Lake Placid, Florida

Lake Placid, Florida
Nicknames: 
"Caladium Capital of the World"
"Town of Murals"
Location in Highlands County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 27°18′01″N 81°22′25″W / 27.30028°N 81.37361°W / 27.30028; -81.37361
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountyHighlands
Settled1912
Incorporated
(Town of Lake Stearns)
December 1, 1925
Incorporated
(Town of Lake Placid)
June 6, 1927
Government
 • TypeMayor-Council
Area
 • Total
4.71 sq mi (12.21 km2)
 • Land4.66 sq mi (12.07 km2)
 • Water0.050 sq mi (0.13 km2)  1.4%
Elevation
98 ft (30 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
2,360
 • Density506.3/sq mi (195.47/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
33852, 33862
Area code863
FIPS code12-38625
GNIS feature ID2405975

Lake Placid is a town in Highlands County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Sebring, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,360, up from 2,223 at the 2010 census.

The town has two nicknames: "Town of Murals" and "Caladium Capital of the World". Lake Placid has 47 murals painted on buildings throughout the town, and 98 percent of the world's caladium bulbs come from Lake Placid. There are 14 caladium farms, spanning 1,200 acres, and these plants have been grown in the area since the 1940s. In 2013, Reader's Digest named Lake Placid America's Most Interesting Town.

The town is home to the Lake Placid Tower, a closed concrete block observation tower that is 240 feet (73 m) tall according to early sources or 270 feet (82 m) tall according to late sources. However, government sources exclude a 270-foot height, allowing only a 240-foot height.