Howey-in-the-Hills is a town in Lake County, Florida, in the central part of the state about 35 miles northwest of Orlando. It occupies a rare pocket of rolling terrain that sets it apart from the generally flat Central Florida landscape, a feature its founder celebrated by dubbing the area "The Florida Alps." The town was founded by William John Howey, a citrus grower and real-estate developer who built Florida's first citrus juice plant in 1921 and assembled tens of thousands of acres of citrus land. Incorporated as "Howey" in May 1925, the town took its current name two years later to reflect its hills and lakes. With a 2020 census population of 1,643, Howey-in-the-Hills remains a small, low-density community, part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford metropolitan area but far removed from its pace. The town sits on Little Lake Harris, part of the Harris Chain of Lakes, a popular boating and bass-fishing destination, and its centerpiece is the Mission Inn Resort and Club, a 500-acre Spanish-Colonial resort with two championship golf courses known for their dramatic elevation changes. The town's day-to-day life is quiet and lake-centered. Residents boat and fish on Little Lake Harris, play the resort's two golf courses, and gather at the town's small commercial core and community events. The housing stock mixes older, established homes — some with Spanish-influenced architecture from the town's founding era — with newer construction oriented toward the lake and the resort, including an active-adult community adjacent to the Mission Inn. Howey-in-the-Hills appeals to retirees, golfers, and anyone seeking a scenic, unhurried lakeside lifestyle within reach of Orlando. Its historic character, lake access, and resort amenities give it a distinctive identity among Central Florida's small towns, while its position between Orlando and Ocala keeps larger-city services within an easy drive.