Florida
Florida is a true college town wrapped around the Gators — hot, green, and humming in Gainesville. It stays humid most of the year with a hurricane season worth respecting, so think breathable layers and AC you'll be grateful for.
What to wear in Gainesville, month by month
The national lists assume everyone needs a winter coat. Here the real questions are heat, sun, and rain — plus clothes for buildings kept ice-cold against it.
| Move-in (Aug) | 90–95°F | Hot and humid, afternoon storms, hurricane season. AC provided. |
| Sept–Oct | 80s–90s | Hot and humid. Shorts, tees. |
| Nov–Dec | 60s–80s | Warm, drier, cooler nights. Light layers. |
| Jan–Feb | 40s–70s | Mildest winter; brief snaps can dip to the 30s. A jacket for cold mornings. |
| Mar–May | 80s–90s | Warming, humid. |
What Florida lets you bring
- AC is provided
- Microwave under 1500W; small fridge
- Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
- UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
- Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
- Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
- A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics
- Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
- Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
- Halogen lamps
- Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
- Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
- Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
- Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
- Candles, hot plates, grills, open-flame items
- Oversized appliances and large furniture
These come from Florida's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.
Getting your room at Florida
- 01As early as possible — even before admission
Apply to lock your priority date
You can apply for housing through your application status page the moment you apply to UF, with a $25 non-refundable fee. Your priority date is set by when you apply, and it drives your room-selection appointment. On-campus housing is not guaranteed, so apply early — this is the single biggest lever you control.
- 02By May 1
Sign your Student Housing Agreement
Once admitted, review and sign the Housing Agreement in the Housing Portal on or before May 1. If you're under 18, a parent or guardian must also sign. This is what converts your application into a real spot.
- 03After signing
Build your roommate profile and group
Complete a roommate profile (display name, bio, lifestyle questionnaire), then add a specific roommate by GatorLink or browse matches. Roommates are grouped in pairs (two pairs can request to live together). Note: an incoming student can't pair with a current student in the system — have that friend email Housing instead.
- 04Optional
Add Living-Learning Communities
LLCs are optional and available with a Fall/Spring agreement — Out-of-Stater Gator (Broward/Rawlings), GatorWell (Jennings), Pre-Health (North), Entrepreneurship (Infinity), engineering (East), and many more. Add them as preferences in the portal.
- 05Appointment time by priority date
Select your actual room
You'll get an emailed room-selection appointment based on your priority date. At your time, choose your building and room; in a roommate pair, the person with the earliest appointment picks for both. Then watch for move-in details about your GatorMove time.
Where you'll live at Florida
Broward Area
The social heart of first-year life, near Turlington Plaza, the Reitz Union, and sorority row. Traditional halls with hallway-style community baths and the most energetic open-door culture — these fill first, so preference them early.
~690 residents, recently renovated with a game room and piano, and the renovated Broward Dining Center next door. The quintessential loud, active, meet-everyone freshman hall. Bring your own fridge; floor kitchens have a microwave and range.
Traditional doubles and triples, home to the GatorWell LLC, with a game room, classroom, and study lounge. Similar social vibe to Broward and popular with students rushing sororities.
Rawlings offers doubles and a food market (Out-of-Stater Gator LLC); Beaty Towers is iconic suite-style living where you share a bath with just your suitemates — a draw for first-years who want more privacy.
Yulee Area
Mallory, Yulee, and Reid Halls are physically connected in a 'Y,' renovated around 2010, more peaceful than rowdy Broward but still central near the College of Education and the arts colleges. Cypress Hall is the area's modern standout.
The first permanent women's halls at UF (1950), now coed, with single/double/triple rooms and shared facilities. Spacious and central; floor kitchens have a microwave and stove, but bring your own room fridge.
Opened 2015 — the hidden gem of the area. Single, double, and 'super' suites, full-size beds, modern rooms, and enhanced accessibility features. Frequently ranked among the best dorms on campus.
Murphree Area
UF's oldest and most picturesque quarter — historic brick, collegiate-Gothic buildings near the Reitz Union and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Strong sense of community and an unbeatable location for football Saturdays.
Buckman is on the National Register of Historic Places; Thomas sits steps from the Reitz Union and the Swamp. Aesthetic, tight-knit, and central — just note that parking in this area is notoriously tight.
Honors Village & Hume
For Honors students. The brand-new Honors Village (opened Fall 2023) is a five-building, 1,400-resident complex with a Learning Commons; Hume Hall (East/West around Hume Commons) is the well-loved former honors dorm.
Four residence halls plus a Learning Commons on the east side of campus. Themed floors with a meditation space, library, music practice rooms, and a makerspace. Traditional and suite room types; mainly Honors College students.
Built 2002, split into Hume East and Hume West around the central Hume Commons. Suite-style with single/double rooms, prized for its central location near the Reitz Union, the Hub, and engineering.
The Florida move-in checklist
Bedding6
Bath5
Laundry4
Storage & organization6
Desk & study4
Electronics6
Cleaning5
Kitchen — within the rules5
Health & meds4
Clothing — see the seasonal guide7
Move-in day go-bag5
Gainesville logistics, sorted
GatorMove appointment
Hurricane season
Approved animals
Gainesville & around
Downtown Gainesville & Midtown
The walkable downtown and Midtown strips near campus — restaurants, coffee, music venues, and the Hippodrome theater. Where students and visiting families eat and gather.
Satchel's Pizza & Bagels
A legendary, only-in-Gainesville pizza joint with a quirky junkyard-art atmosphere — a parent-weekend favorite. Other local icons include The Top and Maude's downtown.
Paynes Prairie & Devil's Millhopper
North-central Florida's natural draws — wild bison and alligators at Paynes Prairie, a giant sinkhole at Devil's Millhopper, and crystalline springs (Ginnie, Ichetucknee) a short drive away.
Lake Alice & the Bat Houses
At dusk, hundreds of thousands of bats stream out of UF's lakeside bat houses — a genuinely unique campus spectacle worth timing a visit around.
Where to stay near Florida
Reitz Union Hotel
Inside the student union, ~10 min walk to stadiumUF's on-campus hotel atop the Reitz Union — 36 rooms, complimentary breakfast and reserved campus parking, with the bookstore and a food court downstairs. Unbeatable for graduation and game weekends (special rates and minimums apply, and rooms go fast).
Hotel ELEO
SW 14th St, by UF Health/ShandsA 173-room upscale hotel with modern Italian-furnished rooms, lake views, Covey Kitchen + Cocktails, and a shuttle to the UF Health complex. The go-to for visiting families touring campus or here for graduation.
Hilton UF Conference Center
SW 34th St, edge of campusA full-service hotel on the southwest edge of campus with on-site dining and event space — reliable for parents' weekend and a frequent base for graduation. Plenty of I-75 corridor hotels (Marriott, Drury, AC) back it up.
Florida gear & gifts
Florida — links & contacts
- Support animals: HRESupportAnimals@ufsa.ufl.edu
- Housing & Residence Life: Visit page