Avon Park Lakes (APL) is a residential community of about 2,500 people in northwest Highlands County, Florida. [1]
It is bounded by Polk County, Florida, on the north and Hardee County, Florida, on the west. On the northeast it is bounded by Lake Adelaide. The development, roughly C-shaped, reaches to the south a block north of State Road 64 and nearly to the northeast of U.S. Route 27. It is bordered along the middle of the "C" by the city limits of Avon Park, Florida. Avon Park Lakes is unincorporated, but has a homeowners association, the Avon Park Lakes Association. [2]
The development almost surrounds Lake Olivia, which is a lake and park, and it surrounds Lake Chilton. Lake Olivia is completely outside the development, while Lake Chilton is included in it. There is a clubhouse on the south side of Lake Olivia, owned by the Avon Park Lakes Association (the development's homeowner association). No commercial developments are in the boundaries of APL. One church, World Harvest & Restoration Ministries, is inside APL. Another, Iglesia Cristo te Ama, has part of its property inside APL, although the church building is just outside the development. Avon Park Lakes Baptist Church is just outside the extreme eastern edge of the development. This Baptist church got its beginnings inside APL, meeting at the clubhouse before moving to its current location. In 2014 Bread for Life Ministries began meeting Sundays in the clubhouse; this church plans to build at a location south of downtown Avon Park. Other churches associated with APL have come and gone. [3] [4]
The subdivision began in 1956 and grew for almost a decade. It began growing at a quick rate in 1973 and only stopped growing a few years after the real estate crash of 2007-8. Then, probably for the first time in its history, came a slight migration away from the area. [5] [6]
Highlands County is a county located in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 101,235. Its county seat is Sebring.
Avon Park is a city in Highlands County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,658, up from 8,836 at the 2010 census but down from the 2018 estimated population of 10,695. It is part of the Sebring, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the oldest city in Highlands County, and was named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
Sebring is a city in south-central Florida, United States, nicknamed "The City on the Circle", in reference to Circle Drive, the center of the Sebring Downtown Historic District. It is the county seat of Highlands County, and is the principal city of the Sebring, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2022 United States Census estimates, the population is 11,379, up from 10,729 at the 2020 census. The broader Sebring metropolitan area had a population estimate of 105,618 in 2022, making it the least populous metropolitan statistical area in the state of Florida. The disparity in population between the city proper and the metropolitan area is due to the relatively small size of the annexed area of the city, with most all of the landmass west of Lake Jackson technically in unincorporated Highlands County
Highland City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,051 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Lake Olivia is an 89-acre (360,000 m2) freshwater lake located within the Avon Park Lakes subdivision in northwest Highlands County, Florida. It is to the northwest of the incorporated city of Avon Park. Maximum depth is about 45 feet (14 m), with a fairly steep contour to the depth. The lake's shape is round. There were many years of drought, depleting the lake's water volume. The last two years saw more rain and a swampy area now surrounds almost all of Lake Olivia.
South Florida State College is a public college in Florida with campuses in Highlands, DeSoto and Hardee counties. The college is part of the Florida College System. South Florida State College was founded in 1965 and serves around 19,000 students a year. The 228 acres (0.92 km2) Highlands Campus is located two miles (3 km) south of Avon Park, Florida. The college is on an isthmus, bounded on the north by Lake Lelia, to the south by Lake Glenada, and to the west by U.S. Highway 27. It is a public college offering college credit certificates, career certificates, and associate degrees in over 73 fields of study as well as several bachelor's degrees.
Lake Adelaide is a 109-acre (0.44 km2) lake located in the northwest corner of Highlands County, Florida. It is bounded on the north by Holiday Ranch RV Park, which borders the Polk-Highlands County line, on the east by Adelaide Shores RV Resort and on the west by the Avon Park Lakes residential subdivision. Lake Adelaide is two miles (3 km) north of the town of Avon Park, Florida.
Lake Bonavista is a neighbourhood in Southeast Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is bounded by Anderson Road to the north, Macleod Trail to the west, Canyon Meadows Drive to the south, and Bow Bottom Trail to the east. The small community of Bonavista Downs resides in the northeast corner of the neighbourhood.
Florida's 17th congressional district is an electoral district for the U.S. Congress, located in Southwest Florida. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, the district was shrunk to only include the coastal counties of Sarasota and Charlotte as well as northeastern Lee County, including most of Lehigh Acres. Other inland counties which were previously in the district were instead redistricted into the new 18th district.
WSRQ-FM is a 5,000 watt radio station, located in the Florida Heartland. The station is licensed to the city of Zolfo Springs, in rural Hardee County. Its coverage area includes Hardee, DeSoto, and Highlands counties, serving the communities of Wauchula, Zolfo Springs, Arcadia, Sebring, Avon Park, and Lake Placid. Its studio facilities are near downtown Sarasota.
