Location
Polk County is strategically located in the center of the Florida peninsula, about equal distance from the east and west coast and half way between the Georgia-Florida border and the Southern tip of the peninsula. Polk lies on the Interstate-4 corridor, 25 miles east of Tampa and 35 miles southwest of Orlando. As the geographic center of Florida, it is estimated that more than 7.5 million people reside within a 100 mile radius of Polk County. This is one of the largest concentrations of population in the southeast.
History
Polk County became Florida's 39th county on February 8, 1861, when the State of Florida divided Hillsborough County into eastern and western halves. The eastern half was named Polk, in honor of the 11th President of the United States, James Knox Polk. Following the Civil War, the county commission established the county seat on 120 acres donated in the central part of the county.
Bartow, the county seat, was named after Francis S. Bartow, a confederate Colonel from Georgia who was the first confederate officer to die in battle during the first battle of the Civil War. Col. Bartow was buried in Savannah, GA with military honors, and promoted posthumously to the rank of brigadier general.
Fort Blount , as Bartow was then known, in a move to honor one of the first fallen heroes of the Confederacy, was one of several towns and counties in the South that changed their name to Bartow. The first courthouse built in Bartow was constructed in 1867. It was replaced twice, in 1884 and in 1908. As the third courthouse to stand on the site, the present structure houses the Polk County Historical Museum and Genealogical Library.
Size
Polk County is larger than the state of Rhode Island and equal in size to Delaware. The total area of the county is approximately 2,010 square miles which makes it the fourth largest county in Florida, exceeded only by Dade, Palm Beach, and Collier counties. Polk County has 554 natural freshwater lakes which occupy approximately 135 square miles, or over seven percent of the total area of the county. The total land area of Polk County is approximately 1,875 square miles.
Population
Polk County's total population estimate for 2005 was 541,840 (an increase of 12 percent from the 2000 U.S. Census count of 483,924). This represents an average annual growth rate of 2.4 percent or an average annual increase of 11,583 persons. Polk ranks as the eighth most populous of Florida's of 67 counties. Polk's total population is expected to grow to an estimated 587,600 by 2010 and 675,000 by 2020.
Polk County's population in 2004 was estimated to be 528,389. In terms of numerical population change between 2000–2004, Polk ranked 12th in the state but ranked 32nd over this same period for percent of change (9.2%). Approximately 61.8 percent of Polk County's total population resides in the unincorporated area of the county. The other 38 percent of the population live in Polk County's 17 cities. Polk County's largest city is Lakeland , with a 2004 population of 89,731, followed by Winter Haven with a population of 27,885. Other municipalities include: Auburndale, Bartow, Davenport, Dundee, Eagle Lake, Fort Meade, Frostproof, Haines City, Highland Park, Hillcrest Heights, Lake Alfred, Lake Hamilton, Lake Wales, Mulberry, and Polk City.
The median age of Polk's population in 2001, was estimated to be 38.6 years old with 18.45 percent of the total population 65 years old or older. Persons under the age of eighteen represented 24.3 percent of the County's total population. In fact, population growth between 1990 and 2000 was primarily fueled by people in the age range of 35 to 54, which accounted for 43.6% of the entire increase over this period. There were approximately 85,300 students enrolled in Polk County's public schools (kindergarten through 12th grade) for the 2004-2005 school year. An estimated 7,600 students attend private schools and another 3,531 students in Polk County are taught at home.
Economy
Polk County's economy has been historically based on three primary industries: phosphate mining, agriculture and tourism.
The discovery of phosphate rock in the Peace River, near Fort Meade, Florida in 1881, initiated the mining of the world's largest deposit of phosphate rock, known as the “Bone Valley Deposit.” This deposit, which encompasses approximately 500,000 acres in Polk, Hillsborough, Hardee, and Manatee Counties, provides approximately 75 percent of the nation's phosphate supply and about 25 percent of the world supply.
Approximately 200,000 acres or 15.3 percent of Polk County have been mined for phosphate rock. Polk continued to lead the state in 1998, with 14.7 million tons of phosphate rock mined. However, four straight years of low prices and weak demand for phosphate fertilizer led to a loss in sales in 2002. The industry's impact on the Polk County economy will continue to decline in the 21 st Century as phosphate mining moves south into Hardee and Desoto Counties. Chemical manufacturing plants located in Polk County are used to convert the insoluble phosphate rock into soluble products, such as diammonium phosphate and monoammonium phosphate, which are used in fertilizers and other products. There are numerous, other industries located in Polk County which support and rely on the phosphate mining industry.
