International Drive

It is popularly referred to as I-Drive and is a significant 11.1-mile thoroughfare in Orlando, Florida, United States, and serves as the city’s primary tourist attraction. I-Drive is located in the southernmost reaches of Orlando, several miles southwest of the city’s central business district. When it comes to tourism, International Drive performs a similar function to the Las Vegas Strip in that it serves as a focal point for the entire region.

Intercontinental Drive is 11.1 miles long and runs across unincorporated Orange County, with the northern portion entering the city boundaries of Orlando’s southernmost city borders and the balance of the center and southern portions running through unincorporated Orange County.

International Drive South is an additional extension of International Drive that does not directly meet with the main section of the road. It is partially located in the northern district of Osceola County and is known as International Drive North. Sand Lake Road, Kirkman Road, SR 536, and Universal Boulevard, which runs parallel to the midsection of International Drive, are just a few of the nearby crossroads to take note of.

The International Drive Master Transit & Improvement District operates the I-Ride Trolley system, which provides bus transportation along the I-Drive Resort Area primarily for visitors, convention attendees, and locals alike. A number of Lynx public bus lines serve the I-Drive region, providing connections to the Orlando International Airport, Downtown Orlando, and other portions of the city, among other destinations.

Architect Finley Hamilton designed the first portion of I-Drive in the 1960s to serve his Hilton Inn South, which opened its doors in May 1970 and is still in operation today. He anticipated that once Walt Disney World opened its doors in October 1971, people driving to the park along Interstate 4 would notice the hotel.

It was established in 1992 to provide growth management, transportation, and infrastructure development for the area through collaboration between local governments and I-Drive enterprises. The International Drive Master Transit and Improvement District has served the area since its inception.

It was one of the most important proposals submitted to the organization that they were able to implement: a tourist transit system that was efficient and effective along the I-Drive strip. This resulted in the establishment of the I-Ride bus trolley system, which is still in use today.