Tavares, Florida

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Tavares (Template:IPAc-en, Template:Respell) is a city and the county seat of Lake County, Florida.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The population at the 2020 census was 19,003,<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref> and in 2019 the population was estimated to be 17,749.<ref name="USCensusEst2019">Template:Cite web</ref> It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

File:Tavares FL Union Congreg Church spano01.jpg

Union Congregational Church in Tavares.

Organized in 1885, and completed in 1888 on land donated by St. Clair-Abrams, the Union Congregational Church was the first church in Tavares.

Tavares was founded in 1880 by Alexander St. Clair-Abrams, a newspaper and railroad man from a Creole family in New Orleans Template:Citation needed . He gave it the surname of a Portuguese ancestor. In 1883 a post office was established; by the next year, a hotel, three stores, a sawmill, and eight cottages were built.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Investing over half a million dollars of his own money.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> St. Clair-Abrams's dream of Tavares as the state capital was not realized, but in 1887 it was designated the county seat of Lake County. St. Clair-Abrams later chartered a railroad from Tavares to Orlando. In 1919, Tavares incorporated as a town.

Groveland Four

Template:Main In 1949, the Groveland Four, were wrongly accused of raping a white woman in 1949.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One was killed after fleeing, and three were convicted at trial in Tavares. The two adults were sentenced to death and the minor to life in prison. The Supreme Court of the United States overturned the verdict and ordered a new trial for the two capital defendants. One was killed while being transported to Tavares in 1951. Walter Irvin survived the shooting by the sheriff and was convicted again at trial.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1955, his death sentence was commuted to life. He was paroled in 1968 and died in 1970. In 2016, the city of Groveland and Lake County formally apologized to families of all the men for injustice; in 2017, the Florida Legislature issued a formal apology and exonerated the men, calling on the governor to officially pardon them.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Tavares is at Template:Coord (28.801670, –81.733548).<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> It sits on an isthmus between Lake Eustis to the north and Lake Dora to the south. The city of Eustis borders Tavares to the northeast, and Lake Harris is to the west.

U.S. Route 441 passes through the north side of Tavares, leading east Template:Convert to Mount Dora and west Template:Convert to Leesburg. Florida State Road 19 joins US 441 through part of Tavares, but leads northeast Template:Convert to Eustis and southwest Template:Convert to Florida's Turnpike in the outskirts of Groveland. Tavares is Template:Convert northwest of Orlando and Template:Convert southeast of Ocala.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Tavares has a total area of Template:Convert; of this, Template:Convert are land and Template:Convert, or 11.62%, are water.<ref name=Gazetteer>Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographics

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2010 and 2020 census

**Tavares racial composition**
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race	Pop 2010<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2010	% 2020
White (NH)	11,047	12,932	79.18%	68.05%
Black or African American (NH)	1,349	2,304	9.67%	12.12%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	48	56	0.34%	0.29%
Asian (NH)	235	725	1.68%	3.82%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)	7	7	0.05%	0.04%
Some other race (NH)	22	103	0.16%	0.54%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)	160	653	1.15%	3.44%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,083	2,223	7.76%	11.70%
Total	13,951	19,003

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,003 people, 7,610 households, and 4,337 families residing in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 13,951 people, 6,070 households, and 3,749 families residing in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2000 census

As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 9,700 people, 4,471 households, and 2,821 families residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 5,475 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The city's racial makeup was 88.98% White, 7.70% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.04% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.46% of the population.

In 2000, there were 4,471 households, of which 16.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.48.

In 2000, in the city, 14.1% of the population was under the age of 18, 5.8% between 18 and 24, 19.8% between 25 and 44, 22.2% between 45 and 64, and 38.0% over 64. The median age was 56. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

In 2000, the median household income was $31,337, and the median family income $36,243. Males had a median income of $28,911 versus $20,271 for females. The per capita income was $19,942. About 6.6% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those 65 or older.

Libraries

Tavares Public Library
The Lake County Library System is headquartered in Tavares.

Transportation

The Tavares Seaplane Base<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is a city-owned, public-use seaplane base on Lake Dora in Tavares.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The base is popular and gives rise to the city's nickname, "America's Seaplane City".

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The LakeXpress is Lake County's public transportation and has been active since May 2007. It is a fixed-route transportation service that runs every hour from Lady Lake to Mount Dora with circulator routes in Leesburg and Mount Dora.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>