Thursday, August 28, 2008

Daytona Beach - Florida

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. 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 year-round resort area. The city is historically known for its motorsports, with both Daytona International Speedway and the old Daytona Beach Road Course having hosted races for over a century. The city is also the headquarters for NASCAR and the Grand American Road Racing Association. Daytona could 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 Pepsi 400 race in July (now Coke Zero 400), Bike Week in March, Biketoberfest in October and Black College Reunion in March and April. In the past Daytona Beach catered to spring breakers, but in recent years many of the breakers have migrated to other sites, like Panama City Beach. Daytona Beach has tried to clean up its image but in the last few years spring breakers have come back again in smaller numbers

Daytona Beach is located at 29°12′26″N 81°02′16″W / 29.207309, -81.037900.[7] 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 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 occasion, and freezes are not uncommon. Frost occurs a few times a year mainly in the inland areas, but is rare along the beaches. Snowfall is very 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.







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