State Road 540 (SR 540) is a west–east route in Central Florida, serving
Polk County. It runs from the south side of the city of
Lakeland to
U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 or U.S. Highway 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway in the Southern and Midwestern U.S. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 (I ...
(US 27). SR 540 also runs along the entrance to
Legoland Florida
Legoland Florida Resort (stylized as LEGOLAND Florida Resort) is a vacation destination in Winter Haven, Florida. The resort features the Legoland Florida theme park itself, the Legoland Water Park, three on-site accommodations and a separately ...
. 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
Interstate 4 (I-4) is an Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Florida, maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Spanning along a generally southwest–northeast axis ...
(I-4) and the Tampa Bay area.
Route description
State Road 540's western terminus is
US 98
U.S. Route 98 (US 98) is an east–west United States Highway in the Southeastern United States that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola, Florida, Pensacola and Apalachicola, ...
(Bartow Road) in southeastern Lakeland. It runs as Winter Lake Road (the name deriving from the cities it connects: Winter Haven and Lakeland), north of Lake Hancock, and by the entrance of
Circle B Bar Reserve
The Circle B Bar Reserve is an area of protected lands in Polk County, Florida, United States. Consisting of near Lakeland, the restored wetlands site is managed by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), which co-owns it with th ...
. The road intersects the
Polk Parkway, then continues eastward as Winter Lake Road until it intersects
Florida State Road 620 where the name changes to Old 9 Foot Road. The route continues to the east and after crossing the
Florida Midland Railroad Winter Haven Line, intersects with
US 17
U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that spans in the Southeastern United States. It runs close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its len ...
, a few miles south of downtown Winter Haven. It briefly follows US 17 northward as 4th Street and splits off as Avenue R South.
As the road continues east from downtown Winter Haven, it is more commonly known as Cypress Gardens Boulevard, a tribute to the theme park whose entrance once stood along the road and has now been replaced by Legoland Florida. SR 540 continues from the former site of Cypress Gardens to its eastern terminus at
US 27
U.S. Route 27 or U.S. Highway 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway in the Southern and Midwestern U.S. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 (I ...
between the cities of
Dundee
Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...
and
Lake Wales. Across the intersection from SR 540 is Waverly Road, a much more minor road, which travels further east through the community of Waverly to
SR 17.
Major intersections
Related roads
County Road 540
County Road 540 (CR 540) is a few miles south of State Road 540 in
Highland City and runs west from US 98 to County Road 37B. CR 540 is commonly known as Clubhouse Road, and the road is generally considered the northern boundary of Highland City.
A second segment of CR 540 extends east from SR 540's easternmost terminus to SR 17.
County Road 540A
There are two separate non-continuous segments known as County Road 540A. The western segment is also known as Central Barn Road and is a few miles south of CR 540 in Highland City and runs from US 98 to
SR 37 (South Florida Avenue). The road is generally considered the southern boundary of Highland City. Annexations in the past decade by the city of
Bartow have put the city within an eighth of a mile of County Road 540's junction with US 98. In spite of the 'A' designation, CR 540A is a longer road with heavier traffic volume than CR 540. Widening of the road from two to four lane lanes was completed in 2010, and the road is a major route connecting South Lakeland with Bartow.
The eastern segment of CR 540A is a loop road with both ends terminating at State Road 540. It begins at U.S. 17 in Eloise just south of Winter Haven where it is cosigned with County Road 655 (Snively Avenue). CR 540A then turns eastward at Eagle Lake Loop Road continuing eastward a few miles before turning north for a few miles near Lake Ruby before ending at SR 540.
References
External links
FDOT Map of Polk County (Including SR 540)
{{DEFAULTSORT:540
State roads in Polk County, Florida
State highways in Florida
540
__NOTOC__
Year 540 ( DXL) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Iustinus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1293 ''Ab urbe condita''). The deno ...