The 5 Top Central Florida Cities & 3 Runners Up

Tampa and Orlando are the major cities in Central Florida. You could also say the Villages was a major city but only because of population and it's size based on square miles. But where are the top places to live and to raise a family?

Central Florida | Tampa Bay

The Top Two Central Florida Cities Have To Be A Big City

Orlando the City Beautiful and Tampa FL the Big Guava. Of those two, obviously we think Tampa FL solely based on the entirety of Tampa Bay is the superior city. I also run several websites in Orlando Florida and have written thousands of articles about both and logged hundreds of thousands of miles here.

1. Tampa Bay would have no soul without the city of Tampa Florida. The rich history and beautiful downtown area are second to none. It doesn't hurt that the area is diverse in the sense that there is a home for nearly everyone. This is the largest city population wise in Central Florida.

   North Tampa is more affordable and in some places even more rural. Downtown Tampa is modern, walkable and filled with attractions and events. Not to mention your ability to take a cruise or water taxi.

   South Tampa and Western Tampa Bay have the beach, luxury home and just so much more. One trip over to Clearwater Beach and I was sold. Truly this is an amazing location in the best region of Florida. Think, limitless attractions for residents and visitors.

2. Orlando Florida is near the center of Central Florida. Often overlooked in downtown Orlando which is rivaled only by the one we have here. Lake Eola Park is amazing and has many events, restaurants and nightlife attractions. The Orlando is the largest city & Metropolitan Area is larger than Tampa's.

   The elephant in the room per say is of course the theme parks. True Orlando definitely wins that department aver any other areas. Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios and the largest collection of amusement parks in the nation draw over 70,000,000 people per year. This is the most popular destination in America and the parks provide diverse opportunities for those seeking employment.

Cities That Should Be New Attractions To Most

Winter Haven FL & Lake Wales are very affordable and growing cities in Central Florida. You will find 50 lakes inside of the Winter Haven. 3 chains or interconnected lakes allow you to go boating all day long. There is a water park and the iconic Cypress Gardens is now Legoland Florida Resort and Peppa Pig which is a fun theme park for the very young at heart that maybe aren't ready for a larger park yet. Nearby is a massive outdoor park known as Bok Tower Gardens.

Lakeland Florida & Plant City Florida are between the top cities in Central Florida. Located a stones throw from Winter Haven Lakeland is famous for Lake Hollingsworth and all of the Frank Lloyd Wright architecture at the local college. The interstate system places you at the beach or Walt Disney World in about 1 hour. The city is in Polk County and the county seat is Bartow 5 minutes to the south.

Mount Dora is a small town to the north of the Orlando Metro Area. This is a quaint community located among several other towns you may want to discover. It is further located just north of Lake Apopka which is one of the largest lakes in Central Florida for you to explore. The Lake Apopka Trails is one of the longer nature trails in the state.

Kissimmee Florida is also overlooked. Once famous for orange groves alone Lake Toho or Lake Tohopekaliga is a now famous boating and fishing lake. It of course does not hurt to have Disney on the north side of the city. Haines City is to the west and Haines City offers more affordable housing and access to US-27 to get to the theme parks.

Winter Garden FL & Windermere FL are two amazing cities that border Walt Disney World property. These areas are fairly pricey and well worth it. Imagine seeing the fireworks from the swimming pool in your back yard. Then imagine being in a beautiful lakefront home or in a gated community. That is what you will find here. To the west is Clermont Florida and rolling hills and to the east is Orlando. Downtown Orlando is 20 minutes and a world away from these two Central Florida cities.

Finally Winter Park is a medium sized town north of Orlando. Winter Park is where a lot of money moves to just to be separated from Orlando. Red brick streets, luxury homes and countless attractions and lakes are to be explored. Not to mention being minutes away from the attractions at Lake Eola Park. Dining, historic buildings are hard to find here. Think north Florida and St Augustine for a historic district. These are the best Central Florida cities.