Daytona Beach is a city located in

Daytona Beach is a city located in Volusia County, East Central Florida.

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  The Greater Daytona Beach Area also includes Daytona Beach Shores, Holly Hill, Port Orange, Ponce Inlet, South Daytona, Ormond Beach and unincorporated areas of East Volusia County.
  

A Welcome greeting to visitors as they enter Daytona Beach and drive past Daytona International Speedway.

Daytona Beach, famous as the "World Center of Racing" and home of NASCAR, is part of the East Central Florida greater metropolitan area. Daytona Beach is the best known of the seven area communities. Although the wide 23-mile (37km) stretch of white sandy beach is still the biggest attraction here, with over 8 million visitors flocking to the area every year, the metro area is rapidly changing from event Mecca to family oriented resort destination. Historical sites like the Main Street Pier, the Oceanfront Boardwalk and the Clocktower in Oceanfront Park add to the appeal of this exciting city.

History

Daytona was founded in 1870 by Matthias Day, from whom it takes its name. It was incorporated as a city in 1876. The separate towns of Daytona,Daytona Beach and Seabreeze merged to form Daytona Beach in 1926. In the 1920s, the city became known as The World's Most Famous Beach.

Daytona's wide beach of smooth, compacted sand attracted automobile and motorcycle enthusiasts beginning in 1902, when pioneers in the industry tested their inventions. On 8 March 1936, the first stock car race was held on the Daytona Beach Course. In 1959, William France created Daytona International Speedway to replace the beach course.

Automobiles are still permitted on the beach — at much slower speeds! Daytona is one of the few places in the world where a family car can be driven on an ocean beach.

Climate

The city of Daytona Beach sits on the breezy shore of the Atlantic Ocean and is split in two by the Halifax River. It is bordered on the north by Holly Hill and Ormond Beach and on the south by Daytona Beach Shores, South Daytona, and Port Orange.

Daytona Beach has a humid subtropical climate typical of the lower latitudes. Summers are hot and humid with highs usually in the 90s (32+°C)and a heat index often exceeding 100°F (38°C). Thunderstorms are frequent in summer afternoons as the heat builds, and quick summer downpours are common. Warm and sunny weather prevails in Daytona Beach in September, October, and November with highs in the upper 70's F and low 80's F and warm ocean surf temperatures. Winters are generally dry, sunny, and mild, with high temperatures in the upper 60's F and lows in the middle 40's F. Occasional cold fronts make it all the way south down the East Coast to give Daytona Beach a few cool days with highs only in the low 50's F and lows in the middle 30's F, although freezes are rare. Temperatures in spring are famously pleasant with warm afternoons, cool evenings, and less humidity. The beach season in Daytona Beach normally runs from early March to late November.

Get in

The Daytona Beach Clocktower, an unusual landmark near the beach, dedicated to Sir Malcolm Campbell.

By plane

You can fly into Daytona Beach International Airport (IATA: DAB) [2], which is located adjacent to the Daytona Speedway and is served by Delta Air Lines, US Airways, and recently JET Blue added direct flights from NYC.. Other airports nearby are Orlando International (MCO) orJacksonville International (JAX), both of which are approximately an hour away.

VOTRAN's #18 & #19 buses connect the airport to Downtown Dayton Beach. 

Orlando-Sanford International Airport (IATA: SFB) is about 30 miles (48 km) west of the city in Sanford. Several flights from the United Kingdom, including those from Belfast, land here. If you are flying Allegiant Air from within the U.S. or Icelandair from Iceland, you will land at Sanford Airport.

By car

Daytona Beach is easily accessible by interstate I-95 which runs north and south and I-4 (east-west) which connects Daytona Beach with Orlando and Tampa. U.S. Highway 1 (north-south) (Ridgewood Avenue) also passes through Daytona Beach. A1A (north-south) is a scenic route along the beach.

By bus

Daytona Beach is served by Greyhound Bus Lines, which has a terminal at 138 South Ridgewood Avenue (U.S.-1). The Greyhound routes from Daytona Beach connect with hubs in Jacksonville and Orlando.

