The Plantation at Leesburg

The Plantation at Leesburg is an established 55+ gated community sprawling across 1,760 acres in central Florida, six miles south of downtown Leesburg near the shores of Lake Harris. Developed between 1987 and 2008 by Pringle Development and now fully built out, it's one of the largest and most mature active adult communities in the region — 2,820 single-family homes (plus a small number of townhomes) organized into 32 distinct villages, each with its own character, from Pine Hill (the inaugural village, 1989) to Ashland (the final village completed in 2008). Life here revolves around two 18-hole championship golf courses — Otter Creek and Cranes Roost — complete with a practice facility, well-stocked pro shop staffed by PGA professionals, and a full-service golf restaurant and bar. Three large, fully-staffed activity centers anchor the social calendar: The Grand Manor is the flagship clubhouse with a restaurant, ballroom with stage, library, and catering kitchen; Ashley Hall (opened 1999) has a full-size fitness center, a large pool built for water aerobics and water volleyball, a billiards room, and multipurpose meeting space; and Hermitage Hall adds a second fitness center and more multipurpose rooms. Each clubhouse has its own outdoor pool and patio, so residents rarely have to travel far for a swim or a workout. Beyond golf, the recreation list runs deep: tennis, pickleball, horseshoe, basketball, and bocce ball courts, a softball field, walking and biking trails, fishing docks, multiple marinas, and spring-fed fishing ponds. Over 100 active clubs cover virtually every interest — woodworking, model trains, cards, crafts, performing arts, computers, book clubs — and because the three activity centers run programming independently, there's always something happening without any one hall feeling overcrowded. The community is fully gated with 24-hour security, and the mature landscaping, oak-lined boulevards, and settled-in feel are things newer developments simply can't replicate. Homes range from roughly 1,100 square feet to 3,400+ square feet, the large majority single-story with two-car garages, screened lanais or patios, and views of golf courses, ponds, or landscaped green space. Because The Plantation is fully built out, every purchase is resale — over the last year, homes have changed hands in a range from about $179K for smaller properties to $595K for larger premium homes, with a median around $290K. HOA fees run $135–$250 per month depending on the village, townhomes around $165, and there's no CDD — a meaningful cost advantage compared with many newer central Florida communities. Location is a real selling point. The Plantation sits between Orlando and The Villages on US-27, with Mount Dora, Tavares, and Clermont all within easy reach. Orlando International Airport is about 50 minutes away, Walt Disney World roughly an hour, and The Villages about 25 minutes north. UF Health Leesburg Hospital, AdventHealth Waterman, and Orlando Health South Lake Hospital are all inside a 30-minute drive. A Publix-anchored shopping center and Lake Harris Square are just minutes from the gate. For buyers wanting an established, amenity-rich, golf-centered 55+ community at a price well below Orlando metro averages — in a mature setting with deep social networks already in place — The Plantation consistently punches above its weight.