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Polk County is in central Florida, east of the Tampa-St. Petersburg region, and is bordered by Sumter, Lake, Osceola, Highlands, Hardee, Hillsborough, and Pasco counties. The 1,823 square-mile county has 187 square miles of water. The average January temperature is 61.1 degrees F, the average August temperature is 81.8 degrees F and the average annual rainfall is 49.21 inches.  Polk County offers some exceptional values in both housing and commercial real estate. With a prosperous and diverse local economy, housing starts and sales have been increasing at much faster than national averages. The excellent climate, low cost of living, and convenient central location make Polk County an attractive place to raise a family, start a business, or retire.

The County is home to nearly 500,000 residents, of which about 200,000 live in one of 17 municipalities. A single School District operates an extensive system of schools for students from grades K-12. Other county services are funded and directed by the Board of County Commissioners.

An array of Constitutional Officers, directly elected, control other functions county-wide, including the Supervisor of Elections, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Clerk of Courts, and Sheriff.

The municipalities range from Lakeland's population of over 75,000 to Highland Park with about 220 citizens.

Orlando Realtor John Hambrick and Polk County Realtor Angela Chapman can help you find your new home, whether it be a charming condo, a beautiful, luxury estate home or anything sized inbetween.  Visit our Home Search page or call for all your real estate requirements in Lake County, Osceola County, Orange County, Seminole County, Polk County, Brevard County and Volusia County.  Angela and John know you want a return on your investment, so contact them to help you sell your home.

Polk County contains the highest ground on the Florida Peninsula, as well as hundreds of square miles of wetlands. The relatively sharp elevation contrasts give Polk one of the most diverse varieties of plant and animal life in the United States.

The high ground real estate of the Lake Wales Ridge in eastern Polk County was once a chain of islands. When sea levels were much higher than today, about three million years ago, species isolated on this island chain evolved in unique ways, much differently than their mainland relatives.
  Today, this natural history has blessed the Ridge with North America's highest concentration of rare and endangered species, our equivalent of the Galapagos Islands, or South America's tropical rain forests.

Some of the remaining fragments of this unique environment have recently been protected in a scattered network of preserves, owned and managed by Polk County (the CLASAC program), The State of Florida (Preservation 2000), and the US government (the Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge), as well as private groups like The Nature Conservancy, and the Green Horizon Land Trust.

Most of the sites in this preserve network are already open for visitation. Recreational opportunities in the preserve include passive recreation such as hiking, birding, camping, horseback riding, canoeing, and in some areas, active recreation like fishing and hunting.

Polk County offers a wide variety of shopping choices, ranging from exclusive boutiques to regional malls, and including fascinating antiques districts and huge flea markets.  Two major regional shopping malls, Lakeland Square in Lakeland, and Eagle Ridge Mall in Lake Wales, offer wide varieties of national department stores like Sears, JC Penney, and Dillards, as well as specialty shops like Victoria's Secret, B. Dalton's, and Barney's Fine Coffees.

Polk County is home to more than 550 significant lakes, which provide rich habitat for a wide variety of species.

For golfers, this is prime golfing country, and home to dozens of beautiful and challenging golf courses. Numerous amateur and pro-am tournaments are held here.  And a wide variety of professional and amateur sporting events, from basketball to hockey, fill the calendar at The Lakeland Center.

Famous for some of the world's best Largemouth Bass fishing, tens of thousands come here in search of that trophy "bucketmouth." With more than 550 major lakes, Polk offers enough challenging spots to last a lifetime, and enough lunkers to entertain a fleet of fishermen.

Tennis fans will find dozens of venues, numbering over 100 public courts, or check out the 1700-seat stadium at Grenelefe .

Bicycling enthusiasts will enjoy more than 100 miles of prime biking paths and recommended roadways along the rolling hills of the Lake Wales Ridge. The area is widely acknowledged as Florida's best bicycle destination. Many riders also choose to take part in the annual Florida Bikefest held each year on the last weekend of October. This event draws bicycle enthusiasts from around the state and nation to the areas' prime routes. A number of other events and activities are scheduled in conjunction with this rally

Fans of the most radical sport of all have a chance to see the best skydivers in the world at several events at the The World Skydive Center, located at Lake Wales´ Mid Florida Regional Airport.

Colleges and universities. Landmark Baptist College, Haines City; Polk Community College, Winter Haven; Spurgeon Baptist Bible College, Mulberry; Warner Southern College, Lake Wales; Webber College, Babson Park; Assemblies of God Theological Seminary Center, Florida Southern College, Southeastern College Assemblies of God, Lakeland.

Events and Places of Interest

Florida Citrus Festival and Polk County Fair, Winter Haven, January; Black Hills Passion Play, Lake Wales, February; Carillon Festival, Lake Wales, April; Water Skiing Championships, Cypress Gardens, June; Bok Tower, Lake Wales; Cypress Gardens, Winter Haven; Polk Museum of Art, Florida Southern College Architectural District, South Lake Morton Historic District, Lakeland.

Two major league baseball teams make their spring training home here.  The Cleveland Indians play at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven - a 7,000 seat facility - and The Detroit Tigers play at the 8,500-seating-capacity spring training facility, Joker Merchant Stadium in Lakeland.  Winter Haven also hosts the USSSA World Series and other baseball tournaments. 

Polk County's central location offers quick connections to both Tampa and Orlando. It's also handy to major seaports in Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Jacksonville. The county is served by several major multi-lane highways, including I-4, US 27, US 98, US 92, US 17, and SR 60. Polk's largest private-sector employers include:

 Relocating? Angela Chapman and John Hambrick, metro Orlando's No. 1 Realtors, will be happy to help you find just the right location for your new home. Home Search  Or Selling? We understand you would like to see a return on your investment. Find homes for sale in Polk County and other counties in the Metro Orlando area.