Lakeland is a city in

Polk County, Florida Polk County () is a County (United States), county located in the Central Florida, central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. The county population was 725,046, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and estimated to be 818,330, as ...

, United States. Located along I-4 east of

Tampa Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

and southwest of

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

, it is the most populous city in Polk County. As of the 2020

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

release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal city of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lakeland is situated among several lakes including Lake Morton downtown and is sometimes locally referred to by the nickname "Swan City" due to its sizeable population of swans, all of whom are descendants of two mute swans given to Lakeland by Queen Elizabeth II in 1957. Lakeland is home to several colleges and universities.

Lakeland Linder International Airport Lakeland Linder International Airport is a public airport five miles southwest of Lakeland, in Polk County, Florida. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 categorized it as a na ...

is in Lakeland as is the

corporate headquarters Corporate headquarters is the part of a corporate structure that deals with tasks such as strategic planning, corporate communications, taxes, law, books of record, marketing, finance, human resources, and information technology. Corporate headqu ...

Publix Publix Super Markets, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Publix, is an employee ownership, employee-owned American supermarket Chain store, chain headquartered in Lakeland, Florida. Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, Publix is a Privately h ...

, a supermarket chain. European-American settlers arrived in Lakeland from Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina in the 1870s. The city expanded in the 1880s with the arrival of rail service, with the first

freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...

railway workers settling here in 1883.Kimberly C. Moore, "Confederate vets, former slaves form Lakeland’s history"
''The Ledger'', 09 May 2018; accessed 27 June 2018 They and European immigrants also came because of land development opportunities with farming, citrus, cattle and

phosphate Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus. In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthop ...

industry developing. Lakeland is home to the .

History

Early history

In the 18th century Native Americans groups, collectively called "

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

s", moved into the areas left vacant. In 1823, the United States and the various tribes in Florida signed the

Treaty of Moultrie Creek The Treaty of Moultrie Creek, also known as the Treaty with the Florida Tribes of Indians, was an agreement signed in 1823 between the government of the United States and the chiefs of several groups and bands of Native Americans living in the p ...

, which created a reservation in central Florida that included what is now Polk County. Starting in 1832, the United States government tried to move the Seminoles in Florida west to the

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

. Most of the Seminoles resisted, resulting in the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups of people collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Muscogee, Creek and Black Seminoles as well as oth ...

, 1835–1842. By the end of that war, most of the Seminoles had been sent west, with a few remnants pushed well south of what is now Polk County.

Statehood and the 19th century

Florida became a state in 1845, and Polk County was established in 1861. After the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, the county seat was established southeast of Lakeland in Bartow. While most of Polk County's early history centered on the two cities of Bartow and

Fort Meade Fort George G. Meade is a United States Army installation located in Maryland, that includes the Defense Information School, the Defense Media Activity, the United States military bands#Army Field Band, United States Army Field Band, and the head ...

, eventually, people entered the areas in northern Polk County and began settling in the areas which became Lakeland. Lakeland was first settled in the 1870s, and began to develop as the rail lines reached the area in 1884.

Freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...

settled here in 1883, starting development of what became the

African-American neighborhood African-American neighborhoods or black neighborhoods are types of ethnic enclaves found in many cities in the United States. Generally, an African American neighborhood is one where the majority of the people who live there are African American ...

of Moorehead. Lakeland was incorporated January 1, 1885. The town was founded by Abraham Munn (a resident of

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

), who purchased of land in what is now downtown Lakeland in 1882 and

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

ted the land for the town in 1884. Lakeland was named for the many lakes near the town site. In April 1898, the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

began and started a crucial point in Lakeland's development. While the war ended quickly and had little effect on most of the nation, the Florida peninsula was used as a launching point for military forces in the war. The then small town of Lakeland housed over 9,000 troops. The

10th Cavalry Regiment The 10th Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army. Formed as a segregated African-American unit, the 10th Cavalry was one of the original " Buffalo Soldier" regiments in the post–Civil War Regular Army. It served in combat during ...

, one of the original Buffalo Soldier regiments, were housed on the banks of Lake Wire. Soon after being stationed there, the black troops faced conflict with the local white population. In one event, a local druggist refused to sell to black soldiers and an argument ensued which eventually escalated to the point where the druggist brandished a pistol. The soldiers shot the druggist before he could fire, which resulted in two of the troops being arrested.

The Florida Boom and the 20th century

The Florida boom resulted in the construction of many significant structures in Lakeland, a number of which are now listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. This list includes the Terrace Hotel, New Florida Hotel (Regency Tower, currently Lake Mirror Tower), Polk Theatre, Frances Langford Promenade,

Polk Museum of Art The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art at Florida Southern College (The AGB), formerly known as the Polk Museum of Art, is a private, non-profit, and nationally accredited art museum in Lakeland, Florida. It is a member of the Florida Associatio ...

(not a product of the 1920s boom), Park Trammell Building (formerly the Lakeland Public Library and today the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce), and others. The city also has several historic districts that have many large buildings built during the 1920s and 1940s. The

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

held spring training there from 1923 to 1927 at Henley Field Ball Park. Parks were developed surrounding Lake Mirror, including Barnett Children's Park, Hollis Gardens, and the newest, Allen Kryger Park. The "boom" period went "bust" quickly, and years passed before the city recovered. Part of the reemergence was due to the arrival of the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

baseball team in 1934 for spring training. The Tigers still train at Lakeland's

Joker Marchant Stadium Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium is a baseball field in Lakeland, Florida. The 8,500-seat stadium was opened in 1966 and has had multiple renovations, most recently in 2017. It was named after local resident and former Lakeland Parks and R ...

and own the city's Class A

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

team, the

Lakeland Flying Tigers The Lakeland Flying Tigers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Lakeland, Florida, and play their home games at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. ...

. In the mid-1930s, the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...

built the Lakeland Municipal Airport. In 1938,

Florida Southern College Florida Southern College (Florida Southern, Southern or FSC) is a private college in Lakeland, Florida. In 2019, the student population at FSC consisted of 3,073 students along with 130 full-time faculty members. It offers undergraduate, gradua ...

