Picking up from Part 3 of the Florida State Road 50 series Part 4 covers the section of the highway in Orange County and Brevard County.
Part 1 of the FL 50 series covered Hernando County and the general history of the highway:
Florida State Road 50 Part 1; general highway history and Hernando County
Part 2 of the FL series covered Sumter County:
Florida State Road 50 Part 2; Sumter County
Part 3 of the FL 50 series covered Lake County:
Florida State Road 50 Part 3; Lake County
Modern FL 50 traverses through Orange County on Colonial Drive. Picking up from Part 3 the original alignment of FL 50 was originally far less intuitive. The route of the FL 50 from the Lake County line in Oakland eastward to downtown Orlando once followed:
- CR 438 on Oakland Avenue through the Town of Oakland to Tildenville School Road in Tildenville.
- Tildenville Road to Brick Road in Tildenville.
- Brick Road to CR 438 on Plant Street.
- CR 438 on Plant Street through Winter Garden to FL 438 east of FL 429.
- FL 438 in Ocoee on Franklin Street to Taylor Street.
- Taylor Street in downtown Ocoee to McKey Street.
- McKey Street in downtown Ocoee to Bluford Avenue.
- Bluford Avenue to Old Winter Garden Road/CR 526. (part of this alignment incorporated a brick lined staircase sweep in Minorville via Main Street and Richmond Avenue)
- Old Winter Garden Road/CR 526 through Gotha and Orlovista to the City of Orlando.
- Old Winter Garden Road to Washington Street/CR 526 in Orlando.
- Washington Street to Lorna Doone Boulevard.
- Lorna Doone Boulevard on the south shore of Lorna Doone Lake to Church Street.
- Church Street to US 17/92 on Orange Avenue.
- Orange Avenue on US 17/92 to Colonial Drive.
Note: I received a link to a 1934-35 Orange County Road map from AAroads Forum user Brian556 which I posted in Part 1. Said 1934-35 Orange County Road map confirmed some parts of the above alignment definitively and showed that there was some staircase jogs in the early Pre-1945 right-of-way on the FL 50 corridor.
Continuing from Part 3 the modern alignment of FL 50 enters Orange County in the Town of Oakland. Colonial Drive as stated above carries modern FL 50 through Orange County.
FL 50 meets Florida's Turnpike in Oakland. Florida's Turnpike and FL 408 essentially serve as a limited access alternate east/west through Orlando.
FL 50 east of Oakland passes through Tildenville. As stated above Tildenville School Road and Brick Road in Tildenville were part of the earliest right-of-way that inhabited the FL 50 corridor. Both roads are directly north of FL 50 and still are paved in brick.
East of Tildenville the route of FL 50 enters Winter Garden. At Vineland Road FL 50 meets a junction with CR 535.
At the boundary of Winter Garden and Ocoee the route of FL 50 east crosses under FL 429. An additional ramp for Florida's Turnpike exists just within the boundary of Ocoee directly east of FL 429.
FL 50 east meets CR 439 at Maguire Road in Ocoee. CR 439 essentially serves as the through road to connect FL 438 in downtown Ocoee to CR 526 at Old Winter Garden Road. Maguire Road is a replacement for Bluford Avenue which as stated above was originally part of FL 50.
Today there isn't much significance to the Bluford Avenue/FL 50 intersection other than traffic being advised that a ramp to FL 408 is a mile away.
Orlando is signed as being 10 miles away on FL 50 east past Bluford Avenue.
At Clarke Road in Ocoee FL 50 east meets a connecting ramp to FL 408.
East of Ocoee FL 50 enters Pine Hills where it meets FL 435 at Kirkman Road.
East of Pine Hills the route of FL 50 enters Orlando. The first major junction on FL 50 east in Orlando is at FL 423 on John Young Parkway.
At Tampa Avenue FL 50 east/Colonial Drive bottlenecks an undivided four-lane highway entering downtown Orlando.
Approaching Orange Blossom Trail on FL 50 east there is copious amounts of overhead signage for US 17/92/441. Orange Blossom Trail is the main north/south surface street through Orlando which is somewhat odd considering it is west of downtown. Orange Blossom Trail is known locally as "OBT." FL 50 east on Colonial Drive picks up US 17 north/US 92 east at Orange Blossom Trail.
Immediately east of Orange Blossom Trail the route of FL 50/US 17/US 92 crosses a set of rails.
East of Orange Blossom Trail there is signage indicating that Titusville is 35 miles away on FL 50.
