Editing Sanford, Florida

{{Short description|City in Florida, United States}}
{{About|the city in Florida||Sanford (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| name               = Sanford, Florida
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities in Florida|City]]
| image_skyline      = Sanford Grammar School1.jpg
| image_caption      = The Sanford Grammar School in January 2007
| image_emblem       = 
| image_seal         = Seal of Sanford, FL.PNG
| seal_size          = 
| seal_alt           = 
| seal_link          = List of U.S. county and city insignia
| seal_type          = Seal
| image_shield       = 
| shield_size        = 
| shield_alt         = 
| shield_link        = 
| image_blank_emblem = Logo of Sanford, Florida.png
| blank_emblem_link  = List of U.S. county and city insignia
| blank_emblem_size  = 
| blank_emblem_alt   = 
| blank_emblem_type  = Wordmark
| nickname           = "Celery City"
| image_map          = Seminole County Florida Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sanford Highlighted.svg
| map_caption        = Location in [[Seminole County, Florida|Seminole County]] and the U.S. state of [[Florida]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|28|47|21|N|81|16|33|W|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. states|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Florida]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Florida|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Seminole County, Florida|Seminole]]
| established_title  = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date   = September 29, 1877
| founder            = [[Henry Shelton Sanford]]
| government_type    = [[Council–manager government|Commission–Manager]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Art Woodruff
| leader_title1      = [[City Council|Commissioners]]
| leader_name1       = Sheena Rena Britton,<br>Patrick Austin,<br>Patty Mahany, and<br>Kerry S. Wiggins, Sr.
| leader_title2      = [[City Manager]]
| leader_name2       = Norton N. Bonaparte, Jr.
| leader_title3      = [[City Clerk]]
| leader_name3       = Traci Houchin
| leader_title4      = [[City Attorney]]
| leader_name4       = William L. Colbert
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_12.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=December 2, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi   = 27.18
| area_land_sq_mi    = 23.58
| area_water_sq_mi   = 3.60
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 39
| population_as_of   = 2020
| population_est     = 66919 {{gain}}
| pop_est_as_of      = 2024
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name="d252">{{cite web | title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Sanford city, Florida | website=Census Bureau QuickFacts | date=2024-07-01 | url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanfordcityflorida/LFE041223 | access-date=2025-05-15}}</ref>
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 61051
| population_density_sq_mi = 2589.21
| population_urban   = 1,510,516 ([[List of United States urban areas|32nd, U.S.]])
| population_metro   = 2,267,846 ([[List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas|26th, U.S.]])
| timezone1          = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset1        = -5
| timezone1_DST      = EDT
| utc_offset1_DST    = -4
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code        = 32771, 32773
| area_code          = [[Area code 321|321]], [[Area codes 407 and 689|407, 689]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 12-63650
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2405418<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2405418}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|sanfordfl.gov}}
| footnote           = 
| area_total_km2     = 70.39
| area_land_km2      = 61.07
| area_water_km2     = 9.32
| population_density_km2 = 999.68
}}

'''Sanford''' is a city and the [[county seat]] of [[Seminole County, Florida]], United States. It is located in [[Central Florida]] and its population was 61,051 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. It is part of the [[Greater Orlando|Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

Known as the "Historic Waterfront Gateway City", Sanford sits on the southern shore of [[Lake Monroe (Florida)|Lake Monroe]] at the [[head of navigation]] on the [[St. Johns River]]. Native Americans first settled the area thousands of years before the city was formed.{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}} The [[Seminole]]s arrived in the area in the 18th century. During the [[Second Seminole War]] in 1836, the [[United States Army]] established Camp Monroe and built a road now known as Mellonville Avenue. Sanford is about {{convert|20|mi}} northeast of [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]].

Sanford is home to [[Seminole State College of Florida]] and the [[Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens]]. Its downtown attracts tourists with shops, restaurants, a marina, and a lakefront walking trail. The [[Orlando Sanford International Airport]], in the heart of the town, functions as the secondary commercial airport for international and domestic carriers in the Orlando metropolitan area.

==History==

===Early history===
The [[Mayaca people|Mayaca]] or [[Jororo]] [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indians]] inhabited the shores of [[Lake Monroe (Florida)|Lake Monroe]] at the time of European contact. By 1760, however, war and disease had decimated the tribe, which would be replaced by the [[Seminole]].  Florida was [[Adams–Onís Treaty|acquired]] by the United States from Spain in 1821, but the [[Seminole Wars]] would delay settlement.  

