With a population of over 112,000 residents, Lakeland is one of the largest cities in Polk County, Florida. Known as the "City of Lakes", Lakeland has 38 named lakes within its city limits. The city's history dates back to the 1880s when it was first settled and originally called "Red Bug" after an insect pest. Lakeland was incorporated in January 1885 and later renamed after the numerous lakes near the town site.
Today, Lakeland is home to many attractions and landmarks. Back in 1924, Florida Southern College was established in Lakeland and its campus contains the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the world. Other top attractions include Explorations V Children's Museum, Frances Langford Promenade, and Common Ground Park.
As of the 2020 census, Lakeland had a population of 112,136 people. The racial makeup of the city is 67.3% White, 20.8% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 5.1% from two or more races. 24.2% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race. The median age is 34.8 years old. The gender breakdown is 47.7% male and 52.3% female.
The area where Lakeland sits today was originally inhabited by Native American tribes. The first known European settler was Abraham Munn, who purchased the land that would become downtown Lakeland in the 1850s. In the 1880s, Lakeland began to develop starting with a general store built by Abraham Munn and later a railroad station. Lakeland was officially incorporated on January 1, 1885.
In the early 1900s, Lakeland began to grow rapidly due to the burgeoning citrus industry. Many new residents moved to Lakeland to work in the citrus groves. In 1924, Florida Southern College was established which spurred further growth. Lakeland was significantly impacted by the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918, the Great Depression in the 1930s, and World War II in the 1940s. After WWII, Lakeland continued to expand with the development of several malls, hotels, theme parks, and other attractions.
Today, Lakeland is the largest inland city between Tampa and Orlando. Major employers include Publix Super Markets, Lakeland Regional Health, and Amazon. The economy is driven by industrial manufacturing, education, healthcare, finance, and retail. Lakeland continues to grow and thrive as a central Florida city.
Lakeland has a diverse economy focused on industrial manufacturing, education, healthcare, retail, and finance. Many major corporations are headquartered or have major facilities in Lakeland.
The largest employer is Publix Super Markets (Address: 3300 Publix Corporate Pkwy, Lakeland, FL 33811, Phone: (863) 688-1188) which is headquartered in Lakeland and employs over 62,000 people. Other major employers include:
In addition, Lakeland has a strong finance and banking sector. Major banks include MidFlorida Credit Union and CenterState Bank which both have headquarters in Lakeland.
Some of the top attractions and landmarks in Lakeland include:
In addition, Lakeland has dozens of beautiful lakes that are popular recreation spots for fishing, boating, and paddling. Some of the most notable lakes include Lake Hollingsworth, Lake Morton, Lake Mirror, and Lake Hunter.
The Lakeland Public Library system serves the city of Lakeland. The main branch is the Lakeland Public Library located at 100 Lake Morton Drive. The 68,000 square foot main library houses over 290,000 items including books, audiobooks, DVDs, CDs, magazines, and more. There are also 8 branch libraries throughout Lakeland offering a wide array of resources and materials for education and entertainment.
Public transportation in Lakeland is provided by Citrus Connection. They operate over 30 local bus routes serving Lakeland and neighboring towns. Citrus Connection also provides door-to-door paratransit service for seniors and riders with disabilities. The system connects to regional transit like Polk Transit for travel to Bartow, Winter Haven, and other nearby cities.
Tourism is a significant industry for Lakeland and the surrounding area. Popular attractions bring in visitors year-round to enjoy the sunshine, lakes, and natural beauty of central Florida.
The Lakeland Area Tourism Bureau promotes local attractions, events, and recreational activities. Major annual events that draw crowds include the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In, Red, White & Kaboom fireworks on July 4th, and the Christmas parade. Eco-tourism is also popular with many natural parks and reserves near Lakeland such as Circle B Bar Reserve and Lake Kissimmee State Park.
Lakeland is home to several professional sports teams. The city has spring training baseball with the Detroit Tigers playing at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Minor league baseball is represented by the Lakeland Flying Tigers. For football, Lakeland hosts the Lakeland Hawks of the National Gridiron League. Previous sports teams that called Lakeland home include the Lakeland Tigers, Lakeland Flying Tigers, Lakeland Blue Ducks, Florida Firecats, and Lakeland Thunderbolts.
Lakeland has an official city government Facebook page to share news and information with residents. Follow them at facebook.com/LakelandGov.
Lakeland is located within Polk County in central Florida. Polk County services and information can be found at the Polk County Government website and their offices at:
Most of Lakeland is served by the Polk County Public Schools system. There are several public elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools within the city limits. The administrative offices for Polk County Public Schools are located at:
In addition, a small portion of southwest Lakeland is served by the School District of Hillsborough County.