President Ludd Spivey invited architect

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

to design a "great education temple in Florida." Wright worked on the project for over 20 years as Spivey found ways to fund it and find construction workers during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Wright's original plan called for 18 structures; in total he designed 30, but only 12 were completed. Wright's textile block motif is used extensively on the campus. The concrete blocks he used are in need of restoration. Wright titled the project ''

Child of the Sun Child of the Sun is a collection of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright on the campus of the Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. The twelve original buildings were constructed between 1941 and 1958. Another of Wright's designs, ...

'', describing his Florida Southern buildings as being "out of the ground, into the light, a child of the sun." It is the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the world, and attracts 30,000 visitors each year. In 1975, the "Florida Southern Architectural District" was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2012, Wright's campus was designated as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

World War II

At the beginning of

, the Lakeland School of

Aeronautics Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design process, design, and manufacturing of air flight-capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. While the term originally referred ...

—headquartered at the recently built Lakeland Municipal Airport—became part of a nationwide network of civilian

flight school Flight training is a course of study used when learning to aviator, pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills. Flight training can be conducted un ...

s enjoined for the war effort by the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

. Between 1940 and 1945, more than 8,000 Army Air Corps and

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

s trained on two-seater Stearman PT-17 and PT-13

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

s at the school (renamed the Lodwick School of Aeronautics in the midst of this period). From June 1941 until October 1942, 1,327 British

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

cadets trained at the Lakeland facility. The Lodwick School of Aeronautics closed in 1945. The airport ceased flight operations in the 1960; the site has since then housed the

' "Tiger Town" baseball complex.

Geography

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 city has an area of , of which is land and (10.90%) is covered by water. Lakeland is within the Central Florida Highlands area of the

Atlantic coastal plain The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

, with a terrain consisting of flatland interspersed with gently rolling hills.

Lakes

The dominant feature in Lakeland is the city's many lakes. Thirty-eight lakes are named, with a number of other bodies of water unnamed, mostly phosphate mine pits that eventually filled with water. The largest of these is Lake Parker, which is in size. Much of the culture of Lakeland revolves around its many lakes, and many people use the lakes as reference points in much the same way people in other towns use streets as reference points, such as "I live near Lake Beulah." In addition to Lake Parker, some of the more prominent lakes in the Lakeland area are Lake Hollingsworth, Lake Morton, Lake Mirror, and Lake Gibson.

Swan Swans are birds of the genus ''Cygnus'' within the family Anatidae. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe (biology) ...

s are one of the most visible features on the lakes near downtown Lakeland. They have a long history, the first swans appearing around 1923. By 1954, the swans were gone, eradicated by

alligator An alligator, or colloquially gator, is a large reptile in the genus ''Alligator'' of the Family (biology), family Alligatoridae in the Order (biology), order Crocodilia. The two Extant taxon, extant species are the American alligator (''A. mis ...

s and pets. A Lakeland resident who mourned the passing of the swans wrote to

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

. The

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...

allowed the capture of two of the royal swans, and the swans now on the lakes of Lakeland are the descendants of the one surviving royal swan sent by the Queen. In July 2006, Scott Lake, one of the city's lakes, was almost totally drained by a cluster of

sinkholes A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are also known as shakeholes, and to openings where surface water ...

. Later the lake partially refilled.

Climate

Lakeland, like most other parts of Florida north of

Lake Okeechobee Lake Okeechobee ( ) is the largest freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the List of largest lakes of the United States by area, eighth-largest natural freshwater lake among the 50 states of the United States and the second-largest ...

, is in the

humid subtropical 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 la ...

zone (

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 ...

: ''Cfa''). Typically, summers are hot and humid with high temperatures seldom dropping below 90 °F and 70 °F for the overnight low. Like most of Central Florida, afternoon thunderstorms are the norm throughout the summer. Winters in Lakeland are drier and warm, with frequent sunny skies. High temperatures range in the mid 70s during the day, with lows in the 50s. Cold snaps drop temperatures below freezing twice a year on average.

Demographics

2010 and 2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 112,641 people, 41,750 households, and 24,433 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 97,422 people, 40,529 households, and 24,654 families residing in the city. Between 2008–2012, the per capita income was $23,817 and the median household income was $40,284. Persons below the poverty line in 2008–2012 were 17.5% according to the US Census.

2000 census

As of 2000, 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39% were individuals and nontraditional families. About 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.82. In 2000, the city the population was spread out, with 21.4% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $16,119, and for a family was $17,468. Males had a median income of $14,137 versus $9,771 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $15,760. About 47% of families and 35% 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 97% of those under age 18 and 9% of those age 65 or over.

Languages

As of 2000, those who spoke only English at home accounted for 91% of all residents, while 9% spoke other languages at home. The most significant were

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

speakers who made up 6.4% of the population, while

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

came up as the third-most spoken language, which made up 0.8%, and French was fourth, with 0.5% of the population.

Religion

In 1913, the Wolfson family arrived from

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

and became the first

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

settlers to the area. After some struggles, the Jewish community in Lakeland flourished and the first synagogue, Temple Emanuel opened in 1932. The

Rohr Jewish Learning Institute The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) is a division of Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. It offers adult Jewish courses on Jewish history, law, ethics, philosophy and ...

presents classes and seminars in Lakeland in partnership with Chabad of Lakeland. Lakeland is home to the Swaminarayan

Hindu Temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

, which was established in 2005. In 1994, the first and only

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

in the county was established. It was called Masjid Aisha, but is now called the Islamic Center of Lakeland. Christianity makes up the largest religious group in Lakeland. As of 2013, an estimated 300 churches existed with an address in the city.

Economy

Lakeland is the largest city on Interstate 4 between Orlando and Tampa. Large industries in the Lakeland area are citrus, cattle, and

phosphate mining Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus. In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthophosphor ...

. In the past few decades, tourism, medicine, insurance, transportation, and music have grown in importance. Citrus growing dates back to the early settlers who planted trees in the area, in the 1850s. After a series of freezes in counties north of Polk County, the area became the focal point for citrus growing in Florida. Although citrus is no longer the largest industry in the area, it still plays a large part in the economy of Lakeland and Polk County. Phosphate mining is still important to the economy of Lakeland, although most of the mining now takes place farther south. The Bone Valley produced 25% of the U.S. phosphate supply. Lakeland's largest employer is Publix Super Markets. Publix is one of the largest regional grocery chains in the United States with over 1,200 stores across the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is census regions United States Census Bureau. It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the ...

