Lake County, Florida
Coordinates: 28°46′N 81°43′W / 28.77°N 81.72°W
| Lake County, Florida | |||
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 Location in the state of Florida |
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 Florida's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | May 27, 1887 | ||
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| Seat | Tavares | ||
| Largest city | Clermont | ||
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,156.40 sq mi (2,995 km²) 953.15 sq mi (2,469 km²) 203.25 sq mi (526 km²), 17.58% |
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| Population - (2010) - Density |
297,052 312/sq mi (120.31/km²) |
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| Website | www.lakecountyfl.gov | ||
Lake County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 297,052. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 307,243.[1] Its county seat is Tavares[2]. Lake County is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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History [edit]
Lake County was created in 1887 from portions of Sumter County and Orange County. It was named for the numerous lakes in the area. There are approximately 1,400 named lakes.
Lake County is also home to Sugarloaf Mountain, the highest point in peninsular Florida, at 312 feet (95 m) above sea level. Britton Hill is higher, but is in the Florida Panhandle.
On New Year's Day of 1888, Flora Call and Elias Disney were married in the Lake County town of Kismet, and they lived for a short time in the adjoining town of Acron, Florida.[3] They were the parents of Walt Disney.
On February 2, 2007, Lake County was devastated by a series of early morning tornadoes, which killed at least 20 people in the area. Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency.[4]
Education [edit]
Elementary Schools [edit]
- Astatula Elementary
- Beverly Shores Elementary
- Clermont Elementary
- Cypress Ridge Elementary
- Eustis Elementary
- Fruitland Park Elementary
- Grassy Lake Elementary
- Groveland Elementary
- Lake Hills School (Ages 2-22 with moderate to profound disabilities)
- Leesburg Elementary
- Lost Lake Elementary
- Pine Ridge Elementary
- Rimes Early Learning Center (Pre-K - 2nd grade)
- Sawgrass Bay Elementary
- Seminole Springs Elementary
- Sorrento Elementary
- Tavares Elementary
- Treadway Elementary
- Triangle Elementary
- Umatilla Elementary
- Villages Elementary
Middle Schools [edit]
- Carver Middle
- Clermont Middle
- East Ridge Middle
- Eustis Middle
- Cecil E. Gray Middle
- Mount Dora Middle
- Umatilla Middle
- Windy Hill Middle
- Tavares Middle
High Schools [edit]
- East Ridge High
- Eustis High
- Eustis High (Curtright Campus)
- Lake Minneola High
- Leesburg High
- Mount Dora High
- South Lake High
- Tavares High
- Umatilla High
Conversion Charters [edit]
- Mascotte Elementary
- Minneola Elementary
- Round Lake Elementary
- Lake Technical Center
- Spring Creek Elementary
Charter Schools [edit]
- Alee Academy
- Altoona School
- Humanities & Fine Arts Charter School
- Milestones Charter School
- Imagine South Lake Charter
Geography [edit]
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1,156.40 square miles (2,995.1 km2), of which 953.15 square miles (2,468.6 km2) (or 82.42%) is land and 203.25 square miles (526.4 km2) (or 17.58%) is water.[5]
Adjacent counties [edit]
- Volusia County, Florida - northeast
- Orange County, Florida - east
- Seminole County, Florida - east
- Osceola County, Florida - southeast
- Polk County, Florida - south
- Sumter County, Florida - west
- Marion County, Florida - northwest
National protected areas [edit]
- Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Ocala National Forest (part)
Demographics [edit]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 8,034 |
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| 1900 | 7,467 | −7.1% | |
| 1910 | 9,509 | 27.3% | |
| 1920 | 12,744 | 34.0% | |
| 1930 | 23,161 | 81.7% | |
| 1940 | 27,255 | 17.7% | |
| 1950 | 36,340 | 33.3% | |
| 1960 | 57,383 | 57.9% | |
| 1970 | 69,305 | 20.8% | |
| 1980 | 104,870 | 51.3% | |
| 1990 | 152,104 | 45.0% | |
| 2000 | 210,528 | 38.4% | |
| 2010 | 297,052 | 41.1% | |
| [6][7][8] | |||
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 210,528 people, 88,413 households, and 62,507 families residing in the county. The population density was 221 people per square mile (85/km²). There were 102,830 housing units at an average density of 108 per square mile (42/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.46% White, 8.31% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.88% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. 5.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 88,413 households out of which 23.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the county the population was spread out with 20.30% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 23.80% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 26.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,903, and the median income for a family was $42,577. Males had a median income of $31,475 versus $23,545 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,199. About 6.90% of families and 9.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.80% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.
