| 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 | ||
| 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 2000 Census, the population was 210,528. 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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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]
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]
| Historical populations | |||
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| 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.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
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]
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]
LakeXpress is the public transportation agency that serves the Lake County, Florida area since 2007.
| Marion County | Volusia County | |||
| Sumter County | Orange County and Seminole County | |||
| Lake County, Florida | ||||
| Polk County | Osceola County |
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