270 Unknown Facts About Florida

Are you curious to learn about the Sunshine State's fascinating history, geography, and culture? Look no further than this comprehensive guide, packed with 270 intriguing facts about Florida! From its beautiful beaches and natural wonders to its vibrant cities and rich heritage, Florida has something for everyone to explore.

270 Unknown Facts About Florida

Florida has 825 miles of beaches.
Britton Hill is Florida’s natural highest point at 345 feet.
Pierson is known as the fern capital of the world
Kissimmee Prairie Preserve is Florida’s first Dark Sky Park.
There are more than 1,000 springs in Florida.
Florida is home to 516 recorded species of birds.
Florida has the most thunderstorm activity in the country.
Florida has the highest percentage of people over 65.
There is no personal income tax in Florida.
Florida is famous for the highest auto insurance fraud in the nation amounting to 1 billion in 2011.
South Florida is the only place you can find both alligators and crocodiles in the wild.
Florida is the flattest state in the United States.
Fun Facts About Florida Tourism, Living and Population
There are more than 21.4 million people living in Florida who call the Sunshine State their home. Many more visit every year to enjoy a range of attractions including famous amusement parks like Disney World to local eats like Pineapple Willy’s. Read on to get the facts on Florida tourism and everyday living.
Florida is home to the World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum.
Fort Lauderdale is called, “The Venice of America” because of the 300 mile of inland waterways. It’s also included on their city seal!
Seaside was the primary filming location for “The Truman Show” starring Jim Carrey.
Seaside is the world’s first New Urbanist town.
Legends say Spanish Shanty Point on Shell Island is home to buried pirate treasure!.
Panama City Beach is known as the Wreck Capital of the South because of the several shipwrecks that happen off the Gulf Coast.
legends say spanish shanty point on shell island is home to buried pirate treasure
Okaloosa Island, Navarre Beach, Gulf Islands National Seashore, and Destin were filming locations for Jaws 2.
Plant City, the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World, holds the Guinness record for the world's largest Strawberry Shortcake. It was 827 square-feet and 6,000 pounds!
Ten Pulitzer Prizes have been awarded to writers who lived on Key West, including Ernest Hemingway.
Crystal River is the only place in North America where it is legal to have a supervised swim with gentle manatees.
The Florida Everglades are the only place in the world where alligators and crocodile co-exist.
Boca Raton comes from the Spanish "Boca de Ratones" meaning rat's mouth, a term used by seamen to describe a hidden rock a ship's cable might rub against.
A sampling of recent movies filmed in Florida include: 2 Fast 2 Furious, Sweet Home Alabama, Out of Time, Adaptation and the Punisher.
There are more than 54,000 nonstop flights between Florida’s airports. American Airlines and Silver Airways account for 80 percent of those flights.
Florida has the largest collection of Art Deo and Streamline Moderne buildings in the world.
Florida is the only state to have an embassy in Washington, D.C.
Florida has 26 officially designated scenic highways, and seven of them run parallel to the Atlantic Ocean. Five also are designated on a federal level as national scenic highways. And, the Florida Keys Scenic Highway is the only byway in the state designated as an All-American Road.
Pelican Island is the site of America’s first national wildlife refuge.
Clearwater is home to the most famous dolphin since Flipper. Winter lost her tail and nearly her life when she was found entangled in a crab trap line. Her rehabilitation, prosthetic tail and cheerful nature have inspired two Hollywood movies and thousands of daily visitors.
Sanibel and Captiva near Fort Myers are resort destinations, best known as the Seashell Capital of the World.
Florida has nearly 8,000 lakes of 10 or more acres in size.
The Saint Johns River in northeast Florida is one of the few rivers in the world that flows north instead of south.
The world's deepest freshwater spring is Wakulla Springs near Tallahassee.
The city of Lakeland in Polk County was named so because there are 19 lakes within city limits.
There are more than 800 the Florida Keys, stretching more than 180 miles! Key Largo is the longest key at 30 miles long and a half-mile wide.
DeFuniak Springs is home to one of the two naturally round lakes in the world, Lake DeFuniak.
Salvador Dali's monumental masterworks are at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.
The world's most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany resides at the Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park.
Miami Beach is home to one of only four international Art Basel exhibitions.
Florida produces more than 70 percent of the nation’s oranges.