In 1835, during the [[Second Seminole War]] the port of [[Palatka, Florida|Palatka]] on the [[St. Johns River]], then the major artery into [[Central Florida]] from the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]], was burned.  Consequently, a U.S. Army [[garrison]] was established upstream, on the southern side of Lake Monroe near a [[trading post]].  Established as Camp Monroe in 1836, the site was enclosed by log breastwork on three sides but open to the river, with approximately 300 men based there.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.legendsofamerica.com/fort-mellon-florida/|title = Fort Mellon, Florida – Legends of America}}</ref> The camp was attacked by allied Seminoles on February 8, 1837.  It would be strengthened and renamed Fort Mellon in honor of Captain Charles Mellon, the sole American casualty of the attack.  During the war, General [[Zachary Taylor]] had a road built connecting a string of military defenses from Lake Monroe to [[Fort Brooke]] (now [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]]).  

The town of Mellonville was founded around Fort Mellon in 1842 by Daniel Stewart.  In 1845, [[Florida]] became a [[U.S. state]]. That same year, Mosquito County was renamed [[Orange County, Florida|Orange County]] and the [[county seat]] was moved from [[Enterprise, Florida|Enterprise]] to Mellonville. Orange groves were planted, with the first fruit packing plant built in 1869.

[[Image:Looking Northwest from Sanford House, Sanford, FL.jpg|thumb|Lake Monroe, circa 1912|left]]

===Early years as Sanford===
In 1870, "General" [[Henry Shelton Sanford]] bought {{convert|12548|acre|km2}} to the west of Mellonville and laid out the community of Sanford.  Believing it would become a transportation hub, he called it "The Gateway City to South Florida." Sanford imported two colonies of [[Swedish people|Swedes]] (totaling about 150 adults) as [[indentured servants]] <!-- indentured servitude had been abolished in 1865, in a minor and obscure incident in American history! **Really? So the 1864 "Act to Encourage Immigration" was repealed in 1865?  Then why was there an act to repeal it in 1868?  And why was there an act to end indentured servitude, the Alien Contract Labor Law (or, Foran Act) passed in 1885?  Because indentured servitude thrived in the postbellum period.  --> to labor a year for their travel
expenses.<ref>[https://www.seminole.wateratlas.usf.edu/upload/documents/317_earlydays.pdf Early days] seminole.wateratlas.usf.edu {{dead link|date=September 2023}}</ref> The Swedes would do the back-breaking work of establishing a new town and clearing the sub-tropical wilderness in advance of creating a citrus empire, arriving by [[steamboat]] in 1871.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VVcoAQAAIAAJ&q=%27A+Decidedly+Mutinous+Spirit%27:+The+%27Labor+Problem%27+in+the+Postbellum+South+as+an+Exercise+of+Free+Labor%22+in+%27%27Florida%27s+Working-Class+Past%27%27
 |access-date=2012-03-22
 |first=Mark Howard |last=Long
 |chapter=A Decidedly Mutinous Spirit: The Labor Problem in the Postbellum South as an Exercise of Free Labor
 |title=Florida's working-class past: current perspectives on labor, race, and gender from Spanish Florida to the new immigration
 |editor1-first=Robert  |editor1-last=Cassanello
 |editor2-first=Melanie |editor2-last=Shell-Weiss
 |year=2008 |pages=86 & seq
 |publisher=[[University Press of Florida]]
 |isbn=978-0813032832
 |location=[[Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville]]
 |others=foreword by Richard Greenwald and Timothy Minchin
 |lccn=2008025022}}</ref>

Incorporated in 1877 with a population of 100, Sanford absorbed Mellonville in 1883. In April of that year, President [[Chester A. Arthur]] arrived by steamer to vacation for a week at the Sanford House, a lakeside hotel built in 1875 and expanded in 1882.

Meanwhile, Sanford was becoming a hub of rail transportation. The [[South Florida Railroad]] opened a [[Narrow-gauge railway|narrow-gauge]] route from Sanford to Orlando in 1880, and eventually built a connection to the [[Port of Tampa]] by the end of 1883.<ref name="TBT">{{cite web |title=First Railroads in Tampa |url=http://tampabaytrains.com/firstRailroadsInTampa.htm |website=Tampa Bay Trains |access-date=2 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615141631/http://tampabaytrains.com/firstRailroadsInTampa.htm |archive-date=June 15, 2021 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Standard-gauge railway|standard-gauge]] [[Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railroad]] opened a route from Sanford to [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]] in 1886, completing a rail link across the peninsula.<ref name=Pettengill>{{Cite book|last=Pettengill|first=George W. Jr.|title=The Story of the Florida Railroads 1834–1903|publisher=The Southeast Chapter of The Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Inc.|year=1998|series=Bulletin of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Inc.|volume=86|location=Jacksonville, Florida|edition=Reprint|pages=80–82|orig-date=1952}}</ref> The [[Orange Belt Railway]], another narrow-gauge line, was established in 1885 and reached [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]] in 1888.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hensley |first1=Don |title=History of the Orange Line |url=http://trn.trains.com/en/Railroad%20Reference/Ask%20Trains/2011/04/History%20of%20the%20Orange%20Line.aspx |website=Trains.com |publisher=Kalmbach Publishing Co. |access-date=2 October 2024 |ref=HOLtrains |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715114732/http://trn.trains.com/en/Railroad%20Reference/Ask%20Trains/2011/04/History%20of%20the%20Orange%20Line.aspx |archive-date=July 15, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> (All three of these railroads would become part of the [[Plant System]] in the 1890s, and the narrow-gauge lines were standardized.) Easy access to transportation soon made the area the largest shipper of oranges in the world.

