Lake Placid, Florida

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Lake Placid
other_name =
native_name =
nickname = The Caladium Capital of the World,
Town of Murals
settlement_type = Town
motto =


imagesize =
image_caption =


flag_size =
image_

seal_size =
image_blank_emblem = LakePlacidLogo.jpg
blank_emblem_type = Logo
blank_emblem_size =

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mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location in Highlands County and the state of Florida
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 =
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Highlands
government_footnotes = cite web |url=http://www.lakeplacidfl.net/departments.htm |title=Town of Lake Placid Departments |publisher=Town of Lake Placid |accessdate=2007-08-13]
government_type = Mayor-council
(Strong Mayor)
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Thomas A. Katsanis
established_title = Settled
established_date = 1912
established_title2 = Incorporated (as Lake Stearns)
established_date2 = 1 December 1925
established_title3 = Incorporated
(as Lake Placid)
established_date3 = 6 June 1927
area_magnitude =
unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes = cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US12&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-format=ST-7 |title=Florida by Place. Population, Housing, Area, and Density: 2000 |publisher-US Census Bureau |accessdate=2007-07-20]
area_total_sq_mi = 2.84
area_land_sq_mi = 2.57
area_water_sq_mi = .27
area_water_percent = 9.5
area_metro_sq_mi =
population_as_of = 1 July 2007
population_footnotes = cite web |url=http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2007-04-12.xls |title=Annual Estimates of the population for the Incorporated Places of Florida |publisher=US Census Bureau |accessdate=2007-07-20 |format=XLS]
population_note = Census Bureau estimate
population_total = 1878
population_density_sq_mi =
population_metro =
population_density_metro_sq_mi =
timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 27 |latm = 17 |lats = 47 |latNS = N
longd = 81 |longm = 21 |longs = 53 |longEW = W
elevation_footnotes = [cite web |url=http://www.fallingrain.com/world/US/12/Lake_Placid.html |title=Lake Placid, United States Page |publisher=Falling Rain Genomics |accessdate=2007-08-13]
elevation_ft = 101
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 33852, 33862
area_code = 863
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 12-38625GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0285272GR|3
website = http://www.lakeplacidfl.net/
footnotes =

Lake Placid is a town in Highlands County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the town's population as 1,878 on 1 July 2007. It is part of the Sebring Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 99,349.cite web |url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2007/CBSA-EST2007-01.xls |title=Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |accessdate=2008-07-11|format=XLS]

The town has two nicknames—"Town of Murals" and "The Caladium Capital of the World." Lake Placid has more than 40 murals painted on buildings throughout the town,cite web |url=http://goflorida.about.com/od/orlandocentralflorida/a/lakeplacid.htm |title=Florida for Visitors: Lake Placid, Florida |publisher=About.com |accessdate=2007-08-13] and 98 percent of the world's caladium bulbs come from Lake Placid. cite news |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2007/08/11/Homes/Caladiums_please_the_.shtml |title=Caladiums please the eye |author=Swanson, Yvonne |publisher="St. Petersburg Times" |date=11 August 2007 |accessdate=2007-08-13]

History

Lake Placid was formerly called Lake Stearns, chartered on December 1, 1925. Dr. Melvil Dewey, the inventor of the Dewey Decimal System, and the founder of the Lake Placid Club, proposed that Lake Stearns change its name to Lake Placid. On April 29, 1927 the Lake Stearns Commissioners accepted Dr. Dewey's proposal to change the town's name from Lake Stearns to Lake Placid. Subsequently, they submitted a request to the Florida State Legislature. On June 6, 1927 The Town of Lake Stearns was chartered as Lake Placid.

Geography

Lake Placid is located at coor dms|27|17|47|N|81|21|53|W (27.296252, -81.364817)GR|1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.84 mi² (7.4 km²). convert|2.57|sqmi|km2|1 of it is land and convert|.27|sqmi|km2|1 of it (9.51%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 1,668 people, 646 households, and 395 families residing in the town. The population density was 650.2/mi² (250.6/km²). There were 776 housing units at an average density of 302.5/mi² (116.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 76.38% White, 9.95% African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 10.43% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30.46% of the population.

There were 646 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $21,178, and the median income for a family was $28,194. Males had a median income of $21,629 versus $14,650 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,855. About 22.7% of families and 34.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 55.2% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Media

Television

Lake Placid is located in a fringe viewing area; its television stations originate in distant cities. Local television services offer signals from WFTV, the ABC affiliate in Orlando, WINK, the CBS affiliate in Fort Myers/Naples, WFLA, the Tampa Bay area NBC affiliate, and WTVT, the Tampa Bay area Fox affiliate.

Radio

Lake Placid is part of the Sebring Radio market, which is ranked as the 288th largest in the United States by Arbitron.cite web |url=http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRatings/DetailsPage.aspx?MID=297&RY=2007&RQ=2&MP=0&OTHER=2&MN=Sebring&MS=FL&MR=288&12P=84400&UP=8/1/2007%2012:00:00%20AM&SU=S&BPER=8.6&HPER=12.6&OPER=&NSD=&CE=0
title=Ratings–Sebring Market |publisher=Arbitron |accessdate=2007-08-13] There are no radio stations whose studios or broadcasting towers are located in Lake Placid.

Newspapers

Local print media include the "News-Sun", a newspaper published on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, and the weekly "Lake Placid Journal". "Highlands Today" is a daily local supplement to "The Tampa Tribune", which covers newsworthy events in Highlands County.

References

External links

* [http://www.lpfla.com/ Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.highlands.k12.fl.us/~lph/ Lake Placid High School]
* [http://www.myhlc.org/lpl/ Lake Placid Memorial Library]