Florida ranks #1 for tomatoes, grapefruit, sugarcane, snap beans, cucumbers, and oranges.
Florida was named for the day on which it was first seen (April 2, 1513) by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon, who called it La Florida in honor of Pascua Florida, the Spanish Feast of the Flowers (Easter).
The world’s first scheduled passenger airline service operated between St. Petersburg and Tampa, starting Jan. 1, 1914.
Daytona Beach’s City Island ballpark was the site of the first integrated professional baseball game. That stadium now is named after its brave hero, Jackie Robinson.
NASA’s first communication satellite – Echo 1 – was launched from Cape Canaveral on Aug. 12, 1960.
Jacksonville, in square miles, is the largest city in the contiguous United States.
Olustee is the site of the only major Civil War battle fought in Florida.
It’s claimed that the first sunblock was invented in Miami Beach, in 1944, by pharmacist Benjamin Green. Called Red Vet Pet (it was a red gel) it was used to protect American GIs from the sun in World War II. He later added cocoa butter to develop what eventually became suntan lotion.
NASA’s first communication satellite—Echo 1–was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on August 12, 1960. It was a metalized balloon satellite acting as a passive reflector of microwave signals.
Goliath, considered being the largest tortoise that ever lived, resided at the Life Fellowship Bird Sanctuary in Seffner, Florida, the USA from 1960-2002. He weighed 417 kg, was 135.8 cm (4 ft 5 in) long, 102 cm (3 ft 4 in) wide and 68.5 cm (2 ft 3 in) high.
Florida and California each produce fresh market tomatoes on 30,000-40,000 acres every year, which is equal to two-thirds of U.S. tomato acreage. Florida is the second-largest tomato-producing state.
Many locals may view Hialeah as the proverbial punching bag of Miami but the city has countless features that make it special and unique. Hialeah is home to an astounding number of rinconcitos eateries. From the El Rinconcito Peruano to the El Rinconcito Latino, residents are truly spoiled for choice and the list goes on.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo was America’s first underwater state park.
Florida has not only alligators and crocodiles, but also panthers, sea turtles, manatees and dolphins -- and at least 516 species of birds.
Florida provides life-sustaining habitat for endangered species such as the bald eagle, West Indian manatee, Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, Florida panther, humpback whale, Key deer, whooping crane, Gulf sturgeon, Apalachicola rosemary, torreya pines, and carnivorous pitcher plants.
The Great Florida Birding Trail is a statewide network of 510 wildlife viewing sites found along a flyway for migrating birds.
A woman in Florida, Alexzandria Wolliston, gave birth to two sets of twin in less than 12 months time. She delivered the first set of twin boys in March, 2019 and the second set in December, 2019. After the birth of her twins, she was told by her family that twins ran in both sides of her family. Interestingly, her maternal and paternal grandmothers had each delivered twins who died at birth.
On September 02, 2013, at the age of 64, Diana Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage or fins. She completed the dream run in 52 hr 54 min 18.6 seconds. She had attempted the 103-mile swim four times before she finally did it successfully.
The Walt Disney World Resort is in Florida. It is the planet’s most visited and biggest recreational resort. It was established in 1971 and is about the same size as San Francisco, California.
The Wreck Bar in Fort Lauderdale is a popular venue for locals and visitors thanks to the underwater performances by real-life mermaids. Patrons are treated to stunning displays as they enjoy delicious meals and beverages.
The world's first building constructed using skyscraper (internal beam & curtain wall) technology was Jacksonville's six-story Dyal Upchurch Building, built-in 1901.
The longest fishing pier in the world is a portion of the original Sunshine Skyway Bridge that extends one-and-a-half miles into Tampa Bay.
The Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building is the largest building in the world in terms of internal volume. Its ceiling is so high (at 525 feet/160 meters) that rain clouds can form inside the structure.
Wherever you go in Florida, you're never more than 60 miles from the beach.
Sand beaches, a Florida signature, account for 1,100 miles (1,770 km) of the state's 1,800 miles (2,898 km) of coastline.
Florida has more than 8,460 miles (13,620 km) of tidal shoreline, second only to Alaska in that category.
Florida beaches are home to 80 percent of loggerhead turtles in the United States.
In May 2002, St. Joseph Peninsula State Park in Northwest Florida's Port St. Joe was rated the No. 1 beach in America by Dr. Stephen Leatherman, a professor at Florida International University, known to the world as "Dr. Beach."
