A welcoming lakeside community with small-town character and big-city access. Discover Lake Ariana, the Speedway, rich railroad history, and everything this Central Florida city has to offer.
Auburndale sits in the heart of central Polk County, roughly 10 minutes from Winter Haven and about 15 to 20 minutes from Lakeland, with Interstate 4 running just to the north. It is a friendly, growing city that pairs genuine small-town character with big-city access, anchored by Lake Ariana on its western edge and a historic downtown at its center.
The town traces its beginnings to 1880, when settler Frank Fuller established a community first called Sanatoria. When the railroad arrived, the settlement was renamed Auburndale after a town in Massachusetts, and the rails came to define it: Auburndale grew into a key junction where two of Florida's great railroad lines crossed, a heritage that still shapes the city today alongside a lakeside recreation scene that draws boaters, anglers, and families year-round.
Whether you are planning a visit or considering a move, this guide will introduce you to the lakes, landmarks, racing traditions, and community events that make Auburndale a place worth knowing.
Polk County's housing market settled into a more balanced rhythm through 2026, with rising inventory and steadier pricing giving buyers renewed room to negotiate. Here is where Polk County and Auburndale stand right now.
Polk County median sold price, June 2026
Homes closed county-wide in June 2026
Months of supply, more inventory than a year ago
Median days on market county-wide
Figures are drawn from public market reporting and verified by The MC Collective team; current as of September 2026.
Lake Ariana is a roughly 1,000-acre public lake on the western side of Auburndale, long known as one of the area's best spots for boating, water skiing, and fishing. The lake holds healthy populations of largemouth bass, bluegill, and black crappie, and anglers can launch from the boat ramp at Lake Ariana Park or from a second public ramp off Lake Ariana Road (County Road 559) on the eastern shore.
Lake Ariana Park, at 2215 Ariana Boulevard, is the city's lakeside gathering place. The site began its life in the 1920s as the Auburndale municipal beach, fondly remembered as Mac's Beach. A major redevelopment completed in 2025 transformed the park with a new civic center, a boating dock and boat ramp, a playground, picnic pavilions, outdoor event spaces, volleyball courts, and a multipurpose trail running along the lakefront.
It is the place locals come for a sunset stroll, a family picnic, or a Saturday morning launch, all with the calm water of Lake Ariana as the backdrop.
For nearly five decades, the Auburndale Speedway has been the region's home of short-track racing. The paved quarter-mile oval, complete with a figure-8 course, opened on November 16, 1974, and is recognized as the oldest paved quarter-mile track in Florida. It sits at 5640 East County Road 542 in the Auburndale and Winter Haven area, just down the road from the Polk County Fairgrounds.
On Saturday nights from roughly February through November, the track comes alive with weekly racing across classes including Street Stocks, V-8 Bombers, Modifieds, Mini Stocks, and Crown Vics, along with special events such as Enduro races and figure-8 showdowns.
Racing fans from across Central Florida fill the grandstands for a classic night of engines, close finishes, and hometown atmosphere that has kept the Speedway a local institution since the 1970s.
Auburndale's identity is written in its rails. The town began as a railroad-era settlement in 1880, was renamed after the railroad arrived, and incorporated in 1911 as the junction where the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line railroads crossed. Miami-bound trains were routed through Auburndale, and the famous West Coast Champion passenger trains served the junction, connecting the town to cities along Florida's west coast.
That rail legacy lives on: the restored 1927 Seaboard Air Line depot still stands as a landmark, and the CSX Auburndale yard remains one of Central Florida's busiest rail hubs. Freight trains still rumble through town daily, a living echo of the industry that built it.
The Champion name also echoes through the city in a different way. Champion Boats, the legendary bass-boat manufacturer founded in 1975, was long headquartered in Auburndale, a proud chapter of the city's story that still makes locals smile.
Auburndale is built for an active lifestyle. The Auburndale TECO Trail offers miles of paved walking, jogging, and biking paths that link the city's lakes and parks, while the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex hosts baseball and soccer tournaments that draw teams and families from across the Southeast. International Market World, the sprawling flea market on the city's south side, has been a favorite weekend destination for shoppers for decades.
Location is one of Auburndale's quiet superpowers. US 92 runs through the heart of town, connecting Lakeland to the west and Lake Alfred and Haines City to the east, while Interstate 4 is just minutes north via State Road 559, putting downtown Tampa roughly 45 minutes away and downtown Orlando about an hour away.
Add the Polk Parkway along the city's western edge and you have one of the most connected small cities in Central Florida, with two major metro areas within an easy drive.
Auburndale's historic downtown, centered on the lakeside City Park, preserves the character of an early 20th century Florida railroad town with its brick streets, vintage storefronts, and community landmarks.
