Astatula is a small town in central Lake County, Florida, perched on the eastern shore of Little Lake Harris, one of the eight lakes that make up the Harris Chain of Lakes. Its name is drawn from an old Florida phrase said to mean "Lake of Sunbeams" — or, by some accounts, "Lake of Sparkling Moonbeams" — a fitting label for a community defined by its lakeside setting. The town's main artery, County Road 561 (Monroe Street), runs north about eight miles to Tavares, the county seat, and south about seven miles toward the U.S. Route 27 corridor and the growing communities around Clermont. The town's origins sit in the late 1800s, when the area was carved into sugarcane and citrus fields along the lake. In those early years the surrounding countryside was so wild that, as local lore has it, bears outnumbered residents. Citrus and agriculture anchored the local economy for decades, and the lakeshore gradually drew settlers who valued the mild climate and the abundant fishing and boating of the Harris Chain. Today Astatula remains a quiet, low-density town where rural and small-town character persists even as the Orlando metro area's growth presses westward. The public boat ramp on Little Lake Harris is a community touchstone, putting boaters on a waterway that connects to Lake Eustis, Lake Dora, and the shops and festivals of nearby Mount Dora without ever leaving the water. Tavares, Leesburg, and the attractions of Orlando are all within reasonable driving distance. Who Astatula suits: it appeals to lake lovers, boaters, and those seeking a small-town or acreage lifestyle in Florida's lake country, with convenient water access and a manageable drive to both Ocala-area and Orlando-area employment centers.