Why visit Lake Hamilton
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 3 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Downtown Haines City Commercial District and Old Central Grammar School.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 93°F; January lows average 52°F.
Weather in Lake Hamilton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lake Hamilton
Lake Hamilton is a town in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,537 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Lake Hamilton, Florida (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks6
Downtown Haines City Commercial District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Historic district in Florida, United States
Old Central Grammar School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Gymnasium in Florida, United States of America
Old Dundee Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Railway station in Dundee, the United States of America
Polk Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
United States historical building
_Town_Hall_and_Police_Department-4.jpg){kind=link}
Old Haines City National Guard Armory
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes3
Where to stay1
History
The original name for the main lake and its community was formerly called "Lake Hambleton", which had unknown origins, and ruled out that it was named from Alexander Hamilton. During the Seminole Wars, specifically the Third Seminole War, Chief Chipco, who was a tribal leader for the Muscogee Creek and Seminole tribes, settled off Lake Hamilton's Bonars Island, along with some of his tribal members, from around 1854 to around 1856.
The community was resettled by non-indigenous people in 1913, when the first home was built along with other platted buildings and other infrastructure. On November 6, 1924, it became incorporated as the Town of Lake Hamilton, however it wasn't officially recognized as a chartered municipality until 1925.
The town is named after the lake itself: Lake Hamilton, which is one of the many lakes in the Chain of Lakes. Also, Middle Lake Hamilton and Little Lake Hamilton are located nearby.
From 1964 through the 1970s, Hurricane Aircats, military airboats used by the US Army in Vietnam, were manufactured in Lake Hamilton. The airboats were made by Hurricane Fiberglass Products Company, an airboat and fiberglass manufacturer based in the neighboring town of Auburndale.
From the History section of Lake Hamilton, Florida on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship4
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries22
Daniel Jenkins Academy of Technology Middle School
School · 3.7 mi
701 Ledwith Ave, Haines City
Garden Grove Elementary School
School · 4.7 mi
4599 Cypress Gardens Rd, Winter Haven
Map of Lake Hamilton
43 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73°F | 52°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 76°F | 54°F | 2.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 79°F | 58°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 84°F | 63°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 89°F | 69°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 92°F | 73°F | 8.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 93°F | 74°F | 8.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 75°F | 6.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 90°F | 74°F | 7.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 86°F | 68°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 79°F | 60°F | 2.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 75°F | 54°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Winter Haven (7 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
Winter Haven Municipal Airport (GIF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 miles away.
- Haines City 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Cypress Gardens 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- Winter Haven 7 mi west, about 11 min by car
- Davenport 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Lake Wales 9 mi south, about 15 min by car
- Poinciana 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Auburndale 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Bartow 17 mi southwest, about 27 min by car
- Highland City 17 mi west, about 27 min by car
- Lakeland 20 mi west, about 33 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
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- 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
- Lake Hamilton Fl bank02, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lake Hamilton (FL) Town Hall and Police Department-4, DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Haines City St. Marks Episc Church05, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dundee ACL RR Depot01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Haines City Central Grammar School01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Haines City Polk Hotel06, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Haines City Hist Dist street01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Haines City Old Armory01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dundee (FL) Town Hall and Library-1, DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chipco memorial, Christopher Brown, Public domain
_Town_Hall_and_Library-1.jpg){kind=link}
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