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Bartow, Florida
Location in Polk County and the state of Florida
Location in Polk County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 27°53′33″N 81°50′23″W / 27.8925, -81.83972
Country Flag of the United States United States
State Flag of Florida Florida
County  Polk
Government
 - Mayor James F. Clements
Area
 - Total 11. Polk County is a County located in the US state of Florida. As of 2000 the population was 483924 Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The political units and divisions of the United States include The 50 states (four of these being officially styled as Commonwealths) which are typically Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the ImageFlorida counties mappng|thumb|right|400px|Florida counties (clickable map poly 42 38 86 40 79 44 74 47 71 55 69 69 74 72 76 87 77 90 87 97 87 102 87 108 78 111 77 115 80 117 Polk County is a County located in the US state of Florida. As of 2000 the population was 483924 A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Dr James Franklin ( Jim) Clements ( October 31, 1927 – June 9, 2005) was an ornithologist and Author Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 4 sq mi (29. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 4 km²)
 - Land 11. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 2 sq mi (29. 1 km²)
 - Water 0. 1 sq mi (0. 4 km²)
Elevation 121 ft (37 m)
Population (2005)
 - Total 16,278
 - Density 1,366. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 5/sq mi (527. 6/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 33830-33831
Area code(s) 863
FIPS code 12-03675[1]
GNIS feature ID 0278138[2]
Website: http://bartow.govoffice.com/
A view of Bartow's business district, early 1920s
A view of Bartow's business district, early 1920s

Bartow is a city located in the U.S. State of Florida in Central Florida east of the Tampa Bay area. The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America UTC−5 is the Time offset used in the North American Eastern Time Zone during Standard time and in the North American Central Time Zone during Daylight saving time ( DST UTC−4 is the Time offset used in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone in Canada in winter and the North American Eastern Time Zone during The ZIP code is the system of Postal codes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks 863 is the telephone Area code in Florida which covers the Heartland, as well as Polk County in Central Florida. Federal Information Processing Standards ( FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the United States Federal government for use by all non-military The Geographic Names Information System ( GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Central Florida is the central region of the United States state of Florida, on the East Coast Tampa Bay is a large natural Harbor and Estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the western coast of Florida, comprising Old Tampa Bay The population was 15,340 at the 2000 census. According to the U. S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 16,278. [1] It is the county seat of Polk County. A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. Polk County is a County located in the US state of Florida. As of 2000 the population was 483924 [3]

The town of Bartow was named in honor of Francis S. Bartow, the first Confederate officer to die in the American Civil War. Francis Stebbins Bartow ( September 6, 1816 &ndash July 21, 1861) was an Attorney, Confederate States of America Political The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Residents of the city are known as Bartowans. While Bartow itself is not a very large city - the Polk County cities of Lakeland and Winter Haven have larger populations - Bartow does have the distinction of being the second largest in geographical area . Lakeland is a City in Polk County Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The city has been called The City of Oaks, The City of Oaks and Azaleas and The Capitol of Imperial Polk County.

Contents

History

In the early 19th Century, very few people lived in Florida, especially the area south of Gainesville. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Gainesville is the largest City in and County seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States. Heat and humidity, dangerous wlidlife, and uncharted swampland made a comfortable life in southern Florida an uncertainty. Recent developments in string theory suggest that the String theory landscape of vacua is vast A bigger threat to any would-be settlers was the Seminoles, a Native American tribe native to Florida. The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida and now residing in Florida and Oklahoma. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the While a few of the Seminole had left for Oklahoma, some decided to stay in Florida and make life rough for any new settlers who tried to make a living. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. After the Second Seminole War ended in 1842, southern Florida seemed ripe for settlement. The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively Year 1842 ( MDCCCXLII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Still, many felt uneasy about the continued Seminole presence in the Everglades and stories were always told about hostile encounters "not far away". Everglades is also the name of a city in Collier County Florida So most of the early settlements in peninsular Florida were set up as forts, to discourage any Seminole attacks - just in case. "Peninsular" redirects here For the geographical formation see Peninsula. In 1850, the first permanent new settlers came to the area near the headwaters of the Peas River or Peace River and established Fort Blount. The Peace River is a river in the southwestern part of the Florida Peninsula, in the U This settlement was somewhat stalled by the American Civil War a decade later, although the Polk County government was established in 1861. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Polk County is a County located in the US state of Florida. As of 2000 the population was 483924 After the war, in 1867, the county commissioners decided the county seat should be named after General Francis Bartow, the first Confederate officer to die in the war, and so, the name of Fort Blount was changed to Bartow. Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting A few years later, thanks to land donations from Jacob Summerlin, the Polk County government was firmly established in Bartow. Jacob Summerlin ( February 20 1820 &ndash November 4 1893) aka the King of the Crackers and King of the Cracker Cow Hunters Polk County is a County located in the US state of Florida. As of 2000 the population was 483924

