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Davenport, Florida
City of Davenport
Davenport City Hall
Davenport City Hall
Location in Polk County and the state of Florida
Location in Polk County and the state of Florida
Country United States
State Florida
County Polk
Settled 1838
Incorporated 1915
Government
 • Type Commission-Manager
Area
 • Total 4.21 sq mi (10.89 km2)
 • Land 4.07 sq mi (10.53 km2)
 • Water 0.14 sq mi (0.36 km2)
Elevation
125 ft (38 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 9,043
 • Density 2,224.05/sq mi (858.79/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
33837, 33897, 33896
Area code(s) Area code 863
FIPS code 12-16450
GNIS feature ID 2404190

Davenport is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It is part of the LakelandWinter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,043 at the 2020 Census. The city's population has increased dramatically since the 2010 Census, when the population was 2,888.

History

The settlement in the area now known as Davenport was established in 1838 when the US military set up Fort Davenport during the Second Seminole War, about 12 miles north of the present site of Davenport. The fort was one of a number built at 20 mile intervals along a trail from Fort Brooke to Fort Mellon. The fort only lasted a few years. The fort was named for Colonel William Davenport, who served as the local U.S. commander in the war. There is no known documentary evidence to support an alternative claim that the city was named for a railroad conductor.

The modern city of Davenport had its start in the 1880s when the South Florida Railroad was extended to that point. The settlement was first known as Horse Creek, for the creek first recorded on a US Army survey of 1849 which flows past the site to enter Snell Creek and eventually Lake Hatchineha in the Kissimmee River system. A post office was established at Horse Creek in 1884, and the name of the post office was changed to Davenport in 1886. Davenport was incorporated in 1915.

The South Florida Railroad opened a station half a mile north of the present site of the city. The railroad line was acquired by the Plant System in 1893, and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. In 1926, it was replaced by a new station in the downtown area. It was later closed in the 1970s. From 1958 to 1986 there was a second station, the Vertagreen Railroad Station, opened only for the transportation of fertilizer and not for public use.

Geography and climate

Davenport 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 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2), of which 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (3.68%) is water.

The exact coordinates for the city are located at 28°09′31″N 81°36′29″W / 28.15861°N 81.60806°W / 28.15861; -81.60806.

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

Climate data for Davenport, Florida
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 88
(31)
96
(36)
95
(35)
96
(36)
101
(38)
104
(40)
103
(39)
101
(38)
99
(37)
96
(36)
90
(32)
89
(32)
104
(40)
Average high °F (°C) 72
(22)
74
(23)
79
(26)
84
(29)
89
(32)
92
(33)
93
(34)
93
(34)
91
(33)
86
(30)
80
(27)
74
(23)
84
(29)
Average low °F (°C) 47
(8)
49
(9)
54
(12)
58
(14)
64
(18)
70
(21)
72
(22)
72
(22)
70
(21)
63
(17)
56
(13)
50
(10)
60
(16)
Record low °F (°C) 19
(−7)
21
(−6)
24
(−4)
31
(−1)
44
(7)
50
(10)
60
(16)
59
(15)
54
(12)
38
(3)
25
(−4)
16
(−9)
16
(−9)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.52
(64)
2.86
(73)
3.43
(87)
1.99
(51)
4.12
(105)
6.88
(175)
7.11
(181)
7.43
(189)
6.53
(166)
2.96
(75)
2.29
(58)
2.28
(58)
50.40
(1,280)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1920 117
1930 650 455.6%
1940 640 −1.5%
1950 760 18.8%
1960 1,209 59.1%
1970 1,303 7.8%
1980 1,509 15.8%
1990 1,529 1.3%
2000 1,924 25.8%
2010 2,888 50.1%
2020 9,043 213.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 and 2020 census

Davenport racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White (NH) 1,692 2,857 58.59% 31.59%
Black or African American (NH) 296 1,096 10.25% 12.12%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 7 28 0.24% 0.31%
Asian (NH) 28 173 0.97% 1.91%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) 0 2 0.00% 0.02%
Some other race (NH) 5 80 0.17% 0.88%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) 29 309 1.00% 3.42%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 831 4,498 28.77% 49.74%
Total 2,888 9,043

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,043 people, 1,503 households, and 1,159 families residing in the city.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 2,888 people, 953 households, and 687 families residing in the city.

Economy

The area around Davenport in northeast Polk County used to be centered on the remote Circus World amusement park. It was redeveloped in 1987 into Boardwalk and Baseball and included a minor league baseball park that would attract spring training and minor league baseball teams for the Kansas City Royals, earning the area the moniker "Baseball City". The amusement park failed in 1990, and the Royals left for Arizona and the Cactus League in 2003. The Baseball City name is now extinct, and the area around the stadium (which was demolished in 2005) has been redeveloped into Posner Park, a large outdoor shopping mall.

Transportation

  • I-4 – Located 8 miles north of town, this freeway provides access westward to Lakeland and Tampa, and eastward to the Walt Disney World Resort and Orlando.
  • US 17 / US 92 – This main north/south route cuts through the center of town, leading northward to Kissimmee and southward to Haines City.
  • US 27 – Located a few miles west of town, US 27 provides access to I-4 going northward, and leads southward to Haines City and Lake Wales.

Railroads have always been a part of Davenport's history, and freight and passenger trains still run through the city, although the railroad stations have been closed for many years. The former ACL main line which ran through the city is now part of the CSX Carters Subdivision.

Healthcare

The only hospital in Davenport is AdventHealth Heart of Florida.

See also

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

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