Osceola

Formed May 12, 1887 (40^th county)

Osceola County (388,664), Kissimmee (79,224)

The Modern style red brick and steel courthouse in Kissimmee was built in 2003.  It is located at Bryan Street at Rose Street.  United States Highway 17 is five blocks west of the courthouse.  HLM Design is the building designer.  There was an 1890 courthouse also in Kissimmee, the only county seat.  There is an Administration Center which was built in 1978.  The source of the county seat name is the Kissimmee River.  Osceola County is named for the Native American chief.  Orange and Brevard counties provided land for Osceola County on May 12, 1887 as the 40^th county.  Okeechobee County was later cut from the county. 

Osceola County government consists of a manager, sheriff, and appraiser (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Forty-three Circuit Court Judges serve Osceola and Orange counties and Four County Court Judges, clerk, and county attorney serve Osceola County (judicial.) East central Florida is the location of Osceola County.  Orlando, Florida is directly north.  The Kissimmee River forms the southwest border of the county.  The center of the county is 27.4 miles Southeast of Kissimmee nearer Holopaw.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Orange, Brevard, Indian River, Okeechobee, Highlands, Polk, and Lake counties. 

The area of the county is 1322 square miles.  It is 6 out of 67 counties in the state.  It ranks 16 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 294.0 persons per square mile making it 25 out of 67 in the state.  Osceola County has 35.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 4 cuts the northwest tip from Orange County to Polk County.  United States Highways 17/92 come in from Orange County and goes into Polk County.  United States Highway 192 crosses east to west from Brevard County to Orange County.  United States Highway 441 is joined with United States Highway 192 from Orange County, splits, and goes south into Okeechobee County.  A triangle pointing to the northeast is the county’s shape.  Kissimmee is located in the extreme north part of the county near the border.  Kissimmee is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 20.4% of the county population.  The county is pronounced OE-SEE-OE-LA.  The county seat is pronounced KI-SIM-MEE.  This county is in the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.