Gainesville

Gainesville is the county seat and largest city in Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The population of Gainesville in the 2013 US Census estimates was 127,488, a 2.4% growth from 2010. Gainesville is the largest city in the region of North Central Florida. It is also a component of the Gainesville-Lake City Combined Statistical Area, which had a 2013 population of 337,925.Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, the nation's ninth-largest university campus by enrollment, as well as to Santa Fe College. The Gainesville MSA was ranked as the No. 1 place to live in North America in the 2007 edition of Cities Ranked and Rated. Also in 2007, Gainesville was ranked as one of the "best places to live and play" in the United States by National Geographic Adventure.GeographyGainesville is located at 29°39'55" North, 82°20'10" West, which is roughly the same latitude as Houston, Texas. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 161.6km2, of which 158.8km2 is land and 2.8km2 is water. The total area is 1.74% water.Gainesville's tree canopy is both dense and species rich, including broadleaf evergreens, conifers, and deciduous species; the city has been recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation every year since 1982 as a "Tree City, USA".