Sebring, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sebring, Florida
City
City of Sebring
Sebring Raceway
Nickname(s):  The City on the Circle Home of 12 Hour Grand Prix
Location in Highlands County and Florida
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Highlands
Settled	1912
Incorporated (city)	1913
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
Area
• Total	16.44 sq mi (42.58 km2)
• Land	10.59 sq mi (27.42 km2)
• Water	5.85 sq mi (15.16 km2)  37.8%
Elevation	139 ft (41 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	10,729
• Estimate  (2022)	11,379
• Density	1,013.41/sq mi (391.30/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	33870-33872, 33875-33876
Area code(s)	863
FIPS code	12-64875
GNIS feature ID	0290806

Sebring (pronounced SEE-bring) is a city in Highlands County, Florida, United States. It is the main city of the Sebring, Florida, metropolitan area. People often call it "The City on the Circle." This name comes from Circle Drive, which is in the middle of the Sebring Downtown Historic District.

Sebring is built around Lake Jackson. The historic downtown area is right by the water. Lake Jackson has natural white sand beaches. It is a popular spot for boating and swimming. Sebring is also home to the Sebring International Raceway. This track is famous for the 12 Hours of Sebring race. This annual race brings fans and teams from all over the world.

Close by is Highlands Hammock State Park. This park was the first state park in Florida. It is a very popular place to visit. The city also has a large airport, the Sebring Regional Airport. In the 1920s, Sebring became a popular place for building and tourism. It was even called the "Coral Gables of Central Florida." Many beautiful Mediterranean buildings from that time are still in the city. The Harder Hall Hotel and Resort is a great example.

Sebring's History

Sebring was started in 1912. It was named after George E. Sebring (1859–1927). He was a pottery maker from Ohio. He helped plan and build the city. He designed the city with a circular center. Florida officially made it a city in 1913. In 1921, when Highlands County was created, Sebring became its county seat. The town of Sebring, Ohio, is also named after George E. Sebring and his family.

Sebring has many old and important buildings. The Sebring Train Station and the Highlands County Courthouse are historic buildings. They are still used today. The whole Sebring Downtown Historic District is also historic. It has shops, restaurants, and offices by the water. The Harder Hall Resort and the Kenilworth Lodge are examples of large, fancy hotels from the past.

Fun Things to Do in Sebring

Sebring has several museums and places for art. These include:

• Children's Museum of the Highlands: This museum is downtown. It has fun activities for kids aged 1 to 12.
• Charles F. Weigle House Museum: This museum shares the city's history. It also tells about important people who lived there.
• Civilian Conservation Corps Museum: This museum is at Highlands Hammock State Park. It teaches about the CCC and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.
• Highlands Lakeside Theater: This is a performing arts center by the water.
• Highlands Museum of the Arts: This museum has many different types of art.
• Military Sea Services Museum: This museum has items about the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marines, and U.S. Navy.
• The Sadie Kahn Memorial Park: This small park downtown was designed by famous architect Kenneth Treister.

Important Places to See

Sebring has many notable buildings and locations. Some of these include:

• Central Station
• Downtown Historic District
• Harder Hall Hotel
• Highlands County Courthouse
• Highlands Hammock State Park
• Kenilworth Lodge
• Lakeshore Mall
• Seaboard Air Line Passenger Station
• Sebring International Raceway
• Sebring Regional Airport
• South Florida State College

Sebring's Geography and Climate

Sebring is in the northwest part of Highlands County. The city covers about 16.44 square miles (42.58 km²). About 5.85 square miles (15.16 km²) of this area is water. Water makes up about 37.8% of the city.

The city's area is mostly covered by Lake Jackson. This lake is about 9,212 acres (37.28 km²) in size. Dinner Lake and Little Lake Jackson are also within the city limits. Highlands County has over 84 lakes. Many of these lakes are outside the city. Sebring is near the southern end of the Lake Wales Ridge. This area is home to many rare plants and animals. Most of the land is rural. It is part of the Florida scrub ecosystem. There are also smaller areas of hammocks and cypress swamps. These are like the ones found at Highlands Hammock State Park, which is west of Sebring.

Sebring has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers. Winters are mild and dry. Most of the rain falls from June to September.

Sebring's Population

In 2020, Sebring had 10,729 people living in the city. There were 3,699 households and 2,122 families. By 2022, the population was estimated to be 11,379.

