Florida Heartland

The Florida Heartland is a region of Florida located to the north and west of Lake Okeechobee, composed of six inland, non-metropolitan counties — DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee. In 2000, The US Census Bureau recorded the population of the region at 229,509. A 2005 US Census Bureau estimate places the region's population at 249,837, a five year growth rate of 9.0%. The most populous county in the region is Highlands County, and the region's largest city is Sebring. Unlike the coastal areas to the east and west, the rural nature of the Florida Heartland is culturally closer to the Deep South than the rest of peninsular Florida.

Development

The region is primarily rural in nature, with the primary economic driver being agriculture. Important products grown in this area include tomatoes, beef, sugarcane, cucumbers and citrus products including oranges.
In Hardee county, phosphate mining is also a substantial industry, particularly along the Peace River basin.

Government

Each county in the region has its own county government. Within each county, there are also self-governing cities and towns. The majority of land in each county is controlled directly by the county government. It is common for incorporated municipalities to contract county services in order to save costs and avoid redundancy.

Education

Each of the six counties has its own school board, with four of the county school systems consisting of one high school, one alternative school and no more than two middle schools. Highlands County has three high schools while Hendry County has two.

South Florida Community College, the largest post-secondary institution based within Florida's Heartland, is located in Avon Park and has campuses in Lake Placid, Bowling Green and Arcadia.

Other community colleges that have campuses in the Florida Heartland include the Indian River Community College's Dixon Hendry Campus in Okeechobee, and the Fort Myers-based Edison Community College with its Hendry/Glades Center in LaBelle.

Regional Transportation

Highways

There are no interstate Highways in the Florida Heartland. The Ronald Reagan Turnpike passes through the northeastern corner of Okeechobee County, and includes the Fort Drum service plaza, but there are no exits along that segment.

Television Stations

There are no local television stations in the Florida Heartland. TV service originates in Fort Myers, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and West Palm Beach.

Radio Stations

The following radio stations operate in the Heartland:

Metropolitan and Micropolitan Areas

There are no United States Census Bureau-designated Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the Florida Heartland. However, the Census Bureau has identified five Micropolitan Statistical Areas:

*Arcadia, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area (DeSoto County, Florida)
*Clewiston, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area (Hendry County, Florida)
*Okeechobee, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area (Okeechobee County, Florida)
*Sebring, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area (Highlands County, Florida)
*Wauchula, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area (Hardee County, Florida)

References

External links

* [http://www.flaheartland.com/ FHREDI - Florida's Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative]
* [http://www.fhrch.org/ FHRCH - Florida's Heartland Rural Consortia for the Homeless, Inc.]
* [http://www.myhlc.org/ Heartland Library Cooperative] - Public Library System for Highlands, Hardee, Desoto and Okeechobee counties