Polk County is located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. The county population was 725,046, as of the 2020 census, and estimated to be 787,404, as of July 1, 2022. Its county seat is Bartow, and its largest city is Lakeland.
Auburndale is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 15,616 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Bartow is the county seat of Polk County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1851 as Fort Blount, the city was renamed in honor of Francis S. Bartow, the first brigade commander of the Confederate Army to die in combat during the American Civil War. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 17,298 and an estimated population of 20,147 in 2019. It is part of the Lakeland−Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 787,404, as of July 1, 2022. As of May 2023, the mayor of Bartow is Leo E. Longworth.
Eagle Lake is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,174 as of 2021. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. Most of the town being centered around a subsection of U.S. Highway 17.
Fort Meade is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. As of 2018, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,203. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city was named for George Meade, at the time an Army lieutenant serving in Florida following the Second Seminole War. Fort Meade is home to Fort Meade Middle-Senior High School, several historic buildings, and Streamsong resort. The area is popular with kayakers and canoers.
Frostproof is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The city is located in southern Polk County on the Lake Wales Ridge. The population was 2,992 at the 2010 census. As of 2018, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,273. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Haines City is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. Its population was 13,174 at the 2000 census and 20,535 at the 2010 census. It is the third most populous city in Polk County. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, in turn, is considered part of the Tampa Bay Area.
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 Alfred is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was approximately 5,015 at the 2010 Census. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida. The population was 14,225 at the 2010 census. As of 2019, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 16,759. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lake Wales is located in central Florida, west of Lake Kissimmee and east of Tampa.
Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal city of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Loughman (LOFF-mǝn) is a census-designated place (CDP) in the northeast corner of Polk County, Florida, United States, near the Osceola county line. The population was 1,385 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. This area has grown rapidly since 2000 due, in large part, to its proximity to Walt Disney World and the Orlando, Florida area.
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. Neighboring Lakeland to its east, Winter Haven is located some fifty-one miles east of Tampa. The city's population was 49,219 at the 2020 census, making it the second most populated city in Polk County after Lakeland. It is a principal city of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area which is part of the Tampa Bay metropolitan area.
The Tampa Bay area is a major metropolitan area surrounding Tampa Bay on the Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with a population of 3,175,275 as of the 2020 U.S. Census.
The South Florida Railroad was a railroad from Sanford, Florida, to Tampa, Florida, becoming part of the Plant System in 1893 and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. It served as the southernmost segment of the Atlantic Coast Line's main line. The line remains in service today and is now part of the Central Florida Rail Corridor in the Orlando metro area. The rest of the line remains under the ownership of CSX Transportation as part of their A Line.
State Road 540 (SR 540) is a west–east route in Central Florida, serving Polk County. It runs 19.2 miles (30.9 km) from the south side of the city of Lakeland to U.S. Route 27. SR 540 also runs along the entrance to Legoland Florida. It is a major route along the south side of Winter Haven, where it is known as Cypress Gardens Boulevard, and an important link between Winter Haven and Lakeland, the Polk Parkway, and subsequently Interstate 4 (I-4) and the Tampa Bay area.
Transportation in Florida includes a variety of options, including Interstate Highways, U.S. Highways, and Florida State Roads; Amtrak and commuter rail services; airports, public transportation, and sea ports, in a number of the state's counties and regions.
The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority, or TBARTA, is a regional transportation agency of the U.S. state of Florida which was created on July 1, 2007. The purpose of the agency is "to plan, develop, finance, construct, own, purchase, operate, maintain, relocate, equip, repair, and manage multimodal systems in Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties." The agency coordinates its efforts with the Florida Department of Transportation to improve transportation in the Tampa Bay Area.
Winter Haven Area Transit is a bus system based in Winter Haven, Florida. The system operates 9 of its own buses, and another 4 buses are provided for WHAT by the Citrus Connection. There are 8 routes serving Winter Haven, Auburndale, Lakeland, Lake Alfred, Haines City, Lake Wales, Frostproof, Bartow, Dundee and Fort Meade.
Polk County Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Bartow, Florida, United States. The district serves Polk County.
