Polk County sits in the center of the Florida peninsula along the I-4 corridor between Tampa and Orlando. Bartow is the county seat and Lakeland the largest city, while Winter Haven, Lake Wales, Haines City and Davenport span a landscape of many lakes, citrus groves and the sandy Lake Wales Ridge. Landmarks include Bok Tower Gardens, the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes and the Peace River headwaters. Housing includes historic districts, lakefront homes, established neighborhoods, newer master-planned subdivisions and rural acreage.
Photo: “Aerial view of Lake Hollingsworth from the south, Lakeland, Florida, May 2026” by Austindmunday, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