Geography and climate

Geography

Bartow is located at 27°53′33″N, 81°50′23″W (27. 892551, -81. 839636)[4] which is approximately 38 miles east of Tampa, 55 miles southwest of Orlando, and 15 miles west of Lake Wales. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Orlando is a major City in central Florida, USA and is the County seat of Orange County Florida. Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 10194 at the 2000 census The cities of Bartow, Lakeland, and Winter Haven form an equilateral triangle pointed downward with Bartow being the south "point", Lakeland the west "point", and Winter Haven the east "point". Properties The area of an equilateral triangle with sides of length a\\! The city is located near the headwaters of the Peace River at Lake Hancock. The Peace River is a river in the southwestern part of the Florida Peninsula, in the U The major roads which go through Bartow are U.S. Highway 17, U.S. Highway 98, and State Road 60. US Route 17 (also known as the Coastal Highway) is a north-south United States highway. US Route 98 is an east-west United States highway that runs from southern Florida to western Mississippi. Memorial Causeway Bridgejpg|thumb|Memorial Causeway Bridge looking left from under the bridge toward Clearwater Beach

According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2000 the city had a total area of 29. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census 4 km² (11. M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here 4 mi²). The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 29. 1 km² (11. 2 mi²) of it is land and 0. 4 km² (0. 1 mi²) of it (1. 23%) is water. Since then, the city has annexed much land, quadrupling in size. Much of that land is undeveloped, although the city has rezoned much of it for residential use and it is estimated that the population of Bartow may increase threefold in the next couple of decades. Within a urban area there is a tendency for land uses to Aggregate.

Climate

The climate of Bartow, like most of Florida, is humid subtropical. The subtropics are the zones of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropic zone which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Most of the inland areas farthest away from the ocean tend to have more extreme temperature ranges than those areas on the coast. Since Bartow is one of the cities furthest from the coast in peninsular Florida, it can be among the hottest places in the state on some summer days, and during the occasional winter Arctic blast, it has had temperatures in the teens (Fahrenheit).

While Bartow's distance from the coast has offered protection from most of the effects of landfalling hurricanes which occasionally cross the state, Bartow has on rare occasion been affected severely, most recently in 2004 when Hurricanes Charley, Francis and Jeanne crossed the state with the center of all three storms coming close to Bartow. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Hurricane Charley was the third named storm the second Hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Frances was the sixth named storm, the fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Jeanne was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurricane, and the fifth major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. The most severe of these, Charley rapidly crossed Polk County as a Category 3 storm, destroying up to a third of Bartow's famous oak trees.

Physiography and soils

Bartow is located on the South Central Florida Ridge, as classified by the USDA. [2] Many soils in the Bartow area are sandy throughout; others have sandy surface layers and clayey subsoils, and the eastern outskirts of town have a clay-rich floodplain through which the Peace River flows. Sand is a naturally occurring Granular material composed of finely divided rock and Mineral particles Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained Minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of Water content, and Drainage outside of the floodplain ranges from good to excessive for the most part except for a poorly drained band which cuts across the northern part of town. Much of Bartow is built on the Fort Meade soil series, which is well drained, high in organic matter, and rich in phosphorus -- an uncommon combination in Florida, much appreciated by area gardeners. Phosphorus, (ˈfɒsfərəs is the Chemical element that has the symbol P and Atomic number 15 [3][4].

People and culture

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 15,340 people, 5,531 households, and 3,777 families residing in the city. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population The population density was 527. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 4/km² (1,366. 5/mi²). There were 6,099 housing units at an average density of 209. 7/km² (543. 3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 65. 91% White, 28. 39% African American, 0. 46% Native American, 0. 92% Asian, 0. 08% Pacific Islander, 2. 22% from other races, and 2. 03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8. 11% of the population.

There were 5,531 households out of which 29. 3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47. 4% were married couples living together, 16. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** 7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31. 7% were non-families. 27. 4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13. 2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2. 49 and the average family size was 3. 02.

In the city the population was spread out with 24. 7% under the age of 18, 9. 0% from 18 to 24, 28. 0% from 25 to 44, 21. 4% from 45 to 64, and 16. 9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98. 3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95. 4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,568, and the median income for a family was $44,093. Males had a median income of $31,716 versus $21,309 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,487. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country About 9. 7% of families and 13. 1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18. The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of Income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate Standard of living in a given country 7% of those under age 18 and 9. 4% of those age 65 or over.

