DAYTONA BEACH

city, Volusia county, northeastern Florida, U.S., on the Atlantic Ocean and Halifax River (a tidewater lagoon, part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway), 91 miles (146 km) south of Jacksonville. The original city, Daytona, was founded by Mathias Day of Ohio in 1870 and named after him when it was incorporated in 1876. In 1926 the cities of Seabreeze, Daytona, and Daytona Beach were incorporated as Daytona Beach. It is a noted year-round resort with varied light manufacturing. The world famous Ormond-Daytona beach of hard, white sand, 23 miles (37 km) long and 500 feet (150 m) wide at low tide, has been used for automobile speed trials since 1903. In 1935 Sir Malcolm Campbell drove his Bluebird over the course at 276.82 miles per hour. The city is known for the Daytona International Speedway (site of the Daytona 500 [February] and the Firecracker Stock Car 400 ) and its greyhound racing track. Educational institutions include Bethune-Cookman College (1872), Daytona Beach Community College (1958), and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (1926). Pop. (1990) city, 61,921; Daytona Beach MSA, 370,712.