Tavares, Florida Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Tavares

City

The Old Lake County Courthouse in March 2007

Nickname(s):

"America's Seaplane City!"

Location in Lake County and the state of Florida

Tavares

Location in Florida

Tavares

Location in the United States

Country

United States of America

State

Florida

County

Lake

Incorporated

1880

Area

• Total

13.96 sq mi (36.17 km²)

• Land

12.37 sq mi (32.03 km²)

• Water

1.60 sq mi (4.14 km²)

Elevation

118 ft (36 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

19,003

• Density

1,536.71/sq mi (593.34/km²)

Time zone

UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))

• Summer (DST)

UTC-4 (EDT)

ZIP code

32778

Area code(s)

352

FIPS code

12-71225

GNIS feature ID

2405571

Tavares (/tʌvˈɛəriz/, tuh-VAIR-ees) is a city and the county seat of Lake County, Florida. The population at the 2020 census was 19,003, and in 2019 the population was estimated to be 17,749. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2010 and 2020 census
Libraries
Transportation
Notable people
Gallery
See also

History

Union Congregational Church in Tavares. Organized in 1885, and completed in 1888 on land donated by St. Clair-Abrams, this was the first church in Tavares.

The city was founded by newspaper and railroad man Alexander St. Clair-Abrams in 1880 and named for a Portuguese ancestor. In 1883 a post office was established, which was followed by a hotel, three stores, a sawmill, and eight cottages in 1884. While St. Clair-Abrams did not achieve his dream that Tavares become the state capital of Florida (Tallahassee has held the spot since 1823), in 1887 the city was named the seat of Lake County. St. Clair-Abrams later chartered a railroad to run from Tavares to Orlando. In 1919, Tavares incorporated as a town.

Geography

Tavares is located at 28°48′6″N 81°44′1″W / 28.80167°N 81.73361°W / 28.80167; -81.73361 (28.801670, -81.733548)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19 km²); of this, 7.1 square miles (18 km²) (95.16%) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) (4.84%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	113	—
1910	175	54.9%
1920	359	105.1%
1930	1,090	203.6%
1940	1,119	2.7%
1950	1,763	57.6%
1960	2,724	54.5%
1970	3,261	19.7%
1980	4,398	34.9%
1990	7,383	67.9%
2000	9,700	31.4%
2010	13,951	43.8%
2020	19,003	36.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 and 2020 census

**Tavares racial composition**
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White (NH)	11,047	12,932	79.18%	68.05%
Black or African American (NH)	1,349	2,304	9.67%	12.12%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	48	56	0.34%	0.29%
Asian (NH)	235	725	1.68%	3.82%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)	7	7	0.05%	0.04%
Some other race (NH)	22	103	0.16%	0.54%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)	160	653	1.15%	3.44%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,083	2,223	7.76%	11.70%
Total	13,951	19,003

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,003 people, 7,610 households, and 4,337 families residing in the city.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 13,951 people, 6,070 households, and 3,749 families residing in the city.

Libraries

Tavares Public Library
The Lake County Library System is headquartered in Tavares.

Transportation

The Tavares Seaplane Base is a city-owned, public-use seaplane base on Lake Dora in Tavares. The base is popular and gives rise to the city's nickname, "America's Seaplane City".

Panorama of the Tavares Seaplane Base and Marina on Lake Dora

The LakeXpress is Lake County's public transportation and has been active since May 2007. It is a fixed-route transportation service that runs every hour from Lady Lake to Mount Dora with circulator routes in Leesburg and Mount Dora.