At first glance, Auburndale looks like the kind of Florida town you pass through on the way somewhere else — a grid of shaded streets, a handful of lakes, a few citrus groves still holding on. But spend an afternoon here and it feels like a postcard that’s been quietly alive all along.
Between Tampa and Orlando, where the interstates hum with motion, Auburndale keeps its own pace. The lake breeze drifts through downtown. Cyclists roll down the trail that splits the town. Church bells mark the hour. There’s no pretense, no skyline — just water, sunlight, and the feeling that things still work the way they used to.
Locals describe it simply: “Auburndale’s where you catch your breath.” They’re right.
History and Character
Auburndale’s beginnings go back to the 1880s, when settlers followed the new South Florida Railroad into Polk County. The first families planted citrus and built wooden storefronts beside Lake Ariana. The town was incorporated in 1911, and for decades its life revolved around the groves, the rail line, and the lakes that seemed to reflect every sunrise.
It was named after Auburndale, Massachusetts, the hometown of one of its early residents — a northern transplant who missed the sound of the word. That blending of Yankee practicality and Southern rhythm still shapes the town’s character.
The 1920s brought the Florida Land Boom, and Auburndale briefly dreamed of grandeur. Hotels rose, and the downtown brickwork you see today dates from that era. But the boom collapsed, and the Great Depression hit the citrus industry hard.
Through it all, Auburndale adapted. The Polk County phosphate mines to the south offered work, and the city became a bedroom community for Winter Haven and Lakeland. The town stayed modest, but steady.
Today, Auburndale holds about 17,000 residents. It’s large enough for good schools and coffee shops, small enough for people to wave from front porches. It still feels like the Florida of railroads and orange blossoms — not theme parks and traffic.
Nature and Outdoors
If you love water, Auburndale is impossible to ignore. The city is ringed by more than a dozen lakes — Lake Ariana, Lake Lena, Lake Juliana, Lake Van, and Lake Myrtle, to name a few. Each has its own rhythm: fishermen at dawn, kayakers at dusk, and herons gliding low over the glassy surface.
The Auburndale TECO Trail, part of the larger Chain of Lakes Trail network, runs for seven scenic miles through pine woods and open fields before linking to Polk City and the Van Fleet Trail. Cyclists love it for its smooth pavement and long horizons. Walkers love it for the quiet — just birds, breeze, and the smell of orange blossoms drifting from nearby groves.
At the north end, Lake Myrtle Sports Park anchors the city’s outdoor energy. Soccer, baseball, and cross-country meets fill the fields on weekends. Between games, families picnic beside the lake under the oaks.
For something wilder, the Tenoroc Fish Management Area lies fifteen minutes west. It’s a reclaimed phosphate mine turned wildlife paradise, with dozens of lakes stocked for bass and bluegill. Trails wind through rolling sandhills where gopher tortoises dig and hawks patrol the thermals.
In spring, the air hums with bees in the citrus bloom. In summer, thunderstorms roll across the flat horizon and leave the world shining. By autumn, the water cools and the sky turns sharp blue. Auburndale’s seasons aren’t dramatic, but they’re real — marked by scent and sound more than by temperature.
Food and Drink
Food here tastes of familiarity. It’s not about trends; it’s about comfort done right.
Start at Downtown Deli, where the coffee’s strong and the Reubens are better than they need to be. Locals meet here before work, trading weather reports and fishing stories.
Across the street, Safari Coffee roasts beans in small batches and fills the morning air with warmth. Their pastries disappear fast, especially on Saturdays when the farmers’ market sets up along Main Street.
For Southern cooking, Peebles Bar-B-Q has been a landmark for decades. Wooden benches, paper plates, smoke rising from the pit — it’s the kind of place that makes strangers start talking.
Seafood fans head to The Catfish Country Restaurant, where hush puppies and fried catfish come with a side of gossip about lake levels. For a good burger, Tantrums Lakeside Grill on Lake Ariana serves one with a view worth lingering over.
Evenings often end quietly — maybe a scoop from Andy’s Igloo Drive-In, maybe a cold beer at Haven Coffee Roasters, or just a walk by the water as the frogs start their chorus.
Auburndale doesn’t chase the culinary spotlight. It just feeds people well, the way it always has.
