Ocala ( ) is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Marion County, Florida Marion County is a county located in the North Central region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 375,908. Its county seat is Ocala. Marion County comprises the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan S ...

, United States. Located in North Central Florida, the city's population was 63,591 as of the 2020 census, up from 56,315 at the 2010 census and making it the 43rd-most populated city in Florida. Ocala is the principal city of the Ocala

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

, which had a population of 375,908 in 2020. Home to over 400

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

farms and training centers, Ocala is considered the "Horse Capital of the World". Notable attractions include the

Ocala National Forest The Ocala National Forest is the second largest nationally protected forest in the U.S. State of Florida. It covers of North Central Florida. It is located east of Ocala, Florida, Ocala and southeast of Gainesville, Florida, Gainesville. The ...

Silver Springs State Park Silver Springs State Park, formerly known as Silver River State Park, is a Florida state park located on the Silver River in Marion County. The park contains Silver Springs, Florida's first tourist attraction. The Silver Springs attraction d ...

Rainbow Springs State Park Rainbow Springs State Park is a Florida state park located on U.S. 41, 3 miles (5 km) north of Dunnellon, Florida. It comprises upland (which includes around of wetlands) and submerged. The most significant natural feature is the fir ...

, the

College of Central Florida The College of Central Florida (CF) is a public college with campuses in Marion County, Florida, Marion, Citrus County, Florida, Citrus, and Levy County, Florida, Levy counties in the U.S. state of Florida. It is part of the Florida College Sys ...

, and the

World Equestrian Center The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk of a "plu ...

History

Ocala is named after

Ocale Ocale was the name of a town in Florida visited by the Hernando de Soto expedition, and of a putative chiefdom of the Timucua people. The town was probably close to the Withlacoochee River at the time of de Soto's visit, and may have later been m ...

(also Cale, Etocale, and other variants), a Timucua village and

chiefdom A chiefdom is a political organization of people representation (politics), represented or government, governed by a tribal chief, chief. Chiefdoms have been discussed, depending on their scope, as a stateless society, stateless, state (polity) ...

recorded in the 16th century, the name of which is believed to mean "Big Hammock" in the

Timucua language Timucua is a language isolate formerly spoken in northern and central Florida and southern Georgia by the Timucua peoples. Timucua was the primary language used in the area at the time of Spanish colonization in Florida. Differences among the n ...

. Another possible meaning of the name is "song or singer of admiration or glorification". Spaniard

Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1497 – 21 May 1542) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru, ...

's expedition recorded Ocale in 1539 during his exploration through what is today the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

. The site of Ocale has not been found, but historians believe it was located in southwestern Marion County, near the Withlacoochee River. References to Ocale, Olagale, and Etoquale occur in 16th and early 17th century sources, but do not specify a location. A Spanish mission named San Luis de Eloquale was established by 1630. Milanich believes the mission was near the Withlacoochee River. Eloquale is not named in a 1655 list of missions, and Ocale (and its variants) disappeared from history. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries,

Creek people The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsSeminole people The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, an ...

formed. After foreign colonial rule shifted between Spain and Great Britain and back again, in 1821, the United States acquired the territory of Florida. After warfare to the north, in 1827, the U.S. Army built

Fort King Fort King (also known as Camp King or Cantonment King) was a United States military fort in north central Florida, near what later developed as the city of Ocala. It was named after U.S. Army Colonel William King, commander of the 4th Infantry Re ...

near the present site of Ocala as a buffer between the Seminole, who had long occupied the area, and white settlers moving into the region. The fort was an important base during the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups of people collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Muscogee, Creek and Black Seminoles as well as oth ...

and later served in 1844 as the first courthouse for Marion County. The modern city of Ocala, which was established in 1849, developed around the fort site. Greater Ocala is known as the "Kingdom of the Sun".

Plantations Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tobacco ...

and other agricultural development dependent on

slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

labor were prevalent in the region. Ocala was an important center of citrus production until the

Great Freeze The Great Freeze was a period of back-to-back freezes during the winter of 1894–95 in the Southern United States, particularly notable for destroying much of the citrus crop in Northern Florida. Entire communities, such as Earnestville, fa ...

of 1894–1895. During the

Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction era was a period in History of the United States, US history that followed the American Civil War (1861-65) and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the Abolitionism in the United States, abol ...