Education in Sebring

The School Board of Highlands County runs eight public schools for Sebring students. About 6,200 students attend these schools. There is one kindergarten center. There are four elementary schools for grades 1-5. These are Woodlawn, Fred Wild, Cracker Trail, and Sun 'n Lake Elementary. There are two middle schools for grades 6-8. These are Sebring Middle School and Hill-Gustat Middle School. There is one high school, Sebring High School.

In 2023, most elementary schools received "B" grades. Fred Wild Elementary got a "C" grade. Sebring Middle School and Sebring High School also received "C" grades. Sebring High School has the county's only International Baccalaureate program. In 2021, the high school graduation rate for the county was 84.4%. This rate has gone up every year for the past 11 years.

Long ago, during a time of segregation, E. O. Douglas High School was in Sebring. This school was for Black students from all over Highlands County. The last class graduated from this school in 1967. After segregation ended, students from E.O. Douglas went to schools that were once only for white students. The old E.O. Douglas campus is now the main office for the School Board of Highlands County.

Jobs and Businesses in Sebring

Some of the biggest private employers in Sebring are AdventHealth and Publix. Other major employers include The Results Company and Highlands Regional Medical Center. Alan Jay Automotive Network, Costa Farms, and Bowman Steel also provide many jobs.

Sebring is also important for the airplane industry. It is the sales and distribution center for airplane maker Tecnam in North, South, and Central America. The French propeller company Duc Hélices also has its North American office in Sebring.

Getting Around Sebring

The Sebring station, where Amtrak trains stop.

U.S. Route 27 is the main road in Sebring. It helps people travel to other parts of Florida. State Road 17 starts in Sebring and goes north. Other important roads are State Road 64 and State Road 66. Sebring is the largest city in the country that does not have an Interstate Highway.

Many neighborhoods in Sebring have streets with fun names. In Sebring Country Estates, streets are named after cars. You can find Peugeot Street, Ferrari Drive, and Porsche Avenue. In Sebring Hills, streets are named after birds. Examples include Egret Street and Woodpecker Boulevard. The Sun 'n Lake Sebring area has streets named like those in Coral Gables.

The Sebring Regional Airport is a few miles southeast of the city. It is for general aviation. The airport is also home to the Sebring International Raceway. This is where the 12 Hours of Sebring race happens every March. The airport has also hosted the US Sport Aviation Expo for eight years. The closest airport for regular passenger flights is Orlando International Airport. It is about 86 miles north.

Sebring also has train service from the Sebring station. This station was built in 1924. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Amtrak trains stop here daily. They go south to Miami and north to Tampa, Orlando, and New York City.

Sports in Sebring

The biggest sports event in Sebring is the annual 12 Hours of Sebring race. The Sebring International Raceway hosts races all year long.

Sebring is also known for its golf courses. These courses are part of the Citrus Golf Trail. Some popular golf clubs are Sun 'N Lake Golf Club and the Country Club of Sebring.

Lake Jackson hosts a stop on the Liqui Moly Pro Watercross Tour every year. In 2023, this race started the season. The Sebring Gran Fondo is an annual 95-mile professional cycling race. It is known as Florida's longest and toughest.

Since 2021, Spartan Race and Tough Mudder have held events together in Sebring. The Highlands County Multisports Complex is a large facility. It has five fields for soccer, baseball, softball, and football games.

The Sebring Recreation Club has shuffleboard courts. They have hosted many tournaments. The Highlands County Horseshoe Club has 18 courts.

Boating and swimming are popular activities on Lake Jackson. There are three public beaches and a public boat ramp. Fishing is also popular. Many tournaments are held regularly. Lake Jackson and Lake Istokpoga are great places to fish.

Media in Sebring

Television

Sebring is in the viewing area of the Tampa-St. Petersburg television market. People in Sebring can also watch channels from WFTV (ABC) in Orlando. They can also watch WINK (CBS) from Fort Myers/Naples.

Radio

Sebring is the largest city in the Sebring radio market. Radio stations broadcasting from Sebring include WAVP (1390AM), WWLL (105.7FM/Adult Contemporary), WITS (1340AM/Religion), and WJCM (1050AM/ESPN). These stations share ownership with WWOJ (99.1FM/Country) and WWTK (730AM/News-Talk). All five stations operate from studios in Sebring.

Famous People from Sebring

See also

In Spanish: Sebring (Florida) para niños