Overview

Introduction to Lakeland, Florida

Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, located approximately 35 miles east of Tampa and 55 miles southwest of Orlando along Interstate I-4. Neighboring communities include Polk City, Winter Haven, Bartow, Mulberry and Dover. The city is home to Florida Southern College and Polk Community College.

Founded in 1882 by land developer Abraham Munn, Lakeland prospered during the next few years along with the burgeoning railroad industry which serviced the community well. Incorporated in 1885, Lakeland quickly became one of Florida's premier cities, resulting in the construction of many notable structures, some of which today appear on the National Register of Historic Places. The 20th century brought a combination of boom years and lean years to the city, which has seen large-scale improvements in its downtown area within the past ten years. Lakeland today is a city which retains its historic charm while at the same time positioning itself for future growth.

Arts and Entertainment in Lakeland

Lakeland's central location affords visitors and residents access to many local attractions and also attractions from the surrounding cities of Orlando and Tampa. Orlando is home to several major attractions, including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World Florida. Lakeland itself hosts several seasonal events and festivals. In April, thousands of aviation fans flock to the city to participate in one of the world's largest aviation events: the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In. Featured at this event are state-of-the-art aircraft displays, daily air shows and educational forums covering virtually every aviation interest. October's Fall Festival in Munn Park includes sidewalk arts and crafts, and in the same month the city hosts the Lake Mirror Classic Auto Festival. In December children of all ages enjoy the annual Christmas Parade and Snowfest at Lake Mirror.

Lakeland also offers a wealth of artistic and cultural attractions, some of which are listed here:

  • Florida Southern College Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture & Visitors Center: Home to the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, the College offers a wealth of information about the famous architect, including a permanent exhibition of his photos, drawings and correspondence.
  • Florida Air Museum at Sun 'n Fun: Among the exhibits are personal artifacts from legendary aviator Howard Hughes and "Sweetie Face," the famous aircraft of aerobatic legend Bob Hoover.
  • Florida Dance Theatre: Polk County's only professional dance company and one of Central Florida's most innovative forces in contemporary dance.
  • Polk Theatre: A restored facility originally built in 1927 as a vaudeville and movie house.
  • Exploration's V Children's Museum: Three floors of hands-on exhibits for kids and families.
  • Polk Museum of Art: Exhibitions include Contemporary American Art, European Decorative Art, Asian Art and a permanent display of Pre-Columbian artifacts.
  • Imperial Symphony Orchestra
  • Pied Piper Players
  • Lakeland's Community Theatre

Sports fans will recognize Lakeland as the long-time Spring Training headquarters of the Detroit Tigers, who began training there in 1934. The city is also the regular season home of the Tigers' minor league farm team in the Class Single-A Florida State League, the Lakeland Flying Tigers. Both teams play in newly-renovated Joker Marchant Stadium. Indoor professional football also exists in Lakeland, home of the Lakeland ThunderBolts of the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA). Fans of NFL football can take the short drive to nearby Tampa, home to the National Football League's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Also located in Tampa are hockey's Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL), Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arena Football's Tampa Bay Storm (AFL). Lakeland's neighbor to the northeast, the city of Orlando, is home to basketball's Orlando Magic (NBA) and also to the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League (AFL).

Demographics

People

Total Population105,958
Male Share of the Population47.2%
Female Share of the Population52.8%
Senior Citizens21.8%
Employed Population 16+44,247
Age of the Population41

Families

% of people married42%
Average household size2

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher24.4%
Median Earnings25+$35,061
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$23,892
Median Earnings With High School Degree$26,915

Wealth

Median Family Income$57,320
% Above Poverty Level83%
% Below Poverty Level17%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time22 minutes
% Working from Home4.8%
% Walking and Biking to Work2.2%
% Using Public Transportation0.8%

