De Leon Springs is a census-designated place in Volusia County, Florida, in the rural countryside north of DeLand and roughly an hour north of Orlando. The 2010 census counted 2,614 residents. The community takes its name from its defining natural feature, a first-magnitude spring that has drawn visitors for generations and now anchors De Leon Springs State Park. The state park is the heart of the community's identity. The spring discharges about 19 million gallons of clear water each day, filling a spring-fed swimming area and a run that flows toward the St. Johns River. The park's most famous feature is the Old Spanish Sugar Mill, a make-your-own-pancake restaurant set inside a historic sugar mill, where diners cook batter on griddles built into the tables. Kayaking, paddleboarding, hiking, and wildlife viewing round out the park's appeal, making it one of the region's signature old-Florida destinations. De Leon Springs also carries a citrus heritage. The Strawn Historic Citrus Packing House District, listed among the community's landmarks, recalls the era when packing houses processed the region's oranges and grapefruit for shipment. Today the surrounding landscape mixes rural homes, small farms, and remaining citrus groves with newer residential development. The community is unincorporated, and public education is provided by Volusia County Schools, with students attending schools in the DeLand area. DeLand, a few miles south, supplies the nearest downtown, shopping, healthcare, and the campus of Stetson University. For residents, De Leon Springs offers a quiet, semi-rural lifestyle centered on the spring and the outdoors, within reach of DeLand's amenities and the attractions and employment of the greater Orlando area. Many residents are drawn by the combination of natural springs, rural character, and relatively easy access to both the Daytona Beach coast and the Orlando metro.