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Auburndale, Florida facts for kids

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Auburndale, Florida
City of Auburndale
The historic Auburndale City Hall as seen in June 2009.
The historic Auburndale City Hall as seen in June 2009.
Location of Auburndale in Polk County, Florida.
Location of Auburndale in Polk County, Florida.
Country United States of America
State Florida
County Polk
Settled 1880
Incorporated 1911
Area
 • Total 20.58 sq mi (53.30 km2)
 • Land 13.56 sq mi (35.12 km2)
 • Water 7.02 sq mi (18.19 km2)
Elevation
141 ft (43 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 15,616
 • Estimate 
(2021)
17,412
 • Density 1,151.79/sq mi (444.70/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
33823
Area code(s) 863
FIPS code 12-02550
GNIS feature ID 2403135
Website http://www.auburndalefl.com

Auburndale is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 15,616 at the 2020 census.

History

Auburndale was founded in 1880 by Frank Fuller, who was seeking refuge from chilly winters in the Northeast United States. The place was originally named Sanatoria, from a hotel located there. When the railroad arrived in the 1880s, the town was renamed Auburndale at the suggestion of settlers from Auburndale, Massachusetts. The New England town had been named from the opening line of the poem "The Deserted Village" by Oliver Goldsmith. Early on, the city became a chosen destination for a number of America's most prominent artists.

Geography and climate

The city is located 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Tampa and 59 miles (95 km) southwest of Orlando. Auburndale is located within the Central Florida Highlands area of the Atlantic coastal plain with a terrain consisting of flatland interspersed with gently rolling hills.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.3 square miles (24 km2), of which 5.2 square miles (13 km2) is land and 4.1 square miles (11 km2) (43.87%) is water.

Auburndale is located in the humid subtropical zone, as designated by (Köppen climate classification: Cfa).

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1920 715
1930 1,849 158.6%
1940 2,723 47.3%
1950 3,763 38.2%
1960 5,595 48.7%
1970 5,386 −3.7%
1980 6,501 20.7%
1990 8,858 36.3%
2000 11,032 24.5%
2010 13,507 22.4%
2020 15,616 15.6%
2022 (est.) 18,579 37.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 and 2020 census

Auburndale racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White (NH) 9,679 9,709 71.66% 62.17%
Black or African American (NH) 1,677 1,908 12.42% 12.22%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 24 64 0.18% 0.41%
Asian (NH) 154 256 1.14% 1.64%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) 0 7 0.00% 0.04%
Some other race (NH) 17 59 0.13% 0.38%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) 185 693 1.37% 4.44%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,771 2,920 13.11% 18.70%
Total 13,507 15,616 100% 100%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,616 people, 5,141 households, and 3,701 families residing in the city.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 13,507 people, 4,671 households, and 3,327 families residing in the city.

Transportation

The important freeways and highways in the Auburndale area are:

  • I-4 - Just north of town, this is the main interstate highway in central Florida, leading westward to Lakeland and Tampa, and eastward to Orlando and Daytona Beach.
  • SR 570 (Polk Parkway) - This toll road provides Auburndale with quick access to I-4 to the north, and leads westward to southern Lakeland.
  • US 92 - This divided highway leads westward to Lakeland and eastward to Lake Alfred.
  • SR 544 - Traverses from eastern Auburndale to Winter Haven, hence its name Havendale Boulevard.
  • SR 559 - This road leads to Polk City and I-4.

Mass transit

Auburndale is served by Winter Haven Area Transit's #12 & #50 routes.

Railroads are also important to Auburndale. The city contains two major railroad lines. The first being the CSX Carters Subdivision, and the other being the CSX Auburndale Subdivision. Amtrak uses both lines but does not stop in the city.

Airports

Two airports serve Auburndale, both of which are located in Winter Haven, east of the city. The Winter Haven Regional Airport along US 92 and the adjacent Jack Browns Seaplane Base located on the northeast shores of Lake Jessie.

Media

Auburndale is part of the Tampa/St. Pete television market, the 13th largest in the country and part of the local Lakeland/Winter Haven radio market, which is the 94th largest in the country.

Library

The Auburndale Public Library is a member of the Polk County Library Cooperative. The library is located at 100 West Bridgers Avenue Auburndale, Florida 33823. The library offers a number of services to all Polk County Residents, including 24/7 card catalog access.

Education

The public schools in Auburndale are operated by the Polk County School Board. There are five elementary schools, Berkley Elementary (a charter school ), Auburndale Central Elementary, Lena Vista Elementary, Boswell Elementary and Caldwell Elementary, which feed into Stambaugh Middle School. Students from Berkley Elementary are admitted into Berkley Accelerated Middle School (another charter school), while other students wishing to apply are put on a waiting list. Auburndale High School and Polk Pre-Collegiate Academy (PPCA) are the only high schools in Auburndale, although nearby Tenoroc High School serves students in both Auburndale and Lakeland.

Southern Technical College operates a campus in Auburndale. Nearby in Lakeland, Florida there is the main campus Florida Polytechnic University.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Auburndale (Florida) para niños

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