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 Polk
County Florida
Polk County became Florida's 39th county on February 8, 1861 when the
State of Florida divided Hillsborough County into eastern and western
halves. The eastern half was named Polk, in honor of the 11th President of
the United States, James Knox Polk.
Polk Count Founded: February 8, 1861
Polk County Seat: Bartow
Polk County Area
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Total 2,010 sq mi (5,206 km˛)
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Land 1,874 sq mi
(4,854 km˛)
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Water 136 sq mi (352
km˛), 6.75%
Incorporated
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Town of Dundee
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Village of Highland Park
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Town of Hillcrest Heights
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Town of Lake Hamilton
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Polk County Florida Cities & Towns
Alturas
Auburndale
Babson Park
Bartow
Bradley
Cypress Gardens
Davenport
Dundee
Eagle Lake
Eaton Park
Eloise
Fedhaven |
Fort
Meade
Frostproof
Grenelefe
Haines City
Highland Park
Hillcrest Heights
Homeland
Indian Lake Estates
Kathleen
Lake Alfred
Lake Hamilton
Lake Wales |
Lakeland
Loughman
Mulberry
Nalcrest
Nichols
Poinciana
Polk City
Southside
Waverly
Winter Haven |
Polk County Florida Links
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U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts
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Polk County Government /
Board of County Commissioners
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Polk County Supervisor of
Elections
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Polk
County Property Appraiser
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Polk County Sheriff's
Office
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Polk County Tax Collector
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Polk County Public Schools
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South Florida Water Management District - The South Florida Water Management
District is a regional governmental agency responsible for water quality, flood
control, water supply and environmental restoration in 16 counties, from Orlando
to the Florida Keys. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water
management districts.
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Southwest Florida Water
Management District
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Polk County Clerk of
Courts - The mission of the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court is to
function as a team dedicated to our customers by preparing and maintaining
accurate records, furnishing assistance in an understanding and compassionate
manner, and providing services with competence, professionalism, and courtesy in
compliance with laws, rules, and regulations.
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Public Defender, 10th
Judicial Circuit of Florida - The Public Defender's Office is responsible
for providing legal counsel, when appointed by the Court, to those accused of
criminal offenses who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. The office can be
appointed to defend individuals charged with felonies, misdemeanors, or criminal
traffic offenses in the Circuit and County Courts. It also defends children
charged in Juvenile Court, and individuals facing involuntary commitment for
mental treatment under the Baker Act. The Public Defender is elected for a
four-year term with no limit on the number of terms.
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Office of the State Attorney, 10th Judicial Circuit of Florida - This office
represents the people of the State of Florida in all criminal prosecutions in
Polk, Highlands, and Hardee Counties. In addition, the office advises the grand
juries for those three counties, and provides representation for the Florida
Department of Revenue in child support enforcement matters.
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10th
Judicial Circuit of Florida
Location
Polk County is strategically located in the center of the Florida peninsula,
about equal distance from the east and west coast and half way between the
Georgia-Florida border and the Southern tip of the peninsula. Polk lies on the
Interstate-4 corridor, 25 miles east of Tampa and 35 miles southwest of Orlando.
As the geographic center of Florida, it is estimated that more than 7.5 million
people reside within a 100 mile radius of Polk County. This is one of the
largest concentrations of population in the southeast. (Source)
History
Polk County became Florida's 39th county on February 8, 1861, when the State
of Florida divided Hillsborough County into eastern and western halves. The
eastern half was named Polk, in honor of the 11th President of the United
States, James Knox Polk. Following the Civil War, the county commission
established the county seat on 120 acres donated in the central part of the
county. Bartow, the county seat, was named after Francis S. Bartow, a
confederate Colonel from Georgia who was the first confederate officer to die in
battle during the first battle of the Civil War. Col. Bartow was buried in
Savannah, GA with military honors, and promoted posthumously to the rank of
brigadier general. Fort Blount , as Bartow was then known, in a move to honor
one of the first fallen heroes of the Confederacy, was one of several towns and
counties in the South that changed their name to Bartow. The first courthouse
built in Bartow was constructed in 1867. It was replaced twice, in 1884 and in
1908. As the third courthouse to stand on the site, the present structure houses
the Polk County Historical Museum and Genealogical Library. (Source)
Size
Polk County is larger than the state of Rhode Island and equal in size to
Delaware. The total area of the county is approximately 2,010 square miles which
makes it the fourth largest county in Florida, exceeded only by Dade, Palm
Beach, and Collier counties. Polk County has 554 natural freshwater lakes which
occupy approximately 135 square miles, or over seven percent of the total area
of the county. The total land area of Polk County is approximately 1,875 square
miles. (Source)
Population
Polk County's total population estimate for 2005 was 541,840 (an increase of
12 percent from the 2000 U.S. Census count of 483,924). This represents an
average annual growth rate of 2.4 percent or an average annual increase of
11,583 persons. Polk ranks as the eighth most populous of Florida's of 67
counties. Polk's total population is expected to grow to an estimated 587,600 by
2010 and 675,000 by 2020.