It has 175 state parks, 37 state forests, 12 national parks, preserves, seashores or monuments, three national forests, and one national scenic trail.
The Florida Everglades, containing 1.5 million acres of sawgrass, marshes, mangrove forests, hardwood hammocks and wetlands, is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States.
Florida’s Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park is the only state park certified by the International Dark-Sky Association.
Appropriately, it is also home to the World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, located in St. Augustine.
Florida is the boating and fishing capital of the world.
It has more than 7,700 lakes, 11,000 miles of rivers, 2,276 miles of tidal shoreline, and has produced more than 900 world fishing records, more than any other state, or country.
Florida has more than 700 freshwater springs. Of them, 27 are classified as first-magnitude springs, more than any other state.
Erik Jungkalus’ owner of Tony’s Clam Chowder in Cedar Key won the annual Knorr Great Chowder Cook-Off in 2009, 2020 and 2011. (Tony’s Clam Chowder)
Northwest Florida is affectionately nicknamed the “Florida Panhandle.” You can find delicious food, fun attractions, and family-friendly neighborhoods all around the area. Look through our list of interesting Florida Panhandle facts below before you check out the Emerald Coast.
Three of the five species of sea turtles found in the Gulf of Mexico nest on Pensacola Beach.
The cross on Pensacola Beach pays homage to the first Christian mass in the United States.
Pensacola was the first European settlement in the United States in 1559.
The Cape San Blas Lighthouse District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 7, 2015. (The Cape San Blas Lighthouse)
DeFuniak Springs is home to the oldest library in the state, Walton DeFuniak Library, established in 1886.
Florida tops the list of the nation’s most popular water parks.
The urban graffiti art of Miami's Wynwood Walls draws artists and visitors alike to this revitalized neighborhood. Walking tours and breweries are also part of the scene.
St. Petersburg's annual SHINE Mural Festival brings artists from around the world to paint on brick-and-mortar canvases.
The largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the world is in Lakeland at Florida Southern College.
Spring training baseball has been a Florida pastime for more than 100 years. Currently, 15 major league teams train in the Sunshine State.
Cape Canaveral has been the world’s launchpad for manned space flight, including the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and space shuttle missions.
Florida is home to 11 national parks. (National Park Service)
Florida produces more than 70 percent of the United States’ supply of citrus. (Visit Florida)
Florida is the second to Brazil in global production of orange juice.
As of 2017, Florida is ranked first in the U.S. for the production of fresh market tomatoes, fresh market snap beans, oranges, cucumbers, grapefruit, squash, and sugar cane. (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
Florida’s average temperature is 70.1 degrees Fahrenheit. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Nearly half of the tree species found in the U.S. grow in Florida. (Britannica)
Florida is ranked first in the U.S. for the production of fresh market tomatoes, fresh market snap beans, oranges, squash, sugar cane, and grapefruit.
The water temperature around Florida ranges from the low 50s in the winter and high 80s in the summer.
Florida has more than 1,000 golf courses.
Florida was ranked #1 in the United States for “Golfiness” based on qualities like the avidness of golfers and quantity and quality of courses.
About 950 people move to Florida on average per day.
Florida is ranked as the second-fastest growing state in the United States.
The Florida driver’s test does not require you to parallel park. (Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles)
Visitors added $85.9 billion to Florida’s economy in 2017.
Approximately 66.4 million people visited Florida by quarter three in 2020. (Visit Florida)
Tourism accounted for more than $3.22 billion of the total state sales tax collections.
Florida ranked as the third most populous state in 2019. (United States Census Bureau)
about 950 people move to Florida on average per day
Located along Adam Street in downtown Jacksonville, the John E. Goode Pre-Trial Detention Facility is a prison with a difference. The facility houses both a waterfront jail and police station with the courthouse located just 10 blocks away. Thousands of inmates enjoy panoramic views of downtown Jacksonville and the river.
People are used to seeing retailers specializing in unusual or weird merchandise to cater to a specific niche. However, one retail outlet in Miami takes specialty shopping to the next level by exclusively stocking fajas. This type of merchandise is a form of undergarment used to squeeze the fat to look slimmer.
Ocean and Gulf temperatures can reach well into the 80s during summer, and swimming is possible year-round in South Florida.
Florida has the longest coastline (1,197 statute miles) in the contiguous United States, with 825 miles of accessible beaches to enjoy.