. Publix employs over 6,500 people in the Lakeland area including headquarters,

Information Technology Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data processing, data and information processing, and storage. Inf ...

and warehouse employees. Lakeland is a transportation hub. FedEx Freight and FedEx Services and the Saddle Creek Corporation employ over 600 people in the area. Other large employers in the area include

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

GEICO The Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO ) is an American vehicle insurance company headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland. In addition to auto insurance, GEICO provides motorcycle, ATV, RV, boat, snowmobile, travel, pet, event, hom ...

, Rooms To Go, and Lakeland Regional Health.

Culture

The Lakeland History Room is a special collections archive established in 1987 housed within the Lakeland Public Library's main branch. The Lakeland History Room maintains the City's collection of historical materials as well as other locally relevant collections composed of documents, photographs, maps, building plans, audio/visual media, scrapbooks, specialty items like citrus crate labels, artwork, yearbooks, posters, and postcards. The LHR maintains a large digital collection with over 7,000 images of the city of Lakeland, its landmarks, significant historical moments, cultural institutions, and prominent citizens. The LHR provides one-on-one assistance with historic research, a history lecture series with prominent local historians, a DIY Digitizing Lab for personal material preservation, and genealogical programs and resources. In 2019, an initiative led by Lakeland City Commissioner Phillip Walker, was first presented to the City Commission to create the City's first History and Culture Center. The project was unanimously approved by the Commission and funds were allocated for the project's construction; although, the exhibit's content design would be funded by local donations and grant funding. An advisory committee made up of educators, city officials, local business owners, and civic and community leaders, led by former Mayor Gow Fields, was established to organize and advise the City in the design, content, and construction of the exhibit. The Lakeland Public Library was eventually chosen as the location of the future exhibit space due to its central location within the city, its status as a community hub, and because it was the current home of the city's local archive, the Lakeland History Room, which would be expanded into the Lakeland History and Culture Center. The History and Culture Center opened to the public in September 2022.

Historic districts

* Beacon Hill-Alta Vista Residential District * Biltmore-Cumberland Historic District * Dixieland Historic District * East Lake Morton Residential District * Lake Hunter Terrace Historic District * Munn Park Historic District * South Lake Morton Historic District

Buildings and locations

* Central Avenue School * Cleveland Court School *

* John F. Cox Grammar School * Lakeland Center * Lakeland Square Mall * Lakeside Village * Old Lakeland High School * James Henry Mills Medal of Honor Parkway * Oates Building *

Polk State College Polk State College (PSC) is a public college based in Winter Haven, Florida, United States, and is part of the Florida College System. Established in 1964, PSC operates its main campuses in Winter Haven and Lakeland, with additional education c ...

* Polk Theatre *

Southeastern University (Florida) Southeastern University is a Private university, private Christian university in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was established in 1935 in New Brockton, Alabama, as Southeastern Bible Institute, relocated to Lakeland in 1946, and became ...

USA International Speedway The USA International Speedway was an oval located near Lakeland, Florida, United States, that opened in 1995. The track was a .75-mile-long concrete paved oval with 14° banked turns. USA International Speedway was closed with the final race o ...

Florida Polytechnic University Florida Polytechnic University (Florida Poly) is a public university in Lakeland, Florida, United States. Created as an independent university in 2012, it is the newest of the 12 institutions in the State University System of Florida. It is the ...

* Winston School * Without Walls Central Church – a local/regional

megachurch A megachurch is a church with a very large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities. Most megachurches are Evangelical, although the term denotes a type of organization, not a denomination. A megachurch draws 2 ...

* Silvermoon Drive-in * Bonnet Springs

Libraries

* Lakeland Public Library *Larry R. Jackson Branch Library *eLibrary South Lakeland

Sports

Stadiums

, north of downtown, hosts

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

for the

, as well as their

class-A

and GCL Tigers rookie-league

Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the low ...

minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

teams.

RP Funding Center The RP Funding Center (formerly the Lakeland Civic Center and the Lakeland Center) is a multipurpose entertainment complex in Lakeland, Florida, comprising a convention center, arena and theater. Formerly, it was the home of the Lakeland Magic, ...

is also home to two indoor sports teams. The

Lakeland Magic The Osceola Magic are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Kissimmee, Florida, and are affiliated with the Orlando Magic. The Magic began play in the 2017–18 season as the Lakeland Magic, and now play their ho ...

is a basketball team playing in the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

and is an affiliate of the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

. The

Florida Tropics SC Florida Tropics SC is a professional soccer club based in Lakeland, Florida. They are owned by Central Florida Sports Ventures, LLC, led by Dr. Panos Iakovidis, and former USL commissioner and Rochester Rhinos owner Chris Economides. The or ...

is an

indoor soccer Indoor soccer or arena soccer is a form of five-a-side football, five-a-side or six-a-side version of minifootball. It is derived from association football and adapted to be played in walled hardcourt indoor arenas. It differs from the FIFA, FIFA ...

team playing in the

Major Arena Soccer League The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a professional indoor soccer league in North America. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico. The league is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. The le ...

. The Tropics organization also operates an outdoor team, the Lakeland Tropics, which competes in the

Premier Development League USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...

. The

Florida Tarpons The Florida Tarpons were a professional indoor football team based in Lakeland, Florida, out of the RP Funding Center. Originally established in Estero, Florida, and playing out of Germain Arena, they began play in 2012 as an expansion team of ...

were an indoor football team playing in the

American Arena League The American Arena League (AAL) is a professional Indoor American football, indoor football minor league that began playing in 2018. The league was initiated by a merger between Arena Pro Football (APF) and the Can-Am Indoor Football League (Ca ...

for one season after relocating from

Estero, Florida Estero (Spanish for "estuary") is an incorporated village in Lee County, Florida, United States, located directly beside the first aquatic nature preserve established in Florida: The Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, otherwise referred to as Estero B ...

History of sports teams

In the 1980s, the Lakeland Center briefly played host to the indoor version of the

Tampa Bay Rowdies The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Championship in the second tie ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

team. The Lakeland Center has also hosted a few hockey teams, the Lakeland Ice Warriors, the Lakeland Prowlers, and the Lakeland Loggerheads. The

United States Basketball League The United States Basketball League (USBL) was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985 and ceased operations in 2008. The USBL started in 1985 as one of the first basketball leagues to play a late-spring to ...

once had a team here as well called the Lakeland Blue Ducks.

