Dunnellon, Florida
Dunnellon is a city of 2,216 people in Marion County, Florida, founded in 1887.
Why visit Dunnellon
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 13 places to eat and 2 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Dunnellon Boomtown Historic District, Rainbow Springs State Park Tube Rentals, KP Hole Park and Blue Run of Dunnellon Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 43°F.
Weather in Dunnellon
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Dunnellon
Dunnellon () is a city in Marion County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,928 at the 2020 census, up from 1,733 in 2010. It is part of the Ocala Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Dunnellon, Florida (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Dunnellon Boomtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic district in Florida, United States
Rainbow Springs Art, Inc
Museum · 2.5 mi
20804 West Pennsylvania Avenue, Dunnellon
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
KP Hole Park
Park · 1.9 mi
County park known for river tubing also has boating, snorkeling & other year-round water activities.
9435 Southwest 190th Avenue Road, Dunnellon
Mo-Su 08:00-20:00
Blue Run of Dunnellon Park
Park · 1.5 mi
Community park with access to the Rainbow River for kayaking & a water tubing exit.
19680 East Pennsylvania Avenue, Dunnellon
Mo-Su 07:00-21:00
Rainbow Springs Golf and Country Club
Golf course · 2.6 mi
19330 Southwest 83rd Place Road, Dunnellon
Chaplin A. Dinkins, III Memorial Park
Park · 2.1 mi
12100 Palmetto Court, Dunnellon
Mo-Su 08:00-18:00
Restaurants and cafes13
Blue Gator Tiki Bar and Restaurant
Restaurant · 2.5 mi
12189 S. Williams St., Dunnellon
Citrus Grill
Restaurant · 2.1 mi
20430 East Pennsylvania Avenue, Dunnellon
Gruff's Tap and Grill
Restaurant · 2.4 mi
12084 S. Williams St., Dunnellon
Purple Sage Cafe
Restaurant · 2.1 mi
20359 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Dunnellon
Rodeo Grill
Restaurant · 1.9 mi
20199 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Dunnellon
Swampy's
Restaurant · 1.5 mi
19783 East Pennsylvania Avenue, Dunnellon
Dunkin'
Fast food · Donut, Coffee Shop · 1.8 mi
11325 North Williams Street, Dunnellon
Mo-Fr 04:30-20:30; Sa-Su 05:00-20:30
Sonic
Fast food · Burger · 1.8 mi
11351 North Williams Street, Dunnellon
Mo-Th 06:00-23:00; Fr 06:00-24:00; Sa 07:00-24:00; Su 08:00-23:00
Wendy's
Fast food · Burger · 1.7 mi
11191 North Williams Street, Dunnellon
Mo-Th 07:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 07:00-23:00; Su 07:00-22:00
1 more on the map.
Where to stay2
History
Dunnellon was founded in 1887, two years before the 1889 discovery of phosphate in the area. The community was named after, John F. Dunn, an early settler who worked in the railroad industry. The City of Dunnellon was platted in 1890, and officially incorporated as a municipality in 1891. The subsequent mining boom, the first of its kind in Florida, lasted until the early 1910s, but the city's nickname is still known as "Boomtown". The original mining took place in and around the Rainbow River (then called Blue Run,) using the river's natural flow to transport phosphates. One of the original mining pits is now called the 'Blue Cove' subdivision. Phosphate industry operations began to shift south to the Polk County area, and by the 1960s, Dunnellon's last mine closed. Dunnellon survived the bust period, unlike other nearby phosphate communities that became ghost towns, such as Romeo, LeRoy, Brewster, and Parkersburg.
Areas in and around Dunnellon served as filming locations for the 2001 horror film Jeepers Creepers, with a great deal of location work on Tiger Trail (also known as High School Road), the road to Dunnellon High School, officially known as SW 180th Avenue Rd., just outside Rainbow Springs State Park.
From the History section of Dunnellon, Florida on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship16
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Central Ridge Elementary School
School · 5.9 mi
185 W Citrus Springs Blvd, Citrus Springs
Citrus Springs Middle School
School · 6.0 mi
150 W Citrus Springs Blvd, Citrus Springs
Healthcare2
Map of Dunnellon
61 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°F | 43°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 72°F | 46°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 77°F | 49°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 82°F | 55°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 88°F | 62°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 90°F | 69°F | 8.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 71°F | 7.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 71°F | 8.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 89°F | 69°F | 5.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 84°F | 61°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 77°F | 52°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 72°F | 46°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Inverness 3 Se Hcn (19 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Marion County has had 30 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-10-11: Hurricane Milton (Hurricane)
- 2024-10-07: Hurricane Milton (Hurricane)
- 2024-09-28: Hurricane Helene (Hurricane)
- 2024-09-24: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-10: Hurricane Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-03: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Ocala International Airport (OCF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 14 miles away.
- Rainbow Springs 3 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Citrus Springs 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- Hernando 8 mi south, about 12 min by car
- On Top of the World 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Pine Ridge 9 mi south, about 15 min by car
- Beverly Hills 10 mi south, about 16 min by car
- Black Diamond 11 mi south, about 18 min by car
- Liberty Triangle 12 mi east, about 20 min by car
- Citrus Hills 12 mi south, about 19 min by car
- Marion Oaks 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Dunnellon train depot03, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Crossing the Withlacoochie River in Dunnellon - panoramio, Art Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- New bike trail in Dunnellon - panoramio, Art Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dunnellon Boomtown Hist Dist01a, Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
- Bald Cypress on Rainbow River - panoramio, Art Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rainbow River - panoramio, Art Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Swampy's Bar ^ Grill on the Rainbow River - panoramio, Art Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cypress and Knees, Tomahawk Drive - panoramio, Art Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Plastic Flamingos and Live Sandhill Cranes in Florida Suburb - panoramio, Art Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0
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