Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, East Central Florida.

The Greater Daytona Beach Area also includes Daytona Beach Shores, Holly Hill, Port Orange, Ponce Inlet, South Daytona, Ormond Beach and unincorporated areas of East Volusia County. Some of the surrounding cities use Daytona Beach as a mailing address. If you cannot find what you are looking for here, try checking the surrounding cities.

Understand
Daytona Beach, 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 (37 km) 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.

History
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 8 March 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 &mdash; 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.

Climate
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 (32+°C)and a heat index often exceeding 100°F (38°C). 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 (5°C) 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.

By plane

 * American Airlines and PSA Airlines dba American Eagle (Charlotte (CLT). Seasonally from Dallas/Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Washington–National)
 * Avelo : (New Haven, CT (HVN); Wilmington, DE (ILG))
 * Delta (Atlanta (ATL))
 * Delta (Atlanta (ATL))

The next nearest airport for Allegiant Air, TUI (from the UK) and Sun Country is at Melbourne-Orlando International Airport  south, in the city in Melbourne (I-95 to Ellis Rd at exit 182). Allegiant Air services both Melbourne (MLB) and Sanford (SFB).

Nearest airport for additional airlines from the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, Europe and Latin America is Orlando International Airport ( west, along I-4, SR-417 & SR-528) and only from all over the U.S. to  Jacksonville International Airport  ( north on I-95 to Airport Rd at Exit 363B).

By car
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.

By boat
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.

By car
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 (37 km). 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.

By motorcycle
If you are coming to Daytona Beach for a motorcycle rally, you will probably want to rent a motorcycle instead of a car. If you don't have one already, you should reserve one well in advance of the major biker rallies.



Transfer stations

 * Transfer Plaza, Bethune Blvd and N Palmetto Ave.
 * Intermodal Transit Facility (inside Volusia County Parking Garage), 701 Earl St at N Atlantic Ave.

By taxi and limousine
Taxi companies include:

Parks
Local parks include on 11 Bellevue Ave,, , , and



Major Attractions
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."




 * Daytona Speedweeks - The group of races held at Daytona International Speedway the first two weeks of February are known as Daytona Speedweeks.
 * Rolex 24 Hour Race (24 Hours of Daytona) - An annual endurance race for sports cars, sanctioned by the Grand American Sports Car organization. The race is held on the road course track configuration. The race is usually held late in January or the first weekend of February as the first race of Daytona Speedweeks. The race date is adjusted year-to-year to not conflict with the date of the NFL Superbowl.
 * Lucas Oil 200 - 200-mile stock car race, sponsored by the Automobile Racing Club of America. Usually held on the second weekend of Daytona Speedweeks, and a week before the Daytona 500 race.
 * Busch Clash - A NASCAR preseason 75-lap race held the weekend before the Daytona 500. The race offers no points to the drivers but a large purse is offered for the winner. Usually a narrow selection of drivers is invited to compete in the Busch Clash.
 * Bluegreen Vacations Duels - Twin qualifying races, usually held on Thursday before the Daytona 500 Race. Half the qualifying cars compete in each Duel to determine field position in the big race.
 * NextEra Energy 250 - The first race of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is held Friday night prior to the Daytona 500.
 * Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300 - The first race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series is held Saturday afternoon or night, before the day of the Daytona 500.
 * Daytona 500 Race – Heralded as The Great American Race, this is usually the final race of Daytona Speedweeks and is the first points race of the NASCAR Cup Series; usually held on the Sunday before Presidents Day every year, with the holiday set aside as the rain date.


 * Other Events:
 * Daytona 200 - A series of motorcycle races (AMA Superbike and AMA Formula Xtreme), sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association. Race dates usually coincide with Daytona Beach Bike Week.
 * Brumos Porsche 250 (formerly the Paul Revere 250) - A 250-mile sports car race, sanctioned by the Grand American Sports Car series. The date of running this race has varied in the past, but it is usually held late at night the Thursday before the NASCAR Coke Zero 400 race.
 * Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 - A NASCAR Xfinity Series race, usually held the Friday night before the Coke Zero 400 race.
 * Coke Zero 400 (formerly the Pepsi 400 and the Firecracker 400) - NASCAR Cup race held the first Saturday night of July.
 * Fall Cycle Scene - A series of Motorcycle races, sponsored by the Championship Cup Series, the American Sportbike Racing Association, and the Suntrust MOTO-ST series. Dates coincide with the Daytona Beach Biketoberfest event.
 * Turkey Run - A classic car show usually held over a period of four days during Thanksgiving weekend.

Cruises
The Halifax Harbor Marina is on Beach Street, and is the departure point for several boat cruises along the Halifax River.



Fishing
Fishing boat charters usually originate from nearby Ponce Inlet or New Smyrna Beach.

Golf
There are many golf courses in Daytona Beach and the surrounding area. Among them:



Venues




Buy
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:

Shopping Malls
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:



Gift shops
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.

Sleep
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 U.S.-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.

Stay safe
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.

Connect
Seven digit dialing is in effect for local calls in the Daytona Beach area. The local area code is 386. For calls within the U.S. 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.

Public Libraries
Public libraries in the area offer free computer internet access to Volusia County residents. There is a small charge for non-residents.

Radio Stations
There are about 20 radio stations located in Volusia County.

AM

 * WNDB, 1150 AM, Daytona Beach, News/Talk/Sports. Broadcasts live coverage of NASCAR races and other local sporting events.
 * WROD, 1340 AM, Daytona Beach, Standards
 * WMFJ, 1450 AM, Daytona Beach, Religious

FM

 * WCFB, 94.5 FM, Daytona Beach, Urban Adult Contemporary, "Star 94.5"
 * WJHM, 101.9 FM, Daytona Beach, Mainstream Urban, "102 Jamz"
 * WVYB, 103.3 FM, Daytona Beach, Top 40, "103.3 The Vyb"
 * WIKD, 102.5 FM, Daytona Beach, free-format, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s college radio

Go next

 * Daytona Beach Shores - A quieter, small city located just South of Daytona Beach along the beach peninsula.
 * New Smyrna Beach - New Smyrna Beach lays claim to the best Florida offers - excellent backwater and offshore fishing, golf, historical sites, cultural events and eclectic shopping and dining experiences along historical Flagler Avenue and Canal Street.
 * Ormond Beach - Located at the North end of the Greater Daytona Beach area. Ormond Beach was once home to the Rockefellers and the Flaglers. Ormond Beach features attractions like the Casements and Tomoka State Park. Visitors seeking a quieter part of the beach can find it here. Beach driving is not allowed at the northern end of Ormond Beach.
 * Ponce Inlet - A scenic fishing village located the southern tip of the beach peninsula. Here you will find the historic Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, Marine Science Center, local charter fishing boats, along with several of the area's best seafood restaurants.
 * Port Orange - A quiet, but rapidly growing city just South of Daytona Beach on the mainland, where you can enjoy Golf and Tennis.
 * Tomoka Farms Road to the south of US-92 is a focal point for Daytona Bike Week festivities.