Historic buildings and landmarks

Annual Events

Neighborhoods

Media

The city has a semi-weekly newspaper the Polk County Democrat, which in spite of its name, is actually a fairly conservative newspaper in its editorial content. The Ledger, which is based in Lakeland, is the most common daily newspaper in Bartow. The Ledger is a daily Newspaper serving Lakeland Florida and the Polk County area The Tampa Tribune is also read by many residents. The Tampa Tribune published in Tampa Florida is one of two major Newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area second in circulation and readership While there are no television stations located in Bartow, broadcast signals from Tampa Bay area television stations are available. Most cable and satellite providers offer Tampa Bay and Orlando area stations. There are two radio stations that broadcast from within the city, WQXM (1460 AM)(formerly WBAR till 9/2004)(was WRMX from 9/2004 to 10/2004) and WWBF (1130 AM)(changed from WPUL in 1984).

Attractions in Nearby Cities

Education

The Schools in Bartow are under direction of the School Board of Polk County, Florida. Cypress Gardens is a theme park near Winter Haven Florida in the United States.

High Schools - Bartow High School (Formerly Summerlin Institute); International Baccalaureate World School (located on the BHS Campus); Summerlin Academy (Opened Fall 2006)

Middle Schools - Bartow Middle School (Formerly Bartow Junior High School); Union Academy Magnet Middle School (Formerly Union Academy High School <formerly African-American High School>)

Elementary Schools - James E. Bartow High School, formerly Summerlin Institute is the only High school located in Bartow, Florida. Stephens Elementary School; Gibbons Street Elementary School; Floral Avenue Elementary School; Bartow Elementary Academy

Other Schools - Gause Academy; Polk Life and Learning Center

Private Schools- First Methodist School; Word of Life Christian School

Government and Politics

The city commission consists of five commissioners, each serving a three-year term. The commissioners elect the mayor each year, rotating the position among the commissioners. The city executive powers rest with the city manager, as contracted by the city commission.

The city maintains it's own police, fire, and utilities services.

The Bartow Public Library is located at 2150 S. Broadway Avenue. The library first opened for public use May 19,1897, making it the first public library in Central Florida. The City of Bartow built its first library building using a Carnegie grant of $8,000, opening on February 8, 1915. http://www.pclc.lib.fl.us/libraries/bartow/

Infrastructure

Street Layout

The city is laid out in a typical four quadrant grid. The north-south axis is Broadway Avenue, and the east-west axis is Main Street. At the center of the grid is the historic downtown of Bartow which includes the old courthouse, the new courthouse, and the County Administration building as well as other government offices. As a typical rule, most of the residential (especially the older neighborhoods) are in the southern half of town.

Utilities

Transportation

The major highways which run through Bartow are home to the inbred 500. US 98, US 17, and State Road 60. US Route 98 is an east-west United States highway that runs from southern Florida to western Mississippi. US Route 17 (also known as the Coastal Highway) is a north-south United States highway. US 17 provides easy access to Winter Haven and Ft. Meade. Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. Fort Meade is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 5691 at the 2000 census Going north on US 98 from Bartow is a 15 minute drive to Lakeland. Lakeland is a City in Polk County Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and West on State Road 60 leads to Tampa, while east takes one to Lake Wales, and further down, to Vero Beach. Memorial Causeway Bridgejpg|thumb|Memorial Causeway Bridge looking left from under the bridge toward Clearwater Beach Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 10194 at the 2000 census Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U The quickest route to Orlando from Bartow is Interstate 4 via the Polk Parkway, which is accessed from US 98 between Bartow and Lakeland. Orlando is a major City in central Florida, USA and is the County seat of Orange County Florida. Interstate 4 (I-4 is a 13230-mile (21291 km intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. The Polk Parkway, also known as State Road 570, is a 25-mile limited-access Toll road which runs through Polk County Florida.

For small aviation needs, Bartow Municipal Airport is available. Bartow Municipal Airport is a public Airport located four miles (6 km northeast of the Central business district of Bartow, a city in Polk County Both Tampa International Airport and Orlando International Airport are less than an hour away. Tampa International Airport is a public Airport located six miles (10 km) west of the Central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough

Bartow has its own bus system, the Bartow Shuttle which runs from 6 a. m. to 6 p. m. Monday through Friday. The Citrus Connection has buses that serve the Bartow downtown area from Lakeland, and Winter Haven Area Transit serves Bartow from Winter Haven and Fort Meade.

Economy

The Phosphate mining industry located west of Bartow is the largest in the United States. A phosphate, an Inorganic chemical, is a salt of Phosphoric acid. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the While Polk County is no longer the leading citrus growing county in the United States, it still plays a role in the economy of Bartow and Polk County. Citrus is a common term and Genus of Flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of As the seat of government of a county with almost half a million people, State and County governments are a large employer in Bartow. The local Ford dealership, Bartow Ford, is one of the largest new car dealerships in the country with some of the highest sales in the nation. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following

Notable natives, citizens, and associated people

References

  1. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
  2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
  3. ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
  4. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes

External links


A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.
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