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is a census-designated place (CDP) Sumter County, Florida, United States. The Villages had a population of 8,333 at the 2000 census. The CDP is part of a wider development, also called "The Villages", which is the largest residential development in central Florida.
Most of the CDP consists of part of a large 55+ retirement community and Community Development District (CDD) that includes parts of Lake and Marion counties, with some of the Lake County portion being under the jurisdiction of Lady Lake. It lies in central Florida, approximately 20 miles south of Ocala and approximately 45 miles northwest of Orlando. It is the center of The Villages Micropolitan Statistical Area (µSA), which consists of all of Sumter County. The Villages earned the No. 1 ranking as the fastest growing micropolitan area in the United States according to a 2008 Census Bureau report.
The Villages started the process of development around the 1960s. Over time, a Declaration of Restrictions has been created for each individual neighborhood, which regulates such things as landscaping, repairs and maintenance, placement of satellite dishes, hedges, etc. All homes must be occupied by at least one person who is 55 years of age or older. Persons under the age of 19 years may visit for a maximum of 30 days per year, though some portions of the development are designated for families and, thus, not subject to this restriction. An Architectural Review Committee was founded in 1994 in order to control the composition and consistency of the exterior of the residential properties within The Villages. The committee, which consists of Villages residents, is responsible for the approvals of alterations and modifications to the properties and homes built by the developer. Committee members serve for three years and are selected by the sitting committee.