North central Florida

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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, 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

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 is considered to be humid subtropical compared to South Florida. [3]

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. [4]

The city of Alachua is home to one of the state's largest bio- and life-science corporate sectors. [5]

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. [4]

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

Leading employers as of 2016 are: [4]

#EmployerIndustry#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. [6] 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).

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. ↑ "Climate of Florida" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-11-15.
  4. 1 2 3 "Economic Development". Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  5. ↑ "Florida's Life Sciences and Health Industry". Enterprise Florida. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  6. ↑ "A Guide To Florida Springs Diving | Scuba Diver Mag". www.scubadivermag.com. 2021-02-19. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
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