, Ocala was represented by several African Americans in the Florida House of Representatives and on the local level.

Rail service Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to road ...

reached Ocala in June 1881, encouraging economic development with greater access to markets for produce. Two years later, much of the Ocala downtown area was destroyed by fire on

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...

Day, 1883. The city encouraged rebuilding with

brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

, and

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

rather than

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

. By 1888, Ocala was known statewide as the "Brick City". In December 1890, the Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union, a forerunner of the

Populist Party Populist Party may refer to: Asian and European political parties and movements *Croatian Popular Party (1919), a Croatian right-wing party also known as Croatian Populist Party * Indonesian National Populist Fortress Party, an Indonesian populist ...

, held its national convention in Ocala. At the convention, the alliance adopted a platform that would become known as the "

Ocala Demands The Ocala Demands was a platform for economic and political reform that was later adopted by the People's Party. In December, 1890, the National Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union, more commonly known as the Southern Farmers' Alliance, its af ...

". This platform included abolition of national banks, promoting low-interest government loans, free and unlimited coinage of silver, reclamation of excess railroad lands by the government, a graduated

income tax An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...

, and direct election of United States senators. Most of the "Ocala Demands" were to become part of the Populist Party platform. In the last decades of the 20th century, the greater Ocala area had one of the highest growth rates in the country for a city its size.

Ocala Historic District

Many historic homes are preserved in Ocala's large residential

Historic District A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

, designated in 1984. East Fort King Street features many excellent examples of

Victorian architecture Victorian architecture is a series of Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the st ...

. Ocala structures listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

include the Coca-Cola Building, E. C. Smith House, East Hall, Marion Hotel, Mount Zion A.M.E. Church, Ritz Historic Inn, and Union Train Station. The original

site was designated as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 2004.

Geography

Ocala is located at . According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. The surrounding farms are famous for their

Thoroughbred Horse The Thoroughbred is a horse breed developed for horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered " ...

s, in terrain similar to

Kentucky bluegrass ''Poa pratensis'', commonly known as Kentucky bluegrass (or blue grass), smooth meadow-grass, or common meadow-grass, is a perennial species of grass native to practically all of Europe, North Asia and the mountains of Algeria, Morocco, and Tuni ...

. Ocala is also known for nearby Silver Springs, site of one of the largest artesian spring formations in the world and

Silver Springs Nature Theme Park Silver Springs is a group of artesian springs that feed into the Silver River in Marion County, Florida. It is the largest artesian spring in the world and the site of the oldest commercial tourist attraction in Florida, and was designated a N ...

, one of the earliest tourist attractions in Florida. The long

Ocklawaha River The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 21, 2011 Ocklawaha River flows north from central Florida until it joins the St. Johns River near Palatka. Its name is deriv ...

passes east of Ocala, flowing north from

Central Florida Central Florida is a Regions of the United States#Florida, region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, in ...

until it joins the

St. Johns River The St. Johns River () is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and is the most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders 12 counties. The drop in elevation from River s ...

near Palatka. Marion County is also home to the

, which was established in 1908, and is now the second-largest national forest in the state. The

Florida Trail The Florida Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States, created by the National Trails System Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-543). It runs , from Big Cypress National Preserve (between Miami and Naples, along the Tamiami Tra ...

, also known as the

Florida National Scenic Trail The Florida Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States, created by the National Trails System Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-543). It runs , from Big Cypress National Preserve (between Miami and Naples, along the Tamiami Tra ...

, cuts through Ocala National Forest.

was formed as Silver River State Park in 1987, from land the state purchased around the Silver Springs attraction to spare it from development. The state took over Silver Springs itself in 1993 and incorporated it into the park in 2013.

Climate

Ocala has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Cfa''), with hot, humid summers and mild winters.

Demographics

Ocala first appeared in the 1850 U.S. Census, with a total recorded population of 243. Ocala did not report separately in 1860.

