Haines City, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Haines City, Florida
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Downtown Haines City Commercial District
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| Nickname(s):
"Heart of Florida"
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Location in Polk County and the state of Florida
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Florida | |
| County | Polk | |
| Platted (Clay Cut) | 1885 | |
| Incorporated (Town of Haines City) | February 23, 1914 | |
| Incorporated (City of Haines City) |
January 5, 1925 | |
| Named for | Colonel Henry Haines | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Commission–Manager | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 20.10 sq mi (52.06 km2) | |
| • Land | 18.75 sq mi (48.57 km2) | |
| • Water | 1.35 sq mi (3.49 km2) 7.27% | |
| Elevation | 164 ft (50 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 26,669 | |
| • Density | 1,422.04/sq mi (549.05/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP codes |
33844-33845
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| Area code(s) | 863 | |
| FIPS code | 12-28400 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2403781 | |
| Website | hainescity.com | |
Haines City is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It's often called the "Heart of Florida." In 2020, about 26,669 people lived there. Haines City is part of the larger Lakeland–Winter Haven area.
Contents
History of Haines City
Haines City was first planned out in 1885. This happened soon after the South Florida Railroad built tracks in the area. The city was first known as "Clay Cut." However, there was no train station there.
People in the area convinced the railroad company to build a station. They agreed to rename their city Haines City. This was to honor a railroad official named Henry Haines. He was a former Colonel in the Confederate States Army.
Haines City officially became a town on February 23, 1914. It became a city on January 5, 1925. The city is run by a "Commission-Manager Plan." This means a group of commissioners makes decisions, and a city manager handles the daily operations.
Early settlers in Haines City grew citrus fruits. Growing and processing citrus became the main business in the city for a long time.
From 1974 to 1986, a theme park called Circus World was open near Haines City. It was created by the famous Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. After Circus World closed, another park called Boardwalk and Baseball opened there. It had carnival games and rides. This park closed in 1990. Now, the area is a shopping and living complex called Posner Park.
In recent years, Haines City has grown a lot. This is because it's easy to get to Orlando and Walt Disney World Resort from here. Many new homes have been built around the city. A golf and country club called Southern Dunes was built between 1995 and 2005.
In 2004, Haines City was hit by three hurricanes. Hurricane Charley came through in August. Then Hurricane Frances brought a lot of rain. Soon after, Hurricane Jeanne hit, which was strong but lasted longer. The city has since recovered from these storms.
Four years later, in 2008, Tropical Storm Fay also affected Haines City. This storm caused little damage. Schools were closed for a day because of it.
Park Improvements
A new park was built on Lake Eva in 2009. It replaced an older park. The city also built a new park called "8-Acre Park." There is also an auditorium in the Oakland area.
Responding to Legoland
Haines City is getting ready for Legoland Florida to open nearby in Winter Haven. The city hopes to attract more tourists to its historic downtown area. They want to encourage visitors coming from Interstate 4 to stop in Haines City.
City Government
Haines City uses a "council-manager" system for its government. Five City Commissioners are chosen by the people. These commissioners then pick a City Manager. The City Manager helps run the city's daily business.
Geography and Climate
Haines City is located in the middle of Florida. It is part of the Lake Wales Ridge. This area has sandy, gently rolling hills.
The city covers about 19.8 square miles (52.06 square kilometers). Most of this is land, but about 7.27% is water.
Weather in Haines City
Haines City has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. The sandy ground and open land can make it feel very hot and dry at times.
| Climate data for Haines City, Florida | |||||||||||||
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| 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) |
| Mean daily maximum °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) |
90.5 (32.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °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) |
60.4 (15.8) |
| 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) | 2.5 (64) |
2.9 (74) |
3.4 (86) |
2.0 (51) |
4.1 (100) |
6.9 (180) |
7.1 (180) |
7.4 (190) |
6.5 (170) |
3.0 (76) |
2.3 (58) |
2.3 (58) |
50.4 (1,280) |
| Source: The Weather Channel | |||||||||||||
Population Changes
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 651 | — | |
| 1930 | 3,037 | 366.5% | |
| 1940 | 3,890 | 28.1% | |
| 1950 | 5,630 | 44.7% | |
| 1960 | 9,135 | 62.3% | |
| 1970 | 8,956 | −2.0% | |
| 1980 | 10,799 | 20.6% | |
| 1990 | 11,683 | 8.2% | |
| 2000 | 13,174 | 12.8% | |
| 2010 | 20,535 | 55.9% | |
| 2020 | 26,669 | 29.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The population of Haines City has grown a lot over the years. In 1920, there were only 651 people. By 2020, the population had grown to 26,669 people.