Arts, Culture, and Community
Auburndale’s culture is the kind that thrives in motion — parades, concerts, and local festivals more than galleries and stages.
Each April, the CityFest celebration fills downtown with music, food trucks, and families dancing on the brick streets. The Christmas Parade winds past shop windows strung with lights, and the entire town seems to turn out for it.
The Auburndale Community Center doubles as a cultural hub with art exhibits, craft fairs, and youth programs. Meanwhile, the Historic Baynard House Museum, built in 1894, preserves the city’s early history — polished pine floors, family portraits, and a view of Lake Stella that hasn’t changed in a century.
You’ll find murals scattered downtown — citrus blossoms, trains, lake scenes — painted by local artists through city grants. They give the old brick new life.
Community here feels deliberate. People volunteer for cleanup days, coach Little League, and run fundraisers for the schools. The town’s social fabric isn’t digital; it’s face-to-face.
On Friday nights, the high-school stadium fills. On Saturday mornings, the trail does. And by Sunday afternoon, everyone seems to find their way back to the lake.
Regional Character
Auburndale sits in Polk County, the true center of Florida — equidistant from Gulf and Atlantic, from Tampa and Orlando. It’s a region shaped by agriculture, phosphate, and water.
To the north, Lakeland offers museums and music. To the south, Winter Haven and its chain of lakes draw boaters and skiers. To the west, Plant City still smells of strawberries and diesel. Auburndale rests comfortably among them — part of the network, but never in a hurry.
The land here rolls gently, dotted with lakes that reflect every mood of the sky. Citrus groves stretch toward the horizon, though fewer each year. On cold winter nights, smudge pots still glow in the distance like small constellations.
The climate defines daily life. Mornings are cool and wet with dew. By noon, heat builds over the lakes and distant thunder starts its slow approach. Rain comes in sheets, then vanishes, leaving everything washed and bright. Evenings carry the smell of cut grass and distant barbecue.
If you want to understand Florida beyond the beaches, this is the place. It’s the state’s working middle — the rhythm that holds the coasts together.
Local Highlights
Lake Ariana Park
A walkable lakeshore with pavilions, fishing spots, and picnic areas. At sunset, the light over the water can stop you in your tracks.
Downtown Auburndale
Brick streets lined with local shops, a gazebo on the square, and murals celebrating the town’s railroad and citrus roots.
Auburndale TECO Trail
A shaded, paved trail connecting to the larger Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail system. Ideal for biking, jogging, or long morning walks.
Historic Baynard House
Restored late-Victorian home with original furnishings and guided tours that make the town’s early days come alive.
Lake Myrtle Sports Park
A modern athletic complex hosting state and national tournaments, plus plenty of open space for local recreation.
Tenoroc Fish Management Area
Fifty lakes, miles of trails, and more wildlife than you can count — a short drive and a perfect day trip for anglers and hikers.
CityFest and Christmas Parade
Two annual events that define the community calendar. Both turn the downtown core into a street party of lights, food, and neighborly chatter.
Lodging and Atmosphere
Auburndale doesn’t have resorts — and that’s its charm. Most visitors stay at family-run motels or short-term rentals near the lakes. Lake Juliana Boathouse Cottages and The Ariana Guesthouse offer quiet porches, hammocks, and easy water access.
For more amenities, nearby Lakeland and Winter Haven have chain hotels and boutique inns within fifteen minutes.
Evenings in Auburndale move gently. Porch lights flicker on, frogs start calling from the ditches, and a soft breeze stirs the moss. Downtown hums until about nine, then falls into the kind of quiet that makes you notice crickets again.
Morning arrives with the smell of rain and bacon from a diner down the street. Joggers circle Lake Stella, fishermen drift onto the water, and another small Florida day begins — slow, steady, and good.
JJ’s Tip
Start early. Walk the TECO Trail before the heat builds, when the sun sits low and the lakes glow pale blue. Grab breakfast at the downtown deli, then drive the back roads between the groves. Windows down, air thick with citrus and pine — this is real Florida.
Stay for sunset at Lake Ariana. The reflection looks painted, and for a moment everything feels still. Auburndale won’t shout to get your attention, but if you listen, it will tell you exactly what you came here to hear: that ordinary life, lived well, is its own kind of beauty.
