Gainesville, Florida Gainesville, Florida Flag of Gainesville, Florida Flag Official seal of Gainesville, Florida Location in Alachua County and the state of Florida Location in Alachua County and the state of Florida Gainesville's Depot Park Gainesville is the governmental center of county and biggest city in Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the principal town/city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Travel Destination (MSA).
The populace of Gainesville in the 2013 US Enumeration estimates was 127,488, a 2.4% expansion from 2010. Gainesville is the biggest city in the region of North Central Florida.
Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, the nation's ninth-largest college campus by enrollment, as well as to Santa Fe College.
The Gainesville MSA was ranked as the No.
1 place to live in North America in the 2007 version of Cities Ranked and Rated. Also in 2007, Gainesville was ranked as one of the "best places to live and play" in the United States by National Geographic Adventure. Gainesville was ranked as the "5th meanest city" in the United States by the National Coalition for the Homeless twice, first in 2004 for its criminalization of homelessness and then in 2009 for its ordinance restricting soup kitchens to 130 meals a day.[note 1] Main articles: History of Gainesville, Florida and Timeline of Gainesville, Florida Gainesville is positioned at 29 39'55" North, 82 20'10" West (29.665245, 82.336097), which is roughly the same latitude as Houston, Texas.
Gainesville's tree canopy is both dense and species rich, including broadleaf evergreens, conifers, and deciduous species; the town/city has been recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation every year since 1982 as a "Tree City, USA".
Gainesville is the only town/city with more than 10,000 inhabitants in the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Travel Destination (Alachua and Gilchrist counties), and it is surrounded by non-urban area, including the 21,000-acre (8,500 ha) wilderness of Paynes Prairie on its southern edge.
Gainesville's climate is defined as humid subtropical (Koppen: Cfa).
Due to its inland location, Gainesville experiences wide temperature fluctuation for Florida.
From November through March, however, the Gainesville region has a climate distinct from much of peninsular Florida with 16 evenings of freezing or below temperatures and sustained freezes occurring every several years.
In average winters, Gainesville will see temperatures drop below 30 F ( 1 C). As with the rest of the state, cold temperatures are almost always accompanied by clear skies and high pressure systems; snow is therefore rare.
Climate data for Gainesville, Florida (1981 2010 normals) University Corners, viewed from the chief entrance to the University of Florida, February 2012.
However, the "New Urbanization" plan to gentrify the region between historic Downtown and the University of Florida may slow the expansion of suburban sectors and spark a migration toward upper-level apartements in the inner city.
The region immediately north of the University of Florida is also seeing active redevelopment.
University Corners, which would not have been proposed without a $98 million tax incentive program by the town/city was to be "a crowning jewel of the city's redevelopment accomplishments", 450 condos and hotel units and 98,000 square feet (9,100 m2) of retail space in eight stories covering three town/city blocks, on 3.4 acres (1.4 ha) purchased for $15.5 million. 19 grow businesses were completed in April 2007, but in May 2008 deposit checks were refunded to about 105 citizens who reserved units, and in July 2008 developers spent "$120,000 to beautify the site, so we won't have this ugly green fence." The east side of Gainesville homes the majority of the black improve inside the city, while the west side consists of the mainly student and white resident population.
Additionally, the University of Florida Campus Historic District, consisting of eleven buildings, plus an additional fourteen contributing properties, lie inside the boundaries of the city.
2010 Enumeration Gainesville Alachua County Florida The populace of Gainesville was estimated to be 125,365 in 2011.
The populace of Gainesville was 124,354 at the 2010 census, a 30.3% change from 2000.
However, the median home cost remains slightly below the nationwide average, and Gainesville residents, like all Floridians, do not pay state income taxes.
The city's job market scored only 6 points out of a possible 100 in the Cities Ranked and Rated guide, as the downside to the low cost of living is an extremely weak small-town job market that is oversupplied with college-educated residents.
The median income in Gainesville is slightly below the U.S.
The town/city of Gainesville heavily promoted solar power by creating the first Feed-in Tariff (FIT) in the United States.
