Lake County, Florida

History

Lake County was created in 1887 from portions of Sumter and Orange counties. The Bill creating Lake County, was introduced by Representative Henry Holcomb Duncan, a resident of Tavares, Florida. Upon the creation of Lake County, he became the first Clerk of Court and Mr. Duncan served in that capacity until his death in 1920. It was named for the many lakes contained within its borders (250 named lakes and 1,735 other bodies of water).

In the 1800s, the two main industries in the area were growing cotton and breeding cattle. In the latter part of the 19th century, people started to grow citrus trees. Citrus was introduced by Melton Haynes. Throughout the 1940s and 50s, citrus production increased and grew into the area's leading industry. The December 1989 United States cold wave destroyed most of the citrus groves, dealing an economic blow from which many growers could not recover. Grove owners sold massive amounts of land to developers, resulting in increasing urban sprawl.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1157 sqmi, of which 938 sqmi is land and 219 sqmi (18.9%) is water.

Sugarloaf Mountain is the highest point in peninsular Florida, at 312 feet (95 m) above sea level.

Adjacent counties

• Volusia County – northeast
• Orange County – east
• Seminole County – east
• Osceola County – southeast
• Polk County – south
• Sumter County – west
• Marion County – northwest

National protected areas

• Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Ocala National Forest (part)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2019

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 383,956 people, 156,923 households, and 94,332 families residing in the county.

The median age was 48.2 years. 18.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 27.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.8 males age 18 and over.

Of the 156,923 households in the county, 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.1% were married-couple households, 16.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 177,628 housing units, of which 11.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.8% were owner-occupied and 26.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.0%.

The racial makeup of the county was 70.2% White, 10.3% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 6.0% from some other race, and 10.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 17.0% of the population.

82.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 17.9% lived in rural areas.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 297,047 people and 130,190 households residing in the county. The population density was 316.6 PD/sqmi. There were 163,586 housing units at an average density of 174.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 83.4% White (68.7% non-Hispanic White), 11.5% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, and 2.1% from two or more races. 16.7% 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.

Government

Lake County is represented in the United States Senate by Republican senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody.

Since redistricting following the 2020 U.S. census, Lake County has been part of Florida's 6th and 11th congressional districts. They are represented by Republicans Randy Fine and Daniel Webster, respectively.

Elected officials

List of current elected officials:

County commissioners:

• District 1 – Anthony Sabatini
• District 2 – Sean M. Parks
• District 3 – Kirby Smith
• District 4 – Leslie Campione
• District 5 – Timothy Morris

School board members:

• District 1 - Bill Mathias (vice chair)
• District 2 - Tyler Brandeburg (chair)
• District 3 - Marc Dodd
• District 4 - Mollie Cunningham
• District 5 - Stephanie Luke

County constitutional officers:

• Sheriff – Peyton Grinnell
• Clerk of the Circuit Court – Gary J. Cooney
• Property appraiser – Mark V. Jordan
• Tax collector – David W. Jordan
• Supervisor of elections – Alan Hays

The county lies within one state senatorial district:

• the 13th (covering the entire county and parts of Orange County, held by Republican Keith Truenow)

The county lies within three state representative districts:

• the 27th (covering the northeastern part of the county, held by Republican Richard Gentry)
• the 26th (covering the north-central part of the county, held by Republican Nan Cobb)
• the 25th (covering the central and southern part of the county, held by Republican Taylor Yarkosky)

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.

Libraries

The Lake County Library System was established in 1982 by Lake County Ordinance 1982-18 following the establishment of the Lake County Library Planning Advisory Board in 1975. Today it is governed by the Lake County Board of County Commissioners. The library system is made up of 6 branch libraries and 10 municipal libraries:

• Astor County Library, Astor
• Cagan Crossings Community Library, built in 2008 in Clermont
• Cooper Memorial Library: The Cooper Memorial Library's history began in 1905 when a traveling salesman stopped by a boarding house run by the Benjamin McCain family and promised to donate enough books to start a town library if he was able to sell his Chautauqua lectures. Money was contributed, but very few lectures occurred, and books were never donated. Money that was to be used for the final payment for the lecture series was instead used to start a library. The first librarian of the library was Ms. Payson Pierce, who offered her own home for book storage as well as opened her home to the public. In 1914, a permanent structure was built. Women of the Library Club supported the library until 1936 when the Clermont City Council agreed to maintain it. In 2002, Cooper Memorial became a branch of the Lake County Library System.
• East Lake County Library, Sorrento
• Eustis Memorial Library, Eustis
• Fruitland Park Library first began in 1916 from the donation of books from the Bosanquet and Dwight families. Twenty years later, under the joint support of the women of St. Paul's Catholic Church, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, and the Community Methodist Church, it became a community library. In 1970, Fruitland Park Library employed its first salaried librarian.
• Helen Lehmann Memorial Library, Montverde
• Lady Lake Public Library, Lady Lake
• Leesburg Public Library, Leesburg
• Marianne Beck Memorial Library: The Marianne Beck Memorial Library began in 1989 as an Eagle Scout project in a former carport in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. The local community raised $50,000 to remodel a former convenience store that was purchased by the town for the new library.
• Marion Baysinger Memorial Library, Groveland
• Minneola Schoolhouse Library, Minneola
• Paisley County Library, Paisley
• Tavares Public Library, Tavares
• Umatilla Public Library, Umatilla
• W.T. Bland Public Library, Mount Dora

Elections

Lake County has voted Republican in U.S. presidential races since 1948.

Voter registration

Data comes from the Florida Division of Elections.

Education

Main article: Lake County Schools

There are a number of public schools in the county.

Colleges

The following colleges are in the county:

• Lake-Sumter State College
• Beacon College
• Southern Technical College
• Lake Technical College

Transportation

Aviation

The Tavares Seaplane Base is a city-owned, public-use seaplane base on Lake Dora in Tavares.

The Leesburg International Airport is a former Army Airfield and municipal airport along Lake Harris east of downtown Leesburg, Florida.

Mid Florida Air Service Airport is on State Road 44 east of Eustis.

• Umatilla Municipal Airport

Major highways

• [[File:Florida's Turnpike shield.svg|25px]] Florida's Turnpike runs north and south from Southeastern and Central Florida. Four interchanges exist in the county; Hancock Road (Exit 278), US 27/SR 19 (Exit 285), southbound US 27 (Exit 289) and County Road 470 (Exit 296).
• [[Image:US 27.svg|25px]] US 27 is the main local road through western Lake County, running south to north. It spans from Four Corners to The Villages.
• [[Image:US 441.svg|25px]] 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.
• [[Image:Florida 19.svg|25px]] SR 19 is a mostly scenic north and south road from SR 50 in Groveland through Tavares, Eustis, and Ocala National Forest.
• [[Image:Florida 33.svg|25px]] 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 becomes an exposed county road leading to US 27 in Okahumpka.
• [[Image:Florida 40.svg|25px]] SR 40 is the northernmost east–west route in Lake County, and runs through Ocala National Forest.
• [[Image:Florida 44.svg|25px]] 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.
• [[Image:Florida 46.svg|25px]] SR 46 starts at an interchange with US 441 and County Road 46 in Mount Dora and through Sorrento and Mount Plymouth along the northern border of Orange County.
• [[Image:Florida 50.svg|25px]] SR 50 is the main east–west road through southern Lake County.

Public transportation

LakeXpress is the public transportation agency that serves the Lake County, Florida area since 2007.

Railroads

• The sole surviving railroad line through Lake County is the Florida Central Railroad which spans from Orange County near Mount Dora through Tavares, Eustis, and terminates near Umatilla. The line has been proposed for a yet-to-be built commuter line called the Orange Blossom Express since 2009. A short-lived tourist railroad named Tavares, Eustis and Gulf Railroad existed between 2011 and 2017.