Housing

People Living Alone33.9%
Median Gross Rent$968
Median House Value$132,100

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)35.1%
German10.4%
English9.7%
Irish7.7%
Italian4.4%
French Except Basque2.5%
West Indian2%
Scottish1.7%
Dutch1.6%
Polish1.6%
Haitian0.9%
Jamaican0.8%
Swedish0.7%
Canadian0.7%
African0.5%
Welsh0.5%
Norwegian0.5%
Greek0.4%
Danishn0.3%
Hungarian0.3%
Russian0.3%
Swiss0.2%
Arab0.2%
Czech0.2%
Brazilian0.2%
Ukrainian0.1%
Barbadian0.1%
Nigerian0.1%
Turkish0.1%
Iranian0.1%
Austrian0.1%
Palestinian0.1%
Lebanese0.1%
Belgian0.1%
Croatian0.1%
Romanian0.1%
Portuguese0.1%
Finnish0.1%
Slovak0.1%
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Lakeland Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyPolk County
Standard Zip Codes33805, 33801, 33809, 33810, 33811, 33815, 33803, 33812, 33813
P.O. Box Zip Codes33806, 33804, 33802, 33807
Phone Area Codes863
Time ZoneAmerica/New_York
Approximate Latitude28.1
Approximate Longitude-81.91

Lakeland Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationLAKELAND
Distance3.1 miles
Jan Temp51 to 74 F
Apr Temp61 to 86 F
Jul Temp73 to 95 F
Oct Temp66 to 87 F
Annual Precip49.1 inches
StationBARTOW
Distance11.8 miles
Jan Temp52 to 74 F
Apr Temp61 to 84 F
Jul Temp73 to 92 F
Oct Temp66 to 85 F
Annual Precip50.5 inches
StationLAKE ALFRED EXP STN
Distance15.5 miles
Jan Temp47 to 72 F
Apr Temp58 to 84 F
Jul Temp72 to 93 F
Oct Temp63 to 86 F
Annual Precip50.2 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Auburndale15,343$59,500
Bartow19,063$60,886
Eagle Lake2,517$60,147
Mulberry4,047$49,941
Plant City38,119$58,801

Lakeland Hospitals

Lakeland Regional Medical Center
(Non-profit)
1324 Lakeland Hills Blvd
(863) 687-1100