The FIT started with a rate set at $0.32 per kilowatt-hour and would allow the person or company to enter into a 20-year contract where Gainesville Regional Utilities would purchase the power for 20 years. The FIT ended in 2013, when the rate was set at $0.18 per k - Wh, but the town/city is still seen as a prestige in solar power.
This increase in solar installations put Gainesville at number 5 in the world, in solar installed per-capita, beating Japan, France, China and all of the US. According to Gainesville's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the town/city are: 1 University of Florida 27,870 5 City of Gainesville 2,270 All of the Gainesville urban region is served by Alachua County Public Schools, which has some 75 different establishments in the county, most of which are in the Gainesville area.
Gainesville is also home to the University of Florida and Santa Fe College.
The University of Florida is a primary financial boost to the community, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional revenues are created by the athletic affairs that occur at UF, including SEC football games.
In all the University of Florida contributes nearly $9 billion annually to Florida's economy and is responsible for more than 100,000 jobs. Other educational establishments include City College (Gainesville campus), Oak Hall School, and Saint Francis Catholic Academy.
High schools in Gainesville run from 9th to 12th grades.
Gainesville High School Gainesville Country Day School City College (Gainesville campus) See also: List of mayors of Gainesville, Florida The National Coalition for the Homeless cited Gainesville as the 5th meanest town/city in the United States for the city's criminalization of homelessness in the Coalition's two most recent reports (in 2004 and 2009), the latter time for its meal limit ordinance. Gainesville has a number of ordinances that target the homeless, including an anti-panhandling measure and a measure making sleeping outdoors on enhance property illegal.
In 2005, the Alachua Board of County Commissioners and the Gainesville City Commission responded by issuing a written "Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness"; which was followed by the 2010 "A Needs Assessment of Unsheltered Homeless Individuals In Gainesville, Florida" presentation to a joint meeting of Gainesville and Alachua County Commissions. An indoor homeless shelter was assembled on the site of the former Gainesville Correctional Institution grounds, with encircling area designated for tents. Gainesville has an extensive road system, which is served by Interstate 75, and a several Florida State Routes, including State routes 20, 24, and 26, among others.
See also: List of county roads in Alachua County, Florida I-75.svg I-75 runs northwest and southeast athwart the edge of the city, with interchanges at SR 121/SR 331 (exit 382), SR 24 (exit 384), SR 26 (exit 387), and SR 222 (Exit 390).
US 441.svg US 441 is the chief small-town north and south road through Gainesville.
It runs on the easterly edge of University of Florida.
Florida 20.svg SR 20 runs Northwest and Southeast through Gainesville.
In East Gainesville, the road again becomes a stand-alone route that is four lanes wide Highway as it heads to Hawthorne, Interlachen, and Palatka Florida 24.svg SR 24 runs northeast and sowthwest through Gainesville.
The Northeast corner of SR 24 and SR 222 is the site of the Gainesville Regional Airport, before heading to Waldo, Starke, and Jacksonville (Via.U.S.
Florida 26.svg SR 26 is the chief small-town east and west road through Gainesville.
Florida 121.svg SR 121 runs north and south on the part of the city.
Florida 331.svg SR 331 runs northeast and southwest through the City.
Even with skirting the Gainesville City Limits, SR 331 runs north and south as a four-lane divided non-urban highway.
All streets are numbered, except for a several primary thoroughfares, which are often titled for the suburbs they lead to (such as Waldo Road (SR 24), Hawthorne Road (SR 20), Williston Road (SR 121), Archer Road (also SR 24) and Newberry Road (SR 26)).
Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach buses connect with Jacksonville, Florida, to the north and Lakeland, Florida (to/from points south, LKL), to the south.
At one time, Gainesville had barns lines extending in six directions from the improve and was served by a several depots, the earliest route constructed reaching the town in 1859.
Passenger service into Gainesville had ended by the time of Amtrak's 1971 creation.
In addition to its extensive road network, Gainesville is served by Gainesville Regional Transit System, or RTS, which is the fourth-largest mass transit fitness in the state.
