The county seat of Lake County, Tavares, Florida is a thriving community located on the north shore of Lake Dora. The city of Tavares’ vision is for a new urbanism community where jobs are close to residences and walking is a practicable option for the estimated 15,000 people who call Tavares home. With its sights set on the future, Tavares has intentions to engage in plans for a commuter rail service that will connect from downtown Tavares to downtown Orlando with services set to start as early as 2015. Tavares is approximately 10 minutes from historical Mount Dora, less than one hour northwest of the theme parks of Orlando, less than one hour to Interstate 75, and just over one hour to the sunny shores of Daytona Beach.
Founded in 1880 by Major St. Claire Abrams, he had hoped that Tavares would become the state capital of Florida. Tavares was a major transportation center for boats and the railroad. Today Tavares has many major businesses including Florida Made Doors, 84 Lumber, Blue Rhino Propane, the Florida Central Railroad, G&T Conveyors, Trident Pontoon Company, and Florida Hospital Waterman. Being the county seat, there are many government jobs, legal support services, and engineers.
Downtown Tavares resides on the shores of Lake Dora. There are 1,400 named lakes in Lake County. Water sports are very popular in Tavares including boating, fishing, canoeing, and water skiing. One of eight pretty parks in Tavares is Wooton Park which boasts a huge playground, a boat ramp, a fishing dock, and is the site of the Central Florida Dragon Boat Festival. Other favorite events in Tavares include an Independence Day celebration, winter festivities, Taste of Tavares, Easter egg hunt, a fall festival, and much more. Many gorgeous golf courses are superbly sited throughout Tavares and nearby communities and include Deer Island, Bay Tree, Village Green, Sarabande, and Mission Inn. Several specialty shops and delicious restaurants are within town for residents and tourists enjoyment.
Tavares offers several types of abodes including apartments, townhomes, manufactured homes, single-family, historic downtown houses, retirement communities, and luxury estates. Part of the Lake County School System, Tavares Elementary and Tavares High are located in the city. Tavares Middle School is sited in the southern portion of this sought-after city. Higher education can be achieved at Lake Sumter Community College only 10 minutes west in the city of Leesburg and Lake Tech Vocation School is in nearby Eustis. The University of Central Florida in Orlando is just over an hour away from Tavares.
In June 2008, the average sales price of a single family home or condo in Tavares, FL was $182,050. While this data is collected from the MLS and deemed reliable, it is not guaranteed.
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