Gainesville | Florida, United States - Encyclopedia Britannica

Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos Gainesville Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics Images Quizzes Guess the City by Its River Quiz Contents Geography & Travel Cities & Towns Cities & Towns C-G CITE verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/place/Gainesville-Florida Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

• Official Tourism Site of Gainesville, Florida, United States
• Official Site of the City Of Gainesville, Florida, United States

Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

• Gainesville, Florida - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Gainesville Florida, United States Ask Anything Homework Help Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Mar. 7, 2026 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

News •

For better or worse, Tony Stewart vows to keep his competitive edge while racing against his wife • Mar. 7, 2026, 1:40 PM ET (AP) ...(Show more) John Calipari matches the worst loss of his career and wishes it 'would have gone faster' • Mar. 1, 2026, 12:42 AM ET (AP) Man convicted of killing a traveling salesman becomes first person executed in Florida this year • Feb. 10, 2026, 8:09 PM ET (AP) Show less

Gainesville, city, seat (1853) of Alachua county, north-central Florida, U.S., about 70 miles (115 km) southwest of Jacksonville. The Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto marched through the area in 1539, and settlement eventually developed around a trading post known as Hog Town (established 1830). In 1853 the city was laid out as the county seat and named for General Edmund Pendleton Gaines, a commander during the War of 1812. Gainesville was the site of some minor battles (1864) of the American Civil War and was temporarily occupied by Union forces. After the war, citrus and cotton growing and phosphate mining became important in the area, but these activities had ceased by the end of World War I.

The University of Florida (1905) has played a major role in the city’s growth, and it remains the primary factor in the economy. Tourism and services (notably health care) are also important. The area still has some agriculture, including corn (maize), tobacco, and peanuts (groundnuts). Santa Fe Community College was opened there in 1966. Gainesville’s cultural institutions include a symphony orchestra, ballet company, and other music, theatre, and dance ensembles. The Florida Museum of Natural History and the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art are on the university campus. The home of author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is preserved as a state historic site about 12 miles (20 km) southeast of the city. Parks in the area include Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, Devil’s Millhopper State Geological Site, Paynes Prairie State Preserve, and San Felasco Hammock State Preserve. Ocala National Forest is about 25 miles (40 km) southeast. Nearby is Newnans Lake. Inc. 1869. Pop. (2010) 124,354; Gainesville Metro Area, 264,275; (2020) 141,085; Gainesville Metro Area, 339,247.

This article was most recently revised and updated by World Data Editors.