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Citrus CountyHome Sweet HomeAffordable housing and a one-with-nature lifestyle draw most residents to Citrus County. Part of the Nature Coast, the county has verdant woods and hammocks, as well as water in all its varieties -- the Gulf of Mexico, rivers and crystal clear natural springs. Average home prices are very affordable -- $58,000 to $67,000. Most are single-family houses, though about 5 percent are condominiums. Resale homes continue to offer the best dollar value. Vital StatsPopulation: 114,068 Median age: 52.8
Rain & ShineIn January, the average temperature is 58 degrees Fahrenheit; in August, 81 degrees Fahrenheit. It rains an average of 51 inches a year here. Although that's a lot by most standards it's about average for the state. In Florida, summer is the rainy season, and because it rains most frequently on warm, sultry summer afternoons, the rain is welcomed as an effective cooling agent. Job MarketThe major economic engine in Citrus County is not citrus in spite of the name, and the top ten private employers are a diverse group. Florida Power Corporation is the largest private employer with 1,600 employees. The health care industry comes in second and third with Citrus Memorial Hospital (990 employees) and Seven Rivers Hospital (545 employees). Grocery and retail sales are represented by Winn-Dixie (610 employees), Wal-Mart (300 employees), Publix (550 employees), Kash-N-Karry (210 employees), and K-Mart (200 employees). Manufacturing is represented by Pro-Line, a boat manufacturer which employs 420 people. Finally, Sunshine Materials Corporation, a building supplies specialist, has 267 employees. Class NotesExtensive information about the schools in this area is online at the state's Department of Education (http://www.firn.edu/doe/doehome.htm). There you'll discover everything you'll need to know about Florida schools -- in general and in particular. All you need is the name of your county and the names of the schools students from your neighborhood attend. Use links from the DOE home page for general information about entrance requirements, immunizations and so forth. For the nitty-gritty details that really matter, click on the logo for the "Florida School Indicators Report."
Getting AroundMajor north/south routes are U.S. Highways 19 and 98, which run together on the county's west side, and U.S. Highway 41 near the eastern boundary. Between them and running through central Citrus County in a north/south direction, are County Roads 490 and 491. The major east/west route is State Road 44, which traverses a causeway over the Tsala-Apopka chain of lakes in the county's eastern region. Only a few miles outside the county's eastern border formed by the river, S.R. 44 connects near Wildwood with both Interstate 75 (north to Atlanta, south to Tampa, Fort Myers and Naples) and the Florida Turnpike, a toll road that goes all the way to Miami. CSX railroad transports freight. Local executive airports include those at Crystal River and Inverness, the county seat. For a major international airport or deep-water port, however, residents usually go to Tampa, about 65 or 70 miles from Inverness. Great Outdoors
A promotional brochure trumpets "Citrus County is Mother Nature's Theme Park!" And this proud statement is much more than advertising hyperbole or booster rhetoric. It's true in many ways, although perhaps not in every way. Still, it's hard to fault the county's natural treasures. This is where the manatees spend their winter vacations; some even stay all year in the 72 degree waters of Kings Bay and Homosassa Springs. After 450 million years or so in Florida waters, this vegetarian sea cow is in grave danger of extinction. The people of Citrus County have enacted a Manatee Protection Plan to add clout and build support for existing state and federal laws that seek to save our fellow mammal, the West Indian manatee. The water wonderland supports innumerable species of birds that forage for food in its forests and drink from the county's wetlands--and its 52 miles of gulf coast, its 106 miles of rivers and its 19,111 acres of lakes. So pristine is much of the county that local, state and federal money has been spent to acquire it and protect it from excessive development. An extraordinary 46 percent of the land and water of Citrus County is owned and supervised by state local or federal governments. (Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge and St. Martin's Marsh Aquatic Preserve are among them.) Here you'll discover pristine parks, wilderness areas and forests that shelter otters, bobcats, alligators, raccoons and white-tailed deer in addition to the manatees. Woodpeckers, sandhill cranes, burrowing owls, wood storks, eagles, Marion's march wren and Scott's seaside sparrow are attracted by the setting and the food it affords. Bird watching is big here. Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, at the headwater of the Homosassa River, puts forth millions of gallons of fresh water daily. It's a favorite with kids of all ages and a good place to observe manatees and other wild animals. Rangers offer educational talks on alligators, crocodiles, snakes and, of course, manatees. Many magnificent animals--some endangered--can be sighted from the paths through this unspoiled wilderness. Deer, bobcats and otters can be seen at close range--and from time to time even bears and cougars are sighted. At the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, a 43-acre group of nine islands, government rangers do all they can to preserve the manatees' habitat. Here, where 600 million gallons of water flow daily from 30 or so natural springs, the constant warmth of the 72-degree water provides a natural haven for the gentle manatees that can't survive when water temperatures dip much below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, which they do during winters in the Gulf of Mexico. A third water-lover's dream location is the 22-mile, Tsala -Apopka chain of lakes on the east side of the county, where you can fish forever or simply take a short airboat tour. And don't forget important rivers like the Chassahowitzka, the Homosassa and the Withlacoochee that give the county much of its character, two of its borders and many of its places to play. Good SportsFishing, canoeing, diving--if it's done on or under the water and gives you joy, Citrus County will be pure pleasure for you. Trophy fish are caught all over the county, but especially tarpon in the Homosassa River and bass and many other fish in the 45-miles of the Withlacoochee River and the 22-mile chain of lakes covering 23,000 acres. Here the name tells the story. Tsala-Apopka is Seminole for big fish. For all these very good reasons, the county was named one