Historic downtown Auburndale
Restored main street with a civic center, murals, and monthly community events.
Polk County · 22 mi NW of Lake Wales
Auburndale, Florida
Lake Ariana, the TECO Trail, and Polk's biggest indoor sports draw.
- Drive time
- 30 min
- Distance
- 22 mi NW
- Population
- ~19,000
- Founded
- 1880s
Auburndale is thirty minutes northwest and reads as one long, comfortable neighborhood wrapped around lakes. The draw is recreational: a genuinely good paved trail, several lakefront parks, and youth and amateur sports facilities that pull weekend crowds from across the region.
It also sits at the junction that gets you to either Lakeland or Winter Haven in ten minutes, which makes it a useful base for a regional day.
Worth the drive
See & do
Lake Myrtle Sports Park
Large multi-field complex hosting baseball, soccer, and lacrosse tournaments most weekends.
Auburndale Speedway area
Short-track racing culture and related weekend events on the town's edge.
On the ground
Eat & drink
Main Street cafés and BBQ
Family-run counters and smokehouses along US-92 and the downtown core.
Lakefront ice cream and casual
Warm-evening stops near Lake Ariana.
Parks, lakes & trails
Outdoors
Lake Ariana Park
Beach, boat ramp, playground, and a long pier on a clear lake.
Auburndale TECO Trail
Paved multi-use trail linking Auburndale to the wider Chain of Lakes network.
Allred Pond and Lake Whistler areas
Quiet fishing and birding water on the town's edges.
Every year
Annual events
- Auburndale Founder's Day
- Tournament weekends at Lake Myrtle Sports Park
- Christmas on Main and downtown tree lighting
Events calendar
What’s coming up in Auburndale.
No Auburndale dates are on our calendar yet — annual events are listed above. Browse the full regional calendar →
Getting there
The drive
US-27 north to SR-544, then west — or through Winter Haven. About 30 minutes from Lake Wales.
ZIP 33823 · Verified 2026-07-29
Before you go
Good to know
- Tournament Saturdays flood Lake Myrtle parking; arrive early or park downtown.
- The TECO Trail has limited shade — ride it early.
Keep exploring
Other towns near Lake Wales
25 min away
Bartow
The county seat, and the best porch-and-oak street grid in Polk.
40 min away
Lakeland
The big city on the Ridge — swans, Frank Lloyd Wright, and a real dinner scene.
25 min away
Haines City
The US-27 gateway — ballfields, Lake Eva, and the road to I-4.
20 min away
Frostproof
A citrus town that kept its main street.