Sun 'n Fun Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo (officially styled SUN 'n FUN) is a nonprofit organization in Lakeland, Florida dedicated to the promotion of aviation education. It is best known for the annual week-long fly-in and airshow at Lakeland Linder Intern ...

was home to Lakeland's only

roller derby Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played on an oval track by two teams of five skaters. It is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leaguesA Roller Derby league is synonymous with an individual club or team in other team sports, as ...

league, the Lakeland Derby Dames; however, the team was dissolved in November 2015. The Lakeland Center also hosts the

Florida High School Athletic Association The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is a not-for-profit organization designated by the Florida Legislature as the governing organization to regulate all interscholastic activities of high schools in Florida. It is a member of ...

's state basketball finals.

Government and politics

Lakeland is governed by a six-member city council. Four members are elected from

single-member district A single-member district or constituency is an electoral district represented by a single officeholder. It contrasts with a multi-member district, which is represented by multiple officeholders. In some countries, such as Australia and India ...

s; the other two are elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

, requiring them to gain a majority of the votes. The mayor is elected.

Mayor

The City of Lakeland was incorporated on January 1, 1885. The mayor is one of seven members of the City Commission, acting as the board chair and performing mostly ceremonial and procedural duties beyond the powers of the other six. Prior to 1988, the City Commission selected Lakeland's mayor from among its members. Mayors can be on the board for up to 12 years in a lifetime, or 16 years in combination with holding a regular commission position. Lakeland's first mayor was J.W. Trammell. The first female mayor was Lois Q. Searl, who served in 1965. The 1970 municipal election placed the first African-American on the City Commission, Dr. John S. Jackson. In 1972, he became the first black mayor for the city. In 1980, Carrie R. Oldham became Lakeland's first African-American female mayor. Since 1988, the mayor has been elected by the city's voters.

Mayors of Lakeland

{, class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=70% align="left" , - ! style="background:#F5DEB3", Mayors of Lakeland, Florida , - , {, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! Image ! Mayor ! Years ! Notes , - style="height:2em" , - , , John W. Trammell , 1885 , , - , , John D. Torrence , 1885 , , - , , Eppes C. Tucker Sr. , 1886–1888 , 3 terms , - , , Napoleon B. Bowyer , 1889–1890 , 2 terms , - ,

, Herbert J. Drane , 1888–1892 , , - , , ? , – , , - , , J. T. Park , 1894 , , - , , Clarence A. Boswell , 1894–1896 , , - , , James P. Thompson , 1897 , , - , , Samuel L.A. Clonts , 1898 , , - , , C. M. Marsh , 1898 , , - , , James P. Thompson , 1899 , , - ,

Park Trammell Park Monroe Trammell (April 9, 1876 – May 8, 1936) was an American attorney and politician from the state of Florida. Trammell represented Florida in the United States Senate from 1917 until his death in 1936. As chair of the Senate Naval Aff ...

, 1900–1902 , , - , , Samuel L.A. Clonts , 1903–1904 , , - , , John F. Cox , 1905–1907 , , - , , ? , 1908 , , - , , John S. Edwards , 1909 , , - , , William K. Jackson , 1910 , , - , , John F. Cox , 1911 , , - , , Samuel L.A. Clonts , 1912 , , - , , Oscar M. Eaton , 1913–1915 , , - , , John F. Cox , 1916–1917 , , - , , Edwin C. Flanagan , 1918–1919 , , - , , Frank H. Thompson , 1920 , , - , , Hubert C. Petteway , 1921 , , - , , J.T. Hodges , 1922–1923 , , - , , Daniel C. Boswell , 1924 , , - , , John W. Buchanan Jr. , 1925 , , - , , J. Bunyan Smith , 1926 , , - , , William S. Rodgers , 1927 , , - , , Jesse F. Council , 1927–1928 , , - , , William S. Rodgers , 1927 , , - , , William F. Reid , 1928 , , - , , Charles I. Dwiggins , 1929 , , - , , H. Dean Grady , 1930–1931 , , - , , William F. Reid , 1931 , , - , , H. Dean Grady , 1930–1931 , , - , , Benjamin M. Pulliam , 1932 , , - , , Elijah A. Godwin , 1933 , , - , , Edward L. Mack , 1934 , , - , , Elijah A. Godwin , 1935 , , , - , , George W. Mershon , 1936 , , - , , H. Clay Haynes , 1937 , , - , , Lutie M. Koons , 1938 , , - , , Thomas D. Conter , 1939 , , - , , Ira C. Hopper , 1940 , , - , , George J. Tolson , 1941 , , - , , Elmer E. Kelly Jr. , 1942 , , - , , Horace W. Gibson , 1943 , , - , , George J. Tolson , 1944 , , - , , William Cade , 1945 , , - , , Edwin C. Flanagan Jr. , 1946 , , - , , George J. Tolson , 1947 , , - , , William Cade , 1948 , , - , , Clinton V. McClurg , 1948 , , - , , Ernest B. Sutton , 1949 , , - , , Guerry L. Dobbins , 1950 , , - , , Clayton Logan , 1951 , , - , , James J. Musso , 1952 , , - , , Norman T. Kent , 1953 , , - , , Wilbur Y. Wooten , 1954 , , - , Scottkelly10211963

