Kissimmee City is located in Florida. The population of the city was 4,310 in 1950. At the time, citrus packing was an important industry. Ranching also took place in the city until 1971. Afterward, development and tourism took its place. Today, cattle ranches are largely absent from the city, but still operate in southern Osceola County.
Crime is more prevalent in the city's central and northeast neighborhoods, while crime rates are lower in northwest neighborhoods. However, a crime map does not always indicate that a certain neighborhood is more dangerous than the others. If the crime rate is higher than the national average, you may want to avoid this neighborhood.
Kissimmee City is located in Osceola County and is just 22 miles south of Orlando. It is home to the Osceola County courthouse. This city is home to many cultural institutions and attractions, and has a booming real estate market.
The city's downtown area is located near the intersection of U.S. Highway 17/92 and State Road 535. Most downtown buildings are two or three stories tall. The tallest building is the Osceola County courthouse. The downtown area includes restaurants, small shops, and historic residences. The University of Central Florida also has a business incubator in the city's downtown area.
The early history of Kissimmee dates back to the 1870s. The town was originally known as Allendale. It was named after a Confederate officer. In 1883, it was incorporated as Kissimmee. The growth of the city was credited to Hamilton Disston, an industrialist from Philadelphia who had a two million acre drainage project. After the Civil War, he secured a contract with the state of Florida to drain the marshlands of southern Florida and would later own half of the land. This was a tremendous deal for the area, as it prevented financial disaster for the state of Florida.