In 1887, the city suffered a devastating fire, followed the next year by a statewide epidemic of [[yellow fever]].  When the [[Great Freeze]] of 1894 and 1895 ruined the citrus industry, farmers diversified by growing vegetables as well. [[Celery]] was first planted in 1896, and because of this Sanford is nicknamed the "Celery City."

On December 1, 1891, merchant William Clark and registered African American voters of [[Goldsboro, Florida|Goldsboro]] incorporated as a town just to the southwest of Sanford.<ref name=Bentley>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JAvgrZ8XMA0C | title=Seminole County | publisher=Arcadia Publishing | author=Bentley, Altermese Smith | year=2000 | page=57 | isbn=978-0738506340}}</ref><ref name=Brown>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_1iRfGqI2LAC&q=Goldsboro | title=Florida's Black Public Officials, 1867-1924 | publisher=University Alabama Press | author=Brown, Canter | year=1998 | pages=40, 74, 80, 94, 100, 126, 140, 171, 176–177 | isbn=0817309152}}</ref>

In 1878, Mrs. Henry Sanford created the first library for public use in Sanford. A room was provided with a few books and a paid librarian. The initial library failed. In 1889, Mrs. Thrasher and Mrs. A.M. Deforest attempted to revive the library project with the aid of the Wednesday Club, the president, Mrs. Brown encouraged the women to begin fundraising efforts. The effort's fundraising progress was slow and sporadic. A Subscription library was established in a storefront on First Street. Mrs. Duver was the librarian at this location. The library later moved to Magnolia Avenue next to the theatre at this location the library was run by volunteers.<ref>Sanford Herald, DeForrest, A.M..(January 21, 1924, republished March 31, 2002)"'Sanford people did not want to read:' An early history of the city's library". p. 12A</ref> The library grew at this location, until it moved in 1914 to the Women's Club on Oak Avenue.<ref>Sanford Herald. "Library is Moving".v.VI #37 p. 1. December 29, 1914</ref> An official Public Library was built and opened in 1924 on 5th Street. This library was supported by the City of Sanford.

===20th century===
In 1911, the community of Sanford Heights seceded from Sanford, because of discord over municipal services provided by Sanford. This added to concerns that Sanford's ability to expand would be constrained by the surrounding towns of Goldsboro, Georgetown and Sanford Heights, as well as [[Lake Monroe (Florida)|Lake Monroe]] to the west. [[Florida State Representative]] and former Sanford mayor [[Forrest Lake (politician)|Forrest Lake]] led legislative efforts to curtail Sanford Heights' ability to incorporate as an independent entity. Goldsboro was also a target in Forrest Lake's annexation process, prompting Goldsboro's leaders to start a letter writing campaign to local newspapers.<ref name=Imperiale>{{cite news | url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:ORLB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EB4EEC5C76E2BE6&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0FB3382EE6AD1E46 | title=Discovering A Lost City Historian Finds Surprising Past of the Goldsboro Community | date=May 20, 1990 | agency=[[Orlando Sentinel]] | access-date=July 19, 2013 | author=Imperiale, Nancy | location=Orlando, FL}}</ref> On April 6, 1911, the Sanford city council passed a resolution to annex Goldsboro and on April 26, 1911, the Florida legislature passed the Sanford Charter Bill, dissolving the incorporation of both Sanford and Goldsboro, and reorganizing Sanford as a city that included Goldsboro within its boundaries.<ref name=Bentley /><ref name=Robinson-20021215>{{cite news | url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:ORLB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0F7F23A84FA0D7C6&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0FB3382EE6AD1E46 | title=Grapeville Details Emerge – The Histories of the Swedish Colony and the Goldsboro Area Are Intertwined | date=December 15, 2002 | agency=[[Orlando Sentinel]] | access-date=July 20, 2013 | author=Robinson, Jim | location=Orlando, FL}}</ref>

In 1913, Sanford became the county seat of Seminole County, created from Orange County.  Agriculture continued to dominate the economy until 1940, when it proved cheaper to cultivate produce in frost-free [[South Florida]].

