hilton Hotel and Ocean Walk Shoppes. Over one thousand parking spaces are available inside the garage, which also houses an intermodal transfer station for VoTran. Pricing varies at different times of the year.
Passenger railroad service to Daytona Beach was established no later than 1889 by the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway, predecessor of the Florida East Coast Railroad (FEC). Passenger trains continued calling at Daytona Beach till 1968, when the FEC terminated passenger operations system-wide.
Daytona Beach is served by Amtrak by way of a Thruway Motorcoach connection between the beachside and Amtrak's DeLand Station, 28 miles to the west. There, the service connects northbound with train 92, the Silver Star, and train 98, the Silver Meteor. Southbound connections from Daytona Beach are limited to the Silver Meteor's southbound train 97. The DeLand - Daytona Beach service is Amtrak's only Florida Thruway Motorcoach route provided by a taxi-cab, rather than a bus.
 Great Egret near the west bank of the Halifax River, Daytona Beach |
 Mallard ducks swimming in the Halifax River, Daytona Beach |
 White Ibis and Snowy Egret near west bank of Halifax River, Daytona Beach |
 A Great Blue Heron hunts for food |
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Daytona Beach is a city located in Volusia County, East Central Florida.
Daytona Beach [1], famous as the "World Center of Racing" and home of NASCAR, is part of the East Central Florida greater metropolitan area. Daytona Beach is the best known of the seven area communities. Although the wide 23-mile stretch of white sandy beach is still the biggest attraction here, with over 8 million visitors flocking to the area every year, the metro area is rapidly changing from event Mecca to family oriented resort destination. Historical sites like the Main Street Pier, the Oceanfront Boardwalk and the Clocktower in Oceanfront Park add to the appeal of this exciting city.
Daytona was founded in 1870 by Matthias Day, from whom it takes its name. It was incorporated as a city in 1876. The separate towns of Daytona, Daytona Beach and Seabreeze merged to form Daytona Beach in 1926. In the 1920s, the city became known as The World's Most Famous Beach.
Daytona's wide beach of smooth, compacted sand attracted automobile and motorcycle enthusiasts beginning in 1902, when pioneers in the industry tested their inventions. On March 8, 1936, the first stock car race was held on the Daytona Beach Course. In 1959, William France created Daytona International Speedway to replace the beach course.
Automobiles are still permitted on the beach — at much slower speeds! Daytona is one of the few places in the world where a family car can be driven on an ocean beach.
The city of Daytona Beach sits on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean and is split in two by the Halifax River. It is bordered on the north by Holly Hill and Ormond Beach and on the south by Daytona Beach Shores, South Daytona, and Port Orange.
Daytona Beach has a very humid subtropical climate typical for a city in the southeastern United States. Summers are hot and humid with highs usually in the 90s and a heat index often exceeding 100°f. Thunderstorms are frequent in summer afternoons and the hot, humid weather can last through the fall months. Winters are dry and mild, marked by a constant series of cold fronts followed by warmer air. In wintertime, temperatures dip into the low 40s and upper 30s on occasion, although freezes are rare. Frost occurs a few times a year mainly in the inland areas. Snowfall is extremely rare: the last time snow flurries fell on Daytona Beach was in January 2003. Temperatures in spring are famously pleasant with warm afternoons, cool evenings, and far less humidity. This beautiful weather usually attracts tourists back to the beaches by early March.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 87 | 89 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 102 | 102 | 100 | 99 | 95 | 89 | 88 |
| Norm High °F | 69.7 | 71.1 | 75.6 | 79.8 | 85 | 88.8 | 91 | 90.1 | 87.9 | 82.6 | 76.9 | 71.4 |
| Norm Low °F | 47.1 | 48.8 | 53.7 | 58 | 64.5 | 70.6 | 72.4 | 72.8 | 71.9 | 65.3 | 57 | 50.1 |
| Rec Low °F | 15 | 24 | 26 | 35 | 44 | 52 | 60 | 65 | 52 | 41 | 27 | 19 |
| Precip (in) | 3.13 | 2.74 | 3.84 | 2.54 | 3.26 | 5.69 | 5.17 | 6.09 | 6.61 | 4.48 | 3.03 | 2.71 |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [2] | ||||||||||||
You can fly into Daytona Beach International Airport (IATA: DAB) [3], which is conveniently located adjacent to the Daytona Speedway and is served by Delta Air Lines [4], US Airways [5], and Vintage Props and Jets. Other airports nearby are Orlando International (MCO) or Jacksonville International (JAX), both of which are approximately an hour away.
Orlando-Sanford International Airport (SFB) [6] is located about 30 miles west of the city in Sanford. Several flights from the United Kingdom, including those from Belfast in Northern Ireland, land here. If you are flying Allegiant Air [7] from within the US or Icelandair [8] from Iceland, you will land at Sanford Airport.
Daytona Beach is easily accessible by interstate I-95 which runs north and south and I-4 (east-west) which connects Daytona Beach with Orlando and Tampa. U.S. Highway 1 (north-south) (Ridgewood Avenue) also passes through Daytona Beach. A1A (north-south) is a scenic route along the beach — locals typically refer to this route by saying “on beachside.”
Daytona Beach is served by Greyhound Bus Lines, which has a terminal located at 138 South Ridgewood Avenue (US-1). The Greyhound routes from Daytona Beach connect with hubs in Jacksonville and Orlando.
