Eustis

Eustis is a town in Lake County, Florida, on the eastern shore of Lake Eustis.

Understand

Downtown Eustis

History

The town was ultimately named after the nearby lake, which was named after General Abraham Eustis. During the latter half of the 19th century, a citrus grove was planted and a hotel opened, and the town became a port. Cold weather in the winter of 1894-1895 slowed local development. The town became more prosperous as a winter haven for northerners, which brought success to the Ocklawaha Hotel. The population grew steadily during the 20th century from about 400 people at the 1900 census to about 4,000 in 1950 and more than 15,000 in 2000. By 2019 the population had passed 20,000.

Get in

By car

• State Route (SR)-19 enters Eustis from the north, as it passes just east of Fort Mason, a suburb of Eustis. FL-19 then goes between Trout Lake and Lake Eustis as it enters downtown Eustis as Bay St as an one way street (southbound) through the downtown while Grove St is the northbound route. South of downtown the two streets once again converge and FL-19 as Bay St continues south to an on-ramp to US-441.
• State Route (SR)-44 comes to the eastern edge of Eustis where SR-44 turns south towards US Hwy 441 on the NE edge of Mount Dora. The road itself continues west into town from the turn off as Orange Ave. Going east, SR-44 goes 29 mi (47 km) to DeLand (nearest Amtrak Station).
• US Hwy 441 goes across the southern edge of town. Travelers can go north on SR-19 or Lake Eustice drive to go into town from Leesburg (13 mi (21 km) west). US 441 continues east, into/around Mt Dora and down 37 mi (60 km) towards Orlando via Apopka where it enters as W Orange Blossom Trail.

By bus

See also: Orlando#By bus lists the intercity bus companies serving the Orlando Metropolitan area from all parts of the state.

• 1 LakeXpress (Lake County Transit), (bus station) Ardice Transfer Station @ W Ardice Ave & Bay St (SR-19) ('Bus station' is just three bus stops in front of Eustis Square Shopping Center along Ardice Ave.), ☏ +1 352 323-5733. LakeXPress is the name of the Lake County bus service, which serves as local public transportation in Lake County with the following serving Eustis/Mt Dora:. $1 for One-Way Fare, $3 for Day Pass. (updated Jun 2017)

• 1 Leesburg - Tavares - Eustis on US 441. Passengers connect in Leesburg to continue north towards the Villages (Rt 1A).
• 3 Mount Dora Connector. It connects Eustis to Mount Dora and goes around Mt Dora as a local shuttle.
• 4 Altoona - Eustis - Mount Dora - Zellwood. Bus goes around Mount Dora on US 441 on its way from Eustis to the Anthony House in Zellwood. Going North it goes up to Altoona via Umatilla and Dona Vista on SR-19 from Eustis.
• Link 44 Continues on US Hwy 441 from the Anthony House in Zellwood towards Apopka. This route is operated by Lynx.

LakeXpress goes just over the county line into Orange County where passengers continue further in on Lynx buses. LakeXpress does not serve any of the SunRail Stations. .

Get around

In downtown, FL-19 splits with Bay Street on the west side as the southbound side and Grove St two streets to the east as the northbound route. Downtown is fairly compact.

See

• 1 Eustis Historical Museum (Clifford House), 536 N Bay St (northeast corner of junction with Hazzard Ave), ☏ +1 352 483-0046. F–Sa 1–5PM. The museum is in the historic Clifford House, which was built around 1910 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. (updated Oct 2021)
• 2 Ferran Park, 250 Ferran Park. Follows part of the eastern lakeshore of Lake Eustis. (updated Oct 2021)
• 3 Gould Hyde Norton House, 1390 E Lakeview Dr. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in May 1997. (updated Oct 2021)
• 4 Purdy Villa, 3045 Eudora Rd. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. (updated Oct 2021)
• 5 William Kimbrough Pendleton House (The Palms), 1208 Chesterfield Ct. The house was built in the 1870s. Pendleton moved to the house in 1886 and remodeled it. He died in Bethany, West Virginia in 1899. (updated Oct 2021)

Do

• 1 Trout Lake Nature Center, 520 E County Rd 44 (entrance road is a turn south from County Rd 44 east of Fort Mason), ☏ +1 352 357-7536. Tu–Sa 9AM–4PM, Su 1–4PM (closed Su during summer). (updated Oct 2021)

Events

• GeorgeFest: February 2022, 250 Ferran Park Dr, ☏ +1 352 483-5491, info@eustisgeorgefest.org. Patriotic festival celebrating George Washington.  (date needs updating)
• 1 Lake County Fair: 7–16 April 2022, 2101 County Rd 452, ☏ +1 352 357-7111, thefair@lakecofair.com.  (date needs updating)

Buy

• 1 Eustis Square Shopping Center, 100-324 W Ardice Ave. Bayside Liquors, Blue Sky Subs, New China Buffet, Alive & Well Med Spa, Bealls Outlet, Family Dollar, Leona Thrift Store, Tractor Supply, Save A Lot, Spin City Laundry, etc. (updated Aug 2023)
• 2 Pure Cycles, 127a North Grove St, ☏ +1 352 357-2500. Bicycle retailer founded in downtown Eustis in 2009. (updated May 2023)

Eat

• Sol de Mexico, 125 North Bay St, ☏ +1 352 357-0259, info@soldemexicorestaurant.com. Mexican cuisine. Menu options include salads, enchiladas, entrees, fajitas, and desserts. (updated May 2023)
• Stavro's & Sons, 2100 W County Rd 44, ☏ +1 352 589-9100. Italian cuisine specializing in pizza. (updated May 2023)

Sleep

• 1 Dreamspinner Bed & Breakfast Inn (Moses J. Taylor House). Built around 1880, the home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 and became a bed & breakfast the same year. It is built in the Italianate architectural style. (updated Oct 2021)
• 2 Encore Southern Palms, One Avocado Ln, ☏ +1 352-357-8882. Check-in: 11AM, check-out: 11AM. Amenities include recreational games, a clubhouse, and swimming pool. 

Hotel options are available in Tavares and Mount Dora to the south.

Go next

• Ocala National Forest to the north
• Mount Dora and Tavares to the southeast and southwest, respectively