Minneola is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Minneola tangelo is named after the city. The population was 13,843 at the 2020 census.
Etymology
The name Minneola is directly derived from the Dakota language. The city states the name means "much water." Specifically, the name is sourced from the words "mni" (water) and "ota" (much/many).
The name was chosen by the wife of George W. Hull, an early settler of the city.
After the collapse of Timucua society, the indigenous Seminole people came to inhabit the region. In 1819, Florida was acquired by the United States from Spain with the Adams–Onís Treaty. Four years later, the area of modern-day Minneola became a part of an Indian reservation under the Treaty of Moultrie Creek. The Seminole were ultimately ethnically cleansed by federal troops in the Seminole Wars or driven out on the Trail of Tears. The region was geographically called the High Sand Hills by Americans, according to maps by Washington Hood.
Settlement and incorporation
The first white settler in what is today Minneola was Captain William A. Smith, originally from Georgia. The settlement was established shortly after the Civil War on the north shore of Plum Lake.
Other settlers began to move into the area around what was then called either Cow House Lake or Palatlakaha Lake The town would become a part of Lake County when it was created in 1887.
The city would be formally incorporated in 1925 or 1926.
| align = right
| align-fn = center
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable"
|+Minneola racial composition<br> (Hispanics excluded from racial categories)<br> (NH = Non-Hispanic)<br>
!Race
!Pop 2010
!Pop 2020
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|White (NH)
|5,944
|7,384
|63.21%
|53.34%
|-
|Black or African American (NH)
|970
|1,494
|10.32%
|10.79%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native (NH)
|32
|32
|0.34%
|0.23%
|-
|Asian (NH)
|228
|576
|2.42%
|4.16%
|-
|Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)
|2
|14
|0.02%
|0.10%
|-
|Some other race (NH)
|89
|153
|0.95%
|1.11%
|-
|Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)
|230
|679
|2.45%
|4.91%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|1,908
|3,511
|20.29%
|25.36%
|-
|Total
|9,403
|13,843
|100.00%
|100.00%
|-
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Minneola had a population of 13,843. The median age was 36.4 years. 26.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males age 18 and over.
99.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.2% lived in rural areas.
There were 4,516 households in Minneola, of which 46.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 60.8% were married-couple households, 11.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 20.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 12.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 9,403 people, 3,107 households, and 2,399 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there are 5,435 people, 1,929 households, and 1,516 families residing in the city. The population density is . There are 2,032 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city is 88.70% White, 5.06% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.32% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.94% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. 10.93% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
As of 2000, there were 1,929 households, out of which 42.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 16.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.14.
In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 29.7% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 37.2% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $46,250, and the median income for a family was $52,645. Males had a median income of $36,231 versus $23,569 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,721. About 3.7% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
thumb|Lake County Sheriff's Office Minneola District
Notable people
- Ryan Villopoto, four-time supercross and five-time motocross champion
- Richard Garvie, stock car driver
Government and infrastructure
Lake County Sheriff's Office has the Minneola District offices in Minneola.
Education
A ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 16, 2025, officially opened the new Minneola Horizon Academy (K–8), with a focus on aviation, aerospace, and STEAM education.
Lake County Schools operates area public schools.
Healthcare
AdventHealth Minneola is the only hospital.