Lake County, Florida

Lake County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 297,052.[1] Its county seat is Tavares,[2] and its largest city is Clermont.

Lake County
U.S. county
Old Lake County Courthouse
Flag
Seal
Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 28°46′N 81°43′W
Country United States
State Florida
FoundedMay 27, 1887
SeatTavares
Largest cityClermont
Area
 • Total1,157 sq mi (3,000 km2)
 • Land938 sq mi (2,430 km2)
 • Water219 sq mi (570 km2)  18.9%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2019)
367,118
 • Density369/sq mi (142/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts6th, 11th, 15th
Websitewww.lakecountyfl.gov

Lake County is included in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Lake County was created in 1887 from portions of Sumter and Orange counties. It was named for the many lakes contained within its borders[3] (250 named lakes and 1,735 other bodies of water[4]).

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. Throughout the 1940s and 50s, citrus production increased and grew into the area's leading industry.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,157 square miles (3,000 km2), of which 938 square miles (2,430 km2) is land and 219 square miles (570 km2) (18.9%) is water.[5]

Sugarloaf Mountain is the highest point in peninsular Florida, at 312 feet (95 m) above sea level.[6]

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18908,034—
19007,467−7.1%
19109,50927.3%
192012,74434.0%
193023,16181.7%
194027,25517.7%
195036,34033.3%
196057,38357.9%
197069,30520.8%
1980104,87051.3%
1990152,10445.0%
2000210,52838.4%
2010297,05241.1%
Est. 2019367,118[7]23.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010–2019[1]

As of the census[12] 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.

Government

Lake County is represented by U.S. Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, and U.S. Representatives Michael Waltz (R-FL6), Daniel Webster (R-FL11), and Ross Spano (R-FL15).[13]

In the Florida Senate, Lake County is represented by Senators Dennis Baxley (R-FL12), and Kelli Stargel (R-FL22) . In the Florida House, Lake County is represented by Florida Representatives Jennifer Sullivan (R-FL31), the vacant (FL32), and Brett Hage (R-FL33).[14]

Lake County has five Constitutional Officers: Gary Cooney (Clerk of the Court and Comptroller), Peyton Grinnell (Sheriff), Cary Baker (Property Appraiser), David Jordan (Tax Collector), and Alan Hays (Supervisor of Elections), and five County Commissioners: Tim Sullivan (R-District 1), Sean Parks (R-District 2), Wendy Breeden (R-District 3), Leslie Campione (R-District 4), and Josh Blake (R-District 5).[15]

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.[16][17]

Libraries

The Lake County Library System is made up of 6 branch libraries and 9 municipal libraries:

  • Astor County Library: located at 54905 Alco Road, Astor, FL 32102 [18]
  • Cagan Crossings Community Library: Built in 2008; Location: 16729 Cagan Oaks, Clermont, FL 34714
  • 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.[19]
  • East Lake County Library: located at 31340 S. County Road 437, Sorrento, FL 32776
  • Eustis Memorial Library, 120 North Center Street, Eustis, Florida 32726 [20]
  • Fruitland Park Library: First began in 1916 from the donation of books from the Bosanquet and Dwight families.[21] 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: located at 17435 Fifth St., Montverde, FL 34756[22]
  • Lady Lake Public Library: located at 225 W. Guava St., Lady Lake, FL 32159 [23]
  • Leesburg Public Library: located at 100 E. Main St., Leesburg, FL 34748 [24]
  • 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.[25]
  • Marion Baysinger Memorial Library: located at 756 W. Broad St., Groveland, FL 34736[26]
  • Minneola Schoolhouse Library: located at 100 S. Main Ave., Minneola, FL 34715 [27]
  • Paisley County Library: located at 24954 County Road 42, Paisley, FL 32767
  • Tavares Public Library: located at 314 N. New Hampshire, Tavares, FL 32778 [28]
  • Umatilla Public Library: located at 412 Hatfield Dr., Umatilla, FL 32784 [29]
  • W.T. Bland Public Library: located at 1995 N. Donnelly St., Mount Dora, FL 32757 [30][31]

Elections

Lake County has voted Republican in U. S. Presidential races since 1948.[32]

