Lake County, Florida | |
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.JPG) Old Lake County Courthouse inTavares | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofFlorida | |
| Coordinates:28°46′N81°43′W / 28.77°N 81.72°W /28.77; -81.72 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| Founded | May 27, 1887 |
| Seat | Tavares |
| Largest city | Clermont |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,157 sq mi (3,000 km2) |
| • Land | 938 sq mi (2,430 km2) |
| • Water | 219 sq mi (570 km2) 18.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 383,956 |
• Estimate (2023) | 424,462 |
| • Density | 409/sq mi (158/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 6th,11th |
| Website | www |
Lake County is acounty in thecentral portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the2020 census, the population was 383,956.[1] Itscounty seat isTavares,[2] and its largest city isClermont. Lake County is included in theOrlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Lake County was created in 1887 from portions ofSumter andOrange 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[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. Citrus was introduced byMelton Haynes.[5] Throughout the 1940s and 50s, citrus production increased and grew into the area's leading industry.[6] TheDecember 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 increasingurban sprawl.[7]
According to theU.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.[8]
Sugarloaf Mountain is the highest point in peninsular Florida, at 312 feet (95 m) above sea level.[9]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 8,034 | — | |
| 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% | |
| 2020 | 383,956 | 29.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 424,462 | [10] | 10.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13] 1990–2000[14] 2010–2019[1] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[15] | Pop 1990[16] | Pop 2000[17] | Pop 2010[18] | Pop 2020[19] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 89,028 | 133,071 | 177,285 | 221,365 | 253,214 | 84.89% | 87.49% | 84.21% | 74.52% | 65.95% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 13,049 | 13,774 | 17,231 | 27,796 | 37,883 | 12.44% | 9.06% | 8.18% | 9.36% | 9.87% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 191 | 366 | 603 | 965 | 1,016 | 0.18% | 0.24% | 0.29% | 0.32% | 0.26% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 259 | 548 | 1,640 | 5,055 | 8,362 | 0.25% | 0.36% | 0.78% | 1.70% | 2.18% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[20] | x[21] | 62 | 194 | 317 | x | x | 0.03% | 0.07% | 0.08% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 88 | 40 | 168 | 1,052 | 2,916 | 0.08% | 0.03% | 0.08% | 0.35% | 0.76% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[22] | x[23] | 1,731 | 4,616 | 14,873 | x | x | 0.82% | 1.55% | 3.87% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,255 | 4,305 | 11,808 | 36,009 | 65,375 | 2.15% | 2.83% | 5.61% | 12.12% | 17.03% |
| Total | 104,870 | 152,104 | 210,528 | 297,052 | 383,956 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, there were 383,956 people, 156,923 households, and 94,332 families residing in the county.[24]
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.[24]
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.[24]
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%.[24]
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 andPacific Islander, 6.0% from some other race, and 10.8% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 17.0% of the population.[25]
82.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 17.9% lived in rural areas.[26]
As of the census[27] of 2010, there were 297,047 people and 130,190 households residing in the county. The population density was 316.6 inhabitants per square mile (122.2/km2). There were 163,586 housing units at an average density of 174.3 per square mile (67.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 83.4%White (68.7% non-Hispanic White), 11.5%Black orAfrican 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 wereHispanic orLatino 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.
Lake County is represented in theUnited States Senate by Republican senatorsRick Scott andAshley Moody.
Since redistricting following the2020 U.S. census, Lake County has been part of Florida's6th and11th congressional districts. They are represented by RepublicansRandy Fine andDaniel Webster, respectively.