Communities [edit]
Incorporated [edit]
- Town of Astatula
- City of Clermont
- City of Eustis
- City of Fruitland Park
- City of Groveland
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills
- Town of Lady Lake
- City of Leesburg
- City of Mascotte
- City of Minneola
- Town of Montverde
- City of Mount Dora
- City of Tavares
- City of Umatilla
Unincorporated [edit]
- Altoona
- Astor
- Bassville Park
- Citrus Ridge
- Ferndale
- Grand Island
- Lake Kathryn
- Lake Mack-Forest Hills
- Lanier
- Lisbon
- Mount Plymouth
- Okahumpka
- Orange Bend
- Paisley
- Pine Lakes
- Pittman
- Silver Lake
- Sorrento
- The Villages (partly)
- Yalaha
Politics [edit]
Lake County is a stronghold for the Republican Party voting for Bush-Cheney in 2000,2004 McCain-Palin in 2008 and Romney-Ryan in 2012.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Romney-Ryan | 58.1% | 40.9% | 0.91% |
| 2008 McCain-Palin | 56.2% | 42.7% | 1.1% |
| 2004 Bush-Cheney | 60.0% | 38.9% | 1.1% |
| 2000 Bush-Cheney | 56.4% | 41.3% | 2.3% |
Government and infrastructure [edit]
The Florida Department of Corrections has Region III Correctional Facility Office on the grounds of the Lake Correctional Institution in an unincorporated area in Lake County.[10][11]
Transportation [edit]
Aviation [edit]
The Tavares Seaplane Base[12] is a city-owned, public-use seaplane base located on Lake Dora in Tavares.[13]
The Leesburg International Airport is a former Army Airfield and municipal airport located along Lake Harris east of downtown Leesburg, Florida.
Mid Florida Air Service Airport is located on Florida State Road 44 east of Eustis.[14]
Major roads [edit]
Florida's Turnpike runs north and south from Southeastern and Central Florida. Three interechanges exist in the county; US 27/SR 19(Exit 285), Southbound US 27(Exit 289) and the more recently built Lake County Road 470(Exit 296).
US 27 is the main local road through western Lake County, running south to north. It spans from Citrus Ridge, Florida to The Villages.
US 441 is another south to north US highway running through Mount Dora from Orange County around Lake Dora, where it merges with SR 44, has a wrong-way concurrency with SR 19 in Tavares, and lets go of SR 44 in Leesburg only to join US 27 as they both head into Marion County.
SR 19 is a mostly scenic north and south road from SR 50 in Groveland through Tavares, Eustis, and Ocala National Forest.
SR 33 is the north-south road from Lakeland in Polk County to Groveland. A county extension exists as a hidden route along SR 50 to Mascotte, where it become an exposed county road leading to US 27 in Okahumpka.
SR 40 is the northernmost east-west route in Lake County, and runs through Ocala National Forest.
SR 44 runs east and west through Central Lake County from west of Leesburg where it joins southbound US 441 until it breaks away near Mount Dora and heads northeast into Volusia County.
SR 46 starts at an interchange with US 441 and Lake County Road 46 in Mount Dora and through Sorrento and Mount Plymouth along the northern border of Orange County.
SR 50 is the main east-west road through southern Lake County.
Public transportation [edit]
LakeXpress is the public transportation agency that serves the Lake County, Florida area since 2007.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "Population Estimates" (CSV). 2008 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau. July 1, 2009. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "Walt Disney by Neal Gabler - eBook - Random House - Read an Excerpt". Random House. 2006-10-31. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
- ^ At Least 19 Dead After Central Fla. Storms - Orlando Weather News Story - WKMG Orlando
- ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/cencounts/files/fl190090.txt
- ^ American FactFinder - Results
- ^ "University of Virginia Library". Mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Region III - Correctional Facility Office." Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.
- ^ "Lake Correctional Institution." Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.
- ^ Show, Christine (November 22, 2008). "Tavares keeps it simple in naming seaplane base". Orlando Sentinel.
- ^ "Tavares Seaplane Base & Marina". City of Tavares. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
- ^ Mid Florida Air Services Airport
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lake County, Florida |
Government links/Constitutional offices [edit]
- Lake County Board of County Commissioners
- Lake County Supervisor of Elections
- Lake County Property Appraiser
- Lake County Sheriff's Office
- Lake County Tax Collector
Special districts [edit]
- Lake County School Board
- St. Johns River Water Management District
- Southwest Florida Water Management District
Judicial branch [edit]
- Lake County Clerk of Circuit and County Courts
- Public Defender, 5th Judicial Circuit of Florida serving Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter counties
- Office of the State Attorney, 5th Judicial Circuit of Florida
- 5th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Tourism links [edit]
Miscellaneous links [edit]
- Photographs From the State Library & Archives of Florida.
- Workforce Central Florida
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Marion County | Volusia County | |
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| Sumter County |  |
Orange County and Seminole County | ||
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| Polk County | Osceola County |
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