The Villages, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Villages
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Sumter Landing in The Villages
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| Nickname(s):
Florida's Friendliest Hometown, Boomer Paradise
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Florida | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 33.95 sq mi (87.94 km2) | |
| • Land | 32.65 sq mi (84.57 km2) | |
| • Water | 1.30 sq mi (3.37 km2) | |
| Elevation | 52 ft (16 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 79,077 | |
| • Density | 2,421.89/sq mi (935.08/km2) | |
| Demonym(s) | Villager | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP code(s) |
32159, 32162, 32163, 34731, 34785, 34762
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| Area code(s) | 352 | |
| FIPS code | 12-71625 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2402925 | |
The Villages is a special kind of community in Florida, USA. It's known as a "census-designated place" (CDP) and is mainly in Sumter and Marion counties. It's also a large, planned community mostly for people aged 55 and older. The Villages is located in central Florida, not too far from big cities like Ocala and Orlando. In 2020, about 79,077 people lived there.
The Villages covers a big area, about 32 square miles, and it's still growing! It's made up of many special areas called "community development districts" (CDDs). These districts are managed by a board of supervisors. The Villages is also the center of its own metropolitan area, which means it's a major hub for the surrounding region. It has been one of the fastest-growing areas in the United States.
Contents
History of The Villages
How It Started
The story of The Villages began in the 1960s with a businessman named Harold Schwartz. He started selling pieces of land in Florida by mail. But in 1968, a new law stopped real estate sales by mail.
So, in the early 1970s, Schwartz and his partner, Al Tarrson, decided to build a mobile home park called Orange Blossom Gardens. It was in Lake County, Florida. At first, sales were slow. By the early 1980s, they had only sold about 400 homes.
Building a Retirement Community
In 1983, Schwartz's son, H. Gary Morse, joined the business. Morse noticed that successful retirement communities offered many nice things for residents, like well-kept facilities and nearby shops. He started to make big improvements to Orange Blossom Gardens. Sales began to get much better in the mid-1980s.
Schwartz then bought more land in nearby Sumter and Marion counties to expand. In 1992, the community officially changed its name to The Villages. Today, the development is still managed by the families of Schwartz and Morse.
Growth Over the Years
By the early 1990s, The Villages had grown to over 8,000 residents. It had three golf courses, a supermarket, and a few restaurants. Nightly dances were even held in a tent!
The Villages has continued to expand. In 2017, the company bought thousands more acres of land for future homes. It has been named the top-selling planned community in the United States for many years in a row, selling thousands of new homes each year.
How The Villages is Organized
Each neighborhood in The Villages has rules about how homes should look, like landscaping and repairs. A special committee, made up of residents, checks and approves changes to homes.
To keep its status as a community for older adults, at least 80% of the homes must have at least one person aged 55 or older living there. Generally, people under 19 years old are not allowed to live in The Villages full-time. However, there are three special neighborhoods called "family units" where this rule doesn't apply. Also, younger visitors like grandchildren can stay for up to 30 days a year.
Where is The Villages?
The Villages is located in central Florida, about 55 miles northwest of Orlando and 80 miles northeast of Tampa. It shares borders with other towns like Wildwood, Lady Lake, and Fruitland Park.
The community has a large network of private roads, stretching for about 750 miles. The Villages is always growing, with new areas being developed to the south of the main community.
Who Lives in The Villages?
The Villages has grown a lot over the years. In 2000, about 8,333 people lived there. By 2010, the population jumped to 51,442, and in 2020, it reached 79,077 people!
Most people who live in The Villages are 65 years old or older. In fact, in 2019, about 81.6% of the population was in this age group. The average age in The Villages metropolitan area is 67.4 years old.
Many residents of The Villages come from the Midwest and Northeast parts of the United States. It's also home to a very large number of veterans (former military members) compared to other places without a military base.
What's the Economy Like?
The economy of The Villages is strong, with many businesses built to serve its residents. By 2016, there were 5.7 million square feet of commercial space. Most of this space is used by restaurants, shops for older adults, and healthcare providers.
The Villages has many shopping areas, including large town centers, shopping centers, and local plazas. There are 18 grocery stores, including popular chains like Publix and Walmart. A local bank, Citizens First Bank, also has many branches throughout the community.
The economy of The Villages has grown quickly. Between 2007 and 2017, its economy grew by over 50%. Many new jobs have been created there, too.
Fun Things to Do
Entertainment and Culture
The Villages has a large performing arts center called the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center, which opened in 2015. It can seat over 1,000 people. There's also a smaller theater called The Studio Tierra Del Sol.
The community has a unique style, with pretend historical markers and architectural details that make it feel like an old-fashioned small town. This adds to the special atmosphere of places like Brownwood, Lake Sumter Landing, and Spanish Springs.
Activities and Clubs
The Villages offers many ways to stay active and have fun. There are golf courses, recreation centers, softball fields, and even a polo stadium! You can also find a woodworking shop and a college for lifelong learning. There are outdoor archery ranges too.
In 2018, The Villages had over 2,700 social clubs! These include dance clubs, genealogy clubs, singles clubs, sports clubs, and even a Beatlemaniacs club for fans of The Beatles. There are also gardening clubs and many others.
Annual Events
Every April, The Villages hosts The Senior Games. About 2,000 residents compete in many different sports. The top athletes then go on to compete in the Florida Senior Games. This event has been held in The Villages for 18 years.
Parks and Recreation
Most of the costs for recreational activities are covered by a monthly fee that residents pay.
Golf Courses
If you love golf, The Villages is the place to be! It has 56 golf courses with a total of 729 holes. Many of these are 9-hole "executive" courses, which are great for a quick game. There are also larger championship courses and special putting courses. The Villages even has a golf instruction academy where you can learn to play or improve your skills.
Recreation Centers
The Villages has 100 recreation centers! These centers offer many activities like bocce, horseshoes, shuffleboard, swimming, billiards, tennis, and pickleball. You can also enjoy theatrical and musical shows, and fitness activities. There are parks, dog parks, and fitness trails for walking and exercise.
Education
Schools for Kids
Even though The Villages is mostly for adults, there are some schools nearby. The rules about who can live in The Villages mean that full-time residents under 19 are usually not allowed, except in three special "family unit" neighborhoods or if there's a special reason.
- If you live in the Marion County part of The Villages, you would go to Lake Weir High School.
- In the Sumter County part, you would go to Wildwood Middle High School.
- In the Lake County part, you would go to Leesburg High School.
There's also a special school called The Villages Charter Schools. This school goes from kindergarten all the way to 12th grade. Children can go to this school if their parents work directly for The Villages company or one of its main partners.
Learning for Adults
The Enrichment Academy
In 2017, The Villages started The Enrichment Academy. This program offers over 140 classes for adults who want to keep learning new things. These classes cover a wide range of topics, like scuba diving, literature, philosophy, cooking, technology, foreign languages, and photography. The classes are held at different recreation centers and other approved locations throughout The Villages.
Media and News
The Villages gets its television channels from the Orlando area, but also from the Tampa area. Radio stations from Orlando and Ocala also serve the community. Local newspapers like the Orlando Sentinel and Tampa Bay Times are available.
There have also been documentaries about life in The Villages, such as Some Kind of Heaven and The Bubble, both released in 2021.
Local Media
The people who developed The Villages also own and run several local media outlets:
- The Villages News Network (VNN), which is shown on the local cable TV.
- The Villages Daily Sun, a local newspaper with many paid subscribers.
- Radio station WVLG (640), which plays classic hits music.
There's also a public radio station, WMFV (89.5), that serves the area.
Getting Around
Roads and Bridges
The Villages is bordered by major roads like US 27/US 441 to the east and US 301 to the west. Inside the community, roads like Buena Vista Boulevard and Morse Boulevard are important for getting around.
One cool thing about The Villages is its golf cart bridges! Several bridges have been built over busy roads, allowing golf carts to cross safely without mixing with car traffic. These include the Chitty Chatty Bridge, the Brownwood Bridge, the Water Lily Bridge, and the Southern Oaks Bridge.
Public Transportation
Sumter County Transit runs a shuttle service called The Villages shuttle, which offers bus loops on weekdays. The Villages developers also offer a trolley-style bus tour for visitors.
For longer trips, Amtrak's bus service stops in The Villages. This bus connects to the Silver Star train in Jacksonville, Florida.
Self-Driving Taxis
In 2018, The Villages was chosen for a special test program using self-driving taxis. These taxis, operated by a company called Voyage Auto, started with a safety driver. Later, the goal was for them to drive on their own, monitored from a control center. The Villages was one of the first places in the U.S. to offer paid taxi services using these self-driving cars.
Famous People From The Villages
- Megan Boone, an American actress
- Nancy Lopez, a retired professional golfer
- Ray Knight, a former Major League Baseball player
- Tre Mann, a professional basketball player
- Bob Stinson, an American baseball player
Images for kids
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Sumter Landing in The Villages
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The finish line of a 5K run in Lake Sumter Landing in 2018.
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Polo Stadium in The Villages
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One of multiple baton twirling groups in The Villages, the Prime Time Twirlers.
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The 18th green at Tierra Del Sol, one of the twelve country club golf courses at The Villages
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The Fenney Recreational Center showing a portion of the Fenney Springs Nature Trail.
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Golf cart bridge over US 27/US 441
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Golf cart bridge over SR 44 at Brownwood Paddock Square