The region is also served by Gainesville Regional Airport in the northeast part of the city, with daily service to Atlanta, Miami and Charlotte.
According to the 2000 census, 5.25 percent of Gainesville inhabitants commuted to work by bike, among the highest figures in the country for a primary population center.
Gainesville is known as a supporter of the visual arts.
Cultural facilities include the Florida Museum of Natural History, Harn Museum of Art, the Hippodrome State Theatre, and the Curtis M.
Smaller theaters include the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre (ART) and the Gainesville Community Playhouse (GCP).
The University of Florida College of the Arts is the umbrella college for the School of Music, School of Theatre and Dance, School of Art and Art History, and a number of other programs and centers including The University Galleries, the Center for World Art, and Digital Worlds.
Collectively, the College offers many performance affairs and artist/lecture opportunities for students and the greater Gainesville community, the majority of which are offered at little or no cost.
Since 1989, Gainesville has been home to Theatre Strike Force, the University of Florida's premier improv troupe.
In addition Gainesville also plays host to a several sketch comedy troupes and stand-up comedians.
In April 2003, Gainesville became known as the "Healthiest Community in America" when it accomplished the only "Gold Well City" award given by the Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA). Headed up by Gainesville Health & Fitness Centers, and with the support of Shands Health - Care and the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, 21 businesses comprising 60 percent of the city's workforce became involved in the "Gold Well City" accomplishment.
As of July 2011, Gainesville remained the only town/city in the nation to reach the achievement.
The counties encircling Alachua County vote firmly Republican, while Alachua County votes firmly Democratic. In the 2008 election, there was a 22% gap in votes in Alachua County between Barack Obama and John Mc - Cain, while the remaining eleven candidates on the ballot and write-in votes received approximately 1.46% of the vote. Gainesville is famous in the recreational drug culture for "Gainesville Green", a especially potent strain of marijuana.
Orange and Blue periodical presented a feature article in 2003 about the history of Gainesville Green and the small-town marijuana culture in general. In the mid-1990s, a several Gainesville Hemp Festivals took place outside of the Alachua County courthouse.
Gainesville is well known for its music scene and has spawned a number of bands and musicians, including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Stephen Stills, Don Felder and Bernie Leadon of The Eagles, The Motels, Against Me!, Charles Bradley, Less Than Jake, Hot Water Music, Loyal Revival, John Vanderslice, Sister Hazel, Hundred Waters, and For Squirrels.
For two years, the Gainesville non-profit Harvest of Hope Foundation hosted the Harvest of Hope Festival in St.
Augustine, Florida. Gainesville is also the home of www.FLAROCKS.com, the framers of 'Santa Jam' who hold concerts every December throughout North Florida as a toy fundraiser for sick, injured, and homeless children, as well as being a small-town musician showcase.
No Idea Records puts on an annual three-day modern festival known as The Fest, which typically occurs amid the last weekend in October, coinciding with the annual Florida-Georgia football game (played in Jacksonville) to minimize tensions between the largely out of town music festival goers with the University of Florida students and alumni. Between 1987 and 1998, Gainesville had a very active modern music scene, with Hollywood star River Phoenix having the small-town club Hardback Cafe as his chief base.
Today, Gainesville is still known for its strong music improve and was titled "Best Place to Start a Band in the United States" by Blender periodical in March 2008. The article cited the large student population, inexpensive rent, and friendly venues as reasons.
Over the past decade, Gainesville has been home to a wide range of bands, from the Latin/afrobeat sounds of Umoja Orchestra, to the modern of Morningbell, to ska staples The Know How. Gainesville's reputation as an autonomous music mecca can be traced back to 1984 when a small-town music video station was brought on the air.
The Florida Gators is the varsity team of the University of Florida, and competes at the Southeastern Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association since 1933.
The Gainesville Raceway is a dragstrip opened in 1969 that hosts the Gatornationals, one of the four NHRA primary competitions.
