About Lakewood Ranch

After 10 years, the vision of Lakewood Ranch as a place to live, work, play, learn, shop and worship has become a reality...and continues to grow.  The community has exceeded expectations and received national commendation as Florida's premier master-planned community.

The 7,000-acre development is now home to more than 5,000 families in six residential villages with more on the way.  Each offers a wide variety of both housing and lifestyles.  There's also a vibrant commercial component that includes 8,000 employees working in more than two million square feet of commercial, retail and office space in the Town Center and Corporate Park areas.  Health care facilities located in Town Center include Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, which opened in 2004.  This 120-bed hospital provides emergency, obstetric and acute care in a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility.

For more information on the communities of Lakewood Ranch, click here.

Opportunities for education abound for all ages and needs.  This includes a high school and new elementary and middle schools.  The Out of Door Academy, located just off University Parkway, is a highly acclaimed private school.  Other educational institutions at the Ranch include Manatee Community College, Manatee Technical Institute, Keiser College and Everglades University.  Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) welcomed its first class in the fall of 2004.

The community features many natural attractions and recreational facilities for children, adults and even pets.  There are six recreational parks, including an adventure park for teens, a 100-acre nature preserve and 420 acres of man-made lakes.  Walkers and bikers enjoy more than 100 miles of sidewalks and trails.  The Paw Park provides a large, safe area for dogs to romp and play and show off their agility skills.

In 2001, the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club opened its' 42,000 square-foot Clubhouse.  Arnold Palmer's course design company created a total of 36 holes of golf in two separate phases of development.  In January 2008, The Country Club East course opened and in March of 2008, the community opened to homebuyers.

The Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club Clubhouse and courses have received numerous awards and accolades.  To complement the private golf experience, the Palmer-designed Legacy Golf course is available on a daily fee basis.  This course, which opened in 1997, is now owned and operated by Troon, Inc., a highly recognized operator of upscale golf facilities headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.  There are more private golf opportunities under construction in the community and adjacent developments.  Tom Fazio has designed a course for The Ritz Carlton's new golf club just north of Lakewood Ranch's new development, The Lake Club.  Jack Nicklaus has designed the Concession Course, which is opening just a few miles east of Lakewood Ranch.

Lakewood Ranch is recognized as one of the most successful master-planned communities in the country.  Awards include the Grand Aurora Award for Best Master-Planned Community in the Southeast, as well as the Best in American Living Award for Best Planned Community.  The Florida Homebuilders Association presented Lakewood Ranch with the Excel Award for the Best Master-Planned Community of the Year.  To date, Lakewood Ranch is the largest master-planned community in the state to earn the "Green Development" designation from he Florida Green Building Coalition.  The certification indicates the approximately 9,700 acres of future development, including the Lake Club, will meet "green" standards.

Lakewood Ranch is conveniently located on the Manatee/Sarasota County boundary.  It is just minutes from the Sarasota cultural arts district and less than one hour from both Tampa and St. Petersburg.  It's ideally situated in the Tampa Bay area, close to the services and entertainment venues of a major metropolitan area but outside of the congestion and hectic pace of city life.  Truly, Lakewood Ranch offers the best of Florida living within a setting distinctly its own.