North central Florida

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North central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida which comprises the north-central part of the state and encompasses the north Florida counties of Alachua, Marion, Putnam, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, and Union.^[1] The region's largest city is Gainesville, home of the University of Florida and center of the Gainesville metropolitan area, which is the largest metro area of the region. As of 2020, the region had a population of 575,622 people.^[2]

Like the rest of north Florida,^[3] including the Florida Panhandle, the region is recognized as part of the Deep South, as compared to the southern regions of the state.^[4]

The landscape and climate of north central Florida are distinct from the sub-tropical environment most associated with the rest of the state. The landscape of north central Florida has gently rolling hills dominated by magnolia trees and large southern live oak hammocks draped with Spanish moss. The region also has large expanses of pine forests. The region has hot summers and mild winters, with temperatures occasionally dropping below freezing. It is just north of Florida's Nature Coast.