Northwest Ocala

Ocala is the county seat of Marion County and Marion County is known as the Horse Capital of the World. That’s because over the years, the area has been home to many of horse racing’s top champions, so you may notice several equestrian centers and horse ranches in Northwest Ocala. Home buying options, therefore, can range from smaller city lots to several acres or ranchettes in the country.

With a mild climate, outdoor activities can be enjoyed year-round and there are several parks in the area where you can hike or play sports. There are also a couple of unique venues where you can soar over a canyon on a zip line or take your ATV out for the ultimate drive.

Connected to the outside world by three major highways, Northwest Ocala is a great place to live and work in Florida.

Northwest Ocala is an eclectic mixture of older homes, manufactured homes and apartments, along with a variety of businesses and industries. Residential streets are narrow and heavily shaded. Lot sizes range from ¼-acre to ½-acre or more, and you can even find homes with several acres as you travel north of the city limit.

A variety of local businesses can be found in Northwest Ocala, but there are no shopping malls or plazas. Big Midget Meat and Produce is a unique grocery market that has been serving the area for more than a generation, offering fresh meats and poultry, cheeses, and fresh and frozen vegetables.

One of Florida’s more unique attractions is Canyons Zip Line and Adventure Park. Built on an old phosphate mine, the park features zip lines over lakes, nature tours and horseback riding.

The Ocala Wellness Community Garden is a place to let it grow. For a yearly nominal fee that includes raised beds, soil, tools and water, participants can grow their own gardens.

For a fee, you can bring your own off-road vehicle to Hardrock Offroad Park and experience a two-mile loop trail with an elevation of 291 feet. There’s also a campground with 50 full hook-up sites.

Northwest Ocala has several parks managed by the City of Ocala. Tom’s Park, Lamb Park and Lillian F. Bryant Park all have children’s playgrounds, and Lillian Bryant Park also has a splash pad. Ocala Wetlands Recharge Park features over a mile of paved walking trails on a former golf course. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Complex is three parks in one with a recreation center, an aquatic center, athletic fields, picnic tables and shelters, and restrooms.

There are two schools located within the Northwest Ocala community. Madison Street Academy of Visual and Performing Arts is a magnet school serving elementary age students in kindergarten through fifth grade with a focus on fine arts, communication and technology.

Howard Middle School serves grades sixth through eighth and is a magnet school offering programs with the International Baccalaureate and STEAM, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.

Lifestyles vary within Northwest Ocala depending on where you are in the community. Residential neighborhoods closer to downtown, particularly those near parks, can be walkable, but a car is necessary the farther north you go.

Employment opportunities also vary. Along with local services and hospitality businesses, several national industries operate in the community including Silver Springs Bottled Water Company and Capris Furniture Industries. Amazon has a distribution center here as does AutoZone and Chewy, the dogfood company.

Northwest Ocala is bordered by Interstate 75 on the west, U. S. Highway 301 on the east and State Road 40 on the south. You can go from the west coast beaches of Florida to the east coast beaches on SR 40. I-75 takes you north or south as does Highway 301.

Although Ocala claims to have an international airport, the facility is for general aviation flights only. The nearest commercial airport is Gainesville Regional Airport about 45 miles north which serves Delta and American Airlines.

Photography Contributed By

Stephen Flint

Video By

Jacob Cooperman