Gainesville is the largest city and county seat of Alachua County. It serves as the cultural, educational and commercial center for the North Central Florida Region. The City provides a full range of municipal services, including police and fire protection; comprehensive land use planning and zoning services; code enforcement and neighborhood improvement; streets and drainage construction and maintenance; traffic engineering services; refuse and recycling services through a franchised operator; recreation and parks; cultural and nature services; and necessary administrative services to support these activities. Additionally, the City owns a regional transit system, a municipal airport, a 72-par championship golf course, and a utility.

Gainesville is home to Florida's largest and oldest university, and is one of the state's centers of education, medicine, cultural events and athletics. The University of Florida and Shands Hospital at UF are the leading employers in Gainesville and provide jobs for many residents of surrounding counties. Known for its preservation of historic buildings and the beauty of its natural surroundings, Gainesville's numerous parks, museums and lakes provide entertainment to thousands of visitors. Because of its beautiful landscape and urban "forest," Gainesville is one of the most attractive cities in Florida. Some of the awards and recognitions Gainesville and its community has received in recent years include:

• Gainesville Ranks #1 in Cities Ranked and Rated, which studied more than 400 metropolitan areas in the U.S. and Canada, 2007
• Named the "No. 1 Place to Retire During an Economic Downturn" by SmartMoney.com, 2008
• Ranked 22 on Forbes.com's list of "America's Smartest Cities," 2008
• Named one of the "50 Best Places to Live and Play" by National Geographic Adventure magazine, 2007
• NuWire Investor ranked Gainesville #3 on their list of "Top 10 Small College Towns for Investment," 2007
• Gainesville's Eastside High School Ranks Top Six in the Nation, Newsweek's Best High Schools rankings, 2006
• Nineteen Gainesville Area Schools Receive Most Improved in FCAT writing scores, 2006
• Top Ten Cities in the USA for Outdoor Activities, Sperling’s Best Places, 2005
• Most Technologically Advanced City in Florida (30th in the nation), 2005
• Growth Management Pilot Community, 2005 
• Downtown Festival & Art Show ranked #40 in nation by Greg Lawler’s Art Fair Sourcebook, 2005
• Tree City USA and Tree City USA Growth Award, National Arbor Day Foundation, 2005 and 2006 
• 1st Place media awards for its annual Hoggetowne Medieval Faire, 2005
• Downtown Festival & Art Show 2005 Commemorative Poster Award
• Silver-Level Bicycle-Friendly Community Award, League of American Bicyclists, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007
• #3 Mid-Market City, 100 Top Deals and Hot Markets, Southern Business & Development Magazine, 2004
• #11 of the Top 15 Best Places to Reinvent Your Life, AARP Magazine, 2003
• Gold Well City USA Award, Wellness Councils of America, 2003
• #1 Best Place to Live in America, Money Magazine, 1995

In June 2006, it was announced that Alachua County schools received an "A."
Elementary (13): Alachua Learning Center, Archer, C.W. Norton, Charles Duval*, Hidden Oak*, High Springs Community School, J.J. Finley*, Joseph Williams*, Kimball, Lawton Chiles*, Newberry, Stephen Foster*, William Talbot*
Middle (6): A.L. Mebane, Lincoln*, Fort Clarke*, Howard Bishop*, Kanapaha*, Westwood*
High (1): Buchholz*
*denotes Gainesville schools  
The History of Alachua School Grades

Gainesville has been called a hometown with you in mind. Read more.

Gainesville Quick Facts
Area:	approximately 54 Square Miles
Climate:	Mild winters, Warm summers, 255-day growing season, Average of 2,800 hours of sunshine annually January average high temperature: 65 F June average high temperature: 89 F Average rainfall is 35 inches per year. The area basks in Gulf breezes that make summer days warm and nights cool, and produce dry and mild winters. The Weather Channel CNN Weather National Weather Service (Jacksonville)
Population:	122,671 (247,528 Countywide) estimated as of April 2007 by the BEBR
Median Age:	27
Households:	87,509
Median Household Income:	$31,426
Taxes:*	6.25% retail sales tax (food and medicine exempt) Homestead Exemption - $25,000 No state personal income tax No state inheritance tax No franchise tax No inventory tax
Industry:	Variable from agricultural to manufacturing, academic research, health care, corporate infrastructure, many small/minority business enterprises
Location:	On the I-75 corridor halfway between Atlanta and Miami
Cities: (within a two hour drive)	Jacksonville, Ocala, Lake City, Orlando, Tallahassee, Tampa, St. Augustine, Cedar Key, Live Oak
Beaches: (within one hour drive)	The Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico
Major Attractions: (within a two hour drive)	Disney World, Universal Studios, and Busch Gardens
Home Of:	The University of Florida, The Gainesville Raceway and The Gatornationals (NHRA)
Famous Residents: (past & present)	Bo Didley, Tom Petty, Don Felder, Bernie Leadon, River Phoenix, Malcolm Gets, Harry Crews, Marty Liquori, Gabriel Schwartzman, Peter Taylor, Mary McCauley, Joe Haldeman, Bob Vila, Maya Rudolph
Notable Firsts:	Gatorade (First sports drink)
Typical Cuisine:	Pizza, BBQ, seafood, chicken wings, vegetarian dishes, and many ethnic choices

* - There is an intangible tax, for information call: 1-800-226-3411.

Additional statistics are available at:

• Gainesville Council for Economic Outreach
• Enterprise Florida