Ocala, Florida - At The Center of It All
Ocala lies in the heart of Marion County with a population of roughly 50,000 people. It's a city rich with history. It was established in 1846 near Fort King, which was extremely important during the Seminole Wars and was also a stopping point for Hernando de Soto during his expedition through the southeastern United States. It was there he met the people of the Timucua village of the Seminole and told him that the place he was in was called "Ocali," or, "Kingdom of the Sun."
Kingdom of the sun is absolutely right. Because Ocala is located in the center of Florida, it sees more sunshine than any other city along the coast. Ocala also has two very distinct seasons. The wet season lasts from June to October and is characterized by daily afternoon thunderstorms. Unofficially, Ocala has more sky to ground lightening than any other place in the state. Morning temperatures are in the 70's while the daytime highs are in the 90's. From November to May is the dry season. During the dry season, Ocala is known for its sunshine. Morning temperatures are often in the 40's and it warms up to the mid-70's by the afternoon.
Finding Ocala is easy because four major highways run through it. Interstate 75, US Highway 27, US Route 301, and US Highway 441 all converge in Ocala and can take you to any destination you want to go. Where do you want to go once in Ocala? That's easy enough to answer: Silver Springs. It's just a short distance from Ocala and is a 350 acre "natural theme park" consisting of Silver Springs and the Wild Waters Water Park. You can hike, camp, picnic, swim, canoe, scuba dive, and anything else you can think of to do in this natural wonder. Silver Springs also has the distinction of being the largest artesian spring in the world. Nature lovers appreciate the Ocala area because it is situated in the heart of horse country. Also nicknamed the "Horse Capital of the World", Marion County is one of the largest thoroughbred horse areas in the world. There are over 600 thoroughbred farms and over 1,200 horse farms.
What about the theme parks? It's just a short drive away from Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World so it's easy to make a day trip to any of your favorite theme parks. Ocala's proximity to the parks is what boosted its economy back in the 1970's. Right now, Ocala is experiencing one of the highest growth rates in the country for a city of its relative size. This is partly because Ocala is one of the premier retirement places in the country and also because of the increase in building in the area. The formation of The Villages nearby, part retirement community, part major shopping district, draws people to Ocala from all over the country.
Thinking of purchasing some Florida real estate? Ocala, Kingdom of the Sun, is the perfect place to live, visit, retire, or build. If recent growth in the Ocala area shows its potential then Ocala will be booming for years to come. Each year brings more business, families, retirees, and housing to Ocala than ever before.