Daytona Beach Area
Daytona Beach is rich in history. In addition to the 23 miles of white sand beaches, the community is overflowing with sporting venues, museums, band shell concerts, nightlife, parks, wildlife, water activities, and family fun.
Daytona Beach lies about 56 miles from Orlando, 89 miles from Jacksonville, and 261 miles from Miami. The population is approximately 74,000 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 sand made Daytona Beach a mecca for motorsports, and the old Road Course hosted races for over 50 years. It was replaced in 1959 by Daytona International Speedway. The city is also the headquarters for NASCAR.
Daytona Beach hosts large groups of visitors that descend upon the city for various events, notably Speedweeks in early February when over 150,000 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 attractions include the Museum of Arts and Sciences, Halifax Historical Museum, and traveling performances and shows that take place at the historical Peabody Auditorium.