Approaching downtown Orlando the route of FL 50 east/US 17 north/US 92 east meets Interstate 4. When I took the pictures for this blog was it was in the midst of the I-4 Ultimate Project which is reconstructing Interstate 4 in the Orlando Area.
FL 50 east/US 17 north/US 92 east crosses a set of tracks entering downtown Orlando.
At Orange Avenue FL 50 east/US 17 north/US 92 east meets the southbound lanes of FL 527 through downtown Orlando. FL 527 was removed from the overhead gantry some time in the early 2010s.
At Magnolia Avenue FL 50 east/US 17 north/US 92 east meets the northbound lanes of FL 527.
The Lake Eola Heights historic district of Orlando is signed on FL 50 east/US 17 north/US 92 directing traffic to take Summerlin southward.
I took Summerlin Avenue and Washington Street to Lake Eola Park. Lake Eola Park is a 23 acre lake in downtown Orlando bounded by FL 526/Robinson Street, Eola Drive, Central Boulevard and FL 527/Magnolia Avenue.
Lake Eola is probably the best thing in Orlando that is rarely visited by anyone other than locals. Lake Eola was donated by Jacob Summerlin in 1883 to the City of Orlando to establish a park. Lake Eola Park was informally opened in 1888 as a City Park before being officially declared one in 1892. Lake Eola was part of my long distance running route when I lived Orlando in 2014 through 2016. I would typically enter Lake Eola via Magnolia Avenue and exit east on Washington Street so I could take in this overlook of downtown on the eastern shore.
On the western shore of Lake Eola there is a monument detailing the history of the park.
The western shore of Lake Eola also features a rainbow colored outdoor theater. I believe the theater was repainted to the current rainbow scheme following the Orlando Night Club Shooting which took place in June of 2016 on Orange Avenue south of downtown.
Lake Eola Park contains several War Memorial such as this one located on the northeastern shore regarding the Battle of the Bulge.
There is a monument on the eastern shore of Lake Eola to Orlando Reeves. Orlando Reeves may have not actually existed but popular lore states that he was a soldier that was killed on the shores of Sandy Beach Lake (supposedly Lake Eola) in 1835 close to outset of the Second Seminole War. The City of Orlando was named for Orlando Reeves as stated above in 1857. The first known military encampment what is now the City of Orlando apparently was Fort Gatlin along Lake Gatlin 1838.
Returning to FL 50 east/US 17 north/US 92 east there is a split in the highway at Mills Avenue near the eastern extent of downtown Orlando. US 17/92 split northward on Mills Avenue whereas the normally hidden FL 15 heads southward on an extremely odd split brick State Road. FL 50 continues directly east out of downtown Orlando on Colonial Drive.
East of downtown Orlando much of the current route of FL 50 follows what was the Cheney Highway to Titusville. The Cheney Highway was the first road between Orlando and Titusville. There are some deviations from the current route of FL 50 east of downtown Orlando which follow the Old Cheney Highway at the following locations:
- Old Cheney Highway in east Orlando west of Semoran Boulevard/FL 436 near Lake Barton east towards Goldenrod Road/FL 551.
- Old Cheney Highway on both sides of the Econlockhatchee River where there used to be a former crossing.
- Old Cheney Highway in Bithlo.
- Likely a crossing of the St. Johns River just north of current FL 50 at the Brevard County Line.
- A possible likely former alignment east of the St. Johns River in Brevard County that took 90 degree turns as opposed to the current gentle grade of FL 50.
At Bumpy Avenue FL 50 east widens back out to a divided highway. Access to Orlando Executive Airport and Lake Underhill can be obtained via Maguire Boulevard.
Approaching FL 436/Semoran Boulevard FL 50 east exits the City Limits of Orlando and enters Azalea Park. Semoran Boulevard can be taken directly southward to Orlando International Airport. The name "Semoran" is a combination of the names of Orange and Seminole County. FL 50 east traverses over FL 436 on an overpass configuration which eliminated a particularly brutal traffic light.
On the eastern boundary of Azalea Park FL 50 east meets FL 551 at Goldenrod Road.
FL 50 east next meets FL 417 approaching Union Park.
FL 50 east crosses the Little Econlockhatchee River entering Union Park.
In University Park FL 50 east meets FL 434 at Alafaya Trail. Alafaya Trail is signed as access to the University of Central Florida.
FL 50 east meets the eastern terminus of FL 408 in University Park as well.
Immediately east of FL 408 Titusville is signed as 22 miles away on FL 50 east.