2010 and 2020 census

As of the 2020 census, 63,591 people, 23,893 households, and 13,239 families were residing in the city. As of the 2010 census, 56,315 people, 21,722 households, and 12,945 families lived in the city.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 45,943 people, 18,646 households, and 11,280 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 20,501 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 72.9% White, 22.1% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 1.8% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.7% of the population. Of the 18,646 households, 40.9% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were not families. About 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.91. The city's age distribution was 23.2% under 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.

Economy

The median income for a household in the city was $30,888, and for a family was $38,190. Males had a median income of $29,739 versus $24,367 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $18,021. About 13.2% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 28.6% of those under 18 and 9.8% of those 65 or over. Ocala is the headquarters of Emergency One, a worldwide designer and manufacturer of fire-rescue vehicles.

Top employers

According to the City's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:

Culture

Horses have a prominent role in Ocala's cultural makeup. The first

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

horse farm in Florida was developed in Marion County in 1943 by Carl G. Rose. Other farms were developed, making Ocala the center of a horse-breeding area. Local horses have won individual races of the Triple Crown series; in 1978,

Affirmed Affirmed (February 21, 1975 – January 12, 2001) was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is the eleventh winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States), American Triple Crown. Affirmed was well known ...

, bred and trained in Marion County, won all three races, boosting interest in the industry there. Ocala is one of only five cities (four in the US and one in France) permitted under

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...

guidelines to use the title, "Horse Capital of the World", based on annual revenue produced by the horse industry. About 44,000 jobs are sustained by breeding, training, and related support of the equine industry, which generates over $2.2 billion in annual revenue. Postime Farms and Ocala serve as host to one of the largest horse shows in the country: H.I.T.S or "Horses in the Sun", a

dressage Dressage ( or ; , most commonly translated as "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrianism, equestrian sport defined by th ...

/jumper event lasting about two months. It generates some $6 to 7 million for the local economy each year. The show features classes for over 100 different breeds, including

Tennessee Walker The Tennessee Walking Horse or Tennessee Walker is a breed of gaited horse known for its unique four-beat running-walk and flashy movement. It was originally developed as a riding horse on farms and plantations in the American South. It is a p ...

Paso Fino The Paso Fino is a naturally gaited light horse breed dating back to horses imported to the Caribbean from Spain. ''Pasos'' are prized for their smooth, natural, four-beat, lateral ambling gait; they are used in many disciplines, but are especi ...

Morgan Morgan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment'', also called ''Morgan!'', a 1966 comedy film * ''Morgan'' (2012 film), an American drama * ''Morgan'' (2016 film), an American science fiction thriller * ...

Saddlebred The American Saddlebred is a horse breed from the United States. Descended from riding-type horses bred at the time of the American Revolution, the American Saddlebred includes the Narragansett Pacer, Canadian Pacer, Morgan and Thoroughb ...

, and

American Quarter Horse The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of or less; some have been clocked at speeds up to ...

, as well as some draft breeds. Other equine events in the area include mounted shooting by the Florida Outlaws, as well as endurance rides, barrel races, extreme cowboy events, jumper shows, trick shows, parades, draft pulls, and rodeo events. In 2022, Ocala was the site of the inaugural point-to-point Florida Steeplechase at the Florida Horse Park.

Government and politics

Ocala is governed by a five-member board of councillors and a mayor, all of whom are elected on a nonpartisan basis. It has a council-manager form of government, relying on a manager hired by the city. The mayor sets policy, but has few powers other than vetoing legislation passed by the council and tending to some duties involving the police department. The current mayor is Ben Marciano. The city manager handles most administrative and financial matters. A number of county offices are housed at the McPherson Governmental Complex. As of 2020, Republicans outnumber Democrats in Marion County, roughly 112,000 to 80,000. In the 2008 presidential election,

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

carried both the city and the county, the latter by a landslide, although Florida as a whole voted for Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

by a narrow margin.

