Avon Park Lakes is a residential community of several thousand people in northwest Highlands County, Florida

Highlands County, Florida

Highlands County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the population was 97,346. Its county seat is Sebring, Florida. The county comprises the Sebring, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...

. It is bounded by Polk County, Florida

Polk County, Florida

Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...

, on the north and Hardee County, Florida

Hardee County, Florida