Lake Pickett Road is part of CR 420 which loops eastward back to FL 50 via Fort Christmas Road. The CR 420 were recently removed after a high incidence of signage theft.
FL 50 east crosses the Econlockhatchee River and meets CR 13 entering Bithlo. CR 13 is a broken up County Road that was once a far fledged attempt to extend FL 13 southward towards US 192. Much of CR 13 is abandoned south of Bithlo but some of it makes up Dallas Road in Boulevard in Wedgefield.
East of Bithlo FL 50 meets FL 520. Traffic headed towards the Kennedy Space Center is directed to stay on FL 50 east. Interestingly despite FL 520 west traffic having to use a flyover of FL 50 the junction has all four directional movements available.
Titusville is signed as 18 miles away on FL 50 east of FL 520.
In far eastern Orange County FL 50 crosses through the community of Christmas.
Christmas is not actually named after the holiday but after Second Seminole War Army post of Fort Christmas. Fort Christmas was constructed along what is now Fort Christmas Road/CR 420 a couple miles north of FL 50 in 1837. Fort Christmas once housed over 2,000 U.S. Army servicemen during the Second Seminole War. There is a small monument to Fort Christmas at the junction of FL 50 and CR 420. Fort Christmas Historical Park is located north of FL 50 and displays a replica fort.
Christmas has a permanent Christmas Tree on display also at the corner of FL 50 and CR 420.
East of Christmas on FL 50 is a roadside attraction known as Jungle Adventures. Jungle Adventures is a Animal Park displaying local Florida wildlife. The main entrance to Jungle Adventures is Swampy the reportedly largest alligator in the world.
East of Jungle Adventures FL 50 crosses the St. Johns River in Brevard County. FL 50 east travels through the largely swampy watershed of the St. Johns River until reaching I-95 in Titusville. In Brevard County FL 50 is signed entirely on Cheney Highway.
Upon entering Titusville FL 50 east meets FL 405 at Columbia Boulevard.
FL 50 continues east through Titusville crossing a railroad grade.
FL 50 meets US 1 at it's eastern terminus at the Indian River Lagoon. Across the Indian River Lagoon the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island.
Part 1 of the FL 50 series covered Hernando County and the general history of the highway:
Florida State Road 50 Part 1; general highway history and Hernando County
Part 2 of the FL series covered Sumter County:
Florida State Road 50 Part 2; Sumter County
Part 3 of the FL 50 series covered Lake County:
Florida State Road 50 Part 3; Lake County
Modern FL 50 traverses through Orange County on Colonial Drive. Picking up from Part 3 the original alignment of FL 50 was originally far less intuitive. The route of the FL 50 from the Lake County line in Oakland eastward to downtown Orlando once followed:
- CR 438 on Oakland Avenue through the Town of Oakland to Tildenville School Road in Tildenville.
- Tildenville Road to Brick Road in Tildenville.
- Brick Road to CR 438 on Plant Street.
- CR 438 on Plant Street through Winter Garden to FL 438 east of FL 429.
- FL 438 in Ocoee on Franklin Street to Taylor Street.
- Taylor Street in downtown Ocoee to McKey Street.
- McKey Street in downtown Ocoee to Bluford Avenue.
- Bluford Avenue to Old Winter Garden Road/CR 526. (part of this alignment incorporated a brick lined staircase sweep in Minorville via Main Street and Richmond Avenue)
- Old Winter Garden Road/CR 526 through Gotha and Orlovista to the City of Orlando.
- Old Winter Garden Road to Washington Street/CR 526 in Orlando.
- Washington Street to Lorna Doone Boulevard.
- Lorna Doone Boulevard on the south shore of Lorna Doone Lake to Church Street.
- Church Street to US 17/92 on Orange Avenue.
- Orange Avenue on US 17/92 to Colonial Drive.
Note: I received a link to a 1934-35 Orange County Road map from AAroads Forum user Brian556 which I posted in Part 1. Said 1934-35 Orange County Road map confirmed some parts of the above alignment definitively and showed that there was some staircase jogs in the early Pre-1945 right-of-way on the FL 50 corridor.
Continuing from Part 3 the modern alignment of FL 50 enters Orange County in the Town of Oakland. Colonial Drive as stated above carries modern FL 50 through Orange County.
FL 50 meets Florida's Turnpike in Oakland. Florida's Turnpike and FL 408 essentially serve as a limited access alternate east/west through Orlando.
FL 50 east of Oakland passes through Tildenville. As stated above Tildenville School Road and Brick Road in Tildenville were part of the earliest right-of-way that inhabited the FL 50 corridor. Both roads are directly north of FL 50 and still are paved in brick.