Presidential elections results
Lake County vote
by party in presidential elections[32]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 59.48% 102,188 36.58% 62,838 3.94% 6,773
2012 57.99% 87,643 40.89% 61,799 1.13% 1,702
2008 56.19% 82,802 42.71% 62,948 1.10% 1,621
2004 60.02% 74,389 38.90% 48,221 1.08% 1,340
2000 56.44% 50,010 41.27% 36,571 2.29% 2,030
1996 47.48% 35,097 40.25% 29,752 12.27% 9,074
1992 44.17% 30,825 33.24% 23,200 22.58% 15,762
1988 68.40% 37,327 30.72% 16,766 0.88% 479
1984 74.29% 35,319 25.70% 12,217 0.01% 7
1980 64.53% 26,798 31.61% 13,128 3.86% 1,602
1976 57.42% 19,976 41.31% 14,369 1.27% 442
1972 82.63% 23,079 17.20% 4,803 0.17% 48
1968 47.42% 11,763 18.54% 4,599 34.03% 8,442
1964 62.39% 12,897 37.61% 7,773
1960 72.45% 12,979 27.55% 4,936
1956 71.57% 10,888 28.43% 4,326
1952 70.63% 9,132 29.37% 3,797
1948 43.23% 3,579 41.96% 3,474 14.81% 1,226
1944 38.38% 2,693 61.62% 4,323
1940 33.32% 2,659 66.68% 5,322
1936 33.46% 2,034 66.54% 4,045
1932 37.82% 1,867 62.18% 3,070
1928 68.08% 3,383 29.66% 1,474 2.25% 112
1924 36.46% 948 53.12% 1,381 10.43% 271
1920 28.90% 734 67.72% 1,720 3.39% 86
1916 25.25% 330 67.79% 886 6.96% 91
1912 11.34% 92 73.49% 596 15.17% 123
1908 24.01% 200 58.46% 487 17.53% 146
1904 20.33% 148 72.66% 529 7.01% 51

2018 General Election Results

Voter turnout: 66.22%

United States Senator: Rick Scott (R) defeated Bill Nelson (D) 60.4% to 39.6%. U.S. Representative District 6: Michael Waltz (R) defeated Nancy Soderberg (D) 63.1% to 36.9%. U.S. Representative District 11: Daniel Webster (R) defeated Dana Cottrell (D) 64.3% to 35.7%. U.S. Representative District 15: Ross Spano (R) defeated Kristen Carlson (D) 51.7% to 48.3%. Governor: Ron DeSantis (R) defeated Andrew Gillum (D) 59.7% to 38.9%.

Voter registration

Data comes from the Lake County Supervisor of Elections.[33]

Party Registration and Enrollment
Party Number of Registered Voters %
Republican 106,063 44.9
Democratic 73,459 31.1
Independent 61,509 26.1
Other 1,631 <0.1
Total 242,662 100

Education

Main article: Lake County Schools

There are a number of public schools in the county.

Colleges

The following colleges are located in the county:

Transportation

Aviation

The Tavares Seaplane Base[34] is a city-owned, public-use seaplane base located on Lake Dora in Tavares.[35]

Panorama of the Tavares Seaplane Base & Marina on Lake Dora

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 State Road 44 east of Eustis.[36]

Major highways
See also: List of county roads in Lake County, Florida
  • 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).
  • US 27 is the main local road through western Lake County, running south to north. It spans from Four Corners 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 becomes 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 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

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

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities
Stuckey, Florida

Notable people
  • Flora Call and Elias Disney were married January 1, 1888, in the Lake County town of Kismet.[37] They were the parents of Walt Disney.[38]
  • 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.

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. Publications of the Florida Historical Society. Florida Historical Society. 1908. p. 32.
  4. "Financial report" (PDF). lakecountyclerk.org. 2015. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. Crampton, Vincent. "You won't get light-headed atop Florida's highest point". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  7. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2019-05-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2019-05-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2019-05-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. "Region III – Correctional Facility Office Archived 2008-06-13 at the Wayback Machine." Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.
  17. "Lake Correctional Institution." Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.
  18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2019-04-12.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. 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.
  20. "Eustis Memorial Library".
  21. "Historic Trail of FP | City of Fruitland Park Florida". www.fruitlandpark.org.
  22. "Helen Lehmann Memorial Library". Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
  23. "Lady Lake Public Library". Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
  24. "Welcome to Leesburg". leesburgflorida.gov.
  25. "Marianne Beck Memorial Library". howey.org. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  26. "Marion Baysinger Memorial Library". Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
  27. "Minneola Schoolhouse Library". Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
  28. "Tavares Public Library | Tavares, FL - Official Website". www.tavares.org.
  29. "HOME". Umatilla Library.
  30. "W.T. Bland Public Library | Mount Dora, FL - Official Website". ci.mount-dora.fl.us.
  31. Lake County Library System. Online, available: https://www.mylakelibrary.org/ Archived 2017-03-12 at the Wayback Machine
  32. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  33. Department, Lake County Board of County Commissioners, Communications. "Welcome – Lake County Supervisor of Elections". www.lakevotes.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-31. Retrieved 2017-03-30.
  34. Show, Christine (November 22, 2008). "Tavares keeps it simple in naming seaplane base". Orlando Sentinel.
  35. "Tavares Seaplane Base & Marina". City of Tavares. Archived from the original on 17 June 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
  36. "Mid Florida Air Services Airport" (PDF).
  37. "Walt Disney by Neal Gabler – eBook – Random House – Read an Excerpt". Random House. 2006-10-31. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  38. Dickinson, Joy Wallace. "Walt Disney's ties to Central Florida reach back far beyond debut of Magic Kingdom 40 years ago". OrlandoSentinel.com.

Government links/Constitutional offices

Special districts

Judicial branch


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