Orange Lake is in Alachua County, Florida, about 10 miles (16 km) south of Hawthorne.

The lake also has many natural floating islands, which have an "unusually high diversity", especially of amphibians.

[1][2] The Timucua village of Potano was located along the western shore of Orange Lake in 1539, when it was visited by the Hernando de Soto expedition.

The town of Potano was moved to a site northwest of present-day Gainesville, Florida in 1584 after being burned by the Spanish.

The Spanish Mission of San Buenaventura de Potano was established at the old site of the town by or before 1608.