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The Commemorative Quarter for Florida





Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about The Villages (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for The Villages. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

The Villages is primarily located in Sumter County. A portion of The Villages extends into Marion County and Lake County.

To see how the shape of Florida's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Sumter County: Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, Pasco & Polk.

Below are the counties that are near The Villages. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to The Villages:

  • Sumter County     (The home county of The Villages)
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Villages, with the one closest to The Villages listed first.
    • Oxford
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Wildwood
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Adamsville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adamsville
      • Adamsville is located in Sumter County
    • Coleman
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Lake Panasoffkee
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Sumterville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Center Hill
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Bushnell
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Bay Hill
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bay Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay Hill
      • Bay Hill is located in Sumter County
    • Wahoo
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wahoo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wahoo
      • Wahoo is located in Sumter County
    • Webster
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Mabel
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mabel
      • Mabel is located in Sumter County
  • Citrus County
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Villages, with the one closest to The Villages listed first.
    • Floral City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Inverness
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Inverness Highlands South
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Hernando
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Inverness Highlands North
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Holder
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Citrus Hills
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Citrus Hills
      • Citrus Hills is located in Citrus County
    • Beverly Hills
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Hernando County
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Villages, with the one closest to The Villages listed first.
    • Istachatta
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Nobleton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Lake County
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Villages, with the one closest to The Villages listed first.
    • Conant
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Conant. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conant
      • Conant is located in Lake County
    • Lady Lake
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Carlton Village
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carlton Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carlton Village
      • Carlton Village is located in Lake County
    • Fruitland Park
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Montclair
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Montclair. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montclair
      • Montclair is located in Lake County
    • Whitney
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitney
      • Whitney is located in Lake County
    • Leesburg
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Orange Bend
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Orange Bend. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange Bend
      • Orange Bend is located in Lake County
    • Lisbon
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lisbon have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisbon
      • Lisbon is located in Lake County
    • Silver Lake
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Lake
      • Silver Lake is located in Lake County
    • Sunnyside
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sunnyside have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunnyside
      • Sunnyside is located in Lake County
    • Bassville Park
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bassville Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bassville Park
      • Bassville Park is located in Lake County
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Villages, with the one closest to The Villages listed first.
    • Weirsdale
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Eastlake Weir
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Summerfield
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Ocklawaha
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Candler
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Belleview
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Danks Corner
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Silver Springs Shores
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Springs Shores have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Springs Shores
      • Silver Springs Shores is located in Marion County
    • Electra
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Electra
      • Electra is located in Marion County
    • Lynne
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lynne. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynne
      • Lynne is located in Marion County
    • Silver Springs
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Ocala
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocala
      • Ocala is located in Marion County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 61,669 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ocala <1>
  • Orange County
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Villages, with the one closest to The Villages listed first.
    • Tangerine
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Zellwood
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Plymouth
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to The Villages, see our County-by-County Page for The Villages.

Cemeteries Near The Villages ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of The Villages.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for The Villages covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from The Villages, with the one closest to The Villages listed first.

  • Forest Hill Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Stanton Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stanton Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stanton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pine Level Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Level Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Level Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Shiloh Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shiloh Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shiloh Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Simpson Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Simpson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Simpson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ocklawaha Community Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ocklawaha Community Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ocklawaha Community Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Crum Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crum Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crum Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Royal Memorial Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Royal Memorial Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Royal Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evergreen Memorial Gardens Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Memorial Gardens Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Memorial Gardens Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lone Oak Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lone Oak Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lone Oak Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Olive Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Olive Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Olive Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (104 more) ...
    • Nichols Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Nichols Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Nichols Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Hillcrest Memorial Gardens
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillcrest Memorial Gardens
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillcrest Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Mt. Pisgah Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Pisgah Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Pisgah Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<4>

While we didn't find The Villages in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of The Villages.

These communities are listed based on their distance from The Villages, with the one closest to The Villages listed first.

  • Conant
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Conant. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conant
    • Conant is located in Lake County
  • Lady Lake
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Oxford
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Fruitland Park
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Stanton
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stanton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanton
    • Stanton is located in Marion County
  • Wildwood
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Lake Weir ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Weir have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Weir
    • Lake Weir is located in Marion County
  • Summerfield
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Orange Home
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orange Home have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange Home
    • Orange Home is located in Sumter County
  • Bamboo
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bamboo have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bamboo
    • Bamboo is located in Sumter County
  • Ocklawaha
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Royal
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Royal have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Royal
    • Royal is located in Sumter County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Whitney
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitney
      • Whitney is located in Lake County
    • Montclair
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Montclair. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montclair
      • Montclair is located in Lake County
    • Leesburg
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around The Villages. See our List of 1890's Communities around The Villages.

Newspapers Published in The Villages ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 32 newspapers that have been published in the area around The Villages.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of The Villages, there are papers which were published within 23 miles [37 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for The Villages.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to The Villages:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for The Villages. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Sumter County: www.bocc.co.sumter.fl.us/

The official website for State of Florida: https://www.myflorida.com/

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<4>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about The Villages, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- The Villages) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in The Villages. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 28.9341, Longitude: -81.9599       In this case, the coordinates for The Villages have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025