The city of Orlando is the county seat of Orlando City, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 185,951 (metropolitan area 1,644,561). A 2005 U.S. Census Estimates population count gave the city population was 213,233 (metropolitan area over 1.8 million). It is the sixth-largest city in Florida, and its largest inland city. It is also at the head of the state's third-largest metropolitan area, behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater. Additionally, Orlando is home to the second largest university in Florida, the University of Central Florida.

The city is well known for the tourist attractions in the area, particularly the nearby Walt Disney World Resort, which is in the Reedy Creek Improvement District . Other area attractions include SeaWorld and Universal Orlando Resort. Despite being far from the main tourist attractions, downtown Orlando has recently seen much redevelopment, with many more projects currently under construction or planned. One of the oldest attractions in this area is Gatorland. Orlando sees an estimated 52 million tourists a year. Orlando is the 2nd largest city in the country for number of hotel rooms. It is a leader in medical care and research, especially at Orlando Regional Medical Center, the only statutory teaching hospital in Central Florida.

The city's nickname is "The City Beautiful", though plans are underway to change this title through a local contest. Its symbol is the fountain of Lake Eola. The current mayor is Buddy Dyer.