The Villages is a census-designated place in central Florida that serves as the core of one of the nation's largest master-planned, age-restricted retirement communities. Spanning Sumter, Lake, and Marion counties, it sits about 55 miles northwest of Orlando, roughly 20 miles south of Ocala, and about 80 miles northeast of Tampa. The CDP itself is home to roughly 79,000 residents, with the broader community extending well beyond its official boundaries. The community's origins are relatively recent. In 1968, Michigan businessman Harold Schwartz purchased a tract of land then known as Orange Blossom Gardens, a small mobile home park with only a few dozen residents. From that modest start, the development grew over the following decades into the expansive, amenity-driven community it is today, expanding steadily southward and eastward across county lines. The Villages is organized around a distinctive lifestyle rather than a traditional town structure. More than 100 village neighborhoods are connected by an extensive network of golf-cart paths—over 90 miles—linking homes to recreation centers, shopping, restaurants, and three town squares: Spanish Springs, the original square in the north; Lake Sumter Landing in the center; and Brownwood Paddock Square in the south. Each square anchors nightly live entertainment, dancing, and community events. Golf is central, with 12 championship courses, 38 executive courses, and multiple practice facilities spread throughout the community. As an age-restricted community, The Villages requires at least one household member to be 55 or older, and residents must be at least 19. The community is governed through a series of community development districts rather than a conventional municipality. For those seeking a fully planned active-adult environment—where golf carts are a primary mode of travel and recreation and entertainment are built into every neighborhood—The Villages offers a scale and completeness unmatched among Florida's retirement communities.