====Naval aviation====
In 1942, [[Naval Air Station Sanford]] was established, which conducted operational training in the [[Lockheed PV-1 Ventura]], [[Lockheed Hudson|Lockheed PBO Hudson]], [[Grumman F4F Wildcat|Grumman F4F/General Motors FM-1 Wildcat]] and the [[Grumman F6F Hellcat]]. At its peak in 1943–45, NAS Sanford was home to approximately 360 officers, 1500 enlisted men and 150 [[WAVES]] and included an auxiliary airfield to the east near Lake Harney known as Outlying Field Osceola. The base was inactivated and reduced to caretaker status in 1946, but was reactivated in 1950 in response to the [[Korean War]] and the [[Cold War]]. A major construction program ensued, with NAS Sanford redeveloped as a [[Master Jet Base]] for carrier-based [[Douglas A-3 Skywarrior]] and later [[North American A-5 Vigilante|North American A-5A and RA-5C Vigilante]] aircraft.  At its peak in the mid-1960s, the base was home to nearly 4000 military personnel, comprising the air station personnel complement, an Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department, the Navy Dispensary, the Marine Barracks, a Replacement Air Group/Fleet Replacement Squadron for the RA-5C, and nine deployable Fleet RA-5C squadrons that routinely deployed aboard large aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean and the Pacific. The latter were heavily engaged in combat operations during the [[Vietnam War]].

As a result of the increasing costs of the Vietnam War and concurrent federal domestic spending related to President [[Lyndon Johnson]]'s [[Great Society]] social programs, NAS Sanford was one of several stateside military installations identified for closure by the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] in 1967.  Flight operations were rapidly scaled down during 1968 as the squadrons of Reconnaissance Attack Wing ONE transferred to the former Turner AFB, renamed [[Naval Air Station Albany]], Georgia.  This resulted in a significant economic downturn for the City of Sanford and Seminole County with the departure of all military personnel and their families. The airfield was conveyed to the City of Sanford via quitclaim deed by the [[General Services Administration]] (GSA) in 1969, renamed Sanford Airport and redeveloped as a [[general aviation]] facility. Subsequently renamed '''Sanford Regional Airport''', then '''Central Florida Regional Airport''', the airport commenced commercial airline service in 1995 and was renamed '''[[Orlando Sanford International Airport]]''' the following year.  The Navy's presence is commemorated at the airport by two historical markers and the '''NAS Sanford Memorial Park''', which was dedicated on Memorial Day in May 2003 and includes a restored [[RA-5C Vigilante]] on loan from the [[National Naval Aviation Museum]] that was placed on permanent static display at the entrance to the commercial airline terminal.

====Tourism====
The opening of [[Walt Disney World Resort]] in October 1971 shifted the economy of Central Florida away from agriculture, military installations, defense/aerospace industries, and the [[NASA]] crewed and uncrewed space programs, and further towards tourism, service industries and residential development, the center of which is [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]].  But because of Sanford's former preeminence as a trade center, the city retains a significant collection of older commercial and residential architecture, on streets shaded by [[Southern live oak|live oaks]] hung with [[Spanish moss]].  Its location on Lake Monroe and access to the navigable waterway of the [[St. Johns River]] has made it Central Florida's additional center for numerous marinas, allowing access for pleasure boats and commercial vessels to and from the Atlantic Ocean and the [[Intracoastal Waterway]] via [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]] and [[Naval Station Mayport|Mayport]] to the north.

====Jackie Robinson====
Sanford Field, built in 1926, was the location where Jackie Robinson first took the field to play as a member of a racially-integrated baseball team. Robinson arrived at [[Daytona Beach, Florida]] in early 1946 for [[spring training]] with the [[Montreal Royals]] of the [[Triple-A (baseball)|Class AAA]] [[International League]], a minor league affiliate of the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]]. Since the Dodgers organization did not own a spring training facility,<ref>{{cite book |title=The Dodgers Encyclopedia |last=McNeil |first=William F. |publisher=Sports Publishing |year=2000 |isbn=978-1-58261-316-1 |ref=McNeil}}</ref> training took place at several local baseball stadiums, including Sanford Field.

Robinson's presence on the team was controversial in racially charged Florida. He was not allowed to stay with his white teammates at the team hotel, and many other local towns prevented the team from playing while he was part of the roster. The police chief in Sanford had threatened to cancel the game there if Robinson was to play. Robinson joined his team despite the threat, but the uproar from the mainly white audience in the stands caused him to be escorted off the field and he was not able to play.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lamb|first=Chris|title=Blackout: The Untold Story of Jackie Robinson's First Spring Training|year=2006|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|isbn=0-8032-8047-5|page=88}}</ref>

[[Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium]] was built in 1951 near the site of the old Sanford Field as the Spring Training Facility of the New York Giants. The ballpark is located just south of Lake Monroe on Mellonville Avenue, less than a mile from Historic Downtown Sanford. Other Major League stars have played in the Sanford stadiums, including [[Babe Ruth]], [[Willie Mays]], [[Tim Raines]], and [[David Eckstein]].

===21st century===
Sanford was in the news in 2012 due to the [[killing of Trayvon Martin]] and the actions taken by the [[Sanford Police Department (Florida)|Sanford Police Department]].