, S. Scott Kelly , 1955 , , - , , Mac H. Cunningham , 1956 , , - , , Earl W. Bowen , 1957 , , - , , James J. Musso , 1958 , , - , , William M. Hollis , 1958 , , - , , R. Tom Joyner Jr. , 1959 , , - , , William G. Cooper Jr. , 1960 , , - , , Reuben H. Gibson , 1961 , , - , , Morris J. Pritchard , 1962 , , - , , William H. Lofton , 1963 , , - , , R. Harold Grizzard , 1964 , , - , , James R. West , 1965 , , - , , Lois Q. Searl , 1965 , , - , , John H. Woodall Jr. , 1966 , , - , , W. Jack Day , 1967 , , - , , George W. Trask , 1968–1969 , , - , , Marvin H. Henderson Jr. , 1970 , , - , , Joe P. Ruthven , 1971 , , - , , Charles E. Whitten , 1972 , , - , , John S. Jackson , 1972–1973 , first African-American mayor , - , , George W. Trask , 1974 , , - , , W. Carl Dicks , 1975 , , - , , Peggy C. Brown , 1976 , , - , , Charles A. Coleman , 1977 , 2nd African-American mayor , - , , John Tolson , 1977 , , - , , Curtis I. Walker , 1978 , , - , , George R. Burt , 1979 , , - , , Carrie R. Oldham , 1980 , first African-American female mayor , - , , R. Larry Turnipseed , 1981 , , - , , J. Larry Durrence , 1982 , , - , , Frank J. O'Reilly , 1983 , , - , , Peggy C. Brown , 1984 , , - , , Thomas R. Shaw , 1985 , , - , , J. Larry Durrence , 1986 , , - , , Frank J. O'Reilly , 1987 , , - , , Willie J. Williams , 1988 , 4th African-American mayor , - , , ? , 1989–1993 , , - , , Buddy Fletcher , 1993–2009 , , - , , Gow Fields , 2010–2014 , first African-American mayor elected in the city , - , , R. Howard Wiggs , 2014–2018 , , - , , Bill Mutz , 2018–present , , -

Law enforcement

On September 28, 2006, Polk County Sheriff's Deputy Vernon "Matt" Williams and his K-9 partner Diogi were shot and killed after a routine traffic stop in the Wabash area of Lakeland. More than 500 police officers from a variety of law enforcement agencies joined in a search for Angilo Freeland, suspected of murdering Williams and stealing his gun. Freeland was found hiding in a rural area the next morning. Nine officers from five different law enforcement agencies surrounded Freeland and shot him when he raised Williams' stolen gun at them. A total of 110 shots were fired, and Freeland was hit 68 times, killing him instantly. Multiple investigations concluded the officers' use of force was justified. Deputy Williams and Diogi were laid to rest on October 3, 2006, after a funeral that included a one-hour-and-45-minute procession to Auburndale. In 2021, the Lakeland Police Department hired numerous former NYPD officers. Two of the new hires failed to disclose that they had been disciplined by the NYPD, and one new hire used to work in the NYPD's notorious anti-crime units which were disbanded after high-profile scandals.

Education

The 28 elementary schools, seven middle schools, five traditional high schools, and three magnet-choice high schools in the Lakeland area are run by the Polk County School Board.

Traditional public high schools

* George W. Jenkins High School * Kathleen High School * Lake Gibson High School *

Lakeland Senior High School Lakeland Senior High School (abbreviated as LSHS) is an independent public co-educational high day school, located in the suburb of South Lake, Western Australia. History The school was established in 1990 and caters to students from Year 7 to ...

* Tenoroc High School

Magnet high schools

* Central Florida Aerospace Academy * Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts * Polk State College Lakeland Collegiate High School

Traditional public middle schools

* Kathleen Middle School * Lake Gibson Middle School * Crystal Lake Middle school * Sleepy Hill Middle School * Lakeland Highlands Middle School * Southwest Middle School

Magnet middle schools

*Lawton Chiles Middle School * Rochelle School of the Arts (elementary and middle)

Charter schools

* McKeel Academy of Technology * Lakeland Montessori Schoolhouse * Lakeland Montessori Middle School * Lakeland Collegiate High school * Magnolia Montessori Academy

Private schools

*Calvary Baptist Church Academy *Geneva Classical Academy *Heritage Christian Academy *Lakeland Christian Preparatory School *

Lakeland Christian School Lakeland Christian School (LCS) is a private Christian school located in Lakeland, Florida. Bible classes are mandatory and they have a weekly chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Chris ...

*Parkway Christian Academy *Resurrection Catholic School * Santa Fe Catholic High School *Sonrise Christian School *St Anthony *St Joseph *St Lukes *St Paul Lutheran School *Victory Christian Academy *Excel Christian Academy

Colleges and universities

* Florida Technical College *

Keiser University Keiser University is a private university with its main campus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and flagship residential campus in West Palm Beach, Florida. Additional campuses are located in other parts of Florida and internationally. Keiser provides ...

Webster University Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri, United States. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The university has an alumni net ...

Southeastern University Southeastern University is a Private university, private Christian university in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was established in 1935 in New Brockton, Alabama, as Southeastern Bible Institute, relocated to Lakeland in 1946, and became ...

* Whitefield Theological Seminary A number of opportunities exist for higher education around the Lakeland area.

is the largest university in the area, with undergraduate enrollment around 6200. Southeastern is affiliated with the

Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...

, established in 1883 and with a current undergraduate enrollment of just over 2600, is on Lake Hollingsworth. Florida Southern is the home of the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. In July 2008, the University of South Florida's Lakeland campus was granted partial autonomy by Governor

Charlie Crist Charles Joseph Crist Jr. ( ; born July 24, 1956) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th List of governors of Florida, governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 and as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. represen ...

and became Florida Polytechnic University. Florida Polytechnic (FLPoly) is just inside the Lakeland's northeast border at the intersection of I-4 and Polk Parkway. They also have some administrative offices on the campus of

on Winter Lake Road. FLPoly is focused on STEM degree programs, such as engineering and computer science. Both Everest University and

, two multisite, accredited universities, have locations in Lakeland. Traviss Career Center is a

vocational school A vocational school (alternatively known as a trade school, or technical school), is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary education#List of tech ed skills, secondary or post-secondar ...

offers on-site, regionally accredited graduate degree programs in business and counseling at their Lakeland Metropolitan Campus

Media

Polk County is within the Tampa Bay television market.

Charter Spectrum Spectrum is the trade name of Charter Communications. The name is widely used by both market consumers and commercial businesses. Services that Spectrum offers include cable television, internet access, internet security, managed services, mo ...

is the cable television franchise serving Lakeland, which offers most television stations from the Tampa Bay market, as well as

WFTV WFTV (channel 9) is a television station in Orlando, Florida, United States, affiliated with American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It is owned by Cox Media Group alongside WRDQ (channel 27), an independent station. The two stations share studios ...

, the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

affiliate from Orlando.

WMOR-TV WMOR-TV (channel 32) is an independent television station licensed to Lakeland, Florida, United States, serving the Tampa Bay area. Owned by Hearst Television, the station maintains studios on Hillsborough Avenue in east Tampa, and its transm ...

