Florida's Active Adult Community
Welcome to The Villages, the master-planned 55+ community spanning Sumter, Lake, and Marion counties, known for its golf courses, town squares, and golf-cart lifestyle.
The Villages is a census-designated place in central Florida that serves as the core of one of the nation's largest master-planned, age-restricted retirement communities. Spanning Sumter, Lake, and Marion counties, it sits about 55 miles northwest of Orlando, roughly 20 miles south of Ocala, and about 80 miles northeast of Tampa. The CDP itself is home to roughly 79,000 residents, with the broader community extending well beyond its official boundaries. The community's origins are relatively recent. In 1968, Michigan businessman Harold Schwartz purchased a tract of land then known as Orange Blossom Gardens, a small mobile home park with only a few dozen residents. From that modest start, the development grew over the following decades into the expansive, amenity-driven community it is today, expanding steadily southward and eastward across county lines. The Villages is organized around a distinctive lifestyle rather than a traditional town structure. More than 100 village neighborhoods are connected by an extensive network of golf-cart paths—over 90 miles—linking homes to recreation centers, shopping, restaurants, and three town squares: Spanish Springs, the original square in the north; Lake Sumter Landing in the center; and Brownwood Paddock Square in the south. Each square anchors nightly live entertainment, dancing, and community events. Golf is central, with 12 championship courses, 38 executive courses, and multiple practice facilities spread throughout the community. As an age-restricted community, The Villages requires at least one household member to be 55 or older, and residents must be at least 19. The community is governed through a series of community development districts rather than a conventional municipality. For those seeking a fully planned active-adult environment—where golf carts are a primary mode of travel and recreation and entertainment are built into every neighborhood—The Villages offers a scale and completeness unmatched among Florida's retirement communities.
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The Villages' housing stock is tailored to active-adult living and spans several decades of construction. Homes range from patio villas and cottages to larger single-family designer homes, arranged within more than 100 distinct village neighborhoods. The oldest areas, including the Historic Side around Spanish Springs, contain the community's original homes, while newer villages south of County Road 466, CR 466A, and State Road 44 offer modern floor plans and newly built neighborhoods. Recent additions include apartment-style living at The Lofts at Brownwood. The community continues to expand, with new neighborhoods developed around the same golf-cart-accessible, amenity-rich model that defines the entire development.
The Villages is organized into more than 100 distinct village neighborhoods across several districts. The Historic Side, near Spanish Springs Town Square, holds the community's earliest homes, while districts north and south of County Road 466, south of CR 466A, and south of State Road 44 reflect successive waves of expansion toward Brownwood Paddock Square and beyond. Individual villages such as Poinciana, St. Charles, and St. Catherine offer patio villas, cottages, and single-family homes, each typically built around its own recreation center or neighborhood amenities. Newer areas, including Eastport, continue to extend the community's golf-cart-connected street pattern.
Life in The Villages is organized around an exceptionally active social calendar. The community's three town squares—Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter Landing, and Brownwood Paddock Square—host nightly live music, dancing, festivals, and parades, with restaurants and shops surrounding each square. Recreation centers across the community offer pools, fitness facilities, pickleball courts, and organized clubs covering a vast range of interests, while the golf-cart network makes every amenity easily reachable. This social, activity-rich environment is the community's signature: residents move here for a lifestyle built on recreation, entertainment, and connection rather than a traditional residential setting.
Transportation within The Villages is defined by the golf cart. More than 90 miles of dedicated cart paths connect every neighborhood to town squares, recreation centers, golf courses, restaurants, and shopping, and many residents use golf carts as their primary means of local travel, with bridges and underpasses linking areas across major roads. For regional travel, Interstate 75 and Florida's Turnpike run near the community, U.S. Highways 27 and 441 provide local connections, and Orlando's airports lie roughly an hour away. Cars remain common for longer trips, but the cart network is the community's defining transportation feature.
Recreation is the organizing principle of life in The Villages. Golf is the centerpiece, with 12 championship courses, 38 executive courses, and multiple practice facilities available to residents. Beyond golf, the community offers dozens of recreation centers with pools, fitness facilities, pickleball and tennis courts, and organized clubs spanning virtually every interest. The town squares host nightly live music, dancing, festivals, and parades, while lakes and parks add fishing, walking, and outdoor space. The golf-cart path network itself is a recreational and social artery, making the entire community's amenities continuously accessible to residents.
About The Villages
The Villages is located in central Florida and spans three counties: Sumter, Lake, and Marion. It sits about 55 miles northwest of Orlando, roughly 20 miles south of Ocala, and about 80 miles northeast of Tampa.
Yes. The Villages is a master-planned, age-restricted community. At least one member of each household must be 55 or older, and residents must be at least 19 years old. This age restriction is a defining feature of the community and shapes its amenities, governance, and lifestyle.
The Villages is known for its active-adult lifestyle, extensive golf-cart path network, and three town squares—Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter Landing, and Brownwood Paddock Square—that host nightly live music, dancing, and festivals. The community also features 12 championship golf courses, 38 executive courses, and numerous recreation centers.
Residents get around The Villages primarily by golf cart, using more than 90 miles of dedicated paths that connect neighborhoods to town squares, recreation centers, golf courses, restaurants, and shopping. Many residents also drive cars, with Interstate 75, Florida's Turnpike, and U.S. 27 and 441 providing regional access.
The Villages contains more than 100 distinct village neighborhoods organized into districts, including the Historic Side and areas south of County Road 466, CR 466A, and State Road 44. Villages such as Poinciana, St. Charles, and St. Catherine offer patio villas, cottages, and single-family homes, with new neighborhoods continuing to be developed.
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