Lake Eva Community Park
Aquatic center, banquet hall, amphitheater, playgrounds, and a walking loop around the lake.
555 Ledwith Ave, Haines City, FL 33844
Polk County · 17 mi N of Lake Wales
Haines City, Florida
The US-27 gateway — ballfields, Lake Eva, and the road to I-4.
- Drive time
- 25 min
- Distance
- 17 mi N
- Population
- ~30,000
- Founded
- 1885 (as Clay Cut)
Haines City is what Lake Wales drivers pass through on the way to I-4, but it has quietly become one of Polk County's fastest-growing municipalities. The center of gravity is Lake Eva Community Park — a pool complex, event center, and lakefront green all on one campus.
It is also the practical stop for big-box errands north of Lake Wales, and the jumping-off point for Davenport, ChampionsGate, and the theme-park corridor twenty minutes further north.
Worth the drive
See & do
Historic downtown Haines City
A compact main street with murals, a restored depot area, and a growing set of Latin American bakeries and restaurants.
Ridge Community sports complexes
Baseball, softball, and soccer fields that draw regional tournaments most weekends.
On the ground
Eat & drink
Puerto Rican and Dominican kitchens
US-27 and downtown hold the strongest concentration of Caribbean Latin food between Lake Wales and I-4.
US-27 corridor chains
The practical fuel-and-food stop before the interstate — everything is clustered near the Hwy 17/27 split.
Parks, lakes & trails
Outdoors
Lake Eva
Small in-town lake with a paved loop, fishing spots, and shade.
Lake Marion Creek Wildlife Management Area
Scrub and creek habitat southeast of town with hiking and seasonal hunting.
Every year
Annual events
- Thunder on the Ridge fireworks (July 4)
- Haines City Christmas parade (December)
- Ridge Area Arc events and youth tournaments (year-round)
Events calendar
What’s coming up in Haines City.
No Haines City dates are on our calendar yet — annual events are listed above. Browse the full regional calendar →
Getting there
The drive
North on US-27 from Lake Wales, about 25 minutes. Watch for heavy truck traffic between Dundee and the Hwy 544 junction.
ZIP 33844, 33845 · Verified 2026-07-29
Before you go
Good to know
- US-27 north backs up badly on weekend afternoons in winter season.
- Lake Eva's aquatic center runs seasonal hours — call before packing swimsuits.
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.
20 min away
Frostproof
A citrus town that kept its main street.
12 min away
Babson Park
A college hamlet on Crooked Lake, twelve minutes from downtown.