Sweetwater Ranch is an Unincorporated community in the southeast section of Hardee County, Florida, United States. Long/Lat: 27°24.6’ N and 81°42.2’ W Peak altitude is 82 feet, but the topography varies. Sweetwater is 15 minutes by car southeast of Zolfo Springs, Florida, and is bordered by U.S. 17 to the west, SR 66 to the North, and the unincorporated communities of Crewsville to the east and Fish Branch/Gardner to the South. It contains a significant portion of the Oak Creek watershed and borders on the Charley Creek watershed, both of which empty into Peace River. For many years, Sweetwater was the location of Hardee County's only lake, Lake Frances, which is privately owned. Sweetwater is only 15 minutes from Highlands Hammock State Park, and 20 minutes by car from Highlands County, and the city of Sebring, which offers regional shopping, recreational and medical centers.
The Florida Heartland is a region of Florida located to the north and west of Lake Okeechobee, composed of six inland, non-metropolitan counties—DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee. In 2000, The US Census Bureau recorded the population of the region at 229,509. In 2010, The US Census Bureau recorded the population of the region at 253,399, a growth rate of 11.0%. The most populous county in the region is Highlands County, and the region's largest cities are Avon Park and Sebring, both with slightly more than 10,000 people. Unlike the coastal areas to the east and west, the rural nature of the Florida Heartland is culturally closer to the Deep South than the rest of South Florida and has traditionally been inhabited by Americans of predominantly English ancestry. While located in Palm Beach County, the nearby rural cities of South Bay, Belle Glade and Pahokee as well as the census-designated place of Lake Harbor, located on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee, are more associated with the Florida Heartland than the remainder of South Florida. The same could also apply to the Collier County communities of Immokalee, Ave Maria and Harker as well as to the Martin County community of Port Mayaca. Occasionally included are the southern Polk County communities of Fort Meade, Frostproof and River Ranch as well as Yeehaw Junction in Osceola County.
Bartram Springs is a master-planned residential community located in Jacksonville, Florida. It resides on the Duval County and St. Johns County line.
Lake Chilton is a natural circular lake within the Avon Park Lakes, Florida, community. It is small, measuring approximately 1,200 feet (370 m) by 1,200 feet (370 m) and has a maximum depth of about 22 feet (6.7 m). It is bounded on all sides by residential streets and houses almost completely surround the lake on the opposite side of the streets. The land immediately surrounding the lake is public land. Lake Chilton is three blocks west of Lake Olivia.
Lake Byrd is a small natural lake in northwest Highlands County, Florida. It is approximately 1,200 feet (370 m) wide east to west and approximately 2,500 feet (760 m) long north to south. Its maximum depth is about 32 feet (9.8 m). The lake may be admired from the public roads around it. A private boat ramp and private park with a shelter house and picnic tables are on the northeast corner. The residents consider the lake to be private property and do not allow visitors to use it.
Deerwood was the first gated community in Florida, US. After it was established in the mid-1960s, it was the most exclusive residential area on Jacksonville's Southside. The golf course hosted the Greater Jacksonville Open in the late 1960s and early 1970s, forerunner of The Players Championship, and was once the site of talks between President Gerald Ford and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in November 1975.
Lake Glenada is a natural lake in Highlands County, Florida, south of the city of Avon Park, Florida. It has an irregular shape and has a surface area of 197 acres (0.80 km2). It is roughly 0.75 miles (1.21 km) long and about a 0.5 miles (0.80 km) wide. Its deepest part is about 35 feet (11 m). A bathymetric map produced by Florida Lakewatch shows it actually has three sections, one 35 feet (11 m) deep, another 25 feet (7.6 m) deep and still another 15 feet (4.6 m) deep.
Lake Damon is a natural circular lake in northwest Highlands County, Florida. It is about three-fourths of a mile across, covers 282 acres (1.14 km2) and has a maximum depth of 15 feet (4.6 m). The lake is bounded on the south by the city limits of the city of Avon Park, Florida, on the west by a railroad and US 27 and on the north by a housing development and the River Greens Golf Course. About a block to the east is Lake Pythias.
Lake Anoka is a natural, almost circular lake just south of the city limits of Avon Park, Florida. The west side of the lake was filled in so US 27 could pass through that area. Lake Anoka has a surface area of forty-eight acres and has a maximum depth of fifty-nine feet. There is no public access for boating on this lake, but fishing is allowed near US 27.
Lake Lelia is a natural fresh water lake on the south side of Avon Park, Florida. The northeast section of the lake is within the Avon Park city limits. The lake is longest east to west, being approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) long. Its north-to-south width averages at 0.25 miles (0.40 km) wide. The Florida Atlas of Lakes lists Lake Lelia as having a surface area of 161.97-acre (655,500 m2). This lake is bounded by South Florida Community College at its south shore. A few houses dot its shore, but is it mostly bounded by woods and citrus trees. On the northeast two sets of railroad tracks are just off its shore.