It’s the only state that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Wherever you are in Florida, you're never more than 60 miles from the nearest body of salt water.
The state’s highest natural point, Britton Hill, is only 345 feet above sea level -- the lowest high point of any state in America.
Florida has more than 9,200 miles of hiking, bicycling, equestrian and shared-use trails and over 4,000 miles of paddling trails.
The U.S. state of Florida is also home to the world’s most dangerous tree – the Manchineel tree. All parts of the tree contain strong toxins. Mere contact with the sap from this tree can cause blisters on the skin. The tree is also known as “the beach apple” and “little apple of death.
The second most powerful rocket (capability refers to the maximum payload weight the rocket can deliver to Low-Earth Orbit.) currently in service is the Falcon Heavy built by SpaceX. It lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, USA. With its three booster cores and 27 engines, the rocket creates 22,819 kilo Newtons (5.13 million pounds-force) of thrust at lift-off at sea level. Its maiden flight took place on 6 February 2018.
Micheal C. Lynch created history when he played for the Southwest Florida Gladiators semi-professional American football team on 31 March 2018. It was not an ordinary football match for the player who scored for his team on that day as well. What makes the achievement Guinness record worthy is that at that time, Micheal was 68 years of age. Born in 1949, and playing his match in March 2018, Micheal C. Lynch holds the record of being the oldest American football athlete.
Agustina's Love Tree Café & Boutique, Florida.
Florida enjoys two time zones. Gulf County, is the only county that utilizes both the Eastern and Central Time Zones. Nine counties are 100% in the Central Time Zone while all other counties are in the Eastern Time Zone.
If you’re ever in Tampa Bay, you should take a walk alongside downtown Tampa with your walking shoes on. The Bayshore Boulevard is the world’s longest continuous sidewalk being a stretch of 4.5 miles. You’ll see a lot of cyclists, joggers, and tourists. On your side is the beautiful bay where you can see dolphins and manatees if you’re lucky!
While Venice has been getting all the hype for artificial waterways and canal, there’s a much bigger fish right here in the US. Cape Coral is a stunning gem on the Gulf Coast, home to the exciting river Caloosahatchee! However, the river isn’t the only thing that makes it spectacular. Cape Coral lies on Florida’s stunning Gulf Coast, and the fun-to-say Caloosahatchee River flows here. But that’s not all. Cape Coral has over 400 miles of waterways within the city, making it one of the world’s biggest interconnected waterway hubs!
The staff at Ceviche Tapas Bar & Restaurant in Tampa, Florida, set a world record on June 01, 2013, with more than 700 people to witness the achievement. They prepared the most massive pitcher of Sangria in a 9-foot pitcher. Not only the attempt won them the record-breaking punch but they graciously offered the punch to all the guests with the all-you-can-drink display.
In 2007 during the Easter weekend in Florida, there was another reason to rejoice as the region again made a Guinness world record. At the Cypress Gardens, Adventure Park in Winter Haven in Florida, 9,753 children came with their parents and was part of the most massive Easter egg hunt of 501,000 eggs.
The incredible feat of strength saw Adam Sandel from Orlando, Florida, setting a world record on December 08, 2018. His accomplishment stands at 68 pull-ups in sixty seconds! Interestingly, Adam has held the same world record three times earlier.
The NASA Apollo program launched the space rocket “The Saturn V” on November 09, 1967. Having a height of 363 ft and weighing 3,268 US tons, it made to the Guinness world records as the most massive rocket in the world.
Florida is home to the largest breeding population of bald eagles in the lower 48 states.
Gatorade was named for the University of Florida Gators football team, where the drink was first developed.
Naples claims to be the "Golf Capitol of the World" with more holes per capita than any other community. In addition, with more than 160 golf courses, Palm Beach County has more golf courses than any other county in the U.S.
Florida boasts more golf courses (1,370 and counting) than any other state in the U.S.
The World's Largest Hard Rock Café, featuring a vast multilevel Café, is located in Orlando, at Universal Orlando Resort in the CityWalk entertainment complex. This Hard Rock boasts more pieces of rock 'n' roll memorabilia than any other location, including Beatles bricks from The Cavern Club and the doors from Abbey Road Studios.
Famous rhythm-and-blues singer and pianist Ray Charles began his career playing dance-hall gigs in Tampa, Fla. In 1990, Charles received an honorary degree in music from the University of South Florida in Tampa.