Communities

Cities

• Clermont
• Eustis
• Fruitland Park
• Groveland
• Leesburg
• Mascotte
• Minneola
• Mount Dora
• Tavares
• Umatilla

Towns

• Astatula
• Howey-in-the-Hills
• Lady Lake
• Montverde

Census-designated places

• Altoona
• Astor
• Ferndale
• Four Corners
• Lake Kathryn
• Lake Mack-Forest Hills
• Lisbon
• Mount Plymouth
• Okahumpka
• Paisley
• Pine Lakes
• Pittman
• Silver Lake
• Sorrento
• Yalaha

Other unincorporated communities

• Bassville Park
• Dona Vista
• Fort Mason
• Grand Island
• Lanier
• Orange Bend
• The Villages (partly)

Notable people

• Flora Call and Elias Disney were married January 1, 1888, in the Lake County town of Kismet. They were the parents of Walt Disney.
• The Groveland Four (Earnest Thomas, Charles Greenlee, Samuel Shepherd and Walter Irvin), who were falsely accused of raping a 17-year-old white woman and assaulting her husband.
  • Willis V. McCall, sheriff of Lake County, who shot one and wounded another of the Groveland Four while they were in his custody
• Randy Rhoads, American heavy metal guitarist, killed in a plane crash in Leesburg on March 19, 1982. Played in the Ozzy Osbourne solo band following his tenure in Quiet Riot.
• Ginger Minj, drag queen; best known for being a runner-up on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race and competing on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars

Notes

References

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. (1908). "Publications of the Florida Historical Society". Florida Historical Society..
4. (2015). "Financial report". lakecountyclerk.org.
5. Peter, Emmett. (1994). "Lake County, Florida--A Pictorial History". Lake County Historical Society.
6. "1940 Citrus edition tells a major chapter of Lake’s history". Orlando Sentinel.
7. (December 13, 2014). "Devastating 1989 freeze killed citrus, ushered in development in Lake County".
8. (February 1, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
9. Crampton, Vincent. "You won't get light-headed atop Florida's highest point". OrlandoSentinel.com.
10. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau.
11. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
12. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
13. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
14. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
15. (1980). "1980 U.S. Census - General Population Characteristics - Table 16 Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race: 1980".
16. (1980). "1990 U.S. Census - Social and Economic Characteristics - Table 6. Race and Hispanic Origin: 1990".
17. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Lake County, Florida".
18. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lake County, Florida".
19. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lake County, Florida".
20. included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
21. included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
22. not an option in the 1980 Census
23. not an option in the 1990 Census
24. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
25. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
26. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
27. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
28. "Lake County Board of County Commissioners".
29. "Lake County Schools".
30. "Leadership Team".
31. "Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller".
32. "Lake County Property Appraiser".
33. "Lake County Tax Collector".
34. "[http://www.dc.state.fl.us/facilities/region3/index.html Region III – Correctional Facility Office] {{webarchive. link. (2008-06-13 ." [[Florida Department of Corrections]]. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.)
35. "[http://www.dc.state.fl.us/facilities/region3/312.html Lake Correctional Institution]." [[Florida Department of Corrections]]. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.
36. "Astor County Library".
37. Bloodsworth, Doris. A Library Love Affair: How the Love of Books Helped Shape the History of Clermont, Florida. ''Florida Libraries''. Vol. 53, No. 2, Fall 2010. pp. 4–6.
38. "Eustis Memorial Library".
39. "Historic Trail of FP | City of Fruitland Park Florida".
40. "Helen Lehmann Memorial Library".
41. "Lady Lake Public Library".
42. "Welcome to Leesburg".
43. "Marianne Beck Memorial Library".
44. "Marion Baysinger Memorial Library".
45. "Minneola Schoolhouse Library".
46. "Tavares Public Library | Tavares, FL – Official Website".
47. "HOME".
48. "W.T. Bland Public Library | Mount Dora, FL – Official Website".
49. Lake County Library System. Online, available: https://www.mylakelibrary.org/ {{Webarchive. link. (March 12, 2017)
50. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
51. "Our Campaigns".
52. [https://dos.fl.gov/elections/data-statistics/voter-registration-statistics/voter-registration-reports/voter-registration-by-county-and-party/ Voter Registration - By County and Party] dos.myflorida, April 30, 2025
53. Show, Christine. (November 22, 2008). "Tavares keeps it simple in naming seaplane base". Orlando Sentinel.
54. "Tavares Seaplane Base & Marina". City of Tavares.
55. "Mid Florida Air Services Airport".
56. (October 3, 2006). "Walt Disney by Neal Gabler – eBook – Random House – Read an Excerpt". Random House.
57. Dickinson, Joy Wallace. (October 28, 2011). "Walt Disney's ties to Central Florida reach back far beyond debut of Magic Kingdom 40 years ago".