Haines City is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. Its population was 26,669 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Haines City's population was almost half Hispanic, a quarter white, and about a fifth African American.
History
Haines City was platted in 1884, shortly after the South Florida Railroad reached the area. The city was originally known as Clay Cut, but there was no railroad station.
upright|thumb|left|The [[Polk Hotel]]
Haines City was originally incorporated under the General Statutes of Florida as the Town of Haines City on February 23, 1914. it was reincorporated as the City of Haines City on January 5, 1925, under a Mayor-Council form of government.
The early settlers planted citrus groves, and citrus growing and processing became the main industry of the city.
African Americans first came to Haines City in 1902 and made a community called "Oakland" named after the various oak tree's that were in the area at the time. Its history is commemorated with a historic district and historical marker. Redevelopment efforts seek to reestablish more business activity in the neighborhood.
From 1974 to 1986, Circus World, a theme park created by the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, was open just north of Haines City. After Circus World shut down, it was rebranded & reopened as Boardwalk and Baseball. It featured carnival games and theme park styled rides like the Grand Rapids Flume. It closed in 1990, and the site has been redeveloped as a residential and shopping complex named Posner Park.
In recent years, Haines City has seen explosive growth, largely because of its easy access to Orlando and Walt Disney World Resort. New residential areas have been developed on the edges of the city. On high ground in the north of the city, Southern Dunes, a golf and country club with both vacation homes and residential homes, was developed between 1995 and 2005.
thumb|200px|left|The Aquatics Center in Lake Eva Park.
In 2004, Haines City experienced three hurricanes. Hurricane Charley passed through the city in August. Hurricane Frances came right on the heels of Charley but mostly just dumped a lot of rain. Hurricane Jeanne soon followed packing a punch not quite as strong as Charley but longer lasting. The city has since recovered.
thumb|right|200px|The former seal of Haines City.
Four years after Charley, Haines City got struck again this time by a weaker storm named Tropical Storm Fay. This storm caused little damage, but schools closed on the second day of the school year (Tuesday, August 19, 2008) due to it; the original plan had been to close schools Tuesday and Wednesday, but the lack of danger it showed on Tuesday caused the change in agenda.
Park renovations
A new park on Lake Eva, replacing a previous park on the site, was completed in 2009. The city has also built a new park, called "8-Acre Park", and auditorium in the Oakland area, on the northern side of the city.
Brush fire
Haines City was the site of a brush fire on March 25, 2009. It was a scare to the residents of dozens of houses in a housing complex named Randa Ridge.
City officials
Haines City operates on a council-manager system, with five City Commissioners elected at large who appoint a City Manager and other officials in the city administration.
Geography
The City of Haines City is located within the Central Florida Highlands area of the Atlantic coastal plain, part of the Lake Wales Ridge, a sandy terrain consisting of a low ridge of gently rolling hills rising from the coastal flatlands.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , 7.27% of the total, is water.
Climate
Haines City is located in the humid subtropical zone as designated by (Köppen climate classification: Cfa). The porous white sands and open terrain create the often hot and dry climate that parts of interior Florida near the Lakes Wales sand ridge is known for.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable"
|+Haines City racial composition<br> (Hispanics excluded from racial categories)<br> (NH = Non-Hispanic)<br>
!Race
!Pop 2010
!Pop 2020
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|White (NH)
|6,540
|6,783
|31.85%
|25.43%
|-
|Black or African American (NH)
|5,425
|5,644
|26.42%
|21.16%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native (NH)
|36
|42
|0.18%
|0.16%
|-
|Asian (NH)
|280
|376
|1.36%
|1.41%
|-
|Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)
|4
|23
|0.02%
|0.09%
|-
|Some other race (NH)
|37
|155
|0.18%
|0.58%
|-
|Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)
|233
|610
|1.13%
|2.29%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|7,980
|13,036
|38.86%
|48.88%
|-
|Total
|20,535
|26,669
|100.00%
|100.00%
|-
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Haines City had a population of 26,669. The median age was 37.0 years. 25.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.1 males age 18 and over.
There were 8,988 households in Haines City, of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.0% were married-couple households, 14.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 9,705 || 36.4%
|-
| Black or African American || 5,915 || 22.2%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 201 || 0.8%
|-
| Asian || 393 || 1.5%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 28 || 0.1%
|-
| Some other race || 5,167 || 19.4%
|-
| Two or more races || 5,260 || 19.7%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 13,036 || 48.9%
|}
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 20,535 people, 6,961 households, and 4,975 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the census
Railroads have always been a part of Haines City's history, and freight and passenger trains still run through the city, although the railroad station has been closed for many years.
Library
The Haines City Public Library is a member of the Polk County Library Cooperative. It is located at 111 N 6th Street Haines City, FL 33844.
Haines City first established a library in 1916, under the direction of the Women's Club of Haines City. The first library was located inside the Leisure Lodge, which was located on Railroad Park. In 1927, when that building was demolished as part of a road widening project, the library relocated to Hinson Avenue. The library was forced to relocate again in 1959 due to another widening project, at which time the Women's Club rented space for the library at the Palm Crest Hotel (also known as the Polk Hotel, which today houses the Landmark Baptist College). The City of Haines City assumed official responsibility of the library in September 1960, whereupon it moved the library to a building on Ledwith Avenue. The library moved to its current location on N. Sixth Street in 2012, and is co-located with City Hall. A non-profit organization, the Friends of the Haines City Public Library, Inc., provides support to the library.
In 1997, the Polk County Library Cooperative was created. This interlocal agreement between municipal and county governments allows all residents to receive library services and materials from any library within the county. The library co-op also supplies a mobile library and a Books by Mail service, which mails library materials to patrons without fees.
Education
Haines City's public school district is served by Polk County Public Schools.
Public elementary schools
- Alta Vista Elementary School
- Bethune Academy (Elementary School)
- Eastside Elementary School
Public middle schools
- Daniel Jenkins Academy of Technology (Middle School)
- Shelley S. Boone Middle School
Public high schools
- Haines City High School
- Ridge Community High School
Private schools
- Landmark Baptist College
- Landmark Christian School
- Champions Christian Academy
Notable people
- Wayne Gandy (born 1971), professional NFL football player
- Mary Hatcher (1929–2018), singer and actress
- Derwin James (born 1996), professional NFL football player
- Tommy Land (born 1955), Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
- Joseph Mitchell (1922–1993), city manager 1974–1977; formerly the city manager of Newburgh, New York
- Jah Reid (born 1988), professional NFL football player
- James Stewart Jr. (born 1985), American professional motocross racer
- Malcolm Stewart (born 1992), American professional Supercross racer
- Sevyn Streeter (born 1986), R&B singer and songwriter
References
External links
- City of Haines City Official Site
- Florida Backroads Travel