Education

The public schools in Ocala are run by the Marion County School Board. There are 30 elementary, ten middle and ten public high schools in Marion County, which include the following schools in Ocala:

Elementary schools

*College Park Elementary School *Dr. N. H. Jones Elementary School *East Marion Elementary School *Eighth Street Elementary School *Evergreen Elementary School (closed in May 2021) *Greenway Elementary School *Ward-Highlands Elementary School *Wyomina Park Elementary School *Emerald Shores Elementary School *Fessenden Elementary School *Fort McCoy School (K–8) *Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary School *Madison Street Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (magnet) *Maplewood Elementary School *Marion Oaks Elementary School *Oakcrest Elementary School *Ocala Springs Elementary School *Reddick-Collier Elementary School *Saddlewood Elementary School *Shady Hill Elementary School *South Ocala Elementary School *Sparr Elementary School *Sunrise Elementary School

Middle schools

*Fort King *

Howard Howard is a masculine given name derived from the English surname Howard. ''The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names'' notes that "the use of this surname as a christian name is quite recent and there seems to be no particular reason for ...

*Liberty Middle School *Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks (5–8) *Osceola Middle School

High schools

* Forest High School * Marion Technical Institute *

Vanguard High School Vanguard High School is one of seven public high schools in Marion County, Florida. The school serves the northeast area of Ocala, Florida. Vanguard offers the International Baccalaureate program, which accepts students from across Marion Count ...

West Port High School West Port High School is an American high school in Ocala, Florida and one of eight public high schools in Marion County. Founded in 2000 and built at 3733 SW 80th Avenue, it is the district high school for West Ocala. The campus formerly h ...

*Francis Marion Military Academy (now closed) * North Marion High School

Private schools

*Ambleside School Of Ocala grades K–8 *Blessed Trinity School grades K–9 *Children's Palace East & Academy grades K–2 *The Cornerstone School grades PK–8 *Crossroads Academy grades 3–12 *Grace Academy Grades K–2 *Grace Christian School grades PK–8 *Meadowbrook Academy grades K–12 *Montessori Preparatory School grades K–5 *New Generation School grades K–12 *Ocala Christian Academy grades PK–12 *Ocean's High School grades PK–12 *Promiseland Academy grades K–7 *First Assembly Christian School grades K–12 *The Reading Clinic grades 2–6 *Redeemer Christian School grades K3–12 *The Rock Academy grades PK–9 *The School of the Kingdom grades 1–12 *Shiloh SDA Church School *Belleview Christian Academy grades PK–12 *St John Lutheran School grades PK–12 * Trinity Catholic grades 9–12

Colleges and universities

Ocala is home to the

, a member of the Florida College System, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. CF offers bachelor's degrees in business and organizational management, early-childhood education, and nursing, as well as associate degrees and certificates. The college offers specialty programs in equine studies,

agribusiness Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy, in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise. The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit ...

, and logistics and supply-chain management. It also has one of 21 campuses of

Rasmussen College Rasmussen University is a private for-profit university with multiple locations throughout the United States. It offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees as well as certificates and diplomas in career-focused areas at 20 camp ...

, a

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...

, regionally accredited

post-secondary Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

institution.

Webster University Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri, United States. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The university has an alumni net ...

offers on-site, regionally accredited graduate degree programs in business and counseling at their Ocala Metropolitan Campus.

Libraries

Three of the eight libraries in the Marion County Public Library System are located in Ocala; they are: * Freedom Public Library * Marion Oaks Public Library * Ocala Public Library – headquarters for the Marion County Public Library System

Transportation

Major roads

Several major highways pass through Ocala, including

Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from S ...

, U.S. Highway 27,

U.S. Route 301 U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic states. It runs from Biddles Corner, Delaware, at Delaware Route 1 to Sarasota, Florida, at U.S. Route 41. It passes through the states of Delaware, ...

, and U.S. Highway 441. Ocala was on the western leg of the historic

Dixie Highway Dixie Highway was a United States auto trail first planned in 1914 to connect the Midwest with the South. It was part of a system and was expanded from an earlier Miami to Montreal highway. The final system is better understood as a network o ...

