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Welcome to Polk County ...

Time Zone: Polk County lies in the Eastern Time Zone (EST/EDT) and observes daylight saving time.

The community of Bartow is the Seat for Polk County.

Polk County was founded February 8, 1861. Polk was created by taking area from Brevard and Hillsborough Counties.

From the Census Estimates for 2019, <1> Polk had a population of 724,777 people. This is an increase of 20.17% since the last Census (which gave a population of 603,102 people in 2010).

At the time of the 2010 Census, Polk represented 3.21% of the total population of Florida.

Below are some of the communities located in Polk County:

  • Auburndale
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Bartow
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bartow
    • Bartow is located in Polk County (FL)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 20,201 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bartow <2>
  • Davenport
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Dundee
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dundee
    • Dundee is located in Polk County (FL)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,200 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dundee <2>
  • Eagle Lake
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Fort Meade
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
  • Frostproof
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Haines City
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (9 more) ...
    • Highland Park
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland Park
      • Highland Park is located in Polk County (FL)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 221 people
    • Hillcrest Heights
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hillcrest Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillcrest Heights
      • Hillcrest Heights is located in Polk County (FL)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 305 people
    • Lake Alfred
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Lake Hamilton
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Lake Wales
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Lakeland
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Mulberry
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Polk City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Winter Haven
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)

Websites of Interest ...

Footnotes ...

<1>On a yearly basis, the US Census Bureau creates an estimate of the county's population. Keep in mind that this is an estimate and not an actual count. The last physical count was the 2010 Census and the next count will be for the 2020 Census.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.