Mount Dora, Florida
Mount Dora is a city of 17,278 people in Lake County, Florida, founded in 1883.
Why visit Mount Dora
Townapedia lists 23 museums and landmarks, 16 parks and trails, 79 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Epic Theatre at Mount Dora, Mount Dora Farmers Market, Lakeside Inn and Clifford House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 44°F.
Weather in Mount Dora
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Mount Dora
Mount Dora is a city in Lake County, Florida. It is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, metropolitan statistical area. Founded in 1880, Mount Dora is known for its small-town southern charm. It has many antique shops in the downtown area.
From the Wikipedia article Mount Dora, Florida (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks23
Lakeside Inn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic site in Mount Dora, Florida
100 N Alexander Street, Mount Dora
Clifford House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.4 mi
House in Florida, USA
Donnelly House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic house in Florida, United States
Eustis Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
U.S. historic district located in Eustis, Florida
Ferran Park and the Alice McClelland Memorial Bandshell
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Historic site in Eustis, Florida
Gould Hyde Norton House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Building in Eustis, Florida
LaRoe Family Homestead Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic district in Florida, United States
Moses J. Taylor House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Historic house in Florida, United States
Mount Dora Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic district in Florida, United States
Old Mount Dora Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Railway station in Mount Dora, the United States of America
Purdy Villa
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Historic house in Florida, United States
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William Kimbrough Pendleton House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Eustis, Florida, listed on the NRHP in Lake County
11 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds16
4 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes79
Eden Abbey Brewing Community
Diner · American · 1.4 mi
405 South Highland Street
Tu-Th 12:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 11:00-20:00
Goblin Market
Diner · American · 1.2 mi
330 Dora Drawdy Way, Mount Dora
We-Su 11:00-15:00; We,Th,Su 16:30-20:30; Fr,Sa 16:30-21:30
Miller's Ale House
Diner · American · 2.1 mi
17314 US Highway 441, Mount Dora
Su-Th 11:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-01:00
1921 Mount Dora
Restaurant · Fusion · 1.2 mi
Mo-Su 16:00-20:30; Fr 11:30-14:00,16:00-20:30; Sa,Su 10:30-20:30
Maw's Mountain Moonshine
Brewery and winery · 1.2 mi
352 North Alexander Street, Mount Dora
Mo-Tu off; We-Th 17:00-21:00; Fr 15:00-22:00; Sa 12:00-22:00; Su...
Beef 'O' Brady's
Diner · American · 2.3 mi
6551 N Orange Blossom Trail, Mount Dora
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00+; Su 11:00-21:00
Dirty Richard’s Pizza Shop & Pub
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.1 mi
925 East 1st Avenue, Mount Dora
Mo-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:30-09:00
67 more on the map.
History
The town of Mount Dora began in 1874 when the area was settled by David Simpson, his wife, and two children. In 1880, Ross C. Tremain became the town's first postmaster, and later a major real-estate developer for the area. A post office called Mount Dora has been in operation since 1883. Tremain named the unincorporated village Royellou, after his children, Roy, Ella, and Louis. The community was renamed for Dora Ann Drawdy, who was an early settler of the town in the mid-1880s. In 1846, the surveyors named Lake Dora after her, and in 1883, the town was renamed after the lake. The Mount in Mount Dora reflects the fact that the town is on a plateau 184 feet above sea level. In addition to this, Dora is memorialized through Dora Drawdy Way, an alleyway located in the downtown area. The town’s original name is honored in a similar fashion through another alleyway simply named Royellou.
The town became a popular winter retreat for hunters, fishermen, and boaters, and in 1883, the Alexander House, a two-story hotel, was opened. The Alexander House has been renamed several times and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. A railroad came to town in 1887, followed by an orange-packing house, fertilizer factories, and a cannery. The town was granted a charter in 1910 with John Philip Donnelly as its first mayor; the town had 371 residents at the time.
