Living in Waterleigh: Winter Garden's Lake Community in Horizon West

Quick Answer

Waterleigh is a D.R. Horton master planned community in Horizon West, Winter Garden, FL 34787, off Avalon Road (CR 545) near SR 429. It is built around lakes, with single family homes and townhomes, clubhouses, resort style pools, trails and a fishing pier. Orange County Public Schools serve it, and the zoned schools depend on the section and street.

Waterleigh at a glance

• Where: Horizon West, Winter Garden 34787, along Avalon Road (CR 545), near SR 429.
• Builder: D.R. Horton, still selling new homes alongside resales.
• Homes: single family homes and townhomes, with lawn maintenance included in the HOA.
• Amenities: clubhouses with fitness centers, resort style pools, tennis and pickleball, mini golf, dog parks, trails and a fishing pier.
• Schools: Orange County Public Schools, with the zoned elementary depending on the section and street.

Some communities are built around a clubhouse. Waterleigh is built around the water.

Drive into Waterleigh and the lakes set the tone before you pass a single house. This is one of the Horizon West communities people picture when they describe the area to friends back home: water views on the morning walk, a fishing pier instead of a cul de sac, and amenity centers that feel like they belong to a resort that happens to have your house in it.

It is also one of the most practical buys in Horizon West, because D.R. Horton built it at scale, in several product lines, over multiple phases. Here is what living here actually looks like. The full community breakdown, with current listings, is on the Waterleigh community page.

Where is Waterleigh in Winter Garden?

Waterleigh sits in Horizon West, the master planned side of Winter Garden in unincorporated Orange County, with a Winter Garden 34787 address. The community runs along Avalon Road (CR 545), with SR 429 close by for getting to the rest of Orlando and the theme park area.

The first phase, Marina Bay, set the pattern for the whole community: streets and amenity centers organized around Hickorynut Lake and the adjoining wetlands, with more than a dozen lakes and ponds spread across the phases that followed. If you are comparing Horizon West villages, start with the Winter Garden area guide, then come back here for the street level view.

What kinds of homes are in Waterleigh?

D.R. Horton is the builder, and the sales center still operates at 10482 Atwater Bay Drive, because D.R. Horton is still selling new homes in Waterleigh alongside a healthy resale market. That mix matters. You can buy brand new with a warranty, or buy a few streets over in an earlier phase where the landscaping has grown in and the seller has already done the upgrades.

The community offers two main product types:

• Single family homes, across several D.R. Horton series, including its Emerald Homes line at the upper end.
• Townhomes, for buyers who want the Waterleigh lifestyle with less upkeep.

One feature shows up in listing after listing here: the HOA includes lawn maintenance. For a lot of relocating buyers, that is the difference between a Florida yard being a joy and being a second job.

What amenities does Waterleigh have?

This is where Waterleigh earns its reputation. The amenity list, spread across the phases, includes:

• Clubhouses with fitness centers, built to overlook the water.
• Resort style pools, more than one, so no single pool carries the whole community.
• Tennis and pickleball courts, plus sand volleyball.
• A miniature golf course, which sounds like a gimmick until your grandkids visit.
• Dog parks, a community garden, and playgrounds across the phases.
• Nature and walking trails, and a fishing pier and dock on the lake.

Notice what that list does to a week. Swim before work, tennis on Tuesday, the dog park every evening, fishing on Saturday without leaving the neighborhood. Communities sell houses. Amenities like this are what sell the second and third year of living somewhere, and Waterleigh was built with that in mind.

What schools serve Waterleigh?

Waterleigh is served by Orange County Public Schools, and this is the part to read carefully, because zoning in Waterleigh is phase specific. The community is big enough that the zoned elementary school depends on your street. Per the Orange County Public Schools 2026 to 27 school zones, the middle and high schools are the same across the community, and the elementary school varies by section:

• Atwater Bay Elementary, at 11000 Atwater Bay Drive, sits right in the community and serves the Atwater Bay side of Waterleigh.
• Panther Lake Elementary and Water Spring Elementary (16000 Water Spring Boulevard) serve other sections.
• Water Spring Middle School, at 17000 Water Spring Boulevard, is the zoned middle school.
• Horizon High School, at 10393 Seidel Road, is the zoned high school.

Zoning lines move as new schools open, and Horizon West has opened several in the last few years. Before you buy on a school assumption, run the exact address through the district's school finder. The Orlando area schools guide links every district finder and explains how Florida school grades work, so you can check the zone and the grade in about ten minutes.

Who is Waterleigh a fit for, and who should look elsewhere?

Waterleigh fits buyers who want the full Horizon West package: newer construction, a true amenity lifestyle, water woven through the community, and a choice between brand new and resale homes in the same neighborhood. It fits families who will use the pools, trails, and schools weekly, not just admire them on the tour. Daily errands are close too, with a Publix at Waterleigh Village at 10650 Avalon Road.

Look elsewhere if you want a historic street near downtown Winter Garden, because this is master planned living, not Plant Street living. And if you want total privacy and land around you, a production community at this scale will feel social in a way you may not love. Everyone else tends to get it about ten minutes into the first drive through.

Thinking about Waterleigh, or weighing it against Summerlake and the other Horizon West villages? Message me with the streets you are looking at. I will line up the phases, the schools, and the resale picture so you are comparing facts, not brochures.

Related reading: Living in Summerlake, Winter Garden, Horizon West, or Windermere: Which Area Fits Your Lifestyle?, Florida School Grades Explained and the Summerlake community page.

Share this one: Know someone moving to the Orlando area who keeps asking about Horizon West? Send them this. Waterleigh is usually where that conversation lands.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Waterleigh located?
Waterleigh is in Horizon West, in Winter Garden, Florida 34787, along Avalon Road (CR 545) in unincorporated Orange County, near SR 429.

Who built Waterleigh?
D.R. Horton. The builder is still selling new homes in the community, including its Emerald Homes line, alongside resale homes in the earlier phases.

What amenities does Waterleigh have?
Clubhouses with fitness centers, resort style pools, tennis and pickleball, sand volleyball, miniature golf, dog parks, a community garden, playgrounds, nature and walking trails, and a fishing pier.

What schools are zoned for Waterleigh?
It depends on the section and street. Per Orange County Public Schools 2026 to 27 zones, Water Spring Middle School and Horizon High School serve the community, and the elementary school is Atwater Bay, Panther Lake, or Water Spring depending on the section. Always verify the exact address with Orange County Public Schools before you buy.

Is new construction still available in Waterleigh?
Yes. D.R. Horton lists Waterleigh as an active selling community, with single family homes and townhomes. Resale homes in the finished phases are available as well.

Sources: D.R. Horton Waterleigh community pages; Orange County Public Schools 2026 to 27 zones as shown on the MikeVein.com Waterleigh page; Orange County Public Schools school sites (checked October 24, 2026). Publix address from the Publix store page for Waterleigh Village (checked November 1, 2026). Zoning changes, so confirm your address with the district.

Mike Vein | Orlando | REALTOR
eXp Realty
(407) 612-2722
Realty@MikeVein.com

Mike Vein, REALTOR® | eXp Realty | Florida license SL3610199