Kissimmee

Kissimmee is a city in Osceola County. Kissimmee (pronounced /kiˈsimi/, accent on second syllable) is a popular Central Florida tourist destination because of its sunny weather, spring training baseball for major league clubs, and close proximity to Disney World.

Understand


Just south of Orlando in what is commonly referred to as the "Kissimmee-St. Cloud" area, due to the short distance between it and the adjacent city of St. Cloud. It is centered directly between St. Cloud and Disney World on Highway 192 and leads into SR-535, which leads directly into Disney World theme parks. Most tourist activity is centered around Highway 192 (also known as Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway and Vine Street in the city of Kissimmee). Since the opening of Disney World in 1971, Kissimmee has been primarily a tourist-driven town. Before that the town relied on agriculture and ranching, with a population of just over 4,000 through the 1950s.

By plane

 * Orlando International Airport, your entry point for most international and domestic flights. It is about a 25-minute drive down I-4 from Kissimmee. Be aware that airport security lines can become extremely long (1 hour), especially during the summer tourist season and near holidays. Combined with long check-in lines, it is advisable to arrive 2-3 hours before your scheduled departure.

By car
Most visitors arrive on the Florida Turnpike by taking exit 242 (going north) or exit 249 (coming south). The turnpike uses automated toll collection booths on many exits that require exact change, so be sure to have a pocketful of quarters with you when driving.

By train
Kissimmee is served by two daily Amtrak trains, the Silver Star and Silver Meteor. Both run between New York City and Miami, taking slightly different routes. Also the Silver Star makes a detour to serve Tampa, adding two extra hours for southbound services. is in downtown at 111 E Dakin Ave.

The regional commuter rail system SunRail has hourly trains from Orlando, with a journey time of 25 minutes.

By bus
Kissimmee's public transportation is the Lynx bus service. Trips cost $2 per ride (transfers included). Check out Go Lynx for routes and fares. +1 407-841-LYNX.

By car
Interstate 4 is the most preferred route, and carries a driver toward Tampa going west and downtown Orlando and Daytona Beach going east. The road can get very congested at times. The Osceola Parkway is a toll road that runs parallel to 192.

The primary surface highway in Kissimmee is US 192, running west to east through the area. From Hoagland Blvd. (near the city's municipal airport) to the west, it features large purple "mile marker" towers which serve as reference points through their tourist area. (The main entrance to Walt Disney World is at mile marker 7.)

See



 * Silver Spurs Arena is a multipurpose events arena which hosts shows ranging from rock concerts to competitive rodeos. The annual Silver Spurs Rodeo is hosted here every year in late February.
 * Silver Spurs Arena is a multipurpose events arena which hosts shows ranging from rock concerts to competitive rodeos. The annual Silver Spurs Rodeo is hosted here every year in late February.
 * Silver Spurs Arena is a multipurpose events arena which hosts shows ranging from rock concerts to competitive rodeos. The annual Silver Spurs Rodeo is hosted here every year in late February.
 * Silver Spurs Arena is a multipurpose events arena which hosts shows ranging from rock concerts to competitive rodeos. The annual Silver Spurs Rodeo is hosted here every year in late February.

Do

 * Lake Tohopekaliga - Known locally as "Lake Toho," it is the largest lake in Osceola County, and is renowned for some of the best bass fishing in the state.
 * Lake Tohopekaliga - Known locally as "Lake Toho," it is the largest lake in Osceola County, and is renowned for some of the best bass fishing in the state.
 * Lake Tohopekaliga - Known locally as "Lake Toho," it is the largest lake in Osceola County, and is renowned for some of the best bass fishing in the state.

Buy

 * Disney Springs (2 minutes off of 192; N on 535) in Lake Buena Vista offers a wide range of specialty stores.
 * Disney Springs (2 minutes off of 192; N on 535) in Lake Buena Vista offers a wide range of specialty stores.

Drink
The local tap water supply is rumored to correlate to increased cancer rates.



Sleep
There are a vast number of lodging options around the parks, with quality varying greatly. In general lodging prices decrease the further away from Disney World you travel. Families and groups planning multi-day stays may also want to consider short-term rentals, vacation homes, or timeshares in the Disney-area; in general these may offer a better value when multiple rooms are needed for a 3 nights or more. At the last count, there were over 15,000 such vacation rentals in Kissimmee alone, offering approximately 60,000 bedrooms, sleeping 120,000 guests each night.

Lodging is also available in the nearby towns of Davenport, Orlando, and Lake Buena Vista.

Connect
Kissimmee and the whole Orlando area requires the area code to be dialed, even when calling a local number.

Go next

 * Disney World is minutes away, just north.
 * Orlando hosts Sea World and Universal Studios, 10 miles north on the Florida Turnpike.