The heart of Auburndale's old downtown is the Downtown City Park, a green gathering space that has anchored the commercial district for over a century. Around it stand early 1900s brick and stucco commercial buildings, many with awnings and storefronts that recall the town's railroad-era peak. The old train station still stands beside the park near the lake, a quiet reminder of the trains that put Auburndale on the map.
The district has been carefully preserved over the years, with brick-paved streets and a walkable layout that encourages strolling from shop to shop. The Auburndale Rotary Butterfly Garden, tucked into the Historic Downtown Park, adds a colorful pocket of native plants and pollinator habitat right in the middle of town.
Downtown Auburndale is the kind of place where neighbors greet each other by name, where the market sets up under the oaks, and where a century of history is still visible in the buildings overhead.
The restored 1894 Ephraim Mikel Baynard home, one of the area's oldest surviving residences, is open for guided tours. The house museum offers a window into late 1800s Florida life and the pioneering families who settled the Auburndale area.
Built in 1927, Auburndale's historic City Hall is a landmark of the downtown district. Its well-preserved municipal architecture reflects the confident growth of the town during Florida's 1920s land boom.
Built in 1920 by the Auburndale Citrus Growers Association, the packing house recalls the city's citrus economy, when trainloads of oranges and grapefruit rolled north from Polk County. It stands as a monument to the region's agricultural roots.
The old depot beside the lake in City Park is a physical link to the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line era, when passenger and freight trains made Auburndale one of Florida's busiest small-town junctions.
Located in the Historic Downtown Park, the butterfly garden brings native plants and pollinators to the center of town, creating a peaceful spot to sit and enjoy the heart of downtown.
Auburndale's early 1900s commercial district, with its brick streets, awnings, and vintage storefronts, preserves the look and feel of a Florida railroad town and is best explored on foot.
The story of Auburndale begins in 1880, when settler Frank Fuller established a community first called Sanatoria, after a local hotel. When the railroad pushed into Polk County in the 1880s, following Henry B. Plant's South Florida Railroad, the settlement was renamed Auburndale for a town in Massachusetts, and the city was incorporated in 1911.
The rails made the town. Auburndale became a key junction where the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line crossed, and for generations the sound of freight and passenger trains was the soundtrack of daily life. The two railroads merged to form the Seaboard Coast Line in 1967, and Amtrak took over passenger service in 1971, ending the era of the West Coast Champion passenger trains. Today the CSX Auburndale yard keeps the city one of Central Florida's most important rail hubs, a fitting legacy for a town that grew up along the tracks.
On the first Saturday of each month, the Downtown City Park fills with local vendors offering produce, crafts, food, and live entertainment. It is the community's signature gathering, drawing residents and visitors alike.
The city's annual spring festival at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex features live music, food trucks, family activities, and a community-wide celebration of the season. Dates vary from year to year, so check the City of Auburndale events calendar for current happenings.
The Speedway's Saturday night racing season runs from roughly February through November, with weekly classes, special events, Enduro races, and figure-8 spectacles that make every visit an evening to remember.
From bass fishing at dawn to water skiing on a summer afternoon, Lake Ariana delivers recreation every month of the year. The park's boat ramp and dock make it easy to get on the water.
The Auburndale TECO Trail connects parks and neighborhoods with miles of paved, tree-shaded path, perfect for daily walks, family bike rides, and short runs at any time of year.
Baseball, softball, and soccer tournaments at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex bring teams and traveling families to Auburndale throughout the year, alongside casual recreational play on the city's fields.
Straight answers about living in Auburndale from the local team who knows this market best.
The answers buyers ask us most, focused on what matters for living in and investing in Auburndale.
Auburndale combines a growing community with big-city access: Interstate 4 minutes north, downtown Tampa about 45 minutes away, downtown Orlando about an hour, and the Polk Parkway along its western edge. Lakeside homes, new construction, and investment properties near the trail give investors several angles. Message the team for what is currently active on the market.
Yes. Lake Ariana recreation, miles of paved TECO Trail, sporting events at Lake Myrtle, plus the First Saturday Downtown Market and CityFest make it easy to stay active and connected. It is a calm, convenient mix that suits both growing families and those settling into retirement.
Lake Ariana is a roughly 1,000-acre public lake known for boating, water skiing, fishing, and Lake Ariana Park, redeveloped in 2025, offers a civic center, boat dock and ramp, playground, pavilions, and a lakefront trail. It is the city's signature spot for sunset strolls and weekend launches.
For nearly five decades, the Saturday night tradition has been the Auburndale Speedway: Florida's oldest paved quarter-mile track, with racing classes from Street Stocks to Crown Vics, running roughly February through November. For a quieter night, the Downtown City Park and the lakefront are favorite places to gather.
Contact The MC Collective team for listings and market insights in Auburndale and across Central Florida. From lakeside homes and new construction near the trail to investment properties minutes from Lakeland and Winter Haven, we know this market inside and out.