Just a short drive from the clustered theme parks and commercialization of Orlando, Marion County lies between Interstate Highways 75 and 95. The county has a total area of 1,663 square miles, of which 84 square miles are water. Ocala is the county seat, and other incorporated cities and towns include Belleview, Dunnellon, McIntosh and Reddick. Unincorporated communities include Fort McCoy, Marion Oaks, Silver Springs Shores and Salt Springs.
The Ocala National Forest, much of which is within Marion County, covers approximately 389,000 scenic acres in central Florida. Established in 1908, it is the oldest National Forest east of the Mississippi River and southernmost in the continental U.S.