, an

independent television station An independent station is a broadcast station, usually a television station, not affiliated with a larger broadcast network. As such, it only broadcasts syndicated programs it has purchased; brokered programming, for which a third party pays t ...

, is licensed to Lakeland, with its studios in Tampa and its transmitter in Riverview. Lakeland and Polk County are within its own radio market. Local radio stations include: * WLKF 1430 AM *

WONN WONN (1230 Hertz, kHz) is a commercial radio, commercial AM broadcasting, AM radio station broadcasting a sports radio, sports radio format. City of license, Licensed to Lakeland, Florida, the station is owned by Hall Communications, Inc. WONN ...

1230 AM * WWAB 1330 AM *

WPCV WPCV (97.5 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station, licensed to Winter Haven and serving Central Florida. It has a country music radio format and is owned and operated by Hall Communications. The radio studios and offices are in Lakeland. W ...

97.5 FM * WWRZ 98.3 FM

WLLD WLLD (94.1 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Lakeland, Florida, and serving the Tampa Bay area. Owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, it broadcasts a rhythmic CHR format. WLLD's studios and offices are located in St. Petersburg, and ...

94.1 FM is licensed to Lakeland, but has wider focus on the Tampa Bay area, with studios in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

WKES WKES (91.1 Hertz, MHz) is a commercial radio, non-commercial, listener-supported FM broadcasting, FM radio station broadcasting a Christian talk and teaching radio format. City of license, Licensed to Lakeland, Florida, it serves the Tampa Bay a ...

91.1 FM is also licensed to Lakeland as part of the statewide

Moody Radio Moody Radio is one of the largest Christian radio networks in the United States. Located in downtown Chicago, Moody Radio has 71 owned and operated stations

Florida network, with studios in

, near St. Petersburg. Most major stations from Tampa Bay and a few from Orlando are also available. Print media include ''

The Ledger ''The Ledger'' is a daily newspaper serving Lakeland, Florida, and the Polk County area. History The paper was founded on August 22, 1924, as the ''Lakeland Evening Ledger''. In 1927, it bought its main competitor, the morning ''Lakeland S ...

'', a local newspaper owned by

Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. ( ) is an American mass media holding company headquartered in New York City. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. It owns the national newspaper ''USA Today'', as well as several ...

. Patterson Jacobs Media Group publishes a magazine, ''The Lakelander''.
LkldNow
is a nonprofit digital news organization that covers Lakeland news.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Because Lakeland is the largest city on I-4 between Tampa and Orlando, the city is an important transportation hub. The county nickname, Imperial Polk County, was coined because a large bond issue in 1914 enabled wide roads between the cities of Polk County. The important freeways and highways in Lakeland today are: * is the main interstate in Central Florida linking Tampa, Lakeland, Orlando, and Daytona Beach. * (or Polk Parkway), is a tolled beltway around Lakeland, with both ends terminating at I-4. Although its shape, location, and tolls makes it impractical as a "bypass" road, it is useful as a way of getting from part of town to another and providing access to I-4 from most parts of the city. * , following Memorial Boulevard for most of the city, was the route leading to both Tampa and Orlando before I-4 was built; US 92 is still a main road leading to Plant City going west, and Auburndale, Winter Haven, and Haines City going east. * , going south, follows Bartow Road and leads to Bartow, the county seat. Heading north out of town, it provides a route to

Dade City Dade City, officially the City of Dade City, is a city in, and the county seat of Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is located in the Tampa Bay Area, northeast of Tampa and southwest of Orlando. The population was 7,275 as of the 2020 c ...

. * , following mostly rural land, provides access to Lake County and the Florida’s Turnpike. * , following Florida Avenue, the main north–south route in Lakeland, is also the main road leading south to

Mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinat ...

. * , Winter-Lake Road, is in southern Lakeland, leading to Winter Haven and

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 ...

Bicycle routes

In recent years, the Lakeland area has developed a number of paved, multi-use bicycle routes including the Lake-To-Lakes Trail, which runs from Lake Parker through downtown, past several lakes, ending at Lake John. Other routes include University Trail, which connects

to Florida Polytechnic University, and the Fort Fraser Trail, which runs along US Highway 98 from Polk State College to Highway 60 in Bartow.

Public transportation

* Lakeland Amtrak Station *

In 2017, Linder received its first international flight and was renamed Lakeland Linder International Airport in 2018. * Lakeland Greyhound Terminal *

Citrus Connection Citrus Connection is the public transit system of Lakeland, Florida, operated by the Lakeland Area Mass Transit District (LAMTD). The system operates a fleet of 33 buses on 14 routes in the Lakeland area, including service provided for Winter Hav ...

local bus service.

Utilities

Water and wastewater in the Lakeland area is managed by Lakeland Water Utilities, municipal water supply is treated at local water plants, T.B. Williams and C. Wayne Combee. The water is mainly supplied by wells that draw from the

Floridan aquifer The Floridan aquifer system, composed of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers, is a sequence of Paleogene carbonate rock which spans an area of about in the southeastern United States. It underlies the entire state of Florida and parts of Alaba ...

. Power is generated by a nonprofit public power utility, Lakeland Electric. Lakeland Electric is a municipal utility and government department of the city of Lakeland, Florida. Lakeland was the third city in the state of Florida to have electric lighting powered in 1891 by The Lakeland Light and Power Company after Jacksonville and Tampa. Over a decade later in 1904, citizens purchased the private light power plant for $7,500 establishing the locally owned, municipal utility known today as Lakeland Electric.

Power plants

Lakeland Electric powers the city of Lakeland by two power plants, C.D. McIntosh Power Plant, coal-natural gas combined cycle plant slated to phase out in 2024, and Larsen Memorial. The last coal unit at C.D. McIntosh Power Plant was phased out in January 2024, a plan presented by the Lakeland Electric staff in 2019.

Notable people

Entertainment

Nat Adderley Nathaniel Carlyle Adderley (November 25, 1931 – January 2, 2000) was an American jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It ...

, jazz

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. There is also a soprano cor ...

ist and composer *

Lindsey Alley Lindsey Erin Alley (born December 6, 1977) is an American actress and singer, who for several years lived in New York City and now resides in Los Angeles. She is known for performing on all seven seasons of ''The All New Mickey Mouse Club'' (1989 ...

, Mouseketeer and actress *

Bobby Braddock Robert Valentine Braddock (born August 5, 1940) is an American country music, country songwriter and record producer. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Braddock has contributed numerous hit s ...