Who Lives in Haines City?
| Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White (NH) | 6,540 | 6,783 | 31.85% | 25.43% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 5,425 | 5,644 | 26.42% | 21.16% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 36 | 42 | 0.18% | 0.16% |
| Asian (NH) | 280 | 376 | 1.36% | 1.41% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 4 | 23 | 0.02% | 0.09% |
| Some other race (NH) | 37 | 155 | 0.18% | 0.58% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 233 | 610 | 1.13% | 2.29% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7,980 | 13,036 | 38.86% | 48.88% |
| Total | 20,535 | 26,669 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The 2020 United States census showed that 26,669 people lived in Haines City. There were 7,640 households, and 5,589 families.
Transportation in Haines City
Haines City has several important highways that help people travel.
I-4 (Interstate 4) – This is a major highway about six miles north of town. It goes west to Lakeland and Tampa. It goes east towards Orlando.
US 17 / US 92 – This road goes through downtown Haines City. It connects to Lake Alfred in the west and Davenport in the north.
US 27 – This is the main north-south highway in the area. It goes north to I-4 and Clermont. It goes south to Lake Wales and Sebring.
SR 17 – This road is called 10th Street in Haines City. It's a scenic route through hills in eastern Polk County. It leads south to Lake Hamilton, Dundee, and Lake Wales.
SR 544 – This road also offers scenic views. It connects SR 17 and US 27 in southern Haines City. It continues west towards Winter Haven.
The streets in Haines City are mostly laid out in a grid plan. This means streets run north-south and are numbered (like 1st Street). Avenues run west-east and have names.
Haines City has bus services. You can take a bus to Lake Alfred and Winter Haven. There are also Lynx bus services to Poinciana and Four Corners.
Trains have always been important to Haines City. Freight and passenger trains still run through the city. However, the old train station has been closed for many years.
Haines City Public Library
The Haines City Public Library is part of the Polk County Library Cooperative. You can find it at 111 N 6th Street.
The first library in Haines City started in 1916. It was run by the Women's Club of Haines City. Over the years, the library moved to different places. In 1960, the City of Haines City took over running the library. It moved to its current location on N. Sixth Street in 2012. It shares a building with City Hall. A group called the Friends of the Haines City Public Library, Inc. helps support the library.
In 1997, the Polk County Library Cooperative was formed. This means that anyone living in Polk County can use any library in the county. The cooperative also has a mobile library (a library on wheels) and a "Books by Mail" service. This service mails library materials to people for free.
Education in Haines City
Public schools in Haines City are part of Polk County Public Schools.
Public Elementary Schools
- Alta Vista Elementary School
- Bethune Academy (Elementary School)
- Eastside Elementary School
Public Middle Schools
- Daniel Jenkins Academy of Technology (Middle School)
- Shelley S. Boone Middle School
Public High Schools
- Haines City High School
- Ridge Community High School
Private Schools
- Landmark Baptist College
- Landmark Christian School
- Champions Christian Academy
Notable People from Haines City
Many interesting people have come from Haines City, including:
- Wayne Gandy (born 1971), a professional NFL football player.
- Mary Hatcher (1929–2018), a singer and actress.
- Derwin James (born 1996), a professional NFL football player.
- Tommy Land (born 1955), the Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands.
- Joseph Mitchell (1922–1993), who was the city manager from 1974–1977.
- Jah Reid (born 1988), a professional NFL football player.
- James Stewart Jr. (born 1985), an American professional motocross racer.
- Malcolm Stewart (born 1992), an American professional Supercross racer.
- Sevyn Streeter (born 1986), an R&B singer and songwriter.
Images for kids
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The former seal of Haines City.
See also
In Spanish: Haines City para niños