East of Tildenville the route of FL 50 enters Winter Garden. At Vineland Road FL 50 meets a junction with CR 535.
At the boundary of Winter Garden and Ocoee the route of FL 50 east crosses under FL 429. An additional ramp for Florida's Turnpike exists just within the boundary of Ocoee directly east of FL 429.
FL 50 east meets CR 439 at Maguire Road in Ocoee. CR 439 essentially serves as the through road to connect FL 438 in downtown Ocoee to CR 526 at Old Winter Garden Road. Maguire Road is a replacement for Bluford Avenue which as stated above was originally part of FL 50.
Today there isn't much significance to the Bluford Avenue/FL 50 intersection other than traffic being advised that a ramp to FL 408 is a mile away.
Orlando is signed as being 10 miles away on FL 50 east past Bluford Avenue.
At Clarke Road in Ocoee FL 50 east meets a connecting ramp to FL 408.
East of Ocoee FL 50 enters Pine Hills where it meets FL 435 at Kirkman Road.
East of Pine Hills the route of FL 50 enters Orlando. The first major junction on FL 50 east in Orlando is at FL 423 on John Young Parkway.
At Tampa Avenue FL 50 east/Colonial Drive bottlenecks an undivided four-lane highway entering downtown Orlando.
Approaching Orange Blossom Trail on FL 50 east there is copious amounts of overhead signage for US 17/92/441. Orange Blossom Trail is the main north/south surface street through Orlando which is somewhat odd considering it is west of downtown. Orange Blossom Trail is known locally as "OBT." FL 50 east on Colonial Drive picks up US 17 north/US 92 east at Orange Blossom Trail.
Immediately east of Orange Blossom Trail the route of FL 50/US 17/US 92 crosses a set of rails.
East of Orange Blossom Trail there is signage indicating that Titusville is 35 miles away on FL 50.
Approaching downtown Orlando the route of FL 50 east/US 17 north/US 92 east meets Interstate 4. When I took the pictures for this blog was it was in the midst of the I-4 Ultimate Project which is reconstructing Interstate 4 in the Orlando Area.
FL 50 east/US 17 north/US 92 east crosses a set of tracks entering downtown Orlando.
At Orange Avenue FL 50 east/US 17 north/US 92 east meets the southbound lanes of FL 527 through downtown Orlando. FL 527 was removed from the overhead gantry some time in the early 2010s.
At Magnolia Avenue FL 50 east/US 17 north/US 92 east meets the northbound lanes of FL 527.
The Lake Eola Heights historic district of Orlando is signed on FL 50 east/US 17 north/US 92 directing traffic to take Summerlin southward.
I took Summerlin Avenue and Washington Street to Lake Eola Park. Lake Eola Park is a 23 acre lake in downtown Orlando bounded by FL 526/Robinson Street, Eola Drive, Central Boulevard and FL 527/Magnolia Avenue.
Lake Eola is probably the best thing in Orlando that is rarely visited by anyone other than locals. Lake Eola was donated by Jacob Summerlin in 1883 to the City of Orlando to establish a park. Lake Eola Park was informally opened in 1888 as a City Park before being officially declared one in 1892. Lake Eola was part of my long distance running route when I lived Orlando in 2014 through 2016. I would typically enter Lake Eola via Magnolia Avenue and exit east on Washington Street so I could take in this overlook of downtown on the eastern shore.
On the east shore of Lake Eola along Washington Street there is a monument for the John R. Mott House site. John Mott was a Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1946 and was mostly known for his work with the YMCA organization.
Washington Street on the east side of Lake Eola was closed to traffic in 1993. Washington Street is one of many brick lined roadways which are a signature of downtown Orlando.
The first fountain in Lake Eola was built in 1912. The current fountain dates back to 1957 and was originally known as the Centennial Fountain which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the naming of Orlando. Today the structure is presently known as Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain.
The western shore of Lake Eola also features a rainbow colored outdoor theater. I believe the theater was repainted to the current rainbow scheme following the Orlando Night Club Shooting which took place in June of 2016 on Orange Avenue south of downtown.
Lake Eola Park contains several War Memorial such as this one located on the northeastern shore regarding the Battle of the Bulge.