Florida covers 58,560 square miles (94.282 square kilometers) of area, of which 4,298 square miles (6.920 square kilometers) are water.
Florida's southern tip at Key West is about 1,700 miles (2.740 kilometers) from the Equator, closer than any other point in the continental U.S.
Amelia Island, north of Jacksonville, is the only location in the U.S. to have been ruled under eight different national flags.
Sanibel Island is one of the 10 best beaches in the world for shelling, with more than 400 species.
Florida is also known for the establishment of the first commercial space launching industry in the United States. Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on July 16, 1969.
One-quarter of older Americans live in California, Florida, and Texas.
Florida is the flattest state in the U.S. followed by Illinois, North Dakota, Louisiana, Minnesota, Delaware, and Kansas.
Lake Okeechobee is the largest freshwater lake in Florida. It is also the third-largest freshwater lake (after Lake Michigan and Alaska’s Iliamna Lake) located completely within the United States.
Florida is the largest producer of citrus fruits in the United States. And the majority of the harvest of citrus fruits goes into juice making.
Florida is the world’s leading producer of grapefruit. Florida ranks second only to Brazil in global juice production.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida was a pioneer in Indian gaming, opening the country’s first large-stakes bingo hall on the Hollywood Reservation in 1979.
The John G. Riley House in Tallahassee is the only known house still in existence that was owned by a former slave.
Tallahassee, Florida's capitol city, was the only southern capitol east of the Mississippi River to remain in southern hands for the duration of the Civil War.
Santa Rosa County's Blackwater River State Forest area offers over a million acres of protected wilderness with miles of hiking trails and canoeing routes, dubbed the "Canoe Capitol of Florida."
More than 3,000 Seminole Indians live on six reservations throughout the state of Florida: Big Cypress, Brighton, Fort Pierce, Hollywood, Immokalee and Tampa.
More than 150 life-sized dinosaurs live in Plant City at an outdoor dinosaur museum called Dinosaur World.
64. If you love baseball, you might want to drop by Port St. Lucie. This city is famous for being everyone’s favorite, The Met’s training grounds. If you’re in town between February and March, you may see the Mets in all their glory practicing there. Are you planning to go down there in the summer? Don’t worry, The Mets may not be around, but you still can catch minor baseball games at Tradition Field.
There is only one state embassy in Washington and that is Florida House.
Rip currents kill more people in Florida during an average year than hurricanes, tornadoes, and lightning combined.
Florida has more toll roads and bridges than any other state in the Union.
St Johns River, Florida’s largest river is one of only a few major rivers that flow from south to north.
It’s warm year-round. The climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. The average temperature in Florida ranges from 65 to 70 degrees in the north, and from 74 to 77 degrees in the south.
The city of Fort Lauderdale is known as the Venice of America because of its canal system, with 165 miles of local waterways.
The fishing village of Cedar Key is renowned for having the best clam chowder in America.
The 156-mile-long Indian River Lagoon is North America’s most biologically diverse estuary.
Florida’s largest river, the St. Johns River, is one of only a few major rivers that flow from south to north.
Between Sugarloaf Key and Big Pine Key en route to Key West, you’ll pass a habitat for the elusive Key deer, the smallest deer in North America.
Orlando attracts more visitors than any other amusement park destination in the United States.
Seven of the 10 most visited theme parks are in Florida.
Walt Disney World Resort, opened in 1971, is the planet’s most visited and biggest recreational resort.
Greater Miami is the only metropolitan area in America with two national parks: Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park.
The birth of the modern-day PC took place in 1981 in Boca Raton. It was originally called the Acorn, and was named “Machine of the Year” by Time Magazine.
The small town of Pierson in Northeast Florida is known as the Fern Capital of the World.
You won’t find chain restaurants or sky-rise buildings on Anna Maria Island. In fact, all buildings measure three stories or less.
Florida became the 27th state on March 3, 1845.
A vote of students throughout the state chose the Florida Panther as the state’s official animal in 1982.
Florida officially adopted the state motto, “In God We Trust” in 2006.
The Florida legislature chose orange juice as the official state drink in 1967.
