Lake Mary is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

and unincorporated area in

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, United States. The population was 1,575 at the 2010 census. It is part of the

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

–

Kissimmee Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

Demographics

Census

Lake Mary Jane is located in southern Orange County, southeast of downtown

. The community is located on the east shore of the lake of the same name. The CDP was newly defined for the 2010 census. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the CDP has a total area of , all land.

Lake

Lake Mary is the namesake of the census-dedicated area. It is large body of water that is part of the Lake Hart watershed, which includes nearby Lake Hart, Lake Whippoorwill, and Lake Nona. There are 3 notable parks and nature reserves bordering the lake. Isle of Pine reserve on the south-eastern portion, Moss Park on the western portion, and Split Oak Forest on the south-western. These lakes are interconnected through a series of canals. Some notable local wildlife endemic to the area includes but is not limited to animals such as the

american alligator The American alligator (''Alligator mississippiensis''), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two extant species in the gen ...

, Florida softshell turtle, Florida sand hill cranes, and

Florida scrub jay The Florida scrub jay (''Aphelocoma coerulescens'') is one of the species of scrub jay native to North America. It is the only species of bird endemic to the U.S. state of Florida and one of only 15 species endemic to the continental United State ...

History

As early as 2013, reports of the invasive apple snail occurred. The species is now established itself within the greater Lake Hart watershed. In September 2017, strong winds from

Hurricane Irma Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread destruction across its path in September 2017. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Maria two ...

swept over Florida, causing major disruption to Lake Mary. As a result, the island in the northwestern portion of lake known colloquially as Bird Island had the northernmost portion split by winds. The split portion moved northwards and is now a small separate

floating island A floating island is a mass of floating aquatic plants, mud, and peat ranging in thickness from several centimeters to a few meters. Floating islands are a common natural phenomenon that are found in many parts of the world. They exist less co ...

, known by locals as Yoshi Island. In addition, nearby houses, and recreation institutions such as SORA Rowing (South Orlando Rowing Association) suffered heavy damage to their facilities. In 2020, the developer Tavistock and the local governing bodies of Orange County and Osceola county, approved to destroy a significant portion of the nearby protected forest land, Split Oak Forest, for new roads and housing communities. This protected forest land is home to threatened and endemic species such as the Gopher Tortoise and Florida scrub jay.

Recreation

Lake Mary is lined with private homes alongside its banks often with docks leading out into 3–12 ft water. Popular activities in the Florida lake include fishing, watersports like

wakeboarding Wakeboarding is a water sport in which the rider, standing on a wakeboard (a board with foot bindings), is towed behind a motorboat across its wake and especially up off the crest in order to perform aerial maneuvers. A hallmark of wakeboardin ...

or tubing, jetskiing,

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...

, kayaking, and

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

. Moss Park is a popular area for nature hikes, picnics, swimming, or as an entry point for watercraft. The SORA Rowing team (South Orlando Rowing Association) is an established rowing organization of middle school, high school, and adult rowers who compete in a variety of local, state, and national events. Their facilities located within Moss Park include a boathouse, docks, and equipment for the rowers.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Orange County, Florida Census-designated places in Orange County, Florida Greater Orlando Census-designated places in Florida Unincorporated communities in Florida