From the History section of Mount Dora, Florida on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship25
New Hope Presbyterian Church PCA
Church · Presbyterian · 2.4 mi
19535 Eustis Airport Road, Eustis
St. Edward's Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 1.0 mi
460 North Grandview Street, Mount Dora
Shopping21
Florida 5 Star Roofing
Grocery · 1.1 mi
1180 Spring Centre S Blvd Ste #212 Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries29
Lake Virtual Instruction Program (District Provided)
School · 3.7 mi
200 W Golf Links Ave, Eustis
Healthcare13
UF Health Emergency & Urgent Care Center - Eustis | Mt. Dora
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.5 mi
Map of Mount Dora
219 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71°F | 44°F | 2.8 in |
| Feb | 74°F | 47°F | 2.5 in |
| Mar | 79°F | 50°F | 3.2 in |
| Apr | 83°F | 56°F | 2.7 in |
| May | 88°F | 64°F | 4.4 in |
| Jun | 91°F | 71°F | 8.3 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 73°F | 7.3 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 73°F | 8.5 in |
| Sep | 90°F | 70°F | 6.3 in |
| Oct | 84°F | 62°F | 3.7 in |
| Nov | 78°F | 55°F | 2.0 in |
| Dec | 73°F | 49°F | 2.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Mt Plymouth 1Ssw (6 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
Lake County has had 29 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-10-11: Hurricane Milton (Hurricane)
- 2024-10-07: Hurricane Milton (Hurricane)
- 2024-08-10: Hurricane Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-03: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2023-08-31: Hurricane Idalia (Hurricane)
- 2023-08-28: Tropical Storm Idalia (Tropical Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Leesburg International Airport (LEE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Eustis 4 mi northwest, about 6 min by car
- Apopka 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
- Groveland 15 mi southwest, about 25 min by car
- Forest City 16 mi southeast, about 25 min by car
- Minneola 16 mi south, about 25 min by car
- Altamonte Springs 18 mi southeast, about 29 min by car
- Leesburg 18 mi west, about 28 min by car
- Lockhart 18 mi southeast, about 29 min by car
- Lake Mary 19 mi east, about 30 min by car
- DeBary 19 mi east, about 31 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
- Mount Dora City Hall01, Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
- Bill Rodgers Mount Dora 5K 2019, Whoisjohngalt, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Greetings from Mount Dora, Florida - Large Letter Postcard (5349035706), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Lakeside Inn Mount Dora Florida, Whoisjohngalt, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mount Dora, United States (Unsplash), Robby Schlegel creativedamages, CC0
- Pseudomyrmex gracilis colony chamber - Mount Dora, Florida, USA - Joseph Stansbury Rosin, Joseph Stansbury Rosin, CC0
- Mount Dora Lakeside Inn03, Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
- Mount Dora FL Comm Congreg Church01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Wkpendletonhouse1, Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
- Mount Dora Donnelly House01, Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
- Cliffordhouseeustis1, Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
- Eustis FL Laroe 2891 house03, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Mount Dora FL Witherspoon Lodge01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Mjtaylorhouse1, Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
- Eustiswomansclub1, Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
- Mount Dora Depot01, Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
- Eustis Purdy Villa01, Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
- Ghnortonhouse1, Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
- Eustis Hist Dist01, Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
- McClellandbandshell1, Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
- Blandford Lake District FL, Mikasb, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mount Dora FL Center For The Arts01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mount Dora FL History Museum02, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Eustis Museum of Art01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Platalea ajaja - Aidan Broome - 720593341, Aidan Broome, CC0
- Platalea ajaja - Aidan Broome - 720593344, Aidan Broome, CC0
- Sunset Park in Mt Dora Florida, Whoisjohngalt, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS060-E-55242 - View of The Bahamas, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS040-E-112682 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS040-E-112681 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS040-E-112680 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS060-E-55243 - View of The Bahamas, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS013-E-19142 - View of Florida, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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