Polk County is the geographic heart of central Florida – located less than 40 minutes away from both Tampa and Orlando, close enough to west Florida’s and central Florida’s best attractions but far enough away that they are not a distraction. Polk County was created from the eastern part of the original Hillsborough County in 1861, and it was named in honor of former United States President James K. Polk, whose inauguration in 1845 occurred the day after Florida became a state. After the Civil War, approximately 400 Confederate veterans settled down with their families to make Polk County their home before the end of the century. Throughout the first few decades of the 1900s, thousands of acres of land around Bartow were purchased by the phosphate industry, making the county seat the hub of the largest phosphate industry in the United States. For most of the 20th century, Polk County was the leading citrus county in the United States. Polk County has continued to experience growth during the late 20th century because of its proximity to both the Tampa and Orlando metropolitan areas. Winter Haven became well known because it was the home of Cypress Gardens theme park from 1936 to 2009, and Legoland Florida has since been built on the former site of Cypress Gardens, preserving the botanical garden section. Winter Haven was also the home of the first Publix Supermarket created in 1930 and today Publix’s corporate headquarters are located in Lakeland.
Home Buyer Information
- Polk County consists of 31 cities
- The Average Home Listing Price in Polk County is $169,900
- The Average Home Listing Price Per Square Foot in Polk County is $111
- The Average Home Selling Price in Polk County is $179,000
- The Average Home / Apartment Rental Price in Polk County is $1,300 per month
- The Median Household Income in Polk County is $43,946 per year
Community Information
- Polk News Sun – everything you need to know about the local Polk County area news https://www.yoursun.com/polk/
- The Lakeland Ledger (owned by New Media Investment Group) – everything you need to know about the local Lakeland area news theledger.com
- The Winter Haven News Chief – everything you need to know about the local Winter Haven area news newschief.com
- Polk County Community Information – https://www.polk-county.net/ or polk-county.com
- Tampa International Airport (TIA) – tampaairport.com/
- Orlando International Airport (MCO) – orlandoairports.net/
- Lakeland Linder Regional Airport – lakelandairport.com/
- Polk County Property Appraiser – polkpa.org/
- Polk County Clerk of Courts – polkcountyclerk.net/
- Polk County Tax Collector – www.polktaxes.com/
Local School Information
Polk County Schools aims to fulfill their mission to “provide a high-quality education for all students” and to put students first every day. Serving more than 100,000 students in more than 150 public schools and 9,921 students in their 64 private schools.
- Polk County Public Schools – polkschoolsfl.com
- Polk County Private Schools – http://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/private-schools/parent-info.stml
- Polk County Charter Schools – http://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/charter-schools/charter-school-faqs.stml
- Information About Florida’s School Choice Program – floridaschoolchoice.org
- School Reviews and Information – greatschools.org/florida or www.privateschoolreview.com/florida/polk-county
- Polk State College – https://www.polk.edu
- Florida Polytechnic University – https://floridapoly.edu
- Florida Southern College – flsouthern.edu/
- Southeastern University – https://www.seu.edu/
- Warner University – warner..edu/
- Webber International University – https://webber.edu/
- Keiser University, Lakeland Campus – https://www.keiseruniversity.edu/
Crime Data
- Polk County Crime Statistics – neighborhoodscout.com/fl/polk-city/crime
- Polk County Interactive Crime Map – https://spotcrime.com/polk+county
- Polk County Sheriff’s Office – https://www.polksheriff.org/