Lakeland Public Schools

Combee Elementary School
2805 Morgan Combee Rd
ZIP: 33801
(863) 499-2960
Primary
Total Enrollment 712
Crystal Lake Elementary School
700 Galvin Dr
ZIP: 33801
(863) 499-2966
Primary
Total Enrollment 600
Crystal Lake Middle School
2410 Crystal Lake Dr N
ZIP: 33801
(863) 499-2970
Middle
Total Enrollment 942
Doris A. Sanders Learning Center
1201 Enchanted Dr
ZIP: 33801
(863) 499-2980
Other
Total Enrollment 88
Drop Back In
302 Memorial Blvd E
ZIP: 33801
(863) 687-9222
Ese Countywide
910 Lowry Ave
ZIP: 33801
(863) 499-2963
Other
Total Enrollment 81
Lakeland Montessori Middle School
800 Palmetto St E
ZIP: 33801
(863) 608-3194
Middle
Total Enrollment 61
Lakeland Senior High School
726 Hollingsworth Rd
ZIP: 33801
(863) 499-2900
High
Total Enrollment 2139
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy
400 Florida Ave N
ZIP: 33801
(863) 499-2742
Middle
Total Enrollment 660
Mckeel Elementary Academy
411 Florida Ave N
ZIP: 33801
(863) 499-1287
Primary
Total Enrollment 570
Oscar J. Pope Elementary School
2730 Maine Ave
ZIP: 33801
(863) 499-2992
Primary
Total Enrollment 487
Philip O'brien Elementary School
1225 Lime St E
ZIP: 33801
(863) 499-2950
Primary
Total Enrollment 583
Polk Full Time Eschool
900 Lowry Ave
ZIP: 33801
(863) 665-4538
Other
Total Enrollment 104
Polk Virtual Franchise
900 Lowry Ave
ZIP: 33801
(863) 419-3342
Other
Polk Virtual Instruction (course Offerings)
900 Lowry Ave
ZIP: 33801
(863) 534-7214
Other
Polk Virtual Instruction Program
900 Lowry Ave
ZIP: 33801
(863) 534-7214
Other
Total Enrollment 43
Tenoroc High School
4905 Saddle Creek Rd
ZIP: 33801
(863) 614-9183
High
Total Enrollment 1170
Bill Duncan Opportunity Center
3333 Winter Lake Rd
ZIP: 33803
(863) 499-2860
Other
Total Enrollment 169
Carlton Palmore Elementary School
3725 Clevelnd Hts Blvd
ZIP: 33803
(863) 648-3510
Primary
Total Enrollment 528
Cleveland Court Elementary School
328 Edgewood Dr E
ZIP: 33803
(863) 499-2929
Primary
Total Enrollment 384
Dixieland Elementary School
416 Ariana St
ZIP: 33803
(863) 499-2930
Primary
Total Enrollment 460
Magnolia Montessori Academy
1540 New Jersey
ZIP: 33803
(863) 797-4991
Primary
Total Enrollment 92
Maynard A. Traviss Career Center
3225 Winter Lake Rd
ZIP: 33803
(863) 499-2700
High
Total Enrollment 243
Polk State Lakeland Gateway To College Charter High School
3425 Winter Lake Rd
ZIP: 33803
(863) 669-2322
High
Total Enrollment 121
South Mckeel Academy
2222 Edgewood Dr S
ZIP: 33803
(863) 510-0044
Primary
Total Enrollment 1167
Southwest Elementary School
2650 Southwest Ave
ZIP: 33803
(863) 499-2830
Primary
Total Enrollment 479
Southwest Middle School
2815 Eden Pkwy
ZIP: 33803
(863) 499-2840
Middle
Total Enrollment 852
Achievement Academy
716 Bella Vista St E
ZIP: 33805
(863) 683-6504
Primary
Total Enrollment 157
Lakeland Montessori School House
1124 Lake Parker Ave N
ZIP: 33805
(863) 413-0003
Primary
Total Enrollment 74
Lincoln Avenue Academy
1330 Lincoln Ave N
ZIP: 33805
(863) 499-2955
Primary
Total Enrollment 584
North Lakeland Elementary School Of Choice
410 Robson St W
ZIP: 33805
(863) 499-2850
Primary
Total Enrollment 750
Rochelle School Of The Arts
1501 Martin L King Jr Ave
ZIP: 33805
(863) 499-2810
Primary
Total Enrollment 824
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary
110 Leelon Rd
ZIP: 33809
(863) 853-6044
Primary
Total Enrollment 547
Lake Gibson Middle School
6901 Socrum Loop Rd N
ZIP: 33809
(863) 853-6151
Middle
Total Enrollment 1130
Lake Gibson Senior High School
7007 Socrum Loop Rd N
ZIP: 33809
(863) 853-6100
High
Total Enrollment 1834
Lake Gibson Step Up Academy
7007 N Socrum Loop Rd
ZIP: 33809
(863) 853-6104
Wendell Watson Elementary School
6800 Walt Williams Rd
ZIP: 33809
(863) 853-6060
Primary
Total Enrollment 741
Dr. Ne Roberts Elementary School
6600 Green Rd
ZIP: 33810
(863) 815-6633
Primary
Total Enrollment 661
Griffin Elementary School
3315 Kathleen Rd
ZIP: 33810
(863) 853-6020
Primary
Total Enrollment 476
Kathleen Elementary School
3515 Sheretz Rd
ZIP: 33810
(863) 853-6030
Primary
Total Enrollment 555
Kathleen Middle School
3627 Kathleen Pnes
ZIP: 33810
(863) 853-6040
Middle
Total Enrollment 764
R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School
8201 Park Byrd Rd
ZIP: 33810
(863) 853-6011
Primary
Total Enrollment 627
Sleepy Hill Elementary School
2285 Sleepy Hill Rd
ZIP: 33810
(863) 815-6768
Primary
Total Enrollment 675
Sleepy Hill Middle School
2215 Sleepy Hill Rd
ZIP: 33810
(863) 815-6577
Middle
Total Enrollment 816
Socrum Elementary School
9400 Old Dade City Rd
ZIP: 33810
(863) 853-6050
Primary
Total Enrollment 628
Winston Academy Of Engineering
3415 Swindell Rd
ZIP: 33810
(863) 499-2890
Primary
Total Enrollment 448
James W. Sikes Elementary School
2727 Shepherd Rd
ZIP: 33811
(863) 648-3525
Primary
Total Enrollment 873
R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School
5500 Yates Rd
ZIP: 33811
(863) 701-1450
Primary
Total Enrollment 817
George W. Jenkins Senior High
6000 Lakeland Highlands Rd
ZIP: 33813
(863) 648-3566
High
Total Enrollment 2319
Highlands Grove Elementary School
4510 Lakeland Highlands Rd
ZIP: 33813
(863) 648-3002
Primary
Total Enrollment 731
Lakeland Highlands Middle School
740 Lake Miriam Dr
ZIP: 33813
(863) 648-3500
Middle
Total Enrollment 1217
Medulla Elementary School
850 Schoolhouse Rd
ZIP: 33813
(863) 648-3515
Primary
Total Enrollment 635
Scott Lake Elementary School
1140 County Road 540a E
ZIP: 33813
(863) 648-3520
Primary
Total Enrollment 771
Valleyview Elementary School
2900 State Rd 540a E
ZIP: 33813
(863) 648-3535
Primary
Total Enrollment 726
Jesse Keen Elementary School
815 Plateau Ave
ZIP: 33815
(863) 499-2880
Primary
Total Enrollment 644
Kathleen Senior High School
1100 Red Devil Way
ZIP: 33815
(863) 499-2655
High
Total Enrollment 2124
Kathleen Step Up Academy
1100 Red Devil Way
ZIP: 33815
(863) 499-2655
Mckeel Academy Of Technology
1810 Parker St W
ZIP: 33815
(863) 499-2818
Other
Total Enrollment 1166
Pace Center For Girls
101 Main St W
ZIP: 33815
(863) 688-5596
Other
Total Enrollment 45
Rosabelle W. Blake Academy
510 Hartsell Ave
ZIP: 33815
(863) 499-2870
Primary
Total Enrollment 729
West Area Adult/community School
604 Central Ave S
ZIP: 33815
(863) 499-2835
Other

