POLK COUNTY INFORMATION

Polk County became Florida's 39th county in 1860 and 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. The first courthouse built 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.

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.

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. Polk County's total population in 2000 was 483,924, which ranked as the eighth most populous county in Florida. This represents a little over three percent of the state's entire population.

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. With 554 freshwater lakes, 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.