A city streetscaping project began in 2004 as city leaders sought to attract new businesses and visitors to downtown. By 2016, downtown Sanford was becoming known as a center for craft beer production in Central Florida, with two [[microbrewery|microbreweries]], a home brewing supplier, and at least five other pubs focused on craft beers.<ref name="Beer">{{cite web |last1=Comas |first1=Martin |title=Downtown Sanford growing into beer lover's paradise |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-sanford-downtown-beer-microbreweries-20160112-story.html |website=www.orlandosentinel.com |date=12 January 2016 |publisher=Orlando Sentinel |access-date=12 November 2020}}</ref>

==Geography==
The approximate coordinates for the City of Sanford is located at {{coord|28|47|21|N|81|16|33|W|}}.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|26.5|sqmi|km2|2}}, {{convert|22.96|sqmi|km2|2}} of which is land and {{convert|3.54|sqmi|km2|2}} of which is water. Sanford is bordered by [[Lake Mary, Florida|Lake Mary]] to the southwest and to the north by [[Lake Monroe (Florida)|Lake Monroe]] and [[DeBary, Florida|DeBary]].

==Climate==
Like the rest of [[Central Florida]], Sanford experiences a warm [[humid subtropical climate]] with dry warm winters and wet hot summers. The dry season lasts from October to May, while the wet season is from June to September.
{{Weather box|width=auto
|location = Sanford, Florida ([[Orlando Sanford International Airport]]), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948&ndash;present
|single line = Y

|Jan record high F = 89
|Feb record high F = 89
|Mar record high F = 94
|Apr record high F = 97
|May record high F = 100
|Jun record high F = 102
|Jul record high F = 103
|Aug record high F = 100
|Sep record high F = 97
|Oct record high F = 95
|Nov record high F = 92
|Dec record high F = 89

|Jan avg record high F = 83.2
|Feb avg record high F = 85.3
|Mar avg record high F = 88.3
|Apr avg record high F = 91.4
|May avg record high F = 95.3
|Jun avg record high F = 96.8
|Jul avg record high F = 96.8
|Aug avg record high F = 96.7
|Sep avg record high F = 94.4
|Oct avg record high F = 91.0
|Nov avg record high F = 87.1
|Dec avg record high F = 83.9
|year avg record high F = 98.2

| Jan high F = 71.3
| Feb high F = 74.2
| Mar high F = 78.3
| Apr high F = 83.4
| May high F = 88.5
| Jun high F = 91.0
| Jul high F = 92.7
| Aug high F = 92.5
| Sep high F = 89.7
| Oct high F = 84.6
| Nov high F = 78.2
| Dec high F = 73.4
|year high F = 83.1
|Jan mean F = 60.4
|Feb mean F = 63.1
|Mar mean F = 67.1
|Apr mean F = 72.3
|May mean F = 77.7
|Jun mean F = 81.9
|Jul mean F = 83.6
|Aug mean F = 83.6
|Sep mean F = 81.4
|Oct mean F = 75.5
|Nov mean F = 68.2
|Dec mean F = 63.1
|year mean F = 73.2
| Jan low F = 49.6
| Feb low F = 52.1
| Mar low F = 55.9
| Apr low F = 61.2
| May low F = 67.0
| Jun low F = 72.7
| Jul low F = 74.4
| Aug low F = 74.6
| Sep low F = 73.1
| Oct low F = 66.5
| Nov low F = 58.2
| Dec low F = 52.7
|year low F = 63.2

|Jan avg record low F = 32.4
|Feb avg record low F = 35.6
|Mar avg record low F = 40.2
|Apr avg record low F = 47.6
|May avg record low F = 56.6
|Jun avg record low F = 66.7
|Jul avg record low F = 70.1
|Aug avg record low F = 70.5
|Sep avg record low F = 67.2
|Oct avg record low F = 52.8
|Nov avg record low F = 43.4
|Dec avg record low F = 36.4
|year avg record low F = 30.2

|Jan record low F = 19
|Feb record low F = 25
|Mar record low F = 27
|Apr record low F = 36
|May record low F = 45
|Jun record low F = 52
|Jul record low F = 60
|Aug record low F = 64
|Sep record low F = 52
|Oct record low F = 39
|Nov record low F = 27
|Dec record low F = 19

|precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 2.36
| Feb precipitation inch = 2.25
| Mar precipitation inch = 2.85
| Apr precipitation inch = 2.35
| May precipitation inch = 3.31
| Jun precipitation inch = 8.19
| Jul precipitation inch = 7.29
| Aug precipitation inch = 6.77
| Sep precipitation inch = 6.24
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.90
| Nov precipitation inch = 1.88
| Dec precipitation inch = 2.24
|year precipitation inch = 49.63
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 8.1
| Feb precipitation days = 8.0
| Mar precipitation days = 7.9
| Apr precipitation days = 7.1
| May precipitation days = 8.3
| Jun precipitation days = 17.0
| Jul precipitation days = 16.7
| Aug precipitation days = 17.2
| Sep precipitation days = 15.7
| Oct precipitation days = 9.9
| Nov precipitation days = 8.4
| Dec precipitation days = 8.3
| year precipitation days = 132.6
|Jan snow inch =
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|unit snow days = 0.1 in
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|source 1 = NOAA<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=mlb
| title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| accessdate = May 28, 2021
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00012854&format=pdf
| title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| accessdate = May 28, 2021
}}</ref> }}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1890 = 2016
| 1900 = 1450
| 1910 = 3570
| 1920 = 5588
| 1930 = 10100
| 1940 = 10217
| 1950 = 11935
| 1960 = 19175
| 1970 = 17393
| 1980 = 23176
| 1990 = 32387
| 2000 = 38291
| 2010 = 53570
| 2020 = 61051
| estyear = 2024
| estimate = 66919
| estref = <ref name="d252">{{cite web | title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Sanford city, Florida | website=Census Bureau QuickFacts | date=2024-07-01 | url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanfordcityflorida/LFE041223 | access-date=2025-05-15}}</ref>
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Sanford racial composition'''<br> (Hispanics excluded from racial categories)<br> (''NH = Non-Hispanic'')<br>
!Race
!Pop 2010<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Sanford city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Sanford+city;+Florida+&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!Pop 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Sanford city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Sanford+city;+Florida+&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|24,096
|22,437
|44.98%
|36.75%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|15,660
|15,495
|29.23%
|25.38%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|204
|138
|0.38%
|0.23%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|1,473
|3,031
|2.75%
|4.96%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] or [[Native Hawaiian]] (NH)
|22
|33
|0.04%
|0.05%
|-
|[[Other races (U.S. Census)|Some other race]] (NH)
|198
|415
|0.37%
|0.68%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races/Multiracial]] (NH)
|1,073
|2,672
|2.00%
|4.38%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|10,844
|16,830
|20.24%
|27.57%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''53,570'''
|'''61,051'''
|
|
|-
|}

As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 61,051 people, 22,236 households, and 14,084 families residing in the city.<ref name=H&F2020>{{Cite web|title=S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2020: Sanford city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Sanford+city;+Florida+&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1101|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

According to the 2020 [[census]],<ref name=H&F2020/><ref name=QFSanford>{{cite web |title=QuickFacts Sanford city, Florida |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanfordcityflorida/PST045221 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=8 March 2023}}</ref> there were 2.66 persons per household and the population per square mile was 2,589.21.

By age, the population in 2020 was split with 6.4% under 5 years old, 23.3% under 18 years old, and 12.4% 65 years and over. 49.2% of the population were female persons.<ref name=QFSanford/>

In 2020, the median value of owner-occupied housing units was $196,100. The median gross rent was $1,255. 94.7% of the households had a computer and 86.9% had a broadband internet subscription.<ref name=QFSanford/>

In 2020, 89.3% of the population 25 years and older were high school graduates or higher and 25.9% of that same population had a bachelor's degree or higher.<ref name=QFSanford/>

As of the [[2010 United States census]], there were 53,570 people, 18,911 households, and 11,379 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2010: Sanford city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Sanford+city;+Florida+&tid=ACSST5Y2010.S1101|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

==Transportation and infrastructure==
===Aviation===
The [[Orlando Sanford International Airport]] (SFB) provides some international and commuter airline service for central Florida. Approximately 2.9&nbsp;million passengers used SFB in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.orlandosanfordairport.com/pass.asp|title=Orlando Sanford International Airport – Annual Passenger Counts|website=www.orlandosanfordairport.com|access-date=2018-05-31}}</ref>

===Bicycling===
Sanford's Riverwalk is a key bike route following [[Lake Monroe (Florida)|Lake Monroe]] and passing through Sanford's downtown. By 2020, it will link up with a greater network of trails as part of Florida's Coast to Coast connector—linking the west and east coasts of central Florida.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fgtf.org/projects/coast-to-coast-connector/|title=Coast to Coast Connector|website=Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation|language=en-US|access-date=2018-05-31}}</ref>

===Bus===
Sanford has multiple [[Lynx (Orlando)|Lynx]] bus routes serving various destinations including its historic downtown, [[Seminole State College of Florida|Seminole State College]], the [[Sanford station (SunRail)|Sanford Sunrail Station]], and its mall (Seminole Towne Center).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.golynx.com/resources/pdf/WEB_LNX_PST_Msys_29x39_1803.pdf|title=Lynx Bus Routes Map}}</ref>

===Rail===
[[File:Sanford Sunrail Station.jpg|thumb|Sanford SunRail Station]]
Sanford is the [[Sanford (Amtrak station)|southern terminus]] of [[Amtrak]]'s [[Auto Train]] which conveys [[East Coast of the United States|Eastern Seaboard]] travelers and their vehicles to [[Lorton, Virginia]], about {{convert|25|mi|km}} south of [[Washington, D.C.]] The nearest passenger-only Amtrak stations are in nearby Winter Park, FL and Deland, FL.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amtrak.com/plan-your-trip.html|title=Plan your trip|website=www.amtrak.com|language=en|access-date=2018-05-31}}</ref>

[[SunRail]], the Central Florida commuter rail system, serves the city out of a [[Sanford (SunRail station)|new station off State Road 46]]. A new trolleybus (route and schedule) provides service between Sunrail and the historic downtown.

