Fun Facts About Florida

Fun Facts About Florida
Nature & Outdoors

Did you know that.....

Climate

It’s warm year-round. The climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. The average temperature in Florida ranges from 18C to 21C degrees in the north, and from 23C to 25C degrees in the south.

Ocean and Gulf temperatures can reach well into the high-20’s during summer, and swimming is possible year-round in South Florida.

The Land

Florida has the longest coastline (1,925 kilometers) in the contiguous United States, with 1,325 kilometers of accessible beaches to enjoy.

It’s the only state that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Wherever you are in Florida, you're never more than 100 kilometers from the nearest body of salt water.

The state’s highest natural point, Britton Hill, is only 345 feet above sea level -- the lowest high point of any state in America.

Key West is the southernmost point in the continental United States.

Outdoors

Florida has more than 14,800 kilometers of hiking, bicycling, equestrian and shared-use trails and over 6,400 kilometers of paddling trails.

It has 175 state parks, 37 state forests, 12 national parks, preserves, seashores or monuments, three national forests, and one national scenic trail.

The Florida Everglades, containing 1.5 million acres of sawgrass, marshes, mangrove forests, hardwood hammocks and wetlands, is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States.

Florida’s Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park is the only state park certified by the International Dark-Sky Association.

Florida has more than 1,200 golf courses, more than any other U.S. state. Appropriately, it is also home to the World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, located in St. Augustine.

Water

Florida is the boating and fishing capital of the world.

It has more than 7,700 lakes, 17,700 kilometers of rivers, 3,663 kilometers of tidal shoreline, and has produced more than 900 world fishing records, more than any other state, or country.

Florida has more than 700 freshwater springs. Of them, 27 are classified as first-magnitude springs, more than any other state.

The city of Fort Lauderdale is known as the Venice of America because of its canal system, with 265 kilometers of local waterways.

The fishing village of Cedar Key is renowned for having the best clam chowder in America.

The 250-kilometer-long Indian River Lagoon is North America’s most biologically diverse estuary.

Florida’s largest river, the St. Johns River, is one of only a few major rivers that flow from south to north.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo was America’s first underwater state park.

Fauna

Florida has not only alligators and crocodiles, but also panthers, sea turtles, manatees and dolphins -- and at least 516 species of birds.

Everglades National Park– a UNESCO World Heritage Site – is the only place on the planet where crocodiles and alligators co-exist.

Florida provides life-sustaining habitat for endangered species such as the bald eagle, West Indian manatee, Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, Florida panther, humpback whale, Key deer, whooping crane, Gulf sturgeon, Apalachicola rosemary, torreya pines, and carnivorous pitcher plants.

Crystal River is the only place in North America where it is legal to have a supervised swim with wild manatees.

The Great Florida Birding Trail is a statewide network of 510 wildlife viewing sites found along a flyway for migrating birds.

Between Sugarloaf Key and Big Pine Key en route to Key West, you’ll pass a habitat for the elusive Key deer, the smallest deer in North America.

Agriculture

Florida produces more than 70 percent of the nation’s oranges.

Florida ranks #1 for tomatoes, grapefruit, sugarcane, snap beans, cucumbers, and oranges.

About VISIT FLORIDA
VISIT FLORIDA, the state's official tourism marketing corporation, serves as Florida's official source for travel planning to visitors across the globe. VISIT FLORIDA is not a government agency, but rather a not-for-profit corporation created as a public/private partnership by the Florida Legislature in 1996. Florida’s tourism industry was responsible for welcoming 133.7 million visitors in 2019. Based on the latest economic impact study, Florida visitors contributed $91.3 billion to Florida's economy and supported over 1.5 million Florida jobs in 2018. According to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, for every $1 the state invests in VISIT FLORIDA, $2.15 in tax revenue is generated. Each year, the Florida Legislature appropriates public funding to be allocated for tourism marketing. VISIT FLORIDA is required to match those public funds dollar-for-dollar, which is done by actively recruiting the state's tourism industry to invest as Partners through cooperative advertising campaigns, promotional programs and many other marketing ventures. Through this public/private partnership, VISIT FLORIDA serves more than 13,000 tourism industry businesses, including major strategic alliance partnerships with Busch Gardens Tampa, Disney Destinations, The Hertz Corporation, Hilton, LEGOLAND Florida Resort, SeaWorld Parks & Resorts Orlando, Simon Shopping Destinations and Universal Orlando Resort. VISIT FLORIDA facilitates tourism industry participation in domestic and international travel trade and consumer shows, as well as media missions to the top global visitor markets. VISIT FLORIDA also works closely with travel agents, tour operators, meeting and event planners, and is responsible for operating Florida's four Official Welcome Centers. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, follow us on our industry social media channels: Facebook and Twitter @FloridaTourism.

About VoX International
VoX International is a Canadian-owned destination marketing firm based in Toronto, Canada with offices in Vancouver and Montreal, providing Canadian representation nationally. VoX is a full-service sales, marketing, event planning and public relations agency led by a team of high profile, knowledgeable travel industry executives. Recognized as a marketplace leader, VoX offers a wide range of support within the North American meeting, incentive, events, and hospitality and leisure tourism sectors. VoX’s passion for providing personal, innovative and results driven solutions are key factors for driving the company’s reputation for success.

Contact:
Lea-Ann Goltz
Account Manager, VISIT FLORIDA
Lea-ann@voxinternational.com
Represented in Canada by VoX International