By train

Amtrak offers the Amtrak Auto Train service with its southern Terminus in Sanford. 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 Daytona after departing from the Auto Train.

Amtrak offers regular passenger service with the closest stop being near the city of DeLand. Connecting thruway bus service is offered from the DeLand station to the Hilton Oceanwalk resort in Daytona Beach.

By boat

Daytona Beach is not a major port, however, it is accessible by private boats via the Intracoastal Waterway, from both the Halifax River and the Atlantic Ocean. Refueling services are available at the Halifax Harbor Marina the City of Daytona’s Public Marina.

By shuttle

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  Daytona-Orlando Airport Shuttle, 665 Beville Rd, ☎ [phone], 
  
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  Daytona-Orlando Transit Service, 1034 N Nova Rd, ☎ [phone], 
  

By car

Getting around by car is very easy and convenient in Daytona Beach. The major roads are all wide and easy to drive on with all the major areas signposted, but traffic jams around major intersections are common in the afternoons and around the tourist areas on Saturday nights.

The main tourism area is A1A, also known as Atlantic Avenue, a strip of road that runs parallel to the beach for 23 miles (37 km). During major NASCAR races, International Speedway Boulevard gets congested near the racetrack and traffic patterns on other surrounding roads are altered to accommodate the extra traffic. During major motorcycle events, Main Street and Beach Street as well as most of A1A and U.S. Highway 1 experience heavy traffic or are closed. I-95 around exit 273 is also extremely busy during motorcycle rallies.

All major car rental companies are located in or near the Daytona Beach International Airport.

Ryan Newman & Matt Kenseth compete at the 2008 Daytona 500 Race

By Motorcycle

If you are coming to Daytona Beach for a motorcycle rally, you will probably want to rent a motorcycle instead of a car. You should reserve one well in advance of the major biker rallies. Florida requires a motorcycle endorsement on your license, you must have it to rent a motorcycle.

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  Daytona Harley Davidson, 290 North Beach St, ☎ [phone]
  

By bus

VOTRAN, ☎ [phone], [12]. VOTRAN is the name of the Volusia County bus service, which connects to Daytona Beach International Airport. 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. A one-day VOTRAN bus pass costs $3. Service is operated 7 days a week, but only on certain routes edit [13]

Transfer Stations

Transfer Plaza, Bethune Blvd and N Palmetto Ave.

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  Intermodal Transit Facility (inside Volusia County Parking Garage), 701 Earl St at N Atlantic Ave.
  

Bus Tracking

Buses can be tracked using the following app, so customers can see if their bus is delayed. [14]

Taxi and Limosine

Taxi Service If you need a taxi cab, you need to use the telephone to call for one. Cabs in the Daytona Beach area will not stop if you only wave at them.

Taxi companies include:

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  Yellow Cab, ☎ [phone] 
  
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  Southern Komfort Taxi, ☎ [phone]
  
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  All Florida Cab, ☎ [phone]
  
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  Beach Taxi, ☎ [phone]
  
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  Daytona Limos, (toll free: [phone]
  

Arts

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  Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center and Visual Arts Gallery, 698 W International Speedway Blvd, ☎ [phone]. Offers performances of Broadway musicals, operas, and symphonies
  
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  News-Journal Center, 221 N Beach St, ☎ [phone]
  

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  Peabody Auditorium, 600 Auditorium Blvd, ☎ [phone], Home of the London Symphony Orchestra on tour; the Daytona Beach Symphony Society; and the Daytona Beach Civic Ballet. 
  

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  Daytona Beach Bandshell, Earl St, ☎ [phone],  Live performances on a beachside stadium.  
  

Museums

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  Museum of Arts and Sciences, 352 S Nova Rd, ☎ [phone].  The museum hosts traveling exhibitions and has galleries in its permanent collection featuring Chinese, African and Cuban art, and the most complete fossil record discovered in Florida, highlighted by a 13-foot skeleton of a Giant Ground Sloth. A planetarium is also on-site featuring laser concerts and educational shows. The museum also hosts a very active line-up of programs and events for every interest and age group
  
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  Halifax Historical Museum, 252 S Beach St, ☎ [phone],. Located downtown in the former Merchants Bank building, the museum highlights the history of the Daytona Beach area with exhibits on local lifestyle and influential people. Some exhibits include a portrait of Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of Bethune-Cookman University, and a look at the resort hotels that once graced the beachfront. 
  