===Roads===
Sanford is near the northern end of the [[Interstate 4|I-4 Corridor]] between [[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]] and Orlando. The [[Florida State Road 417|State Road 417]] or Seminole Expressway begins in Sanford at Interstate 4 and forms the Eastern Beltway around Orlando ending at [[Walt Disney World Resort]].

====Major routes====
* {{jct|country=USA|I|4}}
* {{jct|state=FL|US|17|US|92|name2=French Avenue}}
* {{jct|state=FL|Toll|417|name1=[[Seminole Expressway]]}}
* {{jct|state=FL|SR|46|name1=25th Street}}
* {{jct|state=FL|CR|46A|county1=seminole|name1=H.E. Thomas Jr Parkway}}
* [[Florida State Road 429|SR 429]]

===Water===
Sanford was historically a hub for Central Florida transportation as a port on the [[St. Johns River]]. Today, it has a downtown marina that includes free day slips for boaters visiting the downtown.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sanfordfl.gov/index.aspx?page=1500|title=City of Sanford : Marina Day Slips|website=www.sanfordfl.gov|access-date=2018-05-31}}</ref>

==Education==
The Sanford [[school district|public school district]] is served by [[Seminole County Public Schools]].

===Higher education===
*[[Seminole State College of Florida]]

===High schools===
*[[Crooms Academy of Information Technology]]
*[[Seminole High School (Seminole County, Florida)|Seminole High School]]

===Middle schools===
*[[Seminole County Public Schools|Millennium Middle School]]
*[[Sanford Middle School]]

===Elementary schools===
* All Souls Catholic School (K–8)
* Bentley Elementary School
* Galileo School for Gifted Learning (K-8)
* Goldsboro Elementary Magnet School
* Hamilton Elementary School of Engineering & Technology
* Idyllwilde Elementary Future Ready Academy
* Midway Elementary School of the Arts
* Pine Crest Elementary School of Innovation
* Wicklow Elementary School for Global Pathways
* Wilson Elementary School

==Public Library==
Sanford is served by the North Branch Library of the Seminole County Public Library. It is located at 150 N. Palmetto Avenue, Sanford, Florida 32771.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020|title=Branch Information|url=https://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/departments-services/leisure-services/seminole-county-library/library-information/locations-hours/|access-date=March 9, 2021|website=Seminole County}}</ref>

==Attractions in Sanford==
* The [[Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centralfloridazoo.org/ |title=Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens |website=Centralfloridazoo.org |access-date=2016-01-12}}</ref>
* Local Parks
** Fort Mellon Park<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sanfordfl.gov/index.aspx?page=236 |title=City of Sanford : Fort Mellon Park – information |website=Sanfordfl.gov |date=2012-08-27 |access-date=2016-01-12}}</ref>
** The Paw Park Sanford<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pawparksanford.org/ |title=Paw Park of Historic Sanford – Home |website=Pawparksanford.org |access-date=2016-01-12}}</ref>
** Park on Park<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sanfordfl.gov/index.aspx?page=195 |title=City of Sanford : Park on Park |website=Sanfordfl.gov |date=2012-08-29 |access-date=2016-01-12}}</ref>
* The Wayne Densch performing arts center<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.waynedenschperformingartscenter.com/ |title=Home |publisher=Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center |access-date=2016-01-12}}</ref>
* Annual Oktoberfest(second weekend of October)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-24 |title=Videos |url=https://www.fox35orlando.com/video/981986 |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=FOX 35 Orlando |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Alive After Five (Second Thursday of every month in downtown)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sanfordwelcomecenter.com/?page_id=21 |title=Historic Sanford Welcome Center – Home |website=Sanfordwelcomecenter.com |access-date=2016-01-12}}</ref>
* Sanford Museum<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sanfordfl.gov/index.aspx?page=456 |title=City of Sanford : Sanford Museum |website=Sanfordfl.gov |date=2015-12-15 |access-date=2016-01-12}}</ref>
* Central Florida Soapbox Derby<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centralfloridasoapboxderby.com/ |title=Central Florida |website=Centralfloridasoapboxderby.com |access-date=2016-01-12}}</ref>
* [[Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium]]
* Theater West End

==City initiatives==
[[Image:Sanford ,Fl city hall.jpg|thumb|City Hall, 2017|left|260x260px]]
The city's RiverWalk trail is a bike/walk/run trail that was completed in 2004. The ten-foot wide paved walkway spans a distance of several miles in Sanford's downtown area along the waterfront of [[Lake Monroe (Florida)|Lake Monroe]]. Phase 2, which adds over 3000 feet to the trail, was completed in 2014. Phase 3 is expected to be complete by 2020.