Amtrak offers the Amtrak Auto Train service with its southern Terminus located in Sanford (Florida), about 35 miles west of Daytona Beach. The Amtrak Auto Train carries passengers and automobiles between Sanford and Lorton, Virginia, effectively serving as a car-rail link from Florida to the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. You can easily drive your car into Daytona after departing from the Auto Train.
Amtrak offers regular passenger service with the closest stop being near the city of DeLand. This stop is rather remote and is not recommended as an option.
Daytona Beach is not a major port, however, it is accessible by private boats via the Intracoastal Waterway, from both the Halifax River and the Atlantic Ocean. Refueling services are available at the Daytona Marina.
Getting around by car is very easy and convenient in Daytona Beach. The major roads are all wide and easy to drive on with all the major areas signposted, but traffic jams around major intersections are common in the afternoons and around the tourist areas on Saturday nights.
The main tourism area is A1A, also known as Atlantic Avenue, a strip of road that runs parallel to the beach for 23 miles. During major NASCAR races, International Speedway Boulevard gets congested near the racetrack and traffic patterns on other surrounding roads are altered to accommodate the extra traffic. During major motorcycle events, Main Street and Beach Street as well as most of A1A and U.S. Highway 1 experience heavy traffic or are closed. I-95 around exit 273 is also extremely busy during motorcycle rallies.
All major car rental companies are located in or near the Daytona Beach International Airport.
Car Rental Companies include:
If you are coming to Daytona Beach for a motorcycle rally, you will probably want to rent a motorcycle instead of a car. You should reserve one well in advance of the major biker rallies.
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Taxi Service If you need a taxi cab, you need to use the telephone to call for one. Cabs in the Daytona Beach area will not stop if you only wave at them. |
Taxi companies include:
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Daytona International Speedway 2009 Event Schedule:
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Daytona Beach is dominated by motorsports and Daytona International Speedway. The main artery that passes by the racetrack was even renamed from "Volusia Avenue" to "International Speedway Boulevard."
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VOTRAN, the Volusia County bus service, arranges shuttle buses for fan transportation to the track for the Daytona 500 race in February and the Coke Zero 400 race in July. The cost is usually $10 per trip. Do not be misled into taking a commercial bus or shuttle to the track that usually costs considerably more. |
The Halifax Harbor Marina [59] is on Beach Street, and is the departure point for several boat cruises along the Halifax River.
Fishing boat charters usually originate from nearby Ponce Inlet or New Smyrna Beach.
There are many golf courses in Daytona Beach and the surrounding area.
ATMs can be found throughout Daytona Beach. Usually larger hotels and convenience stores will have a "generic" ATM machine available; however, be forewarned about hidden service fees.
When the weather pushes you off the beach or you simply need to find a cool space for the few hottest hours, Daytona offers shops to satisfy a wide range of tastes. Here are some suggestions:
There are countless gift shops along the beach drive, Florida Route A1A (Atlantic Avenue) where you can buy souvenir shirts, beach wear, surfing gear, tacky gifts, etc.
Lodging around Daytona Beach generally is divided into three areas, Speedway, Beachside, and US-1. Hotels located on "International Speedway Boulevard" are close to the racetrack. Hotels located on "Atlantic Avenue" will be close to the beach. Hotels located on "Ridgewood Avenue" are on Route US-1.
High Season in Daytona Beach runs generally from February through August. Low Season is from September through January. The best rates are usually found in December and January.
For additional lodging, see also: Daytona Beach Shores, Ormond Beach.
Florida has a high occurrence of hurricanes. You might want to check the Hurricane safety page if you are visiting Florida. Beware of lightning in the central part of the state. New Smyrna Beach, located 20 minutes south of Daytona Beach is known for a high number of shark bites, so be careful when surfing and swimming. Always swim next to a lifeguard tower. Also, there is a high occurrence of tornadoes in Florida, so check the Tornado safety page.
Daytona Beach has varying crime intensity by neighborhood. In certain parts of the city it may not be safe to walk alone or even in small groups at night. Tourist areas rarely have violent crimes, but theft is an occasional occurrence. The 911 number for fire and police emergencies is in effect in Daytona Beach.
Seven digit dialing is in effect for local calls in the Daytona Beach area. The local area code is 386. For calls within the US or Canada, dial 1+area code+number. There are some public pay phones scattered around the city, but they are becoming increasingly rare with the predominance of cell phones. It is not safe to assume you will be able to find a pay phone at any given time.
All ZIP codes in the city of Daytona Beach begin with 321.
It is common for many of the larger hotels and lodgings in the area to offer free internet access for their guests.
Public libraries in the area offer free computer internet access to Volusia County residents. There is a small charge for non-residents.
There are about 20 radio stations located in Volusia County.
 Daytona Beach Bandshell - venue for concerts |
 The Main Street Pier and Restaurant |
 Paul Revere 250 by Brumos - restart race |
 NASCAR cars practicing in 2004 |
| Routes through Daytona Beach |
| Orlando ← DeLand ← | W  E |
→ END |
| Jacksonville ← Ormond Beach ← | N  S |
→ Port Orange → West Palm Beach |
| Jacksonville ← Ormond Beach ← | N  S |
→ Port Orange → West Palm Beach |
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