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  Southeast Museum of Photography, 1200 W International Speedway Blvd, ☎ [phone],. Located at Daytona State College in the new state of the art Mori Hosseini Hospitality Center, the Southeast Museum of Photography features collections from various local and world-renowned artists
  

Parks

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  Sun Splash County Park, 611 S Atlantic Ave, Sunrise-Sunset. Sun Splash Park features an interactive water fountain, decorative walkways, a shaded playground, volleyball courts, picnic areas, restrooms, outdoor showers, two beach access ramps and a Coca-Cola-sponsored "cool zone." The four-acre facility also provides 95 off-beach parking spaces. Free.  
  
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  Robert Strickland Shooting Range (County), 1180 Indian Lake Rd, ☎ [phone]. Tues-Sun 9AM-5PM. The Robert Strickland Shooting Range is built to National Rifle Association standards. It includes a state-of-the-art baffling and berm system to ensure shooter safety and avoid stray bullets. $5/day, $50/semi-annual, $80/annual
  
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  Bethune Point Park, 11 Bellevue Ave, 
  
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  City Island Park 
  
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  Colins Park 
  
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  Daisy Stocking Park (The Bandshell) 
  
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  Derbyshire Park 
  
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  Jackie Robinson Ballpark 
  
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  Tuscawilla Park 
  
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  J. Saxton LLoyd Riverfront Park 
  
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  Shangri-La Mini Park
  
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  Samuel Butts Youth Archaeological Park & Recreational 
  

Jackie Robinson Stadium in Daytona Beach, FL.

Sports Teams

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  Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats - The Wildcats play baseball at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
  
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  Daytona State College Falcons - The Falcons compete in five Division I NJCAA sports including Men's and Women's Basketball, Baseball, Fast Pitch Softball and Women's Golf.
  
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  Daytona Tortugas, E Orange Ave, ☎ [phone], [37]. The Cincinnati Reds' affiliate in the Class A Advanced Florida State League plays at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
  
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  Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Eagles - The Eagles baseball team plays on campus at Silwa Stadium. The Eagles basketball and volleyball play on campus at the ICI Center. There is also the Eagles Soccer team and Eagles Tennis team.
  

Statues and Monuments

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  Dale Earnhardt Sr. Statue, 1801 W International Speedway Blvd. (In front of Daytona International Speedway),  Sunrise to Sunset.Daytona Beach's version of the "Rocky" statue, representing the late NASCAR driver who won the 1998 Daytona 500 Race. Earnhardt died while racing here in 2001. Free.
  
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  Daytona 200 Motorcycle Race Memorial, 65 Boardwalk (approximate) (Daisy Stocking Park). Sunrise to Sunset. Memorial to the Daytona 200 Motorcycle Race, which started on the beach in 1937. A large black marker in the center is surrounded by a plaza with smaller markers and paver bricks. Free
  
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  Daytona Beach Clocktower, 60 Boardwalk (approximate) (Daisy Stocking Park). Sunrise to Sunset. A memorial to Sir Malcolm Campbell and the Racing Time Trials that were held on the beach, near this location. A plaque dedicated to Campbell is at the base of the Clocktower. Free.  
  
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  Veterans Memorial at Riverfront Park, 155 North Beach Street (Riverfront Park). Sunrise to Sunset. Daytona Beach's Memorial to veterans of all wars. Small plaza in Riverfront Park with various markers and plaques. Free
  
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  Wright Flyer Sculpture, 600 S Clyde Morris Blvd. (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Jack Hunt Library), Sunrise to Sunset. A life-size sculpture of the Wright Brothers plane that was made by artist Larry Godwin. It sits parked in front of the Jack Hunt Memorial Library at the Embry-Riddle University Campus. Free