Daytona Beach Area
Daytona Beach is rich with history , in addition to the 23 miles of white sand beaches , the community is overflowing with sporting venues , museums , band shell concerts , night life , parks , wildlife , water activities , and family fun .
Daytona Beach lies about 51 miles from Orlando , 86 miles from Jacksonville , and 242 miles from Miami . The population is approximately 70,000 and is a principal city of Volusia County . The city is historically known for its beach where the hard-packed sand allows motorized vehicles to drive on the beach in restricted areas . This hardpacked sand made Daytona Beach a mecca for motorsports , and the old Daytona Beach Road Course hosted races for over 50 years . This was replaced in 1959 by Daytona International Speedway . The city is also the headquarters for NASCAR .
Daytona Beach hosts large groups of out-of-towners that descend upon the city for various events , notably Speedweeks in early February when over 200,000 NASCAR fans come to attend the season-opening Daytona 500 . Other events include the NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400 race in August , Bike Week in early March , Biketoberfest in late October , and the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race in January .
Other activities include the Museum of Arts and Sciences , Halifax Historical Museum , and traveling performances and shows that take place at the historical Peabody Auditorium .