2 Extended stay hotels near Ocala, FL

Economically, Gainesville relies heavily on healthcare and education: the University of Florida and UF Health are the city’s two main employers. Manufacturing, retail, and food services contribute to the economy, often as support for the university. Despite being a college town, Gainesville has a low cost of living. 

Visitors to Gainesville have plenty to enjoy during their stay. Beat the heat at the Wild Waters Water Park, or take an educational tour of the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo. If you want to escape into nature, explore over seven miles of trails at the Morningside Nature Center. Enjoy the shopping, dining, and entertainment options at the Oaks Mall, or scratch that adventurous itch with a scuba dive at the Devil's Den Prehistoric Spring.

Gainesville cheers for the University of Florida Gators, who compete in the NCAA’s Southeastern Conference. The Gators have won over forty national championships since entering the NCAA in 1933, including three football titles and two men’s basketball titles. The city is also home to the Gainesville Raceway, home of the NHRA Gatornationals. 

Gainesville summers are hot and humid, with average highs of 87 to 91 Fahrenheit and frequent thunderstorms. Winters are short and relatively mild, with normally-clear skies. Despite having a humid subtropical climate, Gainesville has enough deciduous trees for brief displays of fall colors in November and December. Expect about 47 inches of precipitation a year, usually in the form of summertime rain. 

We understand not every visit to Gainesville is for pleasure or business. If you’re seeking medical care, Gainesville is home to the Health Shands Hospital and the Munroe Regional Medical Center. The  Kindred Hospital is just 40 minutes south of the city in neighboring Ocala.