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'''The Villages''' is a master-planned, age-restricted community located in Central [[Florida]], between [[Ocala]] and [[Orlando]].

'''The Villages''' is a master-planned, age-restricted community located in Central [[Florida]], between [[Ocala]] and [[Orlando]].

With the exception of small parts which overlap existing cities, the majority of the community is located outside of any city jurisdiction.<ref>The official governmental term for an area not within a municipality is "unincorporated area".  Excluding those parts within cities, for census purposes the community is referred to as a "census-designated place" or CDP.</ref>

With the exception of small parts which overlap existing cities, the majority of the community is located outside of any city jurisdiction.<ref>The official governmental term for an area not within a municipality is "unincorporated area".  Excluding those parts within cities, for census purposes the community is referred to as a "census-designated place" or CDP.</ref> The majority of The Villages is in Sumter County, with smaller parts in neighboring Lake and Marion Counties.

Originally formed in the 1960s as a mobile home park called '''Orange Blossom Gardens''', the development grew substantially in the mid-1980s due to the marketing success of H. Gary Morse, son of one of the original founders.  Morse realized that the most successful developments featured well-maintained amenities and nearby extensive commercial development (e.g. grocery stores, restaurants, etc.) and began to purchase large tracts of land in adjacent areas.

Originally formed in the 1960s as a mobile home park called '''Orange Blossom Gardens''', the development grew substantially in the mid-1980s due to the marketing success of H. Gary Morse, son of one of the original founders.  Morse realized that the most successful developments featured well-maintained amenities and nearby extensive commercial development (e.g. grocery stores, restaurants, etc.) and began to purchase large tracts of land in adjacent areas.