Polk County's population in 2004 was estimated to be 528,389. In terms of
numerical population change between 2000–2004, Polk ranked 12th in the state but
ranked 32nd over this same period for percent of change (9.2%). Approximately
61.8 percent of Polk County's total population resides in the unincorporated
area of the county. The other 38 percent of the population live in Polk County's
17 cities. Polk County's largest city is Lakeland , with a 2004 population of
89,731, followed by Winter Haven with a population of 27,885. Other
municipalities include: Auburndale, Bartow, Davenport, Dundee, Eagle Lake, Fort
Meade, Frostproof, Haines City, Highland Park, Hillcrest Heights, Lake Alfred,
Lake Hamilton, Lake Wales, Mulberry, and Polk City.
The median age of Polk's population in 2001, was estimated to be 38.6 years old
with 18.45 percent of the total population 65 years old or older. Persons under
the age of eighteen represented 24.3 percent of the County's total population.
In fact, population growth between 1990 and 2000 was primarily fueled by people
in the age range of 35 to 54, which accounted for 43.6% of the entire increase
over this period. There were approximately 85,300 students enrolled in Polk
County's public schools (kindergarten through 12th grade) for the 2004-2005
school year. An estimated 7,600 students attend private schools and another
3,531 students in Polk County are taught at home. (Source)
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Recreation and Leisure
Polk County contains a total of 4,303 acres of public parkland which is owned
and managed by both the county and municipalities. The Board of County
Commissioners owns and manages approximately 2,461 acres of this total parkland
acreage. Lake Kissimmee State Park, which consist of 48,156 acres, is also
located in Polk County . In addition to public parks, Polk has over 100,000
acres of pastoral lands open to the public for resource-based recreation such as
fishing, boating, hunting, nature study, bird watching, and similar passive
recreation pursuits. With 554 natural, freshwater lakes and numerous rivers and
flooded phosphate pits, Polk County is a haven for the boating and fishing
enthusiast. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates that
over 74,000 people fish Polk County's lakes annually. Pleasure boating is also a
popular outdoor activity. According to the Polk County Tax Collector's Office,
there were approximately 26,300 boats registered in Polk County as of June 30,
1999. Polk County owns and maintains 53 boat ramps and municipalities own an
additional 34 boat ramps. Together, these boat ramps provide public access to 88
lakes. Polk County has long been recognized as the “Water Ski Capital of the
World,” due in large measure to its hundreds of accessible fresh water lakes.
For the golfing enthusiast, Polk has 32 public and 13 private golf courses
located throughout the County. (Source)
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Green Swamp
A major portion of northern Polk County, approximately 220,000 acres, is
known as the “Green Swamp.” For the past 30 years, this area has received
considerable attention at local, regional, and state levels due to its
importance as a significant water resource for the state. In 1978, the Florida
Legislature designated the area, including 115,000 acres in Lake County, as an
Area of Critical State Concern, pursuant to State Law (Section 380.05, Florida
Statutes). This area is not a swamp in the typical sense – it is a series of
wetlands, flat lands, and sand hills dispersed over a total area of some 850
square miles which support agriculture, wildlife habitat, conservation areas,
and rural residential development. It is actually a high, poorly-drained plateau
that acts as a water retention area which feeds several major rivers in the
state, including the Peace, Withlacoochee, Oklawaha, and Hillsborough Rivers .
In addition to feeding these major river systems, the Green Swamp also plays an
important role in maintaining the vast fresh water supply of the Floridan
Aquifer. For these reasons, Polk County has adopted special regulations for any
development within this area. These regulations can be found in Chapter 5 of the
Land Development Code and Appendix 2.132 of the Comprehensive Plan. (Source)
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