The orange blossom was designated Florida’s state flower in 1909.
the Florida state legislature designated the American alligator as Florida's official state reptile in 1987
Nature, Produce and Environmental Florida Tidbits
We all love Florida oranges, but did you know Florida is also a top producer for other types of produce like tomatoes and sugar cane? On top of being the main source of produce we use for lots of our favorite dishes and snacks, Florida is also home to many natural wonders like caves, freshwater springs, and great shrimping spots. Learn more fun facts about Florida’s surrounding environment.
The St. Johns River is 310 miles long and the longest river in Florida.
The Indian River Lagoon is designated an Estuary of National Significance and an Outstanding Florida Water.
Lake Okeechobee is the state’s largest lake at 700 square miles.
Florida is home to about 7,700 lakes. (Florida Department of State)
Florida is full of unique locations that everyone will love. You can find places great for snorkeling, hiking and more. Look through our points of interest to see what places you may be interested in visiting on your next Florida trip.
Destin is linked to fisherman Leonard Destin who settled in Florida around 1845.
Marianna is home to Florida Caverns State Park.
The City of Milton was originally called the Scratch Ankle.
Carrabelle established the World’s Smallest Police Station on March 10, 1963.
Florida is a peninsula, meaning it is almost completely surrounded by water. A peninsula is a piece of land that is surrounded on three sides by water. The one other side is connected to land. The east, west and south of Florida are surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico, and the North Atlantic Ocean.
The Florida Keys, a group of about 1,700 tiny islands, is a famous tourist attraction of the state.
Orlando is home to an entertainment center with a building constructed upside down. The Wonderworks building plays tricks on the visitors’ minds by make them think they are ‘seeing things.’ The center is billed as an amusement park for the mind because it captivates the imagination.
Minnesota usually steals the thunder when it comes to being a city filled with gorgeous water bodies, but it does have a strong contender: Orlando. Not only is the city home to over 100 lakes that make its scenic beauty irresistible, but one of its more famous lakes also has a deep secret. In reality, Lake Eola is just a giant sinkhole with its depth reaching 80 feet at the deepest point.
Fort Lauderdale has become an icon for being one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly cities in America. Not only does it have the highest percentage of same-sex couples than the rest of the country, but it also used to be host to one of the largest gatherings in the trans community. Unfortunately, the annual Southern Comfort Conference was ended last year. With such a diverse and open population, it comes as no surprise that Fort Lauderdale’s marketing spend focusing on the LGBTQ+ community is more than that anywhere in the entire country!
The onion-domed Phillips Mausoleum in Tallahassee grabs attention for its quaky mishmash of architectural styles. It generates a spooky feel as it looms large atop Oakland Cemetery’s south hill.
The rather magnificent display saw more than 121 food trucks parade for two days. The rally took place at the fairgrounds in Tampa, Florida. Generation Food Truck (USA) held the rally and also made the world record for having the largest parade of food trucks anywhere in the world.
People took their love for the “heroes in the half shell” to a new level when on 09 August 2014, a gathering of 1,394 people came together at the Nickelodeon Suites Resort (USA) in Orlando, Florida. Guinness was more than happy to include these enthusiasts in the list of record holders as to this day; it is the largest gathering of people in the world, dressed as ninja turtles!
Florida also holds the record of having the shortest donkey in the world. Born in October 2007, KneeHi is the shortest donkey measuring at 64.2 cm. The animal belongs to James, Frankie, and Ryan Lee (USA), and the donkey was ranked at the Best Friends Farm in Gainesville, Florida. On 26 July 2011, after measuring the brown jack using specific measurement techniques, Guinness named the donkey to be the shortest jack in the world.
Before the arrival of the Europeans in Florida, native American tribes have been living in the region for several thousand years.
Between 1763 and 1783, Florida was ruled by the British. Formally, Florida became a part of the U.S. in 1821.
Well, well, well, do we really need to get you interested in Miami? Here’s a fun tidbit to blow your mind, the sand we enjoy sunbathing on along the beach is not native at all! The gorgeous, pristine sand that lines the coast is imported from Caribbean beaches! Additionally, Florida state spends millions of dollars every year to restore the beaches with some top-notch sand.
Florida has the second longest coastline of all the contiguous states. Only Alaska has a longer coastline. It is also the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
The state also has the lowest high point (Britton Hill, at 345 feet above mean sea level) of any state.
Florida was named Florida after the first contact to the land was made by a Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon on April 2, 1513. The explorer named the region, La Florida (“land of flowers”).