List of current elected officials:
School board members:
County constitutional officers:
The county lies within onestate senatorial district:
The county lies within threestate representative districts:
TheFlorida Department of Corrections has Region III Correctional Facility Office on the grounds of theLake Correctional Institution in anunincorporated area in Lake County.[34][35]
TheLake 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:
Lake County has voted Republican in U.S. presidential races since 1948.[50]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 910 | 40.77% | 1,278 | 57.26% | 44 | 1.97% |
| 1892 | 0 | 0.00% | 1,137 | 85.68% | 190 | 14.32% |
| 1896 | 302 | 24.35% | 870 | 70.16% | 68 | 5.48% |
| 1900 | 143 | 20.58% | 492 | 70.79% | 60 | 8.63% |
| 1904 | 148 | 20.33% | 529 | 72.66% | 51 | 7.01% |
| 1908 | 200 | 24.01% | 487 | 58.46% | 146 | 17.53% |
| 1912 | 92 | 11.34% | 596 | 73.49% | 123 | 15.17% |
| 1916 | 330 | 25.25% | 886 | 67.79% | 91 | 6.96% |
| 1920 | 734 | 28.90% | 1,720 | 67.72% | 86 | 3.39% |
| 1924 | 948 | 36.46% | 1,381 | 53.12% | 271 | 10.42% |
| 1928 | 3,383 | 68.08% | 1,474 | 29.66% | 112 | 2.25% |
| 1932 | 1,867 | 37.82% | 3,070 | 62.18% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 2,034 | 33.46% | 4,045 | 66.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 2,659 | 33.32% | 5,322 | 66.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 2,693 | 38.38% | 4,323 | 61.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 3,579 | 43.23% | 3,474 | 41.96% | 1,226 | 14.81% |
| 1952 | 9,132 | 70.63% | 3,797 | 29.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 10,888 | 71.57% | 4,326 | 28.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 12,979 | 72.45% | 4,936 | 27.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 12,897 | 62.39% | 7,773 | 37.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 11,763 | 47.42% | 4,599 | 18.54% | 8,442 | 34.03% |
| 1972 | 23,079 | 82.63% | 4,803 | 17.20% | 48 | 0.17% |
| 1976 | 19,976 | 57.42% | 14,369 | 41.31% | 442 | 1.27% |
| 1980 | 26,798 | 64.53% | 13,128 | 31.61% | 1,602 | 3.86% |
| 1984 | 35,319 | 74.29% | 12,217 | 25.70% | 7 | 0.01% |
| 1988 | 37,327 | 68.40% | 16,766 | 30.72% | 479 | 0.88% |
| 1992 | 30,825 | 44.17% | 23,200 | 33.24% | 15,762 | 22.59% |
| 1996 | 35,097 | 47.48% | 29,752 | 40.25% | 9,074 | 12.27% |
| 2000 | 50,010 | 56.44% | 36,571 | 41.27% | 2,030 | 2.29% |
| 2004 | 74,389 | 60.02% | 48,221 | 38.90% | 1,340 | 1.08% |
| 2008 | 82,802 | 56.19% | 62,948 | 42.71% | 1,621 | 1.10% |
| 2012 | 87,643 | 57.99% | 61,799 | 40.89% | 1,702 | 1.13% |
| 2016 | 102,188 | 59.48% | 62,838 | 36.58% | 6,773 | 3.94% |
| 2020 | 125,859 | 59.56% | 83,505 | 39.52% | 1,950 | 0.92% |
| 2024 | 140,500 | 61.75% | 84,546 | 37.16% | 2,468 | 1.08% |
Data comes from the Florida Division of Elections.[52]
| Party | Number of registered voters | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 131,901 | 47.15% | |
| Democratic | 69,886 | 24.98% | |
| Independent | 68,974 | 24.65% | |
| Minor parties | 8,999 | 3.22% | |
| Total | 279,760 | 100% | |
There are a number ofpublic schools in the county.
The following colleges are in the county:
TheTavares Seaplane Base[53] is a city-owned, public-useseaplane base on Lake Dora in Tavares.[54]
TheLeesburg International Airport is a former Army Airfield and municipal airport along Lake Harris east of downtownLeesburg, Florida.
Mid Florida Air Service Airport is onState Road 44 east of Eustis.[55]
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) andCounty Road 470 (Exit 296).
US 27 is the main local road through western Lake County, running south to north. It spans fromFour Corners toThe Villages.
US 441 is another south to north US highway running throughMount 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, andOcala National Forest.
SR 33 is the north–south road from Lakeland inPolk 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.LakeXpress is thepublic transportation agency that serves the Lake County, Florida area since 2007.
Places adjacent to Lake County, Florida | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofLake County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| Geographic | |
| Other | |
