| Longwood, Florida | |
| Official Name: | City of Longwood |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Mapsize: | 250x200px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Government Type: | Mayor–Commission |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Tony Boni, District 2 |
| Leader Title1: | Deputy Mayor |
| Leader Name1: | Matt Morgan, District 4 |
| Leader Title2: | Commissioners |
| Leader Name2: | Abby Shoemaker, District 1 Matt McMillan, District 3 Brian D. Sackett, District 5 |
| Leader Title3: | City Clerk |
| Leader Name3: | Michelle Longo |
| Leader Title4: | City Manager |
| Leader Name4: | Clint Gioielli |
| Established Date: | 1878 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 5.86 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 5.50 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.35 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 15087 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 2741.10 |
| Population Metro: | 2,082,421 |
| Population Density Urban Km2: | Mead Botanical GardenMead Botanical Garden |
| Timezone: | EST |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Coordinates: | 28.7014°N -81.3486°W |
| Elevation Ft: | 75 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes |
| Postal Code: | 32750-32779 |
| Area Code: | 407, 689, 321 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 12-41250[3] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2404953 |
| Website: | www.longwoodfl.org |
| Area Total Km2: | 15.17 |
| Area Land Km2: | 14.26 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.91 |
| Population Density Km2: | 1058.26 |
Longwood is a city in Seminole County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 15,087 at the 2020 census.
With the advent of World War II, growth began to impact Longwood as military personnel flowed into the new Naval Air Station Sanford to the north and Orlando Army Air Base to the south. By the 1950s, NAS Sanford was being converted into a Master Jet Base for carrier-based heavy attack aircraft and, along with the re-designated Orlando Air Force Base and nearby Pinecastle AFB (later renamed McCoy AFB), saw even more military families renting or purchasing homes in and around Longwood. In 1959, the city had slightly over 1,000 residents and a city limit boundary that measured approximately 1by square. In 1960, Longwood Elementary School was constructed and opened inside the city limits. During the 1950s and 1960s, the city also boasted its own airport, a single runway grass airstrip used mainly by private airplanes. Longwood Airport was located on the west side of the city and on the north side of State Road 434, until it was closed and developed into tract housing that became The Woodlands subdivision in the mid-1960s.
In 1965, the city served as a film site and backdrop, representing a fictional south Florida town adjacent to a Seminole Indian tribe reservation in the Universal Studios movie Johnny Tiger. Released in 1966, the movie starred Robert Taylor, Geraldine Brooks and Chad Everett.
New economic and development opportunities were brought to the area in the 1960s and 1970s, fueled by both the military and the space industry, as newly arriving Longwood residents were employed at Martin-Marietta's new missile plant in Orlando; Naval Air Station Sanford; Orlando Air Force Base (redesignated Naval Training Center Orlando in 1969); and McCoy Air Force Base in Orlando; as well as Cape Canaveral Air Force Station; Patrick Air Force Base; and the NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center in Brevard County. The development and opening of Walt Disney World in October 1971, along with other tourist attractions and the high technology corridor of businesses, especially those engaged in the modeling, simulation and training (MS&T) industry and associated military training systems activities near Florida Technological University (FTU), now the University of Central Florida (UCF), fueled even further growth. Short-term economic downturns caused by the closure of NAS Sanford in 1968 and McCoy AFB in 1975 were offset with other economic growth across Central Florida during the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, Longwood developed into primarily a residential community for residents working elsewhere in Seminole County or in adjacent Orange County. By 2000, the city had taken significant steps to revitalize its downtown historic district, expanded its borders through annexation and in the process gained a resident population exceeding 13,700.[4]
The city has had two of the oldest trees in America within its borders: The Senator and the remaining Lady Liberty.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.6sqmi, of which 5.3sqmi is land and 0.3sqmi (5.17%) is water.
The exact coordinates for the City of Longwood is 28.7014°N -81.3486°W.
According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[5] the top employers in the city are:
| Employer |
| % of Total CityEmployment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Seminole Hospital | 1032 | 8.83% | |
| 2 | UPS | 703 | 6.01% | |
| 3 | D&A Building Services | 338 | 2.89% | |
| 4 | Comprehensive Energy Services | 272 | 2.33% | |
| 5 | Collis Roofing | 231 | 1.98% | |
| 6 | Seminole County Schools | 222 | 1.90% | |
| 7 | S.I. Goldman | 176 | 1.51% | |
| 8 | City of Longwood | 170 | 1.45% | |
| 9 | Longwood Health and Rehabilitation Center | 162 | 1.39% | |
| 10 | Arc Delray | 159 | 1.36% |
| White (NH) | 10,123 | 9,309 | 74.12% | 61.70% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 612 | 922 | 4.48% | 6.11% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 47 | 26 | 0.34% | 0.17% |
| Asian (NH) | 448 | 652 | 3.28% | 4.32% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 9 | 5 | 0.07% | 0.03% |
| Some other race (NH) | 44 | 101 | 0.32% | 0.67% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 222 | 648 | 1.63% | 4.30% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,152 | 3,424 | 15.76% | 22.70% |
| Total | 13,657 | 15,087 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,087 people, 5,697 households, and 3,769 families residing in the city.[8]
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 13,657 people, 4,969 households, and 3,456 families residing in the city.[9]
The city of Longwood's public schools are a part of Seminole County Public Schools. Longwood contains four public elementary schools (K–5), two public middle schools (6–8), and one public high school (9–12). Two additional high schools are located outside of Longwood, but draw some students from within the city limits.
A small slice of Interstate 4 runs along the western city limits and includes a single exit for State Road 434, which bisects the city to its eastern boundary at US Highway 17/92.[11]