, record producer in

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...

Howard J. Buss Howard J. Buss (born in 1951) is an American composer of contemporary classical music. Buss’ works include instrumental solos, chamber music, symphonic, choral, and band works. His music has received awards, including from the 2011 Lieksa Bras ...

, composer *

Charleene Closshey Charleene Closshey (born January 15, 1981) is an American stage and screen actress, musician, composer, and producer. She is known for her starring roles in the romantic comedy, romantic-comedy feature ''No Postage Necessary'' (2018) and the ho ...

, film/Broadway actress, musician, and producer * Copeland, pop/alternative rock band * Jonny Diaz, Christian musician * Samantha Dorman, ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...

Playmate A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Playm ...

* Rhea Durham,

Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing and beauty products, beauty retailer. Founded in 1977 by a Stanford graduate student and his wife, Roy Raymond, Roy and Gaye Raymond, the company's five lingerie stores were sold to Les Wexner i ...

model *

Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 in pursuit of a recording career. Evans initially performed as ...

, singer * Stephen Baron Johnson, painter *

Frances Langford Julia Frances Newbern-Langford (April 4, 1913 – July 11, 2005) was an American singer and actress who was popular during the Golden Age of Radio and made film and television appearances for over two decades. She was known as the "GI Nightinga ...

, singer, actress, and radio star (1930s and 1940s) * Neva Jane Langley, Miss America 1953 * Mike Marshall, bluegrass musician and mandolinist *

Kara Monaco Kara Monaco (born February 26, 1983) is an American model. She was chosen as Playmate of the Month by ''Playboy'' magazine in June 2005. She appeared on the cover of the June 2006 issue of ''Playboy'' as the 2006 Playmate of the Year. Early lif ...

, ''Playboy'' Playmate * Robert Phillips, guitarist *

Lauren Miller Rogen Lauren Anne Miller Rogen ( Miller; born July 24, 1982) is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and director. She has appeared in the films '' Superbad'' (2007), '' Zack and Miri Make a Porno'' (2008), and '' 50/50'' (2011). In 2012, she ...

, actress *

Forrest Sawyer Forrest Sawyer (born April 19, 1949) is an American broadcast journalist. Sawyer worked 11 years with ABC News, where he frequently anchored ''ABC World News Tonight'' and ''Nightline'' and reported for all ABC News broadcasts. He anchored the new ...

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

reporter and anchor *

SoulJa Johannes Maria Leenders Zwaan, better known as , is a Japanese hip-hop musician and songwriter best known for his collaborations with singer Thelma Aoyama, "Koko ni Iru yo" and " Soba ni Iru ne" – the latter of which was the former Guinness W ...

, rapper *

Steve1989MREInfo Steven Thomas (born ), known online as Steve1989MREInfo, is an American YouTuber and military history commentator, best known for his YouTube video content in which he unboxes and eats military rations. Early and personal life Thomas's inter ...

, YouTube personality * J. D. Sumner, singer and songwriter *

Dan White Daniel James White (September 2, 1946 – October 21, 1985) was an American politician who assassinated George Moscone, the 37th mayor of San Francisco, and Harvey Milk, a fellow member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, inside San ...

(1908–1980), American actor in film and television *

Monte Yoho Bryon Lamont "Monte" Yoho (born March 26, 1952) is an American southern rock and country musician. He is best known as being a member of Outlaws and Blackhawk. Early life Yoho was born on March 26, 1952, in Lakeland, Florida. In 1965, when he wa ...

, drummer for

Outlaws An outlaw is a person living outside the law. Outlaws or The Outlaws may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''The Outlaws'' (1950 film), an Italian crime film * ''Outlaws'' (1985 film), a French film * ''The Outlaws'' (2017 film), a Sou ...

Sports

* George Almones, NBA Player *

Dwayne Bacon Dwayne Lee Bacon Jr. (born August 30, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Zenit Saint Petersburg of the VTB United League. He has also played for the Charlotte Hornets and the Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Asso ...

, NBA Player * Danny Baggish, pro darts player * Andy Bean,

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...

golfer * Ahmad Black, NFL player, Tampa Bay Buccaneers * Keon Broxton-

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

Center Fielder * Desmond Clark,

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

player,

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

* Lance Davis,

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

player,

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

* Matt Diaz, former MLB player * Paul Edinger, NFL player,

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

and Chicago Bears * Justin Forsett, running back,

UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkele ...

* Carson Fulmer, former Vanderbilt baseball player, drafted 8th overall by

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

* Kenneth Gant, NFL safety * Ronnie Ghent, football player *

Matt Grothe Matt Grothe (born September 8, 1986) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at South Florida. Early life Grothe attended Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland, Florida and was a letterman in football. In football, h ...

, quarterback,

South Florida Bulls The South Florida Bulls (also known as the USF Bulls) are the athletic teams that represent the University of South Florida. USF competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the American Athletic Conference for all sports besides sailing, a n ...

Nick Hamilton Nicholas Hamilton may refer to: * Nicholas Hamilton, Australian actor and musician * Nicholas Hamilton (footballer), Jamaican football player See also * Nick Barton Nicholas Hamilton Barton (born 30 August 1955) is a British evolutionary bi ...

, pro wrestling referee *

Killian Hayes Killian Deron Antron Hayes ( ; born July 27, 2001) is a French-American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League. The son of basketball player DeRon Hayes, he was born in Lakeland, Florida ...

, basketball player * Alice Haylett,

AAGPBL The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley, which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Un ...

All-Star pitcher * Drew Hutchison, MLB pitcher *

Lee Janzen Lee McLeod Janzen (born August 28, 1964) is an American professional golfer who is best known for winning the U.S. Open twice in 1993 and 1998. He currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions, and was an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour. Earl ...

, PGA Tour golfer, U.S. Open winner *

Ray Lewis Raymond Anthony Lewis Jr. (born May 15, 1975) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 17-year career as a linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football f ...

, NFL player,

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...

champion and MVP, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year *

Freddie Mitchell Freddie Lee Mitchell II (born November 28, 1978) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver for four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He was chosen ...

, NFL player,

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

and

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

Joe Nemechek Joseph Frank Nemechek III (born September 26, 1963) is an American professional stock car racing driver who last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 24 Toyota Supra for Sam Hunt Racing. Nemechek has made the second mos ...

