Astor, FL

Astor is a Lake County census-designated place on the west side of the St. Johns River, between Lake George and Lake Dexter. The 2020 census counted 1,759 residents. State Road 40 crosses the river on the Astor Bridge, tying the community to Volusia County on the east and the Ocala National Forest on the west. Astor Lions Park, local shops and services, boat traffic, and the river roads make up the everyday map. The nearby Astor Area Chamber serves Astor, Astor Park, and other small river-and-forest communities.

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William Backhouse Astor Jr. bought more than 12,000 acres here in 1874 and first called his settlement Manhattan; the name changed to Astor in 1884. The early town grew around steamboat traffic, a church, schoolhouse, and a railroad from Astor Landing toward Lake Eustis. Today, fishing, kayaking, hunting, camping, and work tied to the surrounding forest and river sit alongside ordinary errands. Astor Park is a neighboring community toward the forest, while Astor itself remains the bridge-and-river settlement. Its local life still follows the St. Johns: water access, a long highway crossing, and a small set of services spread along the shore.