Apopka is home to Wekiwa Springs, the headwaters of the Wekiva River, and sits on the north shore of 30,800-acre Lake Apopka. It has about 19,300 households.
Springs, river and wetlands
The Wekiva River is a federally designated Wild and Scenic River, and the Wekiva River Buffer Conservation Area, just across the county line in Seminole County, protects about 3,137 acres. Land near that much wetland holds water. In 2022, residents of Clear Lake Estates reported two months of standing water, because the lake behind the community has no outlet. When the ground stays wet, where a downspout empties matters.
After Hurricane Milton
After Hurricane Milton in October 2024, a lake behind homes in Wekiva Village overflowed, and the city set up Tiger Dams to protect them. A clogged gutter holds standing water on the roof just as the ground does. Clean, properly pitched gutters move water out quickly.
Fast growth and a few historic buildings
Apopka has National Register buildings from 1886 to 1932, such as the Waite-Davis House and the Seaboard Air Line Depot, but most of its homes are recent. The Orlando area also sits on porous limestone, and a sinkhole in Apopka in 2017 swallowed part of a house. Gutters do not cause or prevent sinkholes, but we keep roof water away from foundations, and if you notice settling or new depressions near your home, call a geotechnical professional.