In October 2004, IMC Global, Inc. and Cargill Corp Nutrition merged and became Mosaic Co. This merger created the world's second largest fertilizer manufacturer with annual sales estimated at $4.5 billion. Mosaic employs more than 3,000 workers in Polk County at five active mines, Four Corners, Fort Green, Kingsford, South Fort Meade and Hookers Prairie; and fertilizer plants, Bartow, Green Bay, New Wales, and South Pierce. For more information on the phosphate industry, go to: http://www.fipr.state.fl.us/
Polk County has the 2nd largest amount of farmland in the state with an estimated 626,634 acres in 2002. Polk remains the sixth most productive agricultural county in Florida . The $878 million citrus industry employs approximately 8,000 people in Polk County . Polk ranked first in the state for total citrus picked for the 2003-04 season with an estimated total of 42.2 million boxes harvested. Polk also ranked first in the state in the amount of commercial citrus groves with approximately 95,050 acres (2004 estimate). In addition to citrus, Polk was ranked third in the state in 2004, in number of beef cattle with an estimated 105,000 head of beef and dairy cattle, according to the Florida Agricultural Statistics Service. Total receipts from the sale of crops and livestock in Polk County rose to $284.8 million in 2002 based upon a report released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis at the U.S. Department of Commerce. For more information on citrus, go to: http://www.flcitrusmutual.com/
Tourism is a strong economic force in Polk County and dates back to the dedication of Bok Tower Gardens in 1929 by President Calvin Coolidge. In the mid-1930's, the late Dick Pope, Sr. established the world famous Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven , Florida's first theme attraction. Today, millions of people visit Polk County each year to enjoy these two attractions as well as Fantasy of Flight, the Sun ‘n' Fun Air Museum, and many more. Polk County is also located within a one hour drive of the Walt Disney World resort area, Universal Studios, Sea World, and Busch Gardens . In addition to these attractions, Polk is the spring training headquarters for the Detroit Tigers ( Lakeland ) and the Cleveland Indians ( Winter Haven ) baseball teams. The county had an estimated total of 11,500 hotel, motel, rental condominium units and vacation rentals in 2004.
In recent years, Polk County has gained notoriety as a preferred venue for recreational and competitive sports on all levels. In 2001, the county hosted 140 sporting events that pumped in excess of $84 million into the local economy. This is in addition to $72 million generated by the Spring Training operations of the Cleveland Indians, and the Detroit Tigers. Polk County Sports Marketing, the sports marketing arm of the Board of County Commissioners, was honored as Florida's “Sports Commission of the Year” by the Florida Sports Foundation for its success in promoting the county as a sports destination. For more information on Polk County Sports Marketing, go to: http://www.centralfloridasports.com/home/
Today, phosphate mining, agriculture and tourism still play vital roles in the local economy. However, the county has successfully expanded and diversified its economic base in recent years. The primary mission of the Central Florida Development Council (CFDC) since its formation in 1985 by the Board of County Commissioners, has been to improve the standard of living for the citizens of Polk County by diversifying the economy through job creation in all industries. The CFDC has successfully worked with other industries to help them expand and relocate to Polk County . Polk County's central location within the large Florida marketplace has attracted numerous manufacturers and distribution centers in recent years.
The housing market remains strong in Polk County, just as it does around the country. Construction is a pillar of economic strength for Polk County with a record of 5,900 total permits issued for single family homes in 2004. This is an increase of approximately 68.7% over a total of 3,498 building permits issued in 2003 for single family homes. The total number of homes sold in 2004, was 5,300, an increase of 7.8% over a total of 4,918 homes sold in 2001.
Cost of Living
Polk County ranked below the state average in cost of living, according to the 2003 Florida Price Level Index. Polk's index of 95.74 indicated that it's cost of living was 4.26 below the state average of 100.00 and ranked 33rd out of Florida's 67 counties.
Employment
In 2004, the average unemployment rate in Polk County was 5.5 percent, a 0.5 percent reduction from 6.0 percent unemployment in 2003. The average labor force in 2004 was approximately 247,821 workers.
The 2003 average wage in Polk was $30,224, about 8.80 percent below the state average of $34,328. Between 1990 and 2000, diversification of Polk's economy helped to increase the annual average wages by 44 percent (inflation was 32% over the same period).
Polk County has a number of public and private employers with employmentin excess of 1,000 workers. Many prominent companies are also headquartered in Polk County with operations across Florida and in surrounding states. The top non-government employers in Polk County with 1,000 employees or more include Publix Supermarkets, Walt Disney World, Wal-Mart, Lakeland Regional Medical Center, Mosaic (phosphate company), Winter Haven Hospital, Geico Insurance, State Farm Insurance, Watson Clinic, GC Services, and Florida's Natural Growers.
