Gainesville and the surrounding community are home to approximately 257,000 people and both the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. The city is surrounded by over 40 nature parks, including many spring-fed lakes and rivers, with paved and unpaved trails for recreation and is situated just over an hour from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The area has numerous cultural institutions and is a haven for sports fans. Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Tallahassee, and St. Augustine are all within a two-hour drive.