Lake Hamilton is a town in Polk County,

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, United States. The population was 1,537 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Lakeland– Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is named after the lake itself: Lake Hamilton, which is one of the many lakes in the Chain of Lakes. Also, Middle Lake Hamilton and Little Lake Hamilton are located nearby. From 1964 through the 1970s,

Hurricane Aircat The Hurricane Aircat was an airboat used as a riverine patrol boat by the US Army and South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) during the Vietnam War. It was used to conduct various counterinsurgency (COIN) and patrol missions in riverine and marshy areas w ...

s, military

airboat An airboat (also known as a planeboat, swamp boat, bayou boat, or fanboat) is a flat-bottomed watercraft propelled by an aircraft-type propeller and powered by either an aircraft or automotive engine. It is commonly used for fishing, hunting, r ...

s used by the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

, were manufactured in Lake Hamilton. The airboats were made by Hurricane Fiberglass Products Company, an

and

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...

manufacturer based in the neighboring town of Auburndale.

Geography

The approximate coordinates for the Town of Lake Hamilton is located in

Central Florida Central Florida is a Regions of the United States#Florida, region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, in ...

at . According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (22.51%) is water. The dominant geographic feature in the city is the large lake after which the city is named. Lake Hamilton is part of the Chain of Lakes. The lake has a surface area of and an average depth of .

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, the Town of Pierson has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

zone (''Cfa'').

Demographics

2010 and 2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,537 people, 444 households, and 348 families residing in the town. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 1,231 people, 474 households, and 284 families residing in the town.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 1,304 people, 482 households, and 362 families in the town. The population density was . There were 535 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 71.09% White, 25.15% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 2.30% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.06%. Of the 482 households in 2000, 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 21.0% of households were one person and 8.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.09. The age distribution in 2000 was 27.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males. In 2000, the median household income was $33,438 and the median family income was $38,050. Males had a median income of $28,281 versus $21,833 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,199. About 13.3% of families and 21.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 40.5% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

State Road 17 Route 17, or Highway 17 can refer to the following roads: For the roads named "A17", see list of A17 roads. International * European route E17 * European route E017 Australia * Brisbane Valley Highway, Queensland * D'Aguilar Highway, Queensl ...

– The Scenic Highway going through the center of town, paralleling US 27 and leading southward to downtown

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 Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 16,361 at the 2020 census. History Early history A survey by W.A. Williams and J ...

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 ...

– Located just west of town, this divided highway leads to Lake Wales and Haines City.

References

External links

Lake Hamilton
Town website {{authority control Towns in Polk County, Florida Towns in Florida

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...