Map of Volusia County, Florida

Volusia County (/vəˈluːʃə/, və-LOO-shə) is located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an increase of 11.9% from the 2010 census. It was founded on December 29, 1854, from part of Orange County, and was named for the community of Volusia, located in northwestern Volusia County. Its first county seat was Enterprise. Since 1887, its county seat has been DeLand.

Volusia County is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan statistical area, as well as part of the larger Orlando–Deltona–Daytona Beach Combined statistical area.

Volusia County overview:
Name:	Volusia County
FIPS code:	12-127
State:	Florida
Founded:	December 29, 1854
Named for:	Community of Volusia
Seat:	DeLand
Largest city:	Deltona
Total Area:	1,432.44 sq mi (3,710.0 km²)
Land Area:	1,101.03 sq mi (2,851.7 km²)
Total Population:	553,543
Population Density:	503/sq mi (194/km²)
Time zone:	UTC−5 (Eastern)
Summer Time Zone (DST):	UTC−4 (EDT)
Website:	www.volusia.org

Volusia County location map. Where is Volusia County?

Volusia County location on the U.S. Map. Where is Volusia County. — Location of Volusia County in the the United States.

Volusia County location on the Florida map. Where is Volusia County. — Location of Volusia County in Florida.

History

Volusia County was named after its largest community, Volusia, when the Florida Legislature created it by dividing Orange County on December 29, 1854. At the time, Volusia County had about 600 residents.

The origins of the word “Volusia” are unclear, though several theories exist:

The name came from a word meaning “Land of the Euchee”, from the Euchee Indians who migrated into the area after the Timucua Indian cultures declined in the early 1700s. The Euchees (or Uchees) lived in the area of Spring Gardens, about 10 miles south of Volusia.
It was named after a British settler named Voluz, who owned a plantation located on the St. Johns River in the late 1700s.
The name originated from the Veluche, the surname of a French or Belgian owner of the trading post in Volusia. According to some, this was during the British regime, and according to others, it was around 1818. Over time, the name Veluche became anglicized to Volusia.
The town was established by and named for Jere Volusia.
The settlement was named by the Spanish after the celebrated Roman jurist Volusio, who wrote 30 books and tutored Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor and philosopher.

The land area of present-day Volusia County was long inhabited by the indigenous Timucua and Mayaca peoples. Neither historic group exists today as distinct ethnic tribes, having been decimated by disease and war in the decades after contact with European traders and settlers. The large shell middens at Tomoka State Park and other evidence of their historic habitation can still be seen in various areas of Volusia County.

During the British occupation of Florida, a colony known as New Smyrna was started in southeast Volusia County by Andrew Turnbull. This colony was connected to St. Augustine, the capital of East Florida, via the Kings Road. After the failure of the colony the settlers, many of whom were ethnic Menorcan and Greek, traveled the 70 mi (110 km) to move to St. Augustine.

The Seminole Indians, descendants of the Creek tribe of Alabama and Georgia who resisted forced relocation to Indian Territory, also camped in various parts of Volusia County. During the Second Seminole War (1836–1842), the Seminole burned a large sugar plantation in what is today the city of Daytona Beach.

On the east shore of the St. Johns River in Volusia, in present-day DeBary, General Winfield Scott established a fort/depot in 1836 named Fort Florida.

Volusia County Road Map

Volusia CountyStreet Map. — Street map of Volusia County, Florida. Source: OpenStreetMap (OSM)

Volusia CountyMap — Volusia Countypolitical map.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,432 square miles (3,710 km), of which 1,101 square miles (2,850 km) are land and 331 square miles (860 km) (23.1%) are covered by water.

Volusia County is bordered on the west by the St. Johns River and Lake Monroe, and by the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Roughly the size of Rhode Island, Volusia is situated 50 mi (80 km) northeast of Orlando, 60 mi (97 km) north of the Kennedy Space Center, and 89 mi (143 km) south of Jacksonville.

Regions

The Volusia County government divides the county into three regions. This parallels the three calling regions used by BellSouth, the regional phone company:

East Volusia, also known as the greater Daytona Beach area, or the Halifax area (named for the Halifax River that runs through the area), includes the cities of Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Holly Hill, Ormond Beach, Ponce Inlet, Port Orange, and South Daytona; and the surrounding unincorporated areas close to these cities.
Southeast Volusia, also known as the greater New Smyrna Beach area, includes the cities of New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, and Oak Hill; also the unincorporated areas close to these cities.
West Volusia, also called St. Johns River country (named for the St. Johns River, which lies nearby), includes the cities of Barberville, DeBary, DeLand, DeLeon Springs, Deltona, Glenwood, Enterprise, Lake Helen, Orange City, Pierson, and Seville, and the surrounding unincorporated areas close to these cities. Deltona is the largest city in Volusia County.

Adjacent counties

Flagler County – north
Brevard County – south
Seminole County – southwest
Lake County – west
Marion and Putnam Counties – northwest

Parks and gardens

Addison Blockhouse Historic State Park
Blue Spring State Park
Bulow Creek State Park
Canaveral National Seashore
De Leon Springs State Park
Dunlawton Plantation and Sugar Mill
Gemini Springs Park
Green Springs Park
Hontoon Island State Park
Lake Ashby Park
Lake George State Forest
Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge
North Peninsula State Park
Ormond Beach Memorial Art Museum and Gardens
Seminole Rest
Smyrna Dunes Park
Sugar Mill Ruins
Tiger Bay State Forest
Tomoka State Park

Rivers and waterways

Atlantic Ocean
Halifax River
Intracoastal Waterway
Lake George
Lake Monroe
Mosquito Lagoon
Ponce de León Inlet
Spruce Creek
St. Johns River
Tomoka River

Major attractions

Athens Theater in DeLand
Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach
Bongoland Ruins in Port Orange
Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach
Decommissioned DC-7 at Epic Flight Academy in New Smyrna Beach
Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach
Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet
Museum of Arts and Sciences (Daytona Beach)
New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach
Ocean Center (convention center) in Daytona Beach
Old Sugar Mill Grill & Griddle House in DeLeon Springs
Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Garden in Ormond Beach
Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum in Ponce Inlet
Skydive DeLand at DeLand Airport
Volusia County Fair and Expo Center in DeLand
Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville