North central Florida

Last updated
Map of the counties in north central Florida North Central Florida.png
Map of the counties in north central Florida

North central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida which comprises the north-central part of the state and encompasses the north Florida counties of Alachua, Marion, Putnam, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, and Union. [1] The region's largest city is Gainesville, home of the University of Florida and center of the Gainesville metropolitan area, which is the largest metro area of the region. As of 2020, the region had a population of 575,622 people. [2]

Contents

Like the rest of north Florida, [3] including the Florida Panhandle, the region is recognized as part of the Deep South, as compared to the southern regions of the state. [4]

Map of the counties in the Gainesville metropolitan area, the population center of north central Florida. Gainesville Metropolitan Area.png
Map of the counties in the Gainesville metropolitan area, the population center of north central Florida.

The landscape and climate of north central Florida are distinct from the sub-tropical environment most associated with the rest of the state. The landscape of north central Florida has gently rolling hills dominated by magnolia trees and large southern live oak hammocks draped with Spanish moss. The region also has large expanses of pine forests. The region has hot summers and mild winters, with temperatures occasionally dropping below freezing. It is just north of Florida's Nature Coast.

Cities and towns

Economy

As of 2016, the region had Florida's largest concentration of 18 to 44-year-olds and people with advanced degrees thanks to the presence of the University of Florida and Santa Fe College in Gainesville. [5]

The city of Alachua is home to one of the state's largest bio- and life-science corporate sectors. [6]

Overall, education and healthcare are the leading employers in the region as several major hospitals are located in Gainesville, such as the UF Health Shands Hospital, HCA Florida North Florida Hospital, and the Malcolm Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center. [5]

Tourism is central to communities such as Cedar Key, White Springs, and Micanopy.

Leading employers as of 2016 are: [5]

CorporationIndustryNumber of employees
1University of FloridaEducation27567
2UF Health Shands SystemHealthcare12705
3Veterans Affairs Medical CenterHealthcare6127
4Alachua County School BoardPublic education3904
5City of GainesvilleCity government2072
6HCA Florida North Florida HospitalHealthcare2000
7Gator Dining ServicesFood service1200
8Nationwide Insurance CompanyInsurance960
9Alachua CountyGovernment809
10Publix SupermarketsGrocery780
11Santa Fe CollegeEducation750
12Wal-Mart Distribution CenterGrocery738
13Dollar General Distribution CenterRetail600
14RTI SurgicalOrthopedic/cardio implants518
15Wal-Mart StoresGrocery312
Total60524

Education

The following institutions of higher education are located within north central Florida:

Culture

North central Florida is world-renowned for its fresh water springs and rivers which make it one of the best cave diving regions in the world. [7] Several of the springs are connected to the Suwannee and Santa Fe River systems, some of the more popular being:

There are a large number of nature parks and cultural centers throughout the area such as:

Florida pioneer life in the 1800s is the focus at both Morningside Nature Center and Dudley Farm Historic State Park. There are several small, turn-of-the-century towns that represent the culture of the Deep South and are geared toward tourists:

Several museums of note spanning topics such as local and natural history, science, and art are:

Gainesville is home to notable performing arts venues like the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, University Auditorium, Constans Theater, and The Hippodrome Theater. The Gainesville Orchestra has been performing regularly since 1983.

The most popular sporting events are the major sports associated with the University of Florida in Gainesville, including Florida Gator Football, Basketball, and Baseball. Gatornationals is one of the most important annual drag races for the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alachua County, Florida</span> County in Florida, United States

Alachua County is a county in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 278,468. The county seat is Gainesville, the home of the University of Florida since 1906, when the campus opened with 106 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levy County, Florida</span> County in Florida, United States

Levy County is a county located on the Gulf coast in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,915. Its county seat is Bronson. It has been included in the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area since 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alachua, Florida</span> City in Florida, United States

Alachua is the second-largest city in Alachua County, Florida and the third-largest in North Central Florida. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 10,574, up from 9,059 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Alachua has one of the largest bio and life sciences sectors in Florida and is the site for the Santa Fe College Perry Center for Emerging Technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gainesville, Florida</span> City in Florida, United States

Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, and the most populous city in North Central Florida, with a population of 145,212 in 2022. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area with a population of 350,903 in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micanopy, Florida</span> Town in the state of Florida, United States

Micanopy is a town in Alachua County, Florida, United States, located south of Gainesville. It is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population as of the 2020 census was 648, up from 600 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiefland, Florida</span> City in Florida, United States

Chiefland is a city in Levy County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,316 at the 2020 census, up from 2,245 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Chiefland calls itself "The Gem of the Suwannee Valley" and was incorporated in 1913.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park</span> Protected ecological system in Florida

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is a Florida State Park, encompassing a 21,000-acre (85 km2) savanna in Alachua County, Florida lying between Micanopy and Gainesville. It is also a U.S. National Natural Landmark. It is crossed by both I-75 and U.S. 441. It is in the center of the Paynes Prairie Basin. The basin's primary source of drainage is Alachua Sink. During occasional wet periods, the basin will become full. A notable period occurred from 1871 to 1891 when the Alachua Sink was temporarily blocked. During this period, shallow draft steamboats were a frequent sight on Alachua Lake in the center of the prairie. The region was also historically known as the Alachua Savannah. Its drainage has been modified by several canals. Since 1927, Camps Canal has linked the basin to the River Styx which leads to Orange Lake and eventually the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Johns River. That reduced the basins water intake by half. Additional changes to the prairie's environment have been detrimental to its hydrology. In 1970, the state of Florida acquired the land and has been in the process of restoring the environment to a more natural condition ever since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe College</span> Public college in Gainesville, Florida, United States

Santa Fe College is a public college based in Gainesville, Florida, with satellite campuses in Alachua and Bradford counties. It is part of the Florida College System. It was established in 1965 as Santa Fe Junior College by the Florida Legislature and began offering classes in September 1966. As of Fall 2020, the school had an enrollment of 12,607 students, and offers associate and baccalaureate degree programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 25</span> Highway in Florida

State Road 25 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Florida. It is mainly signed as U.S. Highways:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newnansville, Florida</span> United States historic place

Newnansville, Florida was one of the first American settlements in the interior of Florida. It became the second county seat of Alachua County in 1828, and one of the central locations for activity during the Second Seminole War, during which time it was one of the largest cities in the State. In the 1850s, the Florida Railroad bypassed Newnansville, resulting in the county seat being moved to the new town of Gainesville in 1854. Consequently, Newnansville began to decline, and when a second railway bypassed the town in 1884, most of its residents relocated and formed the new City of Alachua. By 1900, Newnansville was deserted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Bend (Florida)</span> Region of the state Florida, United States

The Big Bend of Florida, United States, is an informally named geographic region of North Florida where the Florida Panhandle transitions to the Florida Peninsula south and east of Tallahassee. The region is known for its vast woodlands and marshlands and its low population density relative to much of the state. The area is home to the largest single spring in the United States, the Alapaha Rise, and the longest surveyed underwater cave in the United States, the 32-mile (51 km) Wakulla-Leon Sinks cave system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 129 in Florida</span> Segment of American highway

U.S. Route 129 (US 129) in Florida is a north–south United States Highway. It runs 88 miles (142 km) from Chiefland north to the Georgia State Line in Levy, Gilchrist, Suwannee, and Hamilton Counties.

The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the U.S. state of Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellamy Road</span> Improved 19th century road in Florida, USA

The Bellamy Road was the first major U.S. federal highway in early territorial Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Florida</span> Region in Florida

North Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida comprising the northernmost part of the state. Along with South Florida and Central Florida, it is one of Florida's three most common "directional" regions. It includes Jacksonville and nearby localities in Northeast Florida, an interior region known as North Central Florida, and the Florida Panhandle. North Florida is considered to be part of the Southern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 49</span> Highway in Florida

State Road 49 is the state designation for US 19/98/27 Alternate(SR 55) in Chiefland, and US 27(SR 20) in Hildreth east of Branford, Florida. It also includes a county extension in Suwannee County, Florida from Hildreth to the outskirts of Live Oak, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nature Coast State Trail</span>

The Nature Coast State Trail (NCST) is a 31.7-mile long segment of Florida's Statewide System of Greenways and Trails System built along abandoned railroad tracks, and designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a National Recreation Trail. It has two primary sections following unused rail lines that were originally built by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. It includes historic sites such as a 1902 train trestle bridge over the Suwannee River near Old Town and train stations in Trenton, Cross City, and Chiefland. At Wilcox Junction abandoned rail tracks cross and connect with several communities. The trail is available to hikers, cyclists, and horse riders.

The Suwannee Valley culture is defined as a Late Woodland Southeast period archaeological culture in north Florida, dating from around 750 to European contact. The core area of the culture was found in an area roughly corresponding to present-day Suwannee and southern and central Columbia counties. It was preceded by the McKeithen Weeden Island culture and followed by the Spanish mission period Leon-Jefferson culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Historic communities of Alachua County</span>

The historic communities of Alachua County were populated places and/or places with a post office that were established in the 19th century or early 20th century in what is now Alachua County, Florida, but which were abandoned, annexed into an incorporated municipality, or had a much reduced population by the later part of the 20th century.

References

  1. "North Central Florida Regional Planning Council". www.ncfrpc.org. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  2. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
  3. "Deep South". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  4. "Gainesville Florida Population and Demographics Resources", Retrieved 2011-06-30
  5. 1 2 3 "Economic Development". Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  6. "Florida's Life Sciences and Health Industry". Enterprise Florida. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  7. "A Guide To Florida Springs Diving | Scuba Diver Mag". www.scubadivermag.com. 2021-02-19. Retrieved 2022-10-25.