Ocala, city, seat of Marion County, north central Florida. It is a processing and shipping center of an area producing citrus fruit, vegetables, livestock, timber, phosphates, limestone, and fuller's earth. Manufactures include mobile homes, forest products, fertilizer, and processed food. A junior college, the Appleton Museum of Art, and the Ocala Civic Theatre are here. Many Thoroughbred horse farms are in the area. Ocala National Forest, Silver Springs, and other tourist attractions are nearby. The name of the community, platted in 1846, is derived from a Timucua word of unknown meaning. Population 37,170 (1980); 42,045 (1990); 45,943 (2000).
