Lake County, Florida

Lake County is a county in Florida, United States, about 35 miles northwest of Orlando. It had a
population of 383,956 at the 2020 census, an estimated 456,068 by 2025, and covers 938 square
miles (2,430 km2) centred near 28°46′N 81°43′W.

Tavares is the county seat, and its postal code is 32778; Clermont is the county’s largest
city. The county holds 10 cities, 4 incorporated towns and 15 census-designated places, and it
runs on Eastern Time.

Towns & Villages in Lake County

Lake County has 29 named places on record: 14 incorporated cities and towns and 15
census-designated places (CDPs) with no local government of their own. CDP stands for census
designated place; population and ZIP figures marked — were not confirmed by the U.S.
Census Bureau or the U.S. Postal Service.

Four Corners tops the table but is not really a Lake County community — the CDP straddles
Lake, Orange, Osceola and Polk counties, and only a slice of its 56,381 residents live on the
Lake County side. Sorrento and Mount Plymouth share the 32776 ZIP, and the earlier version of this
page listed roughly 140 mobile-home parks, RV resorts and subdivisions (names like “Bonfire
MH Village” and “Tranquil Trailer Court”) as if they were incorporated places;
none of them is a Census-recognized city, town or CDP, so they are not repeated here.

ZIP Codes

• 34711 — Clermont (also serves 34712 through 34715, covering South Clermont and Minneola)
• 34748 and 34788 — Leesburg
• 32726 — Eustis (also 32727 and 32736)
• 32778 — Tavares
• 34736 — Groveland
• 32756 and 32757 — Mount Dora
• 32158, 32159 and 32162 — Lady Lake
• 34731 — Fruitland Park
• 34753 — Mascotte
• 32784 — Umatilla
• 34705 — Astatula
• 34737 — Howey-in-the-Hills
• 34756 — Montverde
• 32776 — Mount Plymouth and Sorrento
• 32767 — Paisley
• 34797 — Yalaha
• 32102 — Astor
• 32702 — Altoona

Ferndale, Lake Kathryn, Lake Mack-Forest Hills, Lisbon, Okahumpka, Pine Lakes, Pittman and
Silver Lake have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is delivered under the nearest incorporated
town’s code.

Geography

Lake County sits in central Florida’s ridge country, a rolling upland studded with more
than 1,400 named lakes and thousands of smaller ponds — the source of the county’s
name. Of its 938 square miles, about 719 are land and 219 are water, a water share unusually high
for an inland Florida county. Sugarloaf Mountain, near Clermont, rises 312 feet above sea level and
is the highest point on the Florida peninsula. The Ocala National Forest covers much of the
county’s northeastern corner, and the St. Johns River forms part of the eastern boundary near
Astor.

Marion County and Volusia County lie to the north, Orange County and Seminole County to the
east, Osceola County and Polk County to the south, and Sumter County to the west. Marion County, Volusia County, Orange County, Osceola County and Polk County each have their own
page on this site; Seminole County and Sumter County do not yet.

Demographics

Lake County had a population of 383,956 at the 2020 census, up from earlier decades’
counts, and the latest estimate puts the county near 456,068 residents. Clermont and Leesburg are
the two largest incorporated communities, though roughly half the county’s people live
outside any city limits, in CDPs and unincorporated land. Median household income in the county
runs about $73,161 (2024), close to Florida’s statewide figure of $73,311 (2023 ACS).
Population density works out to roughly 409 people per square mile of land, moderate for a county
this close to metropolitan Orlando.

Economy & Local Life

Health care and social assistance is the county’s largest employment sector, with about
25,135 workers, followed by retail trade at 22,961 and construction at 16,892. AdventHealth
Waterman in Tavares and UF Health Leesburg Hospital anchor the county’s health care jobs, and
Lake County Schools is among the largest public-sector employers. Clermont is home to the National
Training Center, which trains Olympic and professional triathletes and cyclists and has branded the
city “Choice of Champions.” Citrus growing shaped the county’s economy for
generations before the December 1989 freeze wiped out most of its groves; agriculture today leans
more toward cattle, sod and nursery crops. Mount Dora hosts monthly festivals, the largest being its
outdoor arts festival each February, which draws crowds from across Central Florida.

History

The Florida legislature created Lake County in 1887, carving it out of Sumter and Orange
counties and naming it for its abundance of lakes. Cotton and cattle drove the early economy;
citrus took over by the early 20th century and made the county one of Florida’s leading
orange producers until the catastrophic freeze of December 1989 destroyed most of its groves and
pushed many growers out of the business for good.

In 1949, four young Black men from the Groveland area were falsely accused of raping a white
woman near Groveland, a case that drew national attention as sheriff’s deputies shot two of
the men and a mob attempted to lynch the others. The Florida Board of Executive Clemency pardoned
the “Groveland Four” in 2019, and a judge granted them posthumous exoneration in 2021.

Getting There

No interstate highway crosses Lake County. Florida’s Turnpike runs through the
county’s eastern side with four interchanges, and US 27 and US 441 carry most north-south
traffic; SR 19, SR 33, SR 40, SR 44, SR 46 and SR 50 handle the cross-county routes.

• Orlando — about 35 miles southeast
• Ocala — about 30 miles north
• The Villages — about 10 miles northwest of Leesburg
• Daytona Beach — about 45 miles northeast

Orlando Sanford International Airport, about 25 miles east, and Orlando International Airport,
roughly 40 miles southeast, are the nearest commercial airports. The county has no Amtrak station;
the nearest stops are in Winter Park and Sanford, both in the Orlando area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Lake County located?
It sits in central Florida’s lake-studded ridge country, about 35 miles northwest of
Orlando, bordered by Marion, Volusia, Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Polk and Sumter counties.

What is the population of Lake County?
383,956 at the 2020 census, with an estimate near 456,068 by 2025.

How big is Lake County?
938 square miles (2,430 km2), of which about 719 square miles are land and 219 are water.

What is the county seat of Lake County?
Tavares, nicknamed “America’s Seaplane City,” is the county seat; Clermont is
the largest city.

How many towns and cities are in Lake County?
Ten cities and four incorporated towns, plus 15 census-designated places with no local government
of their own.

What ZIP codes does Lake County use?
Each incorporated city and town has its own ZIP, from 32102 in Astor to 34797 in Yalaha; the full
list is above.

What is Lake County known for?
Its hundreds of named lakes, a citrus industry that dominated the county before the 1989 freeze,
and Mount Dora’s antique shops and festivals.

More counties in this state: Towns
and villages in Florida.