SEMINOLE COUNTY · LAKE MARY
Lake Mary: from a railroad village to a place of its own
Discover the small settlements and citrus roots behind today’s Lake Mary.
How it began
Lake Mary’s story reaches back well before it became a city on August 7, 1973. Two small settlements, Bent’s Station and Belle Fontaine, grew along the railroad between Sanford and Orlando. The city’s historical account traces its name to the wife of a minister who lived on the lake’s northern shore.
From citrus to a growing community
Agriculture, especially citrus, helped support the early community. Growth spreading north from the Orlando area changed Lake Mary during the 1970s. Residential development and expanding office, retail and industrial activity followed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. That progression helps explain the mixture of neighborhood life and business activity associated with Lake Mary today.
Lake Mary today
Central Park at City Hall offers a quieter introduction to the community: shaded paths, a reflecting pond, a gazebo and picnic tables in a downtown setting. It is a place to slow down and see a different side of a city often encountered from a busy road. Lake Mary and nearby Heathrow are closely associated locally, but each has a distinct story; Heathrow’s development is explored on its own page.
Sources & further reading
History and community overview researched October 8, 2026. Facility access can change; consult the official source when planning a visit.