The city of Alachua became official in April of 1905. At that time it had a population of only 526 people most of which homes resided on the outskirts of the city. Until 1913 though the city had no running water or electricity until the opening of the cities first electric and water works plant which began the start of real growth for Alachua.

By 1915, the new township of Alachua had constructed two more buildings. The school building stood on the hill "to the northeast of town." At first, there were seven teachers. The school’s first graduating class, two boys and a girl, were to graduate in May. The schools grew and in 1924, the Alachua High School Basketball team upset the sports world with a victory in the state tournament over Duval High of Jacksonville and in nearby Gainesville people were becoming aware that the Florida Gators were being supported by a state-wide audience. By 1925 Alachua had a population of 1,100 and was growing steadily and there was now a telephone connection to the outside world.

Main Street originally was a dirt road lined with trees running through the middle of town. Saturday on Main Street in Alachua was the busiest time of the week. Local farmers from miles around would come to town with their families to buy groceries, plow lines, bridles, nails, buckets, cloth, shoes, and any other household needs.

The City of Alachua continued to grow and in 1950 the population was 1,116 and by 1960 it had grown to a population of 1,974. In 1970, the U.S. Census listed it at 2,252, by 1990 it was 4,529. Its know wonder this once small town has continued to grow, real estate values remain low and most homes can be purchased today for a mere $200,000.