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement – fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/County-Profiles/Polk.aspx
- Sexual Offenders and Predators Information – https://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/sops/neighborhoodSearch.jsf
Utilities Contact Information
- Progress Energy – 800-700-8744 or progress-energy.com
- Tampa Electric (TECO) – 863-299-0800 or tampaelectric.com
- Lakeland Electric – 800-929-4876 or https://lakelandelectric.com
- Florida Power and Light (FPL) – 863-491-0477 or https://www.fpl.com
- Peoples Natural Gas / TECO – 877-832-6747 or peoplesgas.com
- Florida Public Utilities (Natural Gas, Electricity, and Propane Gas Services) – 800-427-7712 or fpuc.com
- Frontier Cable and Internet Services – 800-921-8101 or frontier.com/
- Spectrum Cable and Internet Services – 855-222-0102 or https://www.spectrum.com/services/florida/polk-county
- DirectTV Cable and Internet Services – 888-781-8038 or directv.com
- Dish Network Cable and Internet Services – 866-959-5044 or dish.com
- Polk County Utilities (Water) – 863-298-4100 or https://www.polk-county.net/utilities
- Lake Alfred Utilities (Water) – 863-291-5270 or http://mylakealfred.com/departments/finance/utility-billing/payment-options/
- Eagle Lake Utilities (Water) – 863-293-4141 or https://client.pointandpay.net/webportal/partner.do?method=prepare&webSiteId=662&ppid=4266
- Wahneta Water Systems – 863-324-5389 or wahnetawater.com/
Shopping
- Lakeside Village in Lakeland – 863-616-9360 or https://shoplakesidevillage.net/
- Lakeland Square Mall – 863-859-5414 or lakelandsquare.com/
- Posner Park in Davenport – https://www.visitdavenportflorida.com/posner-park-shopping-mall
- Eagle Ridge Mall in Lake Wales – 863-676-2300 or eagleridgemall.com/
Things To Do
- Legoland Florida Resort – 888-690-5346 or legoland.com/florida/
- Bok Tower Gardens – 863-676-1408 or https://boktowergardens.org/
- Safari Wilderness Ranch – 813-382-2120 or safariwilderness.com/
- Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture – 863-680-4597 or franklloydwrightatfsc.com
- Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo – 863-692-1321 or westgateresorts.com/hotels/florida/river-ranch/westgate-river-ranch-resort/activities/rodeo/
- Polk Museum of Art – 863-688-7743 or https://polkmuseumofart.org/
- Ridge Island Groves – 863-422-0333 or ridgeislandgroves.com/
- Colt Creek State Park – 863-815-6761 or floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/colt-creek-state-park
- Winter Haven Watersports – 863-293-2753 or winterhavenwatersports.com/
- Polk County History Center – 863-534-4386 or https://www.polk-county.net/history-center
- Explorations V Children’s Museum – 863-687-3869 or https://www.explorationsv.com/
- Shady Oak Farm U-Pick Blueberries – 863-512-1547 or https://lakelandberries.com/
- Action Paintball – 863-299-4042 or action-paintball.us/
- PicassoZ – 863-688-6545 or https://www.picassoz.com/
- Florida Skydiving Center – 863-678-1003 or https://floridaskydiving.com/
- Hollis Garden – 863-834-2280 or https://visitcentralflorida.org/featured/hollis-garden
- Spook Hill – https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2058
- Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team Show – https://www.cypressgardenswaterskiteam.com/
- Dixieland in Lakeland – https://visitcentralflorida.org/blog/local-favorites-highlights-dixieland
- RP Funding Center Events – 863-834-8100 or https://rpfundingcenter.com/
- Lake Wales Museum & Cultural Center – 863-676-1759 or https://www.lakewalesmuseum.org/
- Off The Wall Adventures – 863-709-9253 or offthewalladventures.com/
- Paddleboard Winter Haven – 863-845-5307 or https://www.paddleboardwinterhaven.com/
- Silver Moon Drive-In – 863-682-0849 or silvermoondrivein.com/
- Florida Air Museum – 863-644-2431 or https://www.flysnf.org/
- Bone Valley ATV Park – https://www.polk-county.net/parks-and-recreation/bone-valley-atv-park
- Mulberry Phosphate Museum – 863-425-2823 or mulberryphosphatemuseum.org/
Professional Sports
- Lakeland Flying Tigers (Minor League Baseball) – https://www.milb.com/lakeland