of the "12 Best Fishing Spots in North America" by Sports Afield. Because of the many natural springs areas and the manatees in residence, Rodale's Scuba Diving christened the area the very "Best Place to See Large Animals" and second on its survey in the category "Favorite Fresh Water Dive." Cyclists like it here, too. Serious cyclists who live elsewhere have been known to come for a visit to bike the 47-mile rails-to-trails route known as the Withlacoochee State Trail, which is also used by horseback riders, joggers, walkers, inline skaters and people in wheelchairs for recreational outings. Bikers also challenge the rolling hills of Pleasant Grove Road. Cross-country cyclists prefer Stagecoach Road (County Road 480), south of Floral City. Several golf courses and country clubs and 30 or so county parks offer ball fields and tennis, racquetball and basketball courts. Hunting is permitted in a 41,000-acre section (called the Citrus Wildlife Management Area) of the Withlacoochee State Forest. Hot Times in the City
Central Florida Community College sponsors an annual performance series through its Foundation for the Performing Arts. Citrus Hills sports a Cultural Center maintained by the Citrus County Art League's members. Art exhibits rotate monthly at the center, which is also the site of occasional theatrical presentations. A new attraction is the Ted Williams Baseball Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame near Citrus Hills, in northwest Citrus County. The slugger retired here and brought his mementos along. At Florida Power's Crystal River Nuclear Plant, four miles north of town, there's something called The Power Place, complete with energy-related exhibits and video presentations. History from ancient and more recent times awaits in its many garbs. People have lived here for centuries. At the Crystal River Archaeological Site, near the town of the same name, burial grounds and a temple from an earlier era have been excavated. Some evidence suggests that people lived here 10,000 years ago. Also in Crystal River, you'll find the Coastal Heritage Museum, which offers some interesting sights that include a jail cell from the Depression era. In Inverness, Victorian homes and a restored, early-20th century courthouse tell of the county's relatively recent past. The Fort Cooper State Park, located on Lake Holathlikaha in Inverness, is both a popular recreational site with 10-miles of self-guided trails plus boat rentals and the site of Fort Cooper Days each April. Another location of interest to history buffs is the Yulee Sugar Mills State Historic Site. In Floral City, 44 buildings or locations make up the historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A boom town during the "phosphate rush," which lasted about 20 years (1895-1995 roughly), Floral City was once larger than Miami. Important annual events in addition to April's Fort Cooper Days include: the Florida Manatee Festival in February, the Floral City Strawberry Festival in March, Red, White & Blueberry Day in June, September's Citrus County Crafts Festival at Crystal River, and November's huge Festival of the Arts in Inverness, which features 400 exhibitors and the Homosassa Christmas Boat Parade. Shop 'til You DropResidents find plenty of the basics to suit them--food, clothing, hardware stores and building supplies. Several shopping areas are scattered around the county--but they are small. After all, Inverness' population is perhaps 7,000 and Crystal River's approximately 4,500. They are small towns, yet plenty of shopping is available right here in the county. The Crystal River Mall offers national retailers as anchors plus several specialty stores. Additionally, 24 small shopping centers exist in numerous locations around the county. And if you discover that you need or want something rare or hard-to-find, you can simply travel to Orlando or Ocala or Tampa/St. Petersburg. Adding travel time to shopping time, an entire day devoted to out-of-county shopping trips may be necessary once or twice a year--and possible anytime you get the urge to shop 'til you drop, because that's one of the few things that isn't easy to do in Citrus County. Antiques are another story. At last count, about 30 antique and collectible stores were located around the county--11 in or near the community of Crystal River, most in a downtown section called Heritage Village. NightlifeNightclubs are rare. No "hot" club scene awaits the newcomer, either. But people who live here get together in their homes or go out to eat frequently, just as they do elsewhere. Housed in what was once a 19th-century home, the K.C. Crump Restaurant serves good food at its historic location on the Homosassa River. If you have a boat, float on down from Crump's to Crow's Nest Restaurant on Sunset Island in the gulf, where there's food with a view. Churchill's Grill in the very-British Crown Hotel in Inverness is another good place to enjoy an evening out. College SceneFlorida's impressive and extensive community college system of two-year, schools reaches virtually every area of the state. Folks in Citrus County use both Central Florida Community College in Ocala and Pasco-Hernando Community College in Dade City. The best educational bet in the county is the centrally located Lecanto branch of Central Florida Community College. Citrus County itself is somewhat central. Three of the state's 10 major four-year schools are close at hand. They are the University of Florida in Gainesville, the University of South Florida in Tampa and the University of Central Florida in Orlando. St. Leo College, a four-year, liberal arts school, isn't far either. It's located in eastern Pasco County, a comparatively short drive from Inverness. A little farther away are Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Rollins College in Winter Park (Orlando area) and Stetson University in DeLand. So although it might not be convenient to commute daily, many fine institutions of higher learning are close to home for Citrus County students seeking a Florida school for their post-secondary education. Just for SeniorsLecanto has a Senior Center that serves as an important clearinghouse for news and information important to senior citizens. Citrus County's Elder Helpline is 850/746-1844. The Information and Referral (I&R) specialists who staff this telephone line are equipped to answer all your questions about senior services and senior housing facilities in the county. Their computerized resource guide lists organizations providing respite care, home-delivered meals, homemaker services, nursing services and all kinds of assistance the 60-plus group might need or want.
Photos supplied by Cindy Tunstall courtesy of Geiger & Associates. |
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