Lakeland Private Schools

Sonrise Christian School
3151 Hardin Combee Rd
ZIP: 33801
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 120
Lakeland Christian School
1111 Forest Park St
ZIP: 33803
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 951
St Josephs Academy
310 Mcdonald St
ZIP: 33803
Elementary
Total Enrollment 187
The Monarch School
1540 New Jersey Rd
ZIP: 33803
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 92
Calvary Baptist Church Academy
1945 N Florida Ave
ZIP: 33805
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 101
Greater St Paul Academy
1130 N Webster Ave
ZIP: 33805
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 39
Head Of The Class Learning Center Ii
1836 Kathleen Rd
ZIP: 33805
Elementary
Total Enrollment 11
Crossroads School- Lakeland
6949 Old Polk City Rd
ZIP: 33809
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 36
Excel Christian Academy
6505 Odom Rd
ZIP: 33809
Elementary
Total Enrollment 104
Victory Christian Academy
1401 Griffin Rd
ZIP: 33810
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 295
Heritage Christian Academy
3834 Dale St
ZIP: 33812
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 15
Church Of The Resurrection Catholic School
3720 Old Highway 37
ZIP: 33813
Elementary
Total Enrollment 364
Families Of Faith Christian Academy International
4404 South Florida Ave Ste 11
ZIP: 33813
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 160
Geneva Classical Academy
4410 E County Road 540a
ZIP: 33813
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 112
Highlands Christian Academy
4210 Lakeland Highlands Rd
ZIP: 33813
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 39
St Paul Lutheran School
4450 Harden Blvd
ZIP: 33813
Elementary
Total Enrollment 266
Teen Challenge New Life Christian Academy
6754 S Carter Rd
ZIP: 33813
Secondary
Total Enrollment 18
Greater Faith Academy
2035 W Parker St
ZIP: 33815
Elementary
Total Enrollment 41
St Luke S Christian Academy & Preschool
910 Quincy St
ZIP: 33815
Elementary
Total Enrollment 10
Sources :
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