The Spring Arts Festival, hosted each year, usually in early April, by Santa Fe College (formerly Santa Fe Community College), is one of the three biggest annual affairs in Gainesville and is known for its high character, unique artwork. The nationally recognized The Downtown Festival and Art Show, hosted each fall by the City of Gainesville, attracts award-winning artists and draws a crowd of more than 100,000. The Gainesville Improv Festival provides a venue for new talent.
The Fest, a multi-day, multiple-venue underground music festival that has been held annually in Gainesville, FL since 2002. Gainesville is served by The Gainesville Sun and The Independent Florida Alligator, the student journal for the University of Florida and Santa Fe College.
Arbitron rates the Gainesville-Ocala market as the nation's 83rd-largest. Thirteen airways broadcasts are licensed to operate in the town/city of Gainesville five AM stations, six commercial FM stations, and two low-power non-commercial FM stations.
Three of the stations (WRUF, WRUF-FM, and WUFT-FM) are directed by transmitting students at the University of Florida.
Gainesville is the 162nd-largest tv market in the nation, as calculated by Nielsen Media Research. Broadcast tv stations in the Gainesville market include WCJB, an ABC/CW partner in Gainesville; WGFL, a CBS partner broadcasting from High Springs; WNBW, a NBC partner in Gainesville; WOGX, a Fox owned-and-operated station from Ocala; WMYG-LP, an analog My - Network - TV partner broadcasting from Lake City; and WUFT, the PBS station affiliated with the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Gainesville maintains sister town/city relationships with five metros/cities in four separate arrangements: List of citizens from Gainesville, Florida Gainesville, City Of.
"City Of Gainesville > City Commission".
"Gainesville, Florida".
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"State and County Quick - Facts Gainesville (city), Florida".
"Gainesville, Florida Solar Power Feed-In Tariff Program Maxed Out Before It Begins".
"Gainesville, Florida, Becomes a World Leader in Solar".
City of Gainesville CAFR Florida, University of.
"Florida Department of Citrus Economic Research 2125 Mc - Carty Hall University of Florida Gainesville, Florida 32611-0249 USA" "The Independent Florida Alligator City titled fifth meanest to homeless", Retrieved 2011-07-07 "The City of Gainesville/Alachua County Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness", Retrieved 2011-07-07 "Alachua County/City of Gainesville Quarterly Special Meeting Meeting Agenda August 30, 2010", Retrieved 2011-07-07 Florida Railroad from Fernandina to Cedar Key history florida "The Gainesville Sun Time to raise the curtains", Retrieved 2011-07-08 "Gainesville Goes Gold!".
"Gainesville titled best place to start a band in America".
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Gainesille's Only Music Video Station, 1996, archived from the initial on 2011-06-15, retrieved 2008-07-19[dead link] "Santa Fe College Spring Arts Festival Voted Best Arts & Crafts Festival", Retrieved 2011-07-07 "The New York Times is relocating some wire service positions to Gainesville, creating about 25 jobs".
Sister City Program of Gainesville, Inc.
See also: Bibliography of the history of Gainesville, Florida Gainesville, Florida: The Alachua Press.
History of Gainesville, Florida 1854-1979.
Gainesville, Florida: Alachua County Historical Society.
Guide to the University of Florida and Gainesville.
Gainesville, Florida, USA: University Press of Florida.
Gainesville, Florida, USA: University Press of Florida.
Gainesville, Florida, USA: University Press of Florida.
Gainesville, Florida: The University Press of Florida.
Historic Gainesville: a tour Guide to the Past.
Gainesville, Florida: Historic Gainesville, Inc.
A Guide to Historic Gainesville.
"Gainesville in the '70s: Changes roiling beneath a polite Southern surface".
Gainesville Magazine.
Gainesville Sun.
"University of Florida: Unrest amid the boom times 1960-1980".
Gainesville Sun.
Gainesville Sun.
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Cities in Alachua County, Florida - County seats in Florida - Gainesville, Florida - University of Florida - Gainesville, Florida urbane region - Populated places established in 1853 - Academic enclaves - University suburbs in the United States - Cities in Florida
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