39. Central Florida is known as the lightning capital of the United States because the region experiences more lightning strikes than anywhere else in the country.
The state also leads other states in the U.S. in tornadoes per year.
June 1 to November 30 is the hurricane season in Florida and it is the most hurricane-prone state in the U.S. Hurricanes in the past have cost the state billions in damages. For example, hurricane Andrew devastated the state in 1992 and lead to a loss of $25 billion in damages. Hurricane Katrina (damages estimated at $160 billion) and Wilma (damages estimated at $24.3 billion) are other hurricanes that have struck Florida in the past few years.
Florida has the largest collection of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne buildings in both the United States and the entire world.
Cuba is just 100 miles away from the southernmost tips of Florida’s peninsula.
Florida is ranked among the states with the fastest-growing immigration population. The reason is the rapid growth in the tourism sector in the state due to the climate and the scenery of the Sunshine State.
What’s better than a city which is showered in rain and pleasant weather every day? St. Petersburg, affectionately called the “Sunshine City,” is where the sun is always out. We’re not just saying that it holds the Guinness World Record for the longest sunshine stretch in America. Back in 1967 began St Petersburg’s 768 days of the sunny sky!
Castillo de San Marcos (a symbol of former Spanish power, a national monument now), built in 1672-95 in St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest masonry fort standing in the United States.
The world’s first scheduled passenger airline service operated between St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida. The first flight on this route took place on January 1, 1914. The flight’s pilot was Tony Jannus and the first paying passenger was Abram C. Pheil, former mayor of St. Petersburg. The 21-mile (34-kilometer) flight across the bay to Tampa took 23 minutes.
Cape Coral hosts a mind-boggling number of burrowing owls, which are known for their tiny frames. It comes as no surprise that locals host the Burrowing Owl Festival every year to celebrate the species.
Chihuly Collection in St. Petersburg, FL, is a stunning set of large-scale glass artworks and installations created by Dale Chihuly. The collection includes several massive chandeliers that resemble giant crystalline tube worms. Some of the outstanding works include electric Tumbleweeds suspended from the roof in a building designed to host the Chihuly’s world-class collection.
Port Saint Lucie is undoubtedly a Halloween wonderland that never fails to captivate the imagination. It hosts countless haunted venues that will keep visitors intrigued. The city compares favorably with top venues in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale.
Florida has the world’s largest occupied wooden structure – The Belleview Biltmore Resort and Spa.
Jacksonville, Florida is the largest city in the conterminous United States. It is also the most populous municipality in the state. Anaconda, Montana is the second largest city in the contiguous United States.
Mechanical refrigeration was invented in Florida in 1851 by Dr. John Gorrie.
In Florida, it is illegal to confine a pregnant pig to a cage.
According to a law in Florida, it is mandatory for all doors to open outward in public buildings.
In 2018, Florida was home to 52 billionaires.
The phrase "cool as a cucumber" originates in Florida. On a hot Florida day, the pulp of a cucumber can be up to 10 degrees cooler than the surrounding air.
The Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee is home to the largest collection of Spanish-colonial gold and silver (not including private ownership).
Pensacola's nickname is the "City of Five Flags" because throughout its history it has been under the rule of the Spanish, French, English, Americans and Confederates.
Manatee County in southwest Florida is named for the gentle, slow-moving marine mammal once thought by sailors to be mermaids.
Islamorada, in the Florida Keys, was named for the Spanish word meaning "purple island."
Thomas Edison and Henry Ford had neighboring winter homes in Fort Myers.
In 1987 the Florida Legislature designated the American alligator the official state reptile.
Venice, in southwest Florida, is known as the Shark Tooth Capital of the World.
The nation's smallest post office is located in Ochopee, Florida near Naples.
Florida is home to six underwater preserves: the Wreck of the Half Moon, Urca de Lima, San Pedro, The City of Hawkinsville, USS Massachusetts, SS Copenhagen, and SS Tarpon.
The coral reef found in Key West is the third-largest in the world and the largest in North America.

Now you have a wealth of knowledge about the Sunshine State to impress your friends and family with! Whether you're planning a trip to Florida or simply want to expand your knowledge, these 270 facts have provided an in-depth look at all that the state has to offer. From its unique flora and fauna to its bustling tourism industry, Florida truly is a one-of-a-kind destination.

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