Hillcrest Heights, Florida | ||
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Town | ||
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![]() Location in Polk County and the state of Florida |
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Coordinates: 27°49′27″N 81°31′59″W / 27.82417°N 81.53306°WCoordinates: 27°49′27″N 81°31′59″W / 27.82417°N 81.53306°W | ||
Country | United States | |
State | Florida | |
County | Polk | |
Incorporated | 1923 | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Sam Knight | |
Area | ||
• Total | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2) | |
• Land | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2) | |
• Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) | |
Elevation | 236 ft (72 m) | |
Population (2000) | ||
• Total | 266 | |
• Density | 1,330/sq mi (665/km2) | |
Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) | |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | |
FIPS code | 12-30700 | |
GNIS feature ID | 0284030 |
Hillcrest Heights is a town in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 266 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 280. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.
In 1917, the Lakeside Club was built on the south shore of Crooked Lake. A year later, this club burnt to the ground and was rebuilt and named the Hillcrest Lodge. This lodge was well known and many celebrities stayed there including Bobby Jones, Babe Ruth and William Jennings Bryan.
In 1923, the Village of Hillcrest Heights was incorporated. A year later, the town's dirt roads were all paved.
Hillcrest Heights is located just south of Babson Park and east of Crooked Lake. The town is approximately nine miles south of Lake Wales and five miles (8 km) north of Frostproof. Hillcrest Heights is located within the Central Florida Highlands area of the Atlantic coastal plain with a terrain consisting of flatland interspersed with gently rolling hills.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2), all land.
Hillcrest Heights is located in the humid subtropical zone (Köppen climate classification: Cfa).
Hillcrest Heights has a town council made up of five members including a mayor and vice mayor. The town does not have a city manager and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the town. Police services are contracted through the Polk County Sheriffs Office Department. The town's annual operating budget is less than $100,000. In the most recent 2009 elections, only the incumbent commissioners qualified and were elected by default.