If you could take an area that has more personality in its lifestyle choices, it would have to be Volusia County . Her northernmost city, originally named New Britain after the Connecticut home of early settlers, and then changed in 1880 to honor an early plantation owner, Ormond Beach became home to travelers and potential settlers. With the first bridge across the Halifax River and the impending arrival of the St. Johns and Halifax Railroad, the 75 room Ormond Hotel and golf course opened her doors well before the railroads made their way down to Miami’s popular beaches. A great success, it drew giants of American industry from the cold, Northern winters and their wealth made anything possible. Ransom Olds and Alexander Winton were two of the first racers on the hard packed sand - dead heating down the beach at 57 MPH. Forerunners in the community, Anderson and Price then organized the first auto races on the beach. By 1904, the Florida East Coast Automobile Association boasted 200 members with names like Vanderbilt, Flagler, Astor, and Gould among them. John D. Rockefeller, a long time visitor to the hotel and devotee of its golf course bought the nearby Huntington property called "Casements." Having survived vandalism and a couple of fires, Casements is today " Ormond Beach Community Enrichment Center ." Ormond Beach is still a thriving seaside Mecca for the gentle lifestyle. Travel a small distance south from this incredible town and you find Daytona Beach !

The entire length of the "World's Most Famous Beach " is devoted to the normal seaside pleasures with glitter of a fun resort and the luxury of first class accommodations. From the huge municipal marina to Jackie Robinson Stadium (home of the Daytona Cubs) to four University campuses, to expansive medical centers and the new world headquarters of Ladies Professional Golf Association, there is something here for all. Mentioning a few runs the risk of missing the important. One can hear top performers and even the London Symphony Orchestra at the Peabody Auditorium or see La Boheme at Seaside Music Theater. Visit the marvelous Museum of Arts and Science and dine at hundreds of restaurants for all tastes. Daytona is dedicated to serving the visitor. Daytona also plays host to “Spring Break", "Race Weeks", "Bike Week" (thousands of motorcycles) and more golf year-round than most can handle. Exhibits and shows at the huge Ocean Center cover about everything. Simply put: Daytona Beach is always fun and never dull - who could ask for more? A town whose sidewalks don’t want to roll up at night, that’s Daytona Beach !

Travel a small distance Southeast from Daytona and you find an impressive township that doesn’t look like it belongs in the same area as the Spring Break and Biker Mecca of Daytona. In 1876, New York baking soda mogul, Henry De Land vacationed with his daughter Helen at a home site selected for him by a relative. It was fifteen miles north of the steamboat landing at Enterprise and the poor impression of the land he had to trek through almost discouraged him. His destination proved to be impressive and he changed the area forever. He offered settlers bonus dollars for rapid creation of schools and churches and they named the town after him. Two steam powered sawmills provided a ready source of building materials and a steamboat landing on the St. Johns River kept a stream of settlers headed his way. In 1880, the Orange Ridge, De Land and Atlantic Railroad Company linked to the Jacksonville, Tampa , and Key West Line.
Incorporated in 1882, De Land became the county seat in 1888. Under sponsorship of the Florida Baptists, De Land College opened in 1885 featuring "classical, scientific and English instruction." In 1886, Henry De Land talked John B. Stetson (of hat fame) out of a million dollars for the new school and Stetson University was born. (And the city of De Land was only 10 years old!).

Today, Volusia County 's government activity revolves around De Land. A busy commercial hub blends into the quiet southern gentility of the beautiful Stetson campus and adjacent neighborhoods. The downtown, recently renewed, reflects the pride local folks feel in their community. All the cultural benefits of a university community cannot overshadow the natural beauty of the riverside and lakeside areas. Diversity and excitement drives De Land from international skydiving competitions at the airport to the winter quarters of a major circus (Clyde Beatty / Cole Bros.) to a first class gem museum to live theater and concerts or first class medical facilities. Outdoor enthusiasts around the nation and the world come to De Land for hunting and great fishing in freshwater lakes and the famed St. Johns River . Non-anglers enjoy boating, water skiing, golf, tennis, scuba diving, skydiving, bird-watching and other popular outdoor activities.

Pre-plotted with paved streets, street signs, storm drains and land for support facilities such as fire stations, churches, and medical offices, Deltona was marketed worldwide as the ultimate planned community. The pre-cursor to many Florida retirement communities to follow and promoted by the canny Mackle brothers, it almost seemed it was manufactured elsewhere and carefully placed on the rolling ground north of Lake Monroe.

All the retirement lures, including a full blown country club with swimming pool, tennis, golf, and dining were in place. Tiny low maintenance homes were offered at prices that dazzled the snowbirds. Small down payments and monthly amortization sweetened the offerings and many were bought sight unseen for ‘investments.' The Mackles grand plan is n ow a teeming city of 60,000 that can't keep pace with its' school needs alone. Today retirees are a fifty-fifty mix with commuters to booming Orlando and Interstate 4 is in constant gridlock.

Then, at the southern edge of Daytona in South east Volusia, The New Smyrna Beach Resort Area is surrounded by bodies of water; the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Intra coastal Waterway to the west and Mosquito Lagoon in between the two. New Smyrna prides itself on being a laid-back coastal town, free of the crowds, pollution and noise that plague other Florida beaches. It is the ideal location to go wild with water sports and is also home to the best kept ocean living secret in Volusia County and also plays home to one of the nations first Fly-in Resort and residential areas in the United States . Once home to John Travolta, this little big resort town has a lot of personality and lifestyle for any Florida land owner.

Ponce Inlet and the town of Edgewater complete the many personalities of this incredible county. Home to the second tallest lighthouse in the United States , Ponce Inlet has its own quaint charm and many oceanfront residences. Edgewater is a rural farming community that is home to some incredible equestrian communities and still has plenty of room for development. With this many choices, its no wonder that Volusia County is home to the Daytona 500 and the Ladies Professional Golf Association. Volusia also is home to Several Academic areas which offer education and enlightenment to Aeronautical as well as Liberal Arts academia. Come and see the wonders and magic of one of the most dichotomous areas of Florida Living, Volusia County!