Notice the rolling pastures and white fences north and west of town, and you will see why Ocala calls itself the Horse Capital of the World. Winter is the busiest time to visit, when the World Equestrian Center's horse shows are at their peak, though they run nearly year round. About 72,000 people live in the city itself, and many more in the fast-growing area around it, including large retirement communities.
The other draw is water. Silver Springs, Rainbow Springs and the springs in Ocala National Forest are clear and cool, good for kayaking and swimming, though alligators live there too. Downtown around the Square has a Saturday market and a small arts scene. Living here costs a bit less than the national average, though rents have crept up. Expect hot humid summers, thunderstorms, hurricane season and sinkhole country, plus property and car theft in parts of the city core.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
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- Known as
- Horse Capital of the World; Gateway to Silver Springs; City of Trails; Home of World Equestrian Center
- Founded
- 1846 settled (Fort King era; Marion County seat); 1869 incorporated
- Airports
- Ocala International (OCF), about 5 miles west of downtown (general aviation, no scheduled commercial service); Gainesville Regional (GNV), about 40 miles north; Orlando International (MCO), about 85 miles southeast; Orlando Sanford (SFB), about 75 miles; Tampa International (TPA), about 100 miles south
- Tipping
- Restaurants 18-20%; bars $1-2 per drink; taxis and rideshare 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; bellhops $2-5 per bag; tour guides 10-20%; counter service optional
About this data
Population is Census Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025) via QuickFacts (71,753); land area 47.26 sq mi from Census; median value and rent from Census ACS 2020-2024; median sale price from Redfin (Aug 2026). Metro figure 433,765 is the Ocala MSA (Marion County) 2025 estimate from the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research. Ocala is the anchor of its own MSA and it was ranked fastest growing metro in a March 2026 Census release (per news snippet). Elevation, coordinates, founding, event months, hotel ranges, tipping, cost-of-living index, airport distances and crime are approximate or general knowledge and not verified in this pass. URLs found via search but not load-tested.
