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A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Buena Vista (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Buena Vista. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Buena Vista is located in Orange County.

To see how the shape of Florida's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Orange County: Brevard, Lake, Osceola, Polk & Seminole.

Below are the counties that are near Buena Vista. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Buena Vista:

  • Orange County     (The home county of Buena Vista)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.
    • Lake Buena Vista
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Lake Buena Vista is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Buena Vista
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 26 people
    • Bay Lake
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Bay Lake is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 48 people
    • Doctor Phillips
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Doctor Phillips is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doctor Phillips
    • Williamsburg
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Williamsburg is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsburg
    • Hunters Creek
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Hunters Creek is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hunters Creek
    • Bay Hill
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Bay Hill is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay Hill
    • Sand Lake
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Tangelo Park
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Tangelo Park is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tangelo Park
    • Southchase
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Southchase is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southchase
    • Windermere
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Meadow Woods
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Meadow Woods is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadow Woods
    • Lake Butter
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Lake Butter is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Butter
    • Oak Ridge
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Oak Ridge is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Ridge
  • Lake County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.
    • Four Corners
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Waits Junction
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Waits Junction is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waits Junction
    • Mohawk
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Mohawk is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mohawk
    • Montverde
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Clermont
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Minneola
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Ferndale
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Groveland
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Astatula
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Mascotte
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Lake Jem
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Lake Jem is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Jem
    • Howey-in-the-Hills
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Ethel
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Ethel is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ethel
  • Osceola County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.
    • Celebration
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Intercession City
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Campbell
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Campbell is located in Osceola County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campbell
    • Kissimmee
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Reunion
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • ChampionsGate
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • ChampionsGate is located in Osceola County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for ChampionsGate
    • Buena Ventura Lakes
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Poinciana Place
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Poinciana Place is located in Osceola County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poinciana Place
    • Poinciana
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Saint Cloud
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Runnymede
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Runnymede is located in Osceola County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Runnymede
  • Polk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.
    • Loughman
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Davenport
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Haines City
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Lake Hammock Village
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Polk City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Lake Hamilton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Lake Alfred
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Dundee
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Auburndale
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Waverly
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Inwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Inwood is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inwood
    • Winter Haven
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Cypress Gardens
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
  • Seminole County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.
    • Forest City
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Forest City is located in Seminole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
    • Fern Park
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Altamonte Springs
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Sanlando Springs
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Sanlando Springs is located in Seminole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sanlando Springs
    • Wekiwa Springs
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Wekiwa Springs is located in Seminole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wekiwa Springs
    • Casselberry
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Longwood
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Winter Springs
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Heathrow
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Oviedo
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Oviedo is located in Seminole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oviedo
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 41,652 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oviedo <1>
    • Lake Mary
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Chuluota
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Buena Vista, see our County-by-County Page for Buena Vista.

Cemeteries Near Buena Vista ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Buena Vista.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Buena Vista - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Buena Vista covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.

  • Howard Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Doctor Phillips Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Loughman Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Oak Hill Baptist Church Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Winter Garden Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Taft Memorial Gardens
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taft Memorial Gardens
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Taft Memorial Gardens is a large cemetery that is located in Taft.
    • The Taft Memorial Gardens has also been known as:
    • Taft Memorial Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1217063 <2>
  • Oak Ridge Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Osceola Memory Gardens
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Rose Hill Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose Hill Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Rose Hill Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Kissimmee.
    • The Rose Hill Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Rosehill Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #72538 <2>
  • Washington Park Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Woodlawn Memorial Park
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Barber Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (67 more) ...
    • Lock Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Doctor Phillips Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Woodlawn Memorial Park
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<3>

While we didn't find Buena Vista in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Buena Vista.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.

  • Kissimmee
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Windermere
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Gotha
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Pine Castle
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Minorville ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Minorville is located in Orange County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minorville
  • Winter Garden
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
  • Tildenville
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Tildenville is located in Orange County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tildenville
  • Ocoee
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Ocoee is located in Orange County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocoee
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 49,168 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ocoee <1>
  • Oakland
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Conway
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Conway is located in Orange County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conway
  • Orlando
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Killarney
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Crown Point
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Crown Point is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crown Point
    • Clarcona
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Waits Junction
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Waits Junction is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waits Junction

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Buena Vista. See our List of 1890's Communities around Buena Vista.

Newspapers Published in Buena Vista ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 84 newspapers that have been published in the area around Buena Vista.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Buena Vista, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Buena Vista.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Buena Vista:

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<3>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Buena Vista, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Buena Vista) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.