There is a monument on the eastern shore of Lake Eola to Orlando Reeves. Orlando Reeves may have not actually existed but popular lore states that he was a soldier that was killed on the shores of Sandy Beach Lake (supposedly Lake Eola) in 1835 close to outset of the Second Seminole War. The City of Orlando was named for Orlando Reeves as stated above in 1857. The first known military encampment what is now the City of Orlando apparently was Fort Gatlin along Lake Gatlin 1838.
Returning to FL 50 east/US 17 north/US 92 east there is a split in the highway at Mills Avenue near the eastern extent of downtown Orlando. US 17/92 split northward on Mills Avenue whereas the normally hidden FL 15 heads southward on an extremely odd split brick State Road. FL 50 continues directly east out of downtown Orlando on Colonial Drive.
East of downtown Orlando much of the current route of FL 50 follows what was the Cheney Highway to Titusville. The Cheney Highway was the first road between Orlando and Titusville. There are some deviations from the current route of FL 50 east of downtown Orlando which follow the Old Cheney Highway at the following locations:
- Old Cheney Highway in east Orlando west of Semoran Boulevard/FL 436 near Lake Barton east towards Goldenrod Road/FL 551.
- Old Cheney Highway on both sides of the Econlockhatchee River where there used to be a former crossing.
- Old Cheney Highway in Bithlo.
- Likely a crossing of the St. Johns River just north of current FL 50 at the Brevard County Line.
- A possible likely former alignment east of the St. Johns River in Brevard County that took 90 degree turns as opposed to the current gentle grade of FL 50.
At Bumpy Avenue FL 50 east widens back out to a divided highway. Access to Orlando Executive Airport and Lake Underhill can be obtained via Maguire Boulevard.
Approaching FL 436/Semoran Boulevard FL 50 east exits the City Limits of Orlando and enters Azalea Park. Semoran Boulevard can be taken directly southward to Orlando International Airport. The name "Semoran" is a combination of the names of Orange and Seminole County. FL 50 east traverses over FL 436 on an overpass configuration which eliminated a particularly brutal traffic light.
On the eastern boundary of Azalea Park FL 50 east meets FL 551 at Goldenrod Road.
FL 50 east next meets FL 417 approaching Union Park.
FL 50 east crosses the Little Econlockhatchee River entering Union Park.
In University Park FL 50 east meets FL 434 at Alafaya Trail. Alafaya Trail is signed as access to the University of Central Florida.
FL 50 east meets the eastern terminus of FL 408 in University Park as well.
Immediately east of FL 408 Titusville is signed as 22 miles away on FL 50 east.
Lake Pickett Road is part of CR 420 which loops eastward back to FL 50 via Fort Christmas Road. The CR 420 were recently removed after a high incidence of signage theft.
FL 50 east crosses the Econlockhatchee River and meets CR 13 entering Bithlo. CR 13 is a broken up County Road that was once a far fledged attempt to extend FL 13 southward towards US 192. Much of CR 13 is abandoned south of Bithlo but some of it makes up Dallas Road in Boulevard in Wedgefield.
East of Bithlo FL 50 meets FL 520. Traffic headed towards the Kennedy Space Center is directed to stay on FL 50 east. Interestingly despite FL 520 west traffic having to use a flyover of FL 50 the junction has all four directional movements available.
Titusville is signed as 18 miles away on FL 50 east of FL 520.
In far eastern Orange County FL 50 crosses through the community of Christmas.
Christmas is not actually named after the holiday but after Second Seminole War Army post of Fort Christmas. Fort Christmas was constructed along what is now Fort Christmas Road/CR 420 a couple miles north of FL 50 in 1837. Fort Christmas once housed over 2,000 U.S. Army servicemen during the Second Seminole War. There is a small monument to Fort Christmas at the junction of FL 50 and CR 420. Fort Christmas Historical Park is located north of FL 50 and displays a replica fort.
Christmas has a permanent Christmas Tree on display also at the corner of FL 50 and CR 420.
East of Christmas on FL 50 is a roadside attraction known as Jungle Adventures. Jungle Adventures is a Animal Park displaying local Florida wildlife. The main entrance to Jungle Adventures is Swampy the reportedly largest alligator in the world.
East of Jungle Adventures FL 50 crosses the St. Johns River in Brevard County. FL 50 east travels through the largely swampy watershed of the St. Johns River until reaching I-95 in Titusville. In Brevard County FL 50 is signed entirely on Cheney Highway.
Upon entering Titusville FL 50 east meets FL 405 at Columbia Boulevard.
FL 50 continues east through Titusville crossing a railroad grade.
FL 50 meets US 1 at it's eastern terminus at the Indian River Lagoon. Across the Indian River Lagoon the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island.
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