Winter Haven FL is one of my favorite cities in central FL. Winter haven Florida is located about 41 miles southwest of downtown Orlando Florida and 46 miles almost due east from downtown Tampa Florida. I will not focus on the city's history but this page will be filled with current and useful information about the city itself. If you are interested in the history Wikipedia addresses that. Winter Haven is moving into the future and wants you to move along with it.
Winter Haven is known as "The Chain of Lakes City". Although not everyone is interested in knowing every little thing about the lakes here in Winter haven they do have an effect on the residents.
Nearly everywhere you drive in Winter Haven FL you will see lakes or small bridges over canals. Most of us here really value the beauty of the lakes and the wildlife that takes advantage of them. Yes the lakes can slow down your travel because you have to drive around them. To most of us, that is a good thing.
To read a lot more about the Chain of Lakes visit that link. It is probably the most comprehensive online source of information. For those who only have a surface interest I will share these facts with you. There are 2 different lake chains. A northern and southern. We call them chains because you can travel from lake to lake via canal and never leave your boat. There are 50, yes 50 lakes inside the city limits of Winter Haven FL.
Winter Haven Florida does have an airport. It is located about 3 miles north of the downtown area and known as the Winter Haven Regional Airport. You may hear it called something else (Gilbert Field) but when you drive there the sign says the Winter Haven Regional Airport. The longest runway is just under 1 mile long and yes there are commercial flights but do not expect to get a 777 flight to London more like a regional flight to Orlando etc.
Not all of us want to drive or fly. Winter Haven Florida is aware of that and has made the necessary provisions. Since you are not likely to walk to Tampa etc. you have commercial choices. Namely Amtrak Greyhound and the Citrus Connection. You can see their locations etc. by clicking here.
Quite a few of us commute on a regular basis. If you live in the eastern portion of the city US-27 allows you to get north and south fairly quickly. In West Winter Haven you will likely take the 557 north to Interstate-4. Both are fine for commuting and traffic is generally light after rush hour in the am. Getting to downtown Orlando will take 1 hour on average after you reach Interstate-4. There is normally a choking point at US-27 and I-4 during peak times but not to bad.
Driving to Tampa takes about 1 hour from downtown Winter Haven and Lakeland takes about half that long.
Everywhere has a Walmart right? Well Winter Haven actually has quite a few of everything. With a population of nearly 45,000 there are countless local businesses and larger chains tying to get your business.
Walmart, Home Depot and Publix are normally within just a few minutes drive no matter where you live in the city. If you live on the west side then you are probably going to be taking advantage of what Auburndale Florida has to offer as well.
Most of the restaurants are located on Cypress Gardens Blvd. That is the main travel route between downtown Winter Haven and US-27 to the southeast. You will also no doubt notice Legoland on the same road. All of those tourist need places to shop and eat and of course you get the benefit of that. The best restaurants in Winter Haven can be seen here and the best shopping locations can be seen here.
Like all modern cities Winter Haven FL is incorporated. This took place back in November 1923 and that of course means city taxes and kingdom building. Don't worry it never got to out of hand and the funds are managed quite reasonably. There are all of the necessary government offices and of course a police department. Most of the government offices are located in a small area most commonly associated with downtown Winter Haven. There are only a few streets running north and south that you will find them on. Even n the busiest times you will have no problem. This is not Orlando or Tampa where the traffic can give you fits. If you want to see their addresses and contact numbers you can see them by clicking here.
My first visit to the downtown area of Winter Haven sold me on the city. It has just the right mixture of commerce, parking and yes a downtown Park. The photo at the top of the page is in the downtown area. You can sit in the shade, browse the stores or grab a bite to eat and never feel like you may get run over. This city does have a small town feel but it certainly has the proper amount of small and town. Visit the downtown area and walk around. You will see what I mean shortly. Combine that with the lakes, low cost of living and mostly friendly population and you have a winning combination.
The city has some beautiful parks. Not all of them are the same and some serve specific functions. We have parks with boat ramps, of course. We have parks with trails and places to just sit and ponder life's gifts to us. They are spread evenly throughout the area. My favorite is downtown is you base that on visiting it year round. Since I live on a lake I have a boat dock so I do not need to visit one of the local ramps.
Children will feel at home in most of the parks. Many of them have very nice and clean playgrounds and rest assured they are used year round. When I went to photograph them I had to go early in the morning to avoid taking photos of all of the children. You can see a lot of photos and information on the parks by clicking here. After all a picture is worth a thousand words.
You have hear about the city. You have seen what it has to offer. Now take just a moment to hear what many of us consider to be the best part.
The price of housing compared to the quality of life. It really is just that simple. That is why so many retired professionals flock here. You can purchase an affordable home and raise a family, you can purchase an affordable home to retire in or even a beautiful lakefront homes at very reasonable prices. There are large retirement communities and small gated lakefront communities. Just about everything you can imagine all sharing the Florida sunshine and no state income taxes.
If you are considering moving to this area you are in a great place to begin your search for information and a place to call home. The link to your first step is a t the beginning of this article and we will assist you all along the way. Thank you for visiting our site and we welcome you to Winter Haven FL.
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Winter Garden, Florida 34787