The city completed multimillion-dollar streetscapes of 1st Street and Sanford Avenue in its historic downtown, using brick pavers, creating wider sidewalks, and adding trees, flowers, and benches.

Sanford is connected to the central Florida commuter railway [[SunRail]], with the station 2 miles from the downtown.

To support green initiatives, Sanford has added five electric car charging stations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mysanfordherald.com/view/full_story/17042141/article-CITY-SPOTLIGHT--'Plug-In'-to-Sanford?instance=home_news_2nd_left |title=The Sanford Herald – CITY SPOTLIGHT 'Plug In' to Sanford |publisher=Mysanfordherald.com |date=2012-01-09 |access-date=2012-12-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723142813/http://mysanfordherald.com/view/full_story/17042141/article-CITY-SPOTLIGHT--'Plug-In'-to-Sanford?instance=home_news_2nd_left |archive-date=2014-07-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city is proposing to replace streetlamp bulbs with LED lights.

In 2012, the city launched the "Imagine Sanford" initiative, which asks all Sanford residents to get involved in city planning by submitting and voting on improvement ideas via the city's Imagine Sanford website.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imaginesanford.com/ |title=Imagine Sanford by MindMixer |publisher=Imaginesanford.com |date=2012-10-29 |access-date=2012-12-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001020514/http://www.imaginesanford.com/ |archive-date=2012-10-01 }}</ref> The city of Sanford also launched a redesigned city government website in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sanfordfl.gov/ |title=City of Sanford : Home |publisher=Sanfordfl.gov |access-date=2012-12-18}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{div col}}
* [[Raul Aguilera]] (b. 1999) – soccer player
* [[Ray-Ray Armstrong]] (b. 1991) – [[National Football League]] (NFL) player
* [[Red Barber]] (1908–1992) – [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) [[sports commentator]]
* [[Zinn Beck]] (1885–1981) – MLB player
* [[Jeff Blake]] (b. 1970) – NFL player
* [[Reggie Branch]] (b. 1962) – NFL player
* [[Serderius Bryant]] (b. 1991) - CFL player
* [[Alwyn Cashe]] (1970–2005) – [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] [[sergeant first class]] posthumously awarded the [[Medal of Honor]]
* [[Jim Courier]] (b. 1970) – tennis player
* [[Gabe Davis]] (b. 1999) – NFL player
* [[David Eckstein]] (b. 1975) – MLB player
* [[Rick Eckstein]] (b. 1973) – MLB [[Coach (baseball)#Hitting coach|hitting coach]]
* [[Kadeem Edwards]] (b. 1991) - NFL Player
* [[Naomi (wrestler)|Trinity Fatu]] (b. 1987) – [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]]
* [[Elvira Garner]] (1886–1956) – author and illustrator
* [[Jimmy Horn Jr.]] (b. 2002) - NFL player
* [[Joseph C. Hutchinson]] (1894–1982) – U.S. Army [[Lieutenant general (United States)|lieutenant general]]
* [[Trayvon Martin]] (1992–2012) – murder victim
* [[Logan Misuraca]] (b. 1999)&nbsp;– [[Stock car racing|stock car racer]]
* [[Tim Raines]] (b. 1959) – MLB player and coach
* [[Marty Raybon]] (b. 1959) – singer and co-founder of the [[Shenandoah (band)|Shenandoah]] and [[Raybon Brothers]] bands
* [[Bill Swaggerty]] (b. 1956) – MLB player
* [[Mary Lou Zoback]] (b. 1952) – [[Geophysics|geophysicist]] and [[Seismology|seismologist]]
{{div col end}}

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center">
File:Fort Mellon at Lake Monroe.jpg|Fort Mellon, c. 1837
File:St. Johns River near Sanford.jpg|St. Johns River, c. 1910
File:Park Ave., Sanford, FL.jpg|Park Avenue, c. 1910
File:Celery Growing, Sanford, FL.jpg|Celery growing, c. 1912
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|Sanford, Florida}}
*{{Wikivoyage inline|Sanford (Florida)}}
*[http://www.sanfordfl.gov/ City of Sanford official website]

{{Seminole County, Florida}}
{{Metro Orlando}}
{{Florida}}
{{Florida county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sanford, Florida| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Seminole County, Florida]]
[[Category:County seats in Florida]]
[[Category:Cities in the Greater Orlando]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1877]]
[[Category:Populated places on the St. Johns River]]
[[Category:Sanford family]]
[[Category:Cities in Florida]]
[[Category:1877 establishments in Florida]]