Leesburg, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leesburg, Florida
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| City of Leesburg | |
Leesburg City Hall
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| Motto(s):
"The Lakefront City"
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Location in Lake County and the state of Florida
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| Country |  United States of America |
| State |  Florida |
| County |  Lake |
| Settled (Leesburg) | 1857 |
| Incorporated (city) | July 12, 1875 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Commission–Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 41.94 sq mi (108.61 km2) |
| • Land | 38.45 sq mi (99.58 km2) |
| • Water | 3.49 sq mi (9.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 89 ft (27 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 27,000 |
| • Density | 702.27/sq mi (271.15/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
34748, 34788
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| Area code(s) | 352 |
| FIPS code | 12-39875 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404907 |
Leesburg is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States. In 2020, about 27,000 people lived there.
Leesburg is located in central Florida. It sits between Lake Harris and Lake Griffin. The city is also at the start of the Ocklawaha River. Leesburg is part of the larger Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan area.
You can find two colleges in Leesburg: Lake–Sumter State College and Beacon College.
Contents
History of Leesburg
Leesburg was first settled in 1857 by a person named Evander McIver Lee. His brothers later joined him in the area. One of them, Calvin Lee, is said to have given the town its name. The city officially became a city on July 12, 1875. For a while, it was even the main city (county seat) for Sumter County. But when Lake County was created in 1887, Tavares became its county seat instead.
In the early 1900s, Leesburg was famous for growing watermelons. In 1930, the city started its first Watermelon Festival. This fun event happened every year for almost 30 years. However, over time, fewer watermelons were grown in the area. By the last festival in 1957, watermelons had to be brought in from other places.
During the Great Depression in 1938, the government helped with projects across the country. The Works Progress Administration started building the Venetian Gardens waterside park. This park is located right on the shores of Lake Harris. Its canals and gardens have been a special part of the community ever since.
The city's main shopping center, Lake Square Mall, opened its doors in 1980. In 1982, a sad plane crash happened in Leesburg. It involved Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist, Randy Rhoads, and two other people.
The citrus industry, which grows fruits like oranges, was very important here for many years. But cold weather in 1983 and 1985 caused a lot of damage to the fruit groves. Because of this, many growers moved their farms further south.
In 1997, the Leesburg Bikefest began. It has grown into a huge yearly spring event. More than 250,000 people come to enjoy it every year.
Today, Leesburg is growing because it's a popular place for people to retire. Also, the nearby city of Orlando is growing fast. Many people who work in Orlando choose to live in Leesburg. The Leesburg High School boys' basketball team has won state championships multiple times, including in 2016 and 2017.
In 2017, a large retirement community called the Villages planned to buy land near Leesburg. They plan to build about 4,500 homes and some shops there.
Geography and Location
Leesburg is located at about 28°47′36″N 81°54′38″W. The city covers a total area of about 24.4 square miles (63.2 square kilometers). About 18.7 square miles (48.4 square kilometers) of this is land, and 5.8 square miles (15 square kilometers) is water.
Leesburg is about 44.5 miles northwest of Orlando. It is also about 270 miles north of Miami. The state capital, Tallahassee, is about 221 miles southwest.
Several main roads pass through Leesburg. These include U.S. Highway 27, U.S. Highway 441, and S.R. 44. Florida's Turnpike also runs just south and west of the city. Leesburg was once part of the western route of the historic Dixie Highway.
Climate in Leesburg
The weather in Leesburg has hot and humid summers. The winters are usually mild. According to the Köppen climate classification, Leesburg has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm temperatures and plenty of rain throughout the year.
| Climate data for Leesburg, Florida (Leesburg International Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1958–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 86 (30) |
89 (32) |
92 (33) |
95 (35) |
99 (37) |
100 (38) |
100 (38) |
101 (38) |
100 (38) |
97 (36) |
90 (32) |
87 (31) |
101 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 81.5 (27.5) |
84.3 (29.1) |
86.5 (30.3) |
89.7 (32.1) |
94.3 (34.6) |
96.2 (35.7) |
96.4 (35.8) |
96.0 (35.6) |
94.4 (34.7) |
90.7 (32.6) |
85.7 (29.8) |
82.4 (28.0) |
97.8 (36.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 69.9 (21.1) |
73.3 (22.9) |
77.3 (25.2) |
82.7 (28.2) |
88.1 (31.2) |
90.7 (32.6) |
91.1 (32.8) |
91.7 (33.2) |
89.7 (32.1) |
84.5 (29.2) |
77.3 (25.2) |
72.4 (22.4) |
82.4 (28.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 59.4 (15.2) |
62.6 (17.0) |
66.6 (19.2) |
72.2 (22.3) |
77.9 (25.5) |
81.9 (27.7) |
83.0 (28.3) |
83.3 (28.5) |
81.4 (27.4) |
75.3 (24.1) |
67.2 (19.6) |
62.2 (16.8) |
72.8 (22.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 48.9 (9.4) |
52.0 (11.1) |
56.0 (13.3) |
61.7 (16.5) |
67.7 (19.8) |
73.1 (22.8) |
74.9 (23.8) |
75.0 (23.9) |
73.1 (22.8) |
66.1 (18.9) |
57.1 (13.9) |
52.0 (11.1) |
63.1 (17.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 31.4 (−0.3) |
35.2 (1.8) |
39.7 (4.3) |
48.3 (9.1) |
57.7 (14.3) |
67.3 (19.6) |
70.6 (21.4) |
71.3 (21.8) |
66.2 (19.0) |
51.9 (11.1) |
41.6 (5.3) |
35.9 (2.2) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 16 (−9) |
23 (−5) |
25 (−4) |
32 (0) |
46 (8) |
53 (12) |
62 (17) |
62 (17) |
52 (11) |
39 (4) |
24 (−4) |
16 (−9) |
16 (−9) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.51 (64) |
2.08 (53) |
3.22 (82) |
2.04 (52) |
2.68 (68) |
6.98 (177) |
5.88 (149) |
6.63 (168) |
5.21 (132) |
2.62 (67) |
1.76 (45) |
2.17 (55) |
43.78 (1,112) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.6 | 7.6 | 6.8 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 15.2 | 16.9 | 16.6 | 13.5 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 8.4 | 121.7 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 200 | — | |
| 1890 | 722 | 261.0% | |
| 1900 | 765 | 6.0% | |
| 1910 | 991 | 29.5% | |
| 1920 | 1,835 | 85.2% | |
| 1930 | 4,113 | 124.1% | |
| 1940 | 4,687 | 14.0% | |
| 1950 | 7,395 | 57.8% | |
| 1960 | 11,172 | 51.1% | |
| 1970 | 11,869 | 6.2% | |
| 1980 | 13,191 | 11.1% | |
| 1990 | 14,903 | 13.0% | |
| 2000 | 15,956 | 7.1% | |
| 2010 | 20,117 | 26.1% | |
| 2020 | 27,000 | 34.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 | |||
Population Changes (2010 and 2020)
The table below shows the different groups of people living in Leesburg. It compares the numbers from the 2010 and 2020 United States censuses.
| Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 11,917 | 13,978 | 59.24% | 51.77% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 5,560 | 6,811 | 27.64% | 25.23% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 55 | 63 | 0.27% | 0.23% |
| Asian (NH) | 340 | 520 | 1.69% | 1.93% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 43 | 78 | 0.21% | 0.29% |
| Some other race (NH) | 17 | 190 | 0.08% | 0.70% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 380 | 1,115 | 1.89% | 4.13% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,805 | 4,245 | 8.97% | 15.72% |
| Total | 20,117 | 27,000 |
In 2020, there were 27,000 people living in Leesburg. There were 9,142 households and 5,782 families. In 2010, there were 20,117 people, 8,684 households, and 5,144 families.
Arts and Culture
The Leesburg Public Library started in 1875. In 1953, the library moved to Venetian Gardens. It moved again in 2007 to a much larger building, about 42,000 square feet. The library joined the Lake County Library System in 2002.
The Leesburg Center for the Arts is a group that helps people learn about art. It also holds art shows. It was started in 2000.
The Leesburg African American Museum displays items related to African-American history and culture.
The Melon Patch Players is a theater group that started in 1951. They put on plays for the community.
Sports in Leesburg
Baseball History
From 1922 to 1924, the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team used Cooke Field in Leesburg for their spring training. In 1923, the Phillies even played an exhibition game against the St. Louis Cardinals there.
In 1936, the city built the Ballpark at Venetian Gardens. This ballpark was home to several minor league baseball teams. These teams played in the Florida State League from 1937 to 1968. Leesburg teams won league championships in 1941 and 1946.
Since 2007, Leesburg has been home to the Leesburg Lightning. This is a college summer baseball team that uses wooden bats. They play in the Florida Collegiate Summer League.
Education in Leesburg
Public Schools
Lake County Schools manages the public schools in Leesburg.
Public High School
- Leesburg High School
Public Middle Schools
- Carver Middle School
- Oak Park Middle School
Public Elementary Schools
- Beverly Shores Elementary School
- Leesburg Elementary School
- Treadway Elementary School
Other Public School
- Rimes Early Learning and Literacy Center
Private Schools
- First Academy-Leesburg
- Saint Paul Catholic School-Leesburg
Colleges in Leesburg
- Beacon College
- Lake–Sumter State College
City Infrastructure
Leesburg International Airport is a smaller airport in Leesburg. It is located where CR 44 and US 441 meet, near Lake-Sumter State College. It serves as a base for JetSky airlines. The airport helps travelers in Lake, Sumter, and Marion Counties.
Notable People from Leesburg
- Abe Anellis – A food scientist who retired in Leesburg.
- Vince Fechtel Jr. – A politician.
- Susan Harrison – An actress.
- Virgil D. Hawkins – An African-American lawyer and civil rights leader.
- Syd Herlong – A politician.
- Jonathan Hay – A music producer and publicist.
- Dan Hinote – A professional ice hockey player for the St. Louis Blues, born in Leesburg.
- Bill McBride – A former candidate for Florida governor.
- David McCheyne Newell – An author and journalist.
- Ginger Minj (Joshua Allen Eads) – A drag queen who appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race.
- George Stephen Morrison – The father of Jim Morrison from the band The Doors, raised in Leesburg.
- Austin "Red" Robbins – A professional basketball player.
- Brady Singer – A professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals.
- Robert S Singleton – An American engineer and scientist, who graduated from Leesburg High School.
- Johnny Thunder – A singer.
- Lillian Vickers-Smith – The first female sports editor and writer for the Leesburg Commercial newspaper.
Images for kids
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Leesburg City Hall
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Location in Lake County and the state of Florida
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Mote-Morris House
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Leesburg High School
See also
In Spanish: Leesburg (Florida) para niños
