Mount Dora is a charming historic city in Lake County, Florida, about thirty-five miles northwest of Orlando. Nicknamed Festival City, Mount Dora is a city of antique markets, boutique restaurants, unique shops, and vibrant community events. Standing on a plateau with a higher-than-average elevation, Mount Dora is surrounded by lush green landscapes with world-class golf courses and beautiful parks and forests. The city lies on the banks of Lake Dora, a 4,500-acre lake that is part of the Harris Chain of Lakes and popular for fishing and boating. Offering choices for an active lifestyle, a variety of entertainments, cultural features, or a quiet escape from the Orlando area's hustle and bustle, Mount Dora real estate is attractive to many different tastes. With beautiful historic homes, small retro properties, newer self-contained neighborhoods, and a selection of 55+ communities, Mount Dora has a loyal, eclectic population who are proud of their city and enjoy celebrating its history. Close to Highway 429, Mount Dora is convenient to Central Florida attractions like Disney and Universal, two international airports, and coastal beaches and attractions.
The city of Mount Dora was christened in 1883, its name reflecting both its elevated positioning and the sparkling Lake Dora on which the earliest residents settled. Its rich local history is documented in the Mount Dora History Museum, a 1920s-era former firehouse and jail. From an early population of under 400 residents, Mount Dora has grown exponentially over the years. Initially, the area was a popular winter retreat for hunters, fishermen, and boaters. In 1887, the modest town gained a railway and soon actively supported the state's citrus industry. After steady growth for the next 100-plus years, highway support of the region has recently expanded, fostering greater accessibility. It has now become a commuter option for Central Florida employment districts and attracted many new residents. Today's settlers include growing families, retirees, investors, snowbirds, and individuals attracted to the small-town southern charm and local beauty.
Today, the Mount Dora region includes multiple self-contained communities, luxurious multimillion-dollar lakefront estate homes, centrally located historic properties, established homes, lifestyle communities, rural homesites, and land-rich country properties. Many new communities continue to develop, offering modern features like a gated entrance, neighborhood amenities to rival the best vacation resorts, onsite golf courses, and low-maintenance lifestyle services. Contemporary design features like spacious owner's suites, gourmet kitchens, light-filled open living spaces, additional bedrooms or guest suites, and professionally designed landscaping are common in the newest Mount Dora homes for sale. Real estate in Mount Dora is increasingly sought after, and homes located here are refurbished, upgraded, expanded, and customized by owners creating their dream home in this cherished location.
Downtown Mount Dora is a collection of unique shops, delicious restaurants, respected art galleries, and local cultural attractions. Majestic Oak trees canopy the paved sidewalks, central brick-lined walkways, and notable community structures. The Mount Dora Community Building was built mainly with community-raised funds. It dates back to the late 1920s and serves as a cultural and civic center for the community. The Mount Dora Center For the Arts offers workshops, classes, gallery showings, and community outreach programs. The Modernism Museum contains an impressive collection of Modernist Art, while the IceHouse Theater is a 270-seat theater showcasing community theater and musicals. This city's many annual festivals are a regional draw with favorites like the nationally recognized Mount Dora Arts Show, The Mount Dora Arts and Crafts Festival, the Annual Scottish Highland Festival, and the Sailboat Regatta, to name a few. In addition, there are weekly flea markets, including Renninger's Flea Market & Antique Center, antique shows, a monthly farmers market, regular live music events, and old-time carriage tours. Mount Dora residents care deeply about preserving the city's Historical center and maintaining its laid-back appeal.
Mount Dora is also home to several wonderful town parks. The lakefront Gilbert Park has a fantastic playground, picnic facilities, and a walking trail. Adjacent is Grantham Pointe, or Lighthouse Park as it's known locally, with the only registered inland lighthouse in Florida. Palm Island Park is an eight-acre, dog-friendly nature preserve with an accessible wooded boardwalk and winding nature trails, and it is popular for fishing and bird watching. Lake Dora is accessible through a public boat ramp for boating and other water sports. Private tour companies also offer sunset cruises, daytime tours, kayak paddling tours, and pulse-thumping adventure boat tours. A selection of both public and private professionally designed golf courses will delight golf enthusiasts, and local biking trails are also excellent. With additional shopping and dining venues, medical facilities, gas stations, and other everyday necessities available along major roadways in the area, residents of Mount Dora are happy to enjoy small-town life with big-city convenience.
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Listing data comes from My Florida Regional MLS DBA Stellar MLS.
Listing information last updated on May 13th, 2024 at 11:19pm EDT.
