Click on a topic below for more information.

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Geography

Central Florida's Polk County is one of the most beautiful and versatile parts of the state. Made up of seventeen municipalities, each community has a unique feel from small to medium-sized cities. In addition, a rural feel still exists along with the uniqueness provided by the phosphate and sand mining industry. A variety of locations are available including:

Anywhere USA- Downtowns & Neighborhoods
Lakes Jungles, Waterfalls, Rivers, Swamps
Beach & Desert
Roads, Hills and Flat
Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture
Attractions - Bok Tower Gardens, Fantasy of Flight and LEGOLAND Florida - Open Fall 2011.
Ranch/Western

Click here to visit our Photo Library and view some of our fabulous locations.

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Location/Easy Access

Located between Tampa and Orlando, the county covers 2,030.2 square miles, making it the size of Rhode Island. Polk County truly is Central Florida within 30 minutes to 1 hour away from two major fated cities, Tampa and Orlando.

Polk County consists of 135.3 square miles of water. Numerous lakes can be found in every community. The Peace River also runs through the southwest portion of the county.

Polk County is basically midway between Key West and the Georgia state line. It is approximately 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and 100 miles from the Atlantic Ocean.

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Size & Population

Polk County is one of the fastest growing portions of the state because of its location. Almost 585,000 people live in the county. More than 8.5 million people live within a 100-mile radius. The area is easily accessible because of major transportation highways. Major east/west highway routes include Interstate 4, US Highway 60, and US Highway 92. Major north/south highway routes include US Highway 98, US Highway 27, and I-75. With two major international airports just a matter of minutes away, direct flights can be found coming into both Tampa and Orlando International airports from Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Ft Worth, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, New York, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Raleigh/Durham, San Francisco and Seattle to name a few. Polk County also features a regional airport (Lakeland Linder Regional Airport & 8500 ft. runway designed for jet use) and several municipal airports. The county also has freight and passenger rail service.

Lakeland is the largest city with a population of 93,508. Winter Haven consists of 34,404, with Haines City, Bartow, Auburndale, and Lake Wales being the next largest municipalities.

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Permit Procedures

Permits are free and are required for all filming in the Polk County area. The film commission office can facilitate off-duty police assistance needed for any partial or full street closure. Please allow 3 days (72 hours) for permit to be processed.

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Insurance Requirements

A certificate of insurance in the amount of $1,000,000 (one million dollars) or more with Polk County & Board of County Commissioners named as additionally insured. It is requested that the Insurance certificate be received 3 days (72 hours) in advance. Higher coverage may be required for more hazardous productions involving stunts or pyrotechnics.

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Film Commission Services

• Free copy of printed production guide available to qualified parties.
• On-line production guide with listings of crew and support services.
• Assistance with film permits for 17 municipalities, county facilities, parks and roadways.
• Location scouting guidance.

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Film Friendly Businesses & Crew

Click here to download a listing of crew and businesses in Central Florida’s Polk County who can assist you with your shoot.

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Lodging and Meeting Space

Polk County has hotel rooms and vacation rental homes, from full service hotels to economy accommodations. The area offers a variety of meeting facilities for 10 to 10,000 delegates.

Click here to view a list of accommodations.

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Convention Centers

The Lakeland Center - 100,000 sq. ft.
Fantasy of Flight - 50,550 sq. ft.
Chain O Lakes Convention Center - 18,000 sq. ft.
Florida Citrus Building-Nora Mayo Hall - 12,200 sq. ft.
The Lake Mirror Complex - 19,786 sq. ft.