Avon Park, Florida
| Avon Park | ||
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| Nickname(s): The City of Charm | ||
 Location in Highlands County and the state of Florida |
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| Coordinates: 27°35′40″N 81°30′12″W / 27.59444°N 81.50333°WCoordinates: 27°35′40″N 81°30′12″W / 27.59444°N 81.50333°W | ||
| Country |
 United States
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| State |
 Florida
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| County | Highlands | |
| settled | 1884 | |
| Incorporated (town) | 1886 | |
| Incorporated (city) | 1 January 1926 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Council-Manager | |
| • Mayor | Garrett Anderson | |
| • City Manager | Julian Deleon | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 5.65 sq mi (14.6 km2) | |
| • Land | 4.64 sq mi (12.0 km2) | |
| • Water | 1.02 sq mi (2.6 km2) 18.1% | |
| Elevation | 121 ft (37 m) | |
| Population (1 July 2007) | ||
| • Total | 9,030 | |
| • Density | 1,841.8/sq mi (711.1/km2) | |
| Census estimates | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) | |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | |
| ZIP code | 33825-33826 | |
| Area code(s) | 863 | |
| FIPS code | 12-02750 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0278007 | |
| Website | http://www.avonpark.cc | |
Avon Park is a city in Highlands County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population in 2009 at 8,824. It is the oldest city in Highlands County, and was named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
The first permanent settler in Avon Park was Oliver Martin Crosby, a Connecticut native who moved to the area in 1884 to study the wildlife of the Everglades. By 1886, enough people had followed that the town of "Lake Forest" was founded. As President of the Florida Development Company, he recruited settlers to the area, many of whom were from England including many from the town of Stratford-upon-Avon in England, who gave the town its name.
In 2006, then-mayor Thomas Macklin proposed City Ordinance 08-06, which would have blocked the issuance or renewal of city licenses to businesses that hired illegal aliens, fined any property owner who rented and leased property to illegal aliens, and established English as the city's official language, banning the use of other languages during the conduct of official business except where specified under state or federal law. The ordinance was defeated by the city council, on a 3–2 vote.
Avon Park is located at 27°35′40″N 81°30′12″W / 27.59444°N 81.50333°W (27.594418, -81.503437). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.65 square miles (14.6 km2), of which 4.64 square miles (12 km2) is land and 1.02 square miles (2.6 km2) (18.1%) is water.
At the 2000 census, there were 8,542 people, 3,218 households and 2,114 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,841.8 per square mile (710.8/km2). There were 3,916 housing units at an average density of 844.4 per square mile(325.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 58.90% White, 29.2% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 8.35% from other races, and 2.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.71% of the population.
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