Lake Placid, Florida
Lake Placid is a town of 2,477 people in Highlands County, Florida, founded in 1912.
Why visit Lake Placid
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 12 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Old Lake Placid Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot and Caladium Arts &Crafts Co-Operative.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 93°F; January lows average 48°F.
Weather in Lake Placid
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lake Placid
Lake Placid is a town in Highlands County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Sebring, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,360, up from 2,223 at the 2010 census.
From the Wikipedia article Lake Placid, Florida (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks6
Old Lake Placid Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Railway station in Lake Placid, the United States of America
Caladium Arts &Crafts Co-Operative
Museum · 0.5 mi
132 East Interlake Boulevard, Lake Placid
Tu-Sa 10:00-16:00
American Clown Museum & School
Museum · 0.4 mi
109 West Interlake Boulevard, Lake Placid
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes12
Mr. Sammy's Pizza
Restaurant · Italian, Pizza
312 West Interlake Boulevard
Tu-Th 11:00-20:00; Fr 11:00-21:00; Sa 12:00-19:00
Burger King
Fast food · Burger · 0.8 mi
488 US 27 North, Lake Placid
Mo-Th 05:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 05:00-01:00; Su 05:00-24:00
Dunkin' Donuts
Fast food · Donut, Coffee Shop · 0.9 mi
195 US 27 North, Lake Placid
Mo-Sa 05:00-21:00; Su 06:00-21:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.7 mi
490 US 27 North, Lake Placid
Mo-Fr 07:00-22:00; Sa-Su 09:00-22:00
Where to stay1
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Lake Placid
Motel and hotel · 1.0 mi
608 South Lakeview Road, Lake Placid
History
The area was first known as "Wicco" when the first recorded settler came in 1869, and later, in 1891, the first recorded homesteader arrived to the current town. But the population didn't grow significantly until 1912, when 75 homesteaders moved to the community, after the Enlarged Homestead Act of 1909, when the US Congress opened Florida lands and the Great Plains for homesteading. On February 5, 1919, once the first post office was built, the area was renamed "Lake Stearns", (after Marcellus Stearns, who was the U.S. Government Surveyor General at the time), because it was already the official name of the community's train stop for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Thus, it was initially the "Town of Lake Stearns" when it was officially incorporated as a municipality on December 1, 1925. But at the suggestion of Dr. Melvil Dewey, the inventor of the Dewey Decimal System and the founder of the Lake Placid Club in Lake Placid, New York, he proposed that Lake Stearns change its name once again to "Lake Placid." On April 29, 1927, the Lake Stearns commissioners accepted Dr. Dewey's proposal. Subsequently, they submitted a request to the Florida State Legislature. On June 6, 1927, the community was chartered as the current Town of Lake Placid.
From the History section of Lake Placid, Florida on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship10
Bethel Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.6 mi
204 East Park Street, Lake Placid
FIrst Baptist Church of Lake Placid
Church · Baptist · 0.7 mi
162 South Oak Avenue, Lake Placid
Memorial United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 1.0 mi
500 Kent Avenue, Lake Placid
Lake Placid Seventh Day Adventist Church
Church · 0.7 mi
24 East Phoenix Street, Lake Placid
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Lake Placid Memorial Library
Library · 0.5 mi
205 West Interlake Boulevard, Lake Placid
Healthcare4
Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center at Lake Placid
Hospital · 1.2 mi
1210 US Highway 27 North, Lake Placid
Map of Lake Placid
55 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75°F | 48°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 78°F | 50°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 82°F | 52°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 86°F | 57°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 90°F | 62°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 92°F | 69°F | 8.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 93°F | 70°F | 8.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 93°F | 71°F | 8.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 91°F | 70°F | 7.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 87°F | 64°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 81°F | 57°F | 1.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 77°F | 52°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Archbold Bio Stn (8 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
Highlands County has had 27 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)
- 2022-12-13: Hurricane Nicole (Hurricane)
- 2022-11-08: Tropical Storm Nicole (Tropical Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Sebring Regional Airport (SEF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Sebring 13 mi north, about 20 min by car
- Avon Park 22 mi northwest, about 35 min by car
- Zolfo Springs 29 mi northwest, about 46 min by car
- Arcadia 30 mi west, about 49 min by car
- Frostproof 32 mi north, about 52 min by car
- Cypress Quarters 34 mi east, about 55 min by car
- Bowling Green 36 mi northwest, about 58 min by car
- Moore Haven 36 mi southeast, about 59 min by car
- Crooked Lake Park 39 mi north, about 1 h by car
- LaBelle 41 mi south, about 1 h 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 Placid FL depot museum08, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- British-style phone booth, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sundial, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Silo, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018 Old Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot - front entrance, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018 Old Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot - view from south, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018 steam fire engine, Old Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018 caboose, Old Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018 Old Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot - front overview, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Truck body - painted, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Masonic Lodge 282 - Masonic Square and Compass, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Still life, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Still life, Lake Placid, Florida b&w, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trash can - bait and tackle, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trash can - jail, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Steam locomotive - model, Land of the Lakes, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stuart Park, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trash can - butterflies, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Birdfeeder, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Barber shop with painted barber pole, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lake Placid Police Department, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- East Interlake Boulevard, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Water tower, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trash can - trashthrocillin, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trash can - bear, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Guns & ammo next to hair salon, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lake Placid Tower, Lake Placid, Florida from Interlake Boulevard, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trash can - books, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trash can - stable, Lake Placid, Florida, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lake Placid RR, Fl295 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Pseudonymous Bosch Novels, Bill Smith, CC BY 2.0
- The Serene View of Lake Serena (48566033237), Bill Smith from Virginia Beach, CC BY 2.0
- The Wide View of Lake Sirena (32243546407), Bill Smith from Virginia Beach, CC BY 2.0
- Warehouse Depot (38563663145), Bill Smith from Virginia Beach, CC BY 2.0
- US27sRoad-WelcomeLakePlacidSignOverpass (26805211689), formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- US27signGreen-CR621-DividedHighway (26805210919), formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
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