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From Wikivoyage

DeLand is the county seat of Volusia County, Florida. It has a population of about 33,000 people (2018).

Understand

History

The city is named for Henry A. DeLand. It was founded in 1876, and incorporated in 1882. In 1883, Henry A. DeLand established DeLand Academy. Later, DeLand entrusted the academy to his friend John B. Stetson, a wealthy hat manufacturer from Philadelphia and a founding trustee. In 1889, it was renamed John B. Stetson University after its new patron. The name was later shortened to Stetson University, and in 1900 it became the first law school in Florida. The university's sports teams are called the Hatters.

DeLand grew during the 1920s Florida Land Boom.

Climate

DeLand has a warm and humid subtropical climate, and there are two major seasons each year. One of those seasons is hot and rainy, lasting from May until October (roughly coinciding with the Atlantic hurricane season). The other is a cooler season (November through March) that brings more moderate temperatures and less frequent rainfall. The area's warm and humid climate is caused primarily by its low elevation and its position relatively close to the Tropic of Cancer, and much of its weather is affected by the movement of the Gulf Stream.

Get in

By plane

Nearby international airports include:

By train

The DeLand AMTRAK train station

Amtrak offers the Amtrak Auto Train service with its southern Terminus located in Sanford, a few miles southwest of DeLand. The Amtrak Auto Train carries passengers and automobiles between Sanford and Lorton, Virginia, effectively serving as a car-rail link from Florida to the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. You can easily drive your car into DeLand after departing from the Auto Train.

Amtrak offers regular passenger service with the closest stop being just west of the city. This stop is remote and will require taxicab service to get into town.

By bus

By car

Highway travel is the most common method of arriving in DeLand. Interstate 4 (I-4) begins about 20 miles away in nearby Daytona Beach, and passes near DeLand. U.S. Highway 92 also begins near Daytona Beach and is known in both places as "International Speedway Boulevard" because it passes in front of that raceway. U.S. 92 meets U.S. 17 coming in from Jacksonville 90 miles to the north, and the two highways become one, and is known as "17/92" as it travels through Orlando 40 miles south, to Haines City, where they again split into two highways. Florida Highway 44 crosses I-4 five miles east of DeLand, and crosses 17/92 in the center of historic downtown DeLand. To further confuse travelers, 17/92 is known as Woodland Boulevard (or simply "The Boulevard," being the only boulevard in DeLand), and Florida Highway 44 is known as "New York Avenue," as the streets were known well before the advent of the U.S. and Florida Highway systems.

Get around

By bus

  • VOTRAN is the name of the local Volusia County bus service. It is a cheap way to get around and is handicap accessible. The website provides maps and timetables. Buses travel to most sites and places of interest. Service is offered in DeLand roughly M-Sa, 7AM-7PM. A one-day Votran bus pass costs $3.75.

By car

By taxi

See

Downtown DeLand includes some restaurants, cafes, and shops south of Stetson University.

  • 1 Hontoon Island (Hontoon Island State Park), River Ridge Road. A state park in the Saint John's River west of DeLand. Hontoon Island State Park (Q5897280) on Wikidata Hontoon Island State Park on Wikipedia (updated Jun 2018)
  • 2 Stetson University. This was Florida's first private university and was founded in 1883. It has a beautiful campus with historic buildings. Stetson University (Q2341039) on Wikidata Stetson University on Wikipedia (updated Jun 2018)

Do

Fishing

Golf

  • Southridge Golf Course, 800 E Euclid Ave, ☏ +1 386 736-0560. 18 holes, over 6,296 yards with a par of 72 (Public). 
  • Deland Country Club, 2289A Country Club Drive, ☏ +1 386 734-1363. 18 holes, over 6,032 yards with a par of 70 (Private Equity). 
  • 1 Victoria Hills Golf Club, 300 Spalding Way, toll-free: +1-866-295-4385. 18 holes, over 6,989 yards with a par of 72 (Public). 

Skydiving

Buy

  • Brandywine Shopping Center. (updated May 2020)
  • DeLand Flea Market. (updated May 2020)
  • DeLand Plaza Shopping Center. (updated May 2020)
  • Millers Market Square. (updated May 2020)
  • Northgate Shopping Center. (updated May 2020)
  • Woodland Plaza. (updated May 2020)
  • West Volusia Regional Shopping Center. (updated May 2020)

Eat

Drink

  • Doc's Place Restaurant and Sports Bar, 4 and New York Ave, ☏ +1 386 822-4362. In the Howard Johnson Inn. 

Sleep

  • Holiday Inn DeLand, 350 E. International Speedway Blvd, toll-free: +1-877-508-1762. On-site amenities include restaurant, lounge, outdoor pool and Jacuzzi. Bar on site. 
  • Howard Johnson Inn DeLand, 2801 East New York Ave, ☏ +1 386-736-3440. Offering 24-hour front desk, breakfast, non-smoking rooms, a pool, meeting and banquet facilities, cable tv and more. 
  • Best Inn DeLand, 644 North Woodland Blvd, ☏ +1 386-734-5711. 
  • Comfort Inn De Land, 400 E. International Speedway Blvd, ☏ +1 386-736-3100. Offering 24-hour front desk, breakfast, disabled access, non-smoking rooms, a pool, refrigerator, cable tv and more. 

Go next

The city is midway between two largest springs in state park settings, part of the Florida Aquifer.

  • Seven miles to the north, DeLeon Springs is set in a pool environment, leading to Lake Woodruff Wildlife Preserve
  • Seven miles south, Blue Spring State Park is probably the best place to see manatees in all of Florida, during cold weather.
  • Seven miles to the west, a state park which is an island accessible only by passenger ferry, Hontoon Island.
  • Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge
Routes through DeLand
Savannah ← Palatka ←  N  S  → Winter Park → Orlando
Orlando ← Cassadaga ←  W  E  → Daytona Beach → END
Jacksonville ← DeLeon Springs ←  N  S  → Orange City → Orlando
Orlando ← Orange City ←  W  E  → Daytona Beach → END


This city travel guide to DeLand is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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