Clermont is a city in Lake County in central Florida, United States, about west of Orlando and southeast of Leesburg. The population was 43,021 in 2020. The city is residential in character and its economy is centered in retail trade, lodging, and tourism-oriented restaurants and bars. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. Clermont is home to the 1956 Florida Citrus Tower, one of Florida's early landmarks. Geography Clermont is at (28.547584, –81.749519). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (8.54%) is water. The Clermont area lies on the northern part of the Lake Wales Ridge. There are rolling hills atypical of the Florida peninsula. Nearby are the Clermont Chain of lakes and Lake Apopka. Climate According to the Köppen climate classification, Clermont has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). History Clermont was founded in 1884 and named for the French birthplace of A.F. Wrotnowski, manager of the Clermont Improvement Company, formed for land development. The city was incorporated in 1916. Much of the county initially was developed as orange and other citrus groves, which was the basis of the economy through the mid-20th century. For instance, Apshawa Groves owned and worked large expanses of land in the county. It later became a major real estate company. Tourism also became increasingly important. The appearance of the historic downtown district has not changed much since 1962. The population grew 207% from 2000 to 2010, with commensurate economic growth, attracting big box retail stores. In Spring 2010, the Clermont Landings shopping center opened, featuring 20 shops and restaurants and the city's first cinema. Increased pollution from runoff and residential development has hurt the city's lakes and other natural resources. Demographics As of the census of 2010, there were 28,742 people living in the city in 11,216 households. The population density in 2000 was 812/mi2 (314/km). There were 12,730 housing units. In 2000 the average density of Clermont 380/mi2 (147/km). The racial makeup of the city was 78.5% White, 11.2% African American, 0.42% Native American, 4.4% Asian, 5.37% from other races, and 3.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.1% of the population. 21.28% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5%