About 26,255 people are employed in retail jobs in Polk County. Job growth in Polk County during the decade of the 1990's did not occur in the traditional industries. Instead, job growth in Polk began to mirror national trends and those trends were more closely aligned with those in urbanized areas of Florida . This reflects a new emerging economy, from 1990 to 2000, with job growth concentrated in the services and retail industries.
Recreation and Leisure
Polk County contains a total of 4,303 acres of public parkland which is owned and managed by both the county and municipalities. The Board of County Commissioners owns and manages approximately 2,461 acres of this total parkland acreage. Lake Kissimmee State Park, which consist of 48,156 acres, is also located in Polk County . In addition to public parks, Polk has over 100,000 acres of pastoral lands open to the public for resource-based recreation such as fishing, boating, hunting, nature study, bird watching, and similar passive recreation pursuits.
With 554 natural, freshwater lakes and numerous rivers and flooded phosphate pits, Polk County is a haven for the boating and fishing enthusiast. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates that over 74,000 people fish Polk County's lakes annually. Pleasure boating is also a popular outdoor activity. According to the Polk County Tax Collector's Office, there were approximately 26,300 boats registered in Polk County as of June 30, 1999. Polk County owns and maintains 53 boat ramps and municipalities own an additional 34 boat ramps. Together, these boat ramps provide public access to 88 lakes. Polk County has long been recognized as the “Water Ski Capital of the World,” due in large measure to its hundreds of accessible fresh water lakes. For the golfing enthusiast, Polk has 32 public and 13 private golf courses located throughout the County.
For more information on Polk County 's parks and recreation opportunities, go to:
http://www.sunsational.org
Green Swamp
A major portion of northern Polk County, approximately 220,000 acres, is known as the “Green Swamp.” For the past 30 years, this area has received considerable attention at local, regional, and state levels due to its importance as a significant water resource for the state. In 1978, the Florida Legislature designated the area, including 115,000 acres in Lake County, as an Area of Critical State Concern, pursuant to State Law (Section 380.05, Florida Statutes). This area is not a swamp in the typical sense – it is a series of wetlands, flat lands, and sand hills dispersed over a total area of some 850 square miles which support agriculture, wildlife habitat, conservation areas, and rural residential development.
It is actually a high, poorly-drained plateau that acts as a water retention area which feeds several major rivers in the state, including the Peace, Withlacoochee, Oklawaha, and Hillsborough Rivers . In addition to feeding these major river systems, the Green Swamp also plays an important role in maintaining the vast fresh water supply of the Floridan Aquifer. For these reasons, Polk County has adopted special regulations for any development within this area. These regulations can be found in Chapter 5 of the Land Development Code and Appendix 2.132 of the Comprehensive Plan.
For more information on the Green Swamp , go to:
http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/interactive/greenswamp/greenswamp.html
Polk County named Finalist for All-American City Award
The National Civic League named Polk County as one of 21 national fi nalists for the All-America City Award – America’s original and most prestigious community recognition. Since 1949, the award has honored communities of all sizes for their outstanding partnerships and efforts in addressing critical local issues.
Polk County was acknowledged for addressing some of the community’s most important needs, through the following programs:
Hurricane Heroes – The 2004 hurricanes caused Polk’s residents and business owners to test their survival skills, and left them wondering how the local economy could overcome such destruction.
The Hurricane Heroes campaign markets Polk County to the thousands of out-of- county electric company line workers, insurance adjustors and FEMA staff who assisted with the 2004 hurricane recovery. This initiative has helped increase sales of overnight accommodations, providing a muchneeded boost to our economy after a devastating hurricane season.
Park Partners – Park Partners focuses on park rejuvenation through community commitment, asking residents to assume ownership of a park by signing an adoption pledge to care for and maintain park facilities. Park Partners also has developed a system by which plants can be propagated, planted and maintained solely through community volunteers with programs such as Backyard Nurseries, Schoolyard Nurseries, Boot Camp Nursery, “How To” Clinics, preferred customer discounts, and a plant delivery network.
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Alliance Youth Leadership Team – This team provides outreach and education to teens through school and community based events. Its mission is to educate teens and encourage them to set healthy goals and make appropriate and responsible choices. The team members, students ranging in ages from 10 to 19 years, also advise the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Alliance on many aspects of their work and give a voice to the unique perspective of Polk’s teens.
Communities that earn the All-America City title realize numerous benefi ts, including national recognition, greater civic collaboration, and economic stimulus. The award recipients will be selected in June after each fi nalist presents their innovative programs, along with their local solutions, to a jury of national business, government and nonprofit leaders.
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