, NASCAR Sprint Cup driver *

Joe Niekro Joseph Franklin Niekro ( ; November 7, 1944 – October 27, 2006) was an American professional baseball pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1967 to 1988 for seven different teams, primarily for the Houston Astros. He was ...

, MLB knuckleball pitcher * Lance Niekro, MLB player,

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

* Steve Pearce, MLB player,

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

* Maurkice Pouncey, NFL player,

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

Mike Pouncey James Michael Pouncey (born July 24, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators, was a member of a BCS National Champions ...

, former NFL player * Boog Powell, former MLB player * Chris Rainey, NFL player, Pittsburgh Steelers * Andrew Reynolds, professional skateboarder *

Chris Sale Christopher Allen Sale (born March 30, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox. He throws left-handed ...

, MLB player,

* Brenda Sell, Taekwondo Grandmaster * Rod Smart, NFL & XFL player *

Donnell Smith Donnell Smith (born May 25, 1949) is former defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1971 NFL draft and played with the team that season. After a season away from the ...

, NFL player,

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

and

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

* Ron Smith, NFL player,

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

Bill Spivey William Edwin Spivey (March 19, 1929 – May 8, 1995) was an American basketball player. A center, he played college basketball for the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Kentucky Wildcats from 1949 to 1951. After his high school ...

, basketball player * Jameson Taillon, MLB pitcher,

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

* Adarius Taylor, NFL linebacker * Jim Thomas, NBA player *

Justin Verlander Justin Brooks Verlander ( ; born February 20, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and New York M ...

, MLB pitcher,

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

Chris Waters Christopher Waters Dunn, known professionally as Chris Waters, is an American singer and songwriter, record producer, and culinary writer. He is the brother of country singer Holly Dunn. Dunn has written and produced many of his sister's singl ...

, former MLB player * Brooks Wilson, MLB pitcher,

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

* Alec Asher, former

baseball player

Other

* Charles T. Canady, Chief Justice, Florida Supreme Court *

Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles Jr. (April 3, 1930 – December 12, 1998) was an American politician and military officer. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senate, United States senator fr ...

, Senator and Governor of

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 ...

* Carol Jenkins Barnett, philanthropist and businesswoman, the daughter of George W. Jenkins * George W. Jenkins, founder of

Super Markets * Floretta Dukes McKenzie, educator and Superintendent of Washington, D.C. Public Schools * R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) is a Baptist theological institute in Louisville, Kentucky. The seminary was founded in 1859 in Greenville, South Carolina, where it was at first housed on the campus of Furman University. The s ...

Marvin Pipkin Marvin Pipkin (November 18, 1889 – January 7, 1977) was an American chemist, engineer, and scientist. During his time in the United States Army, he worked on gas mask innovations. These masks were used by soldiers as well as the public during Wo ...

, scientist engineer that had many inventions and innovations for the light bulb. * Gene Ready, Florida businessman and state legislator * Charles Z. Smith, Associate Justice, Washington State Supreme Court *

, Mayor of Lakeland, Florida Attorney General, Governor of Florida and U.S. Senator

Sister cities

Lakeland Sister Cities International (LSCI), a chapter of Sister Cities International, was formed in 1990 with Lakeland's first sister city Richmond Hill, Canada. *

Bălți Bălți () is a city in Moldova. It is the second-largest city in terms of population, area and economic importance, after Chișinău. The city holds the status of municipiu. Sometimes called "the northern capital", it is a major industrial, cu ...

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

(since 1997) *

Chongming County Chongming District () is the northernmost district of the provincial-level municipality of Shanghai. Chongming consists of three low-lying inhabited alluvial islands at the mouth of the Yangtze north of the Shanghai peninsula: Chongming, Cha ...

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

, China (since 2007) * Imabari,

Ehime is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,334,841 and a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Tokushima Prefecture to th ...

, Japan (since 1995) *

Portmore, Jamaica Portmore () is a large urban settlement located along the southeastern coast of Jamaica in Saint Catherine Parish, Saint Catherine, and a dormitory community for Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston and Spanish Town, which neighbour it. On February 11, 20 ...

(since 2009) *

Richmond Hill, Ontario Richmond Hill ( 2021 population: 202,022) is a city in south-central York Region, Ontario, Canada. Part of the Greater Toronto Area, it is the York Region's third most populous municipality and the 27th most populous municipality in Canada. Ric ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

(since 1990) Lakeland also has "regional friendships" (a less formal version of sister cities) with: *

Rîbnița Rîbnița ( or , , ) or Rybnitsa (; ) is a town in the breakaway state, breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria. According to the 2004 Census in Transnistria, 2004 census, it has a population of 53,648. Rîbnița is situated in the northern half ...

* Jiaxing, China Lakeland FL Southgate Shopping Center01

In popular culture

In 1990, Lakeland made its

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

debut when the Southgate Shopping Center was featured in the movie ''

Edward Scissorhands ''Edward Scissorhands'' is a 1990 American gothic romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton. It was produced by Burton and Denise Di Novi, written by Caroline Thompson from a story by her and Burton, and starring Johnny Depp as the title ...

''. It was also used in the filming of the Judd Nelson movie ''Endure''. Classrooms from Florida Southern College were used in the

Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...

comedy, ''

The Waterboy ''The Waterboy'' is a 1998 American sports comedy film directed by Frank Coraci. It was written by Adam Sandler as well as Tim Herlihy and produced by Robert Simonds and Jack Giarraputo. Sandler also stars as the title character while Kathy Ba ...

''. The Lakeland Civic Center was also the filming location for the music video of ''

Little Red Corvette "Little Red Corvette" is a song by American recording artist Prince. The song combines a Linn LM-1 beat and slow synth buildup with a rock chorus, over which Prince, using several automobile metaphors, recalls a one-night stand with a beautiful pr ...

'' by pop musician

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

. In 2020, the Southgate Shopping Center was featured as the exterior of the “Big Top Mall” in the movie ''The One and Only Ivan'', with other scenes located at the Silver Moon Drive-In and Dobbins Park.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * *

External links

Official website

Lakeland Chamber of Commerce
* * {{Authority control 1884 establishments in Florida Cities in Florida Cities in Polk County, Florida Populated places established in 1884