Fort Meade, Florida
Fort Meade is a city of 5,225 people in Polk County, Florida, founded in 1849.
Why visit Fort Meade
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails and 10 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Fort Meade Historic District and Homeland School.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 50°F.
Weather in Fort Meade
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Fort Meade
Fort Meade is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, Fort Meade had a population of 5,100. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Fort Meade, Florida (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks6
Fort Meade Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic district in Florida, United States
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Homeland School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
School building in Florida, United States of America
W. Henry Lewis House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
House in Fort Meade, Florida
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes10
Classic Pizzas & Subs
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.9 mi
403 Broadway, Fort Meade
Mo-Th 11:00-20:30; Fr 11:00-21:00
Papa John's
Fast food · Pizza · 0.9 mi
25 West Broadway Street, Fort Meade
Mo-Th 15:00-21:00; Fr-Su 11:00-21:00
Churches and places of worship7
Christ Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Church building in Florida, United States of America
History
Fort Meade is the oldest city in Polk County, dating its origins to 1849, when it was established along a new military road from Tampa (Fort Brooke) to Fort Pierce following the Second Seminole War. The town and road were originally sited by then-lieutenant George Meade of the Corps of Topographical Engineers, whose commander named it for him. Around the start of the American Civil War a mounted volunteer company nicknamed the "Hickory Boys" was formed at the fort. The 1880s business district was located on old Wire Street (now Broadway), which was a casualty of four devastating fires. There are over 150 buildings which are designated as landmarks. In the 1890s, the Fort Meade Street Railway operated a horse-drawn service in the town.
The earliest known burial is John I. Hooker (1821–1862), located in the town's Evergreen Cemetery. Fort Meade's Christ Church (Episcopal) located at 1 North Cleveland Avenue, was built in 1889. It is a frame vernacular with Gothic Revival elements and was designed by architect J. H. Weddell. Located within the historic district, the church was used for the HBO motion picture Judgment, featuring Blythe Danner, Keith Carradine and Jack Warden (1990).
From the History section of Fort Meade, Florida on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Healthcare1
Map of Fort Meade
35 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73°F | 50°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 76°F | 52°F | 2.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 80°F | 56°F | 2.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 84°F | 61°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 89°F | 66°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 91°F | 71°F | 8.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 73°F | 7.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 73°F | 7.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 90°F | 72°F | 7.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 85°F | 66°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 79°F | 58°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 75°F | 53°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Bartow 1Se Hcn (9 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Polk County has had 30 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-10-11: Hurricane Milton (Hurricane)
- 2024-10-07: Hurricane Milton (Hurricane)
- 2024-08-10: Hurricane Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-03: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2023-08-31: Hurricane Idalia (Hurricane)
- 2023-08-28: Tropical Storm Idalia (Tropical Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Bartow Executive Airport (BOW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Bartow 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Bowling Green 9 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Highland City 14 mi north, about 23 min by car
- Crooked Lake Park 14 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Eagle Lake 15 mi north, about 24 min by car
- Lake Wales 16 mi northeast, about 27 min by car
- Fuller Heights 16 mi northwest, about 26 min by car
- Lakeland Highlands 16 mi northwest, about 26 min by car
- Medulla 17 mi northwest, about 28 min by car
- Cypress Gardens 18 mi northeast, about 29 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- ChristChurch, Indietop20 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Fort Meade City Hall (1), Tommes, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fort Meade City Hall (2), Tommes, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Homeland FL School01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 2.5
- W. Henry Lewis House, National Park Service, Public domain
- R.c. mcclellan house, Indietop20 ( talk ) ( Uploads ), CC0
- 1860's cemetery, The original uploader was Indietop20 at English Wikipedia ., Public domain
- ISS011-E-9157 - View of Florida, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS066-E-133209 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS052-E-6050 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS018-E-33520 - View of Florida, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS018-E-6562 - View of Florida, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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