Lake County, Florida, is located in the northern central part of the state. Its county seat is Tavares, and it has a population of around 301,000.
The county was established in 1887, and was formed by areas from Orange County and Sumter County. As with the nearby Orange county, citrus was the primary industry of the county at the time. The county was aptly named. Nearly 20% of the area of the county is made up of water. The countryside is filled generously with lakes of all sizes.
The top portion of the county houses part of the Ocala National Forest. This area is rich with wildlife, as well as pine trees, palms, and other foliage. SR 19 and SR 40 are scenic routes that travel through the Ocala National Forest. Several of the counties abundant lakes can be accessed from these beautiful highways.
Because of the large amount of lakes, the county is a particularly lush one. The landscape also offers unique opportunities for industry. Lake Dora, a large body of water in the northern part of the county, is the location of a public use seaplane base.
Lake County is not only a scenic place to live, but also a convenient one. It only takes a short drive to reach Orlando to the south east, and an equally short drive to get to Daytona Beach. Residents looking to be conveniently located without the city life will find themselves perfectly situated within the boundaries of Lake County.