. * (Interstate 75) runs north and south across the western edge of the city, with interchanges at SR 200 (exit 350), SR 40 (exit 352), and US 27 (exit 354). * runs north and south throughout Ocala. It is multiplexed with US 301 and 441 until it reaches SR 492(Northwest 10th Street), then makes a sharp turn onto NW 10th Street then curves northwest through Williston, Perry, Tallahassee, and beyond. * is the main local north and south road through Ocala. It is multiplexed with US 27 until it reaches Northwest 10th Street, and with US 441 throughout the city. * is the main local north and south road through Ocala. It is multiplexed with US 27 until it reaches Northwest 10th Street, and with US 301 throughout the city. * runs east and west through the northern part of the city from the northern terminus of the US 27 multiplex with US 301–441 to SR 40 just southwest of the Silver Springs city limit. * runs east and west through Ocala. It spans from Rainbow Lakes Estates through

to Ormond Beach in Volusia County, although a bi-county extension exists, spanning from Yankeetown in Levy County to Dunnellon, south of the western terminus of SR 40. * runs east and west from SR 200 through the southeastern part of the city. Beyond the city limits, it continues southeast towards State Road 35, and continues as County Road 464. * runs northeast and southwest from Hernando in Citrus County through US 27-301-441 where it becomes a "hidden state road" along US 301 until it reaches Callahan, and is multiplexed with SR A1A into Fernandina Beach.

Airport, bus, and others

Ocala International Airport Ocala International Airport is five miles west of Ocala, in Marion County, Florida, United States. It is also known as Ocala International Airport-Jim Taylor Field and was previously Ocala Regional Airport or Jim Taylor Field. Despite its name ...

provides general-aviation services to the community. Ocala Suntran provides bus service through select parts of the city. One of the major hubs for Suntran is the former

Ocala Union Station The Ocala Union Station (also known as Union Station Plaza) is a bus station and former train station in Ocala, Florida, United States. It is located at 531 Northeast First Avenue, and was built in 1917 by both the Atlantic Coast Line and Seab ...

, which served Amtrak trains until November 2004. Amtrak serves Ocala by bus connection to Jacksonville and Lakeland. Ocala is also served by Greyhound Bus Lines. Marion Transit is the complementary ADA paratransit service for SunTran, the fixed route in the City of Ocala. Marion Transit was established in 1976, and operates paratransit buses providing public transportation throughout Marion County for the transportation of the disadvantaged population.

Healthcare

Hospitals in Ocala include:

AdventHealth Ocala AdventHealth Ocala is a non-profit hospital campus in Ocala, Florida, United States that is operated by AdventHealth. The medical facility is owned by the Marion County Hospital District. It is a tertiary and primary stroke center that has multi ...

, HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital.

Notable people

Antonio Allen Antonio Allen (born September 23, 1988) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Allen was selected by the New York ...

, NFL player * Arthur I. Appleton, businessman, racehorse owner *

Elizabeth Ashley Elizabeth Ann Cole (born August 30, 1939), known professionally as Elizabeth Ashley, is an American actress of theatre, film, and television. She has been nominated for three Tony Awards, winning once in 1962 for '' Take Her, She's Mine''. Ash ...

, actress * Tony Beckham, NFL cornerback * Thelma Berlack Boozer, journalist, publicist *

Brittany Bowe Brittany Starr Bowe (born February 24, 1988) is an American speed skater and former inline skater and basketball player. She has won eight gold, one silver, and two bronze medals from the world inline speedskating championships. From her junior ...

, Olympic speed skater * Emery N. Brown, Anesthesiologist and Neuroscientist *

Farris Bryant Cecil Farris Bryant (July 26, 1914 – March 1, 2002) was an American politician serving as the 34th governor of Florida. He also served on the United States National Security Council as director of the Office of Emergency Planning during t ...

, former Governor *

Daunte Culpepper Daunte Rachard Culpepper (born January 28, 1977) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the U ...

, NFL quarterback *

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, despite a career that lasted only five years. His impact on cinema and popular culture was p ...

, first African-American judge in Florida *

Caydee Denney Caydee Christine Denney (born June 22, 1993) is an American former competitive pair skater. With John Coughlin, she is the 2012 Four Continents silver medalist and 2012 U.S. national champion. With former partner Jeremy Barrett, Denney is the ...

, figure skater * Haven Denney, figure skater *

Drayton Florence Drayton Florence Jr. (born December 19, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Chattanooga Mocs and Tuskegee Golden Ti ...

, NFL cornerback * Dory Funk Jr., professional wrestler *

Don Garlits Donald Glenn Garlits (born January 14, 1932) is an American race car driver and automotive engineer. Born in Tampa, Florida, Garlits is considered the father of drag racing, he is known as "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. A pion ...

, professional drag racer *

Santana Garrett Santana Garrett (born May 22, 1988) is an American professional wrestler, valet and model. She is currently signed to Women of Wrestling (WOW). During her career, Garrett has wrestled in many independent promotions across the world. She is best ...

, professional wrestler * Joey Gilmore, blues musician *

Troy Glaus Troy Edward Glaus (; born August 3, 1976) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and first baseman. Glaus played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Anaheim Angels (–), Arizona Diamondbacks (), Toronto Blue Jays (–), S ...

, former Major League Baseball player *

Mitch Harris Mitchell Harris (born October 31, 1969) is an American guitarist. He started his career in the Las Vegas, Nevada grindcore Grindcore is an extreme metal, extreme fusion genre of heavy metal music, heavy metal and hardcore punk that originat ...

, Major League Baseball

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

* Josh Hart (racer), professional drag racer *

Erin Jackson Erin Jackson (born September 19, 1992) is an American speed skater, roller derby player, and Olympic gold medalist. Jackson is the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual sport. She qualified for The World Games 20 ...

, Olympic gold medalist speed skater *

Lee James Lee James may refer to: * Lee James (weightlifter) (1953–2023) American weightlifter * Lee James (politician) (born 1948), member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives * Lee S. James (born 1973), English golfer * Lee James (BBC) (fl. 2009), ...

, Olympic weightlifter 1976 silver medalist *

Val James Valmore Curtis James (born February 14, 1957) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played 11 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs between 1981 and 1986. The rest of his caree ...

, professional ice hockey player * Eddie Johnson, NBA basketball player * Frank Johnson, NBA basketball player * John R. MacDougall, broadcast hijacker best known for the

Captain Midnight broadcast signal intrusion On April 27, 1986, American electrical engineer and business owner John R. MacDougall (using the pseudonym "Captain Midnight") jammed the Home Box Office (HBO) satellite signal on Galaxy 1 during a showing of the film '' The Falcon and the S ...

Buddy MacKay Kenneth Hood "Buddy" MacKay Jr. (March 22, 1933 – December 31, 2024) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 42nd governor of Florida from December 12, 1998, to January 5, 1999, upon the death of Lawton Chiles. A member of the ...

, former governor of Florida *

Travis Mays Travis Cortez Mays (born June 19, 1968) is an American women's basketball coach and former professional player who was the women's head coach for SMU Mustangs women's basketball, Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 2016 until 2021. Mays was ...

, NBA basketball player *

Jeremy McKinnon Jeremy Wade McKinnon (born December 17, 1985) is an American singer and record producer. He is a founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band A Day to Remember. He has produced full-length albums for The Ghost Inside, Neck Deep, and Wage ...

, musician *

Chris Meffert John Christian "Chris" Meffert (August 11, 1943 – November 13, 2014) was an American lawyer and politician. Born in Ocala, Florida, Meffert graduated from Ocala High School. He then received his bachelor's degree from Florida State Univers ...

, politician *

James Melton James Melton (January 2, 1904 – April 21, 1961), a popular singer in the 1920s and early 1930s, later began a career as an operatic singer when tenor voices went out of style in popular music around 1932–35. His singing talent was similar to ...

, opera singer * Eugene Milton, NFL football player * Maxey Dell Moody, businessman * Slomon Moody, physician and farmer *

Steve Morse Steve J. Morse (born July 28, 1954) is an American guitarist and songwriter. A seven-time Grammy nominee, he is best known as the founder of the Dixie Dregs and as the longest serving guitarist for Deep Purple. Morse also enjoyed a successful ...

, composer/guitarist *

Reid Nichols Thomas Reid Nichols (born August 5, 1958) is an American former outfielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Boston Red Sox (1980–1985), Chicago White Sox (1985–1986), and Montreal Expos (1987). Listed at and , h ...

, Major League Baseball player *

Martha O'Driscoll Martha O'Driscoll (March 5, 1922 – November 3, 1998) was an American film actress from 1937 until 1947. She retired in 1947 after marrying her second husband, Arthur I. Appleton, mogger of Appleton Electric Company in Chicago. Early life O' ...

, actress * Patrick O'Neal, actor *

Ted Potter Jr. Theodore Charles Potter Jr. (born November 9, 1983) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He is a left-handed golfer, but is naturally right-handed. He is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, having also won twice on the Web. ...

, professional golfer *

Kelly Preston Kelly Kamalelehua Smith (October 13, 1962 – July 12, 2020), known professionally as Kelly Preston, was an American actress. She appeared in more than 60 television and film productions, including '' Mischief'' (1985), ''Twins'' (1988), ' ...

, actress *

Jason Schappert Jason Schappert is an American pilot and entrepreneur. Schappert is a CFII and ATP rated pilot, founder of MzeroA.com, and author of eight aviation flight training books. Schappert was named AOPA's Top Collegiate Flight Instructor in 2008, Out ...

, flight instructor * Elisa Rae Shupe, US Army sergeant, first in the US to obtain legal recognition of a non-binary gender *

Lamar Thomas Lamar Nathaniel Thomas (born February 12, 1970) is an American football coach and former player who played professionally as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning Al ...

, NFL player and commentator *

Mava Lee Thomas Mava Lee Thomas ��′Tommie′′(September 1, 1929 – August 6, 2013) was an infielder and catcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. Born in Ocala, Florida, M ...

, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player *

John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He began acting in television before transitioning into a leading man in films. List of awards and nominations received by John Travolta, His accolades include a Primetime Em ...

, actor * Jim Williams, former lieutenant governor of Florida * P. J. Williams, NFL cornerback for the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

Walter Ray Williams Jr. Walter Ray Williams Jr. (born 6 October 1959) is an American professional bowler and competitive horseshoes pitcher. He has won 47 standard PBA Tour career titles, the most in the tour’s history, and has earned over $5 million in total PBA ea ...

, professional PBA bowler *

Tyrone Young Tyrone Donnive Young (April 29, 1960 – October 15, 2015) was an American college and professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the 1980s. Young played ...

, NFL wide receiver

Notable musical groups

A Day to Remember A Day to Remember is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Ocala, Florida, in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of metalcore and pop-punk. The band currently consists of voca ...

, pop-punk/metalcore band *

The Royal Guardsmen The Royal Guardsmen are an American rock band best known for their 1966 hit singles " Snoopy vs. the Red Baron", "The Return of The Red Baron", "Snoopy For President", and the Christmas follow-up " Snoopy's Christmas". History Originally kno ...

, band originating in the 1960s *

Seventh Star ''Seventh Star'' is the twelfth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath. Released on 28 January 1986 in the United States and on 21 February 1986 in the United Kingdom, it features founding guitarist Tony Iommi alongside musicians Geo ...

, Christian metalcore band *

Wage War Wage War is an American metalcore band formed in Ocala, Florida in 2010 under the name Empires. The band consists of lead vocalist Briton Bond, lead guitarist Seth Blake, rhythm guitarist and clean vocalist Cody Quistad, bassist Chris Gaylord ...

, metalcore band *

Underoath Underoath (styled as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton in 1997 in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional members were from Tamp ...

, metalcore band

Sister cities

Ocala has two

sister cities A sister city or a twin town relationship is International relations, a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there ar ...

: *

Newbridge, County Kildare Newbridge, officially known by its Irish language, Irish name Droichead Nua (), is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. While the nearby Great Connell Priory was founded in the 13th century, the town itself formed from the 18th century onwards, an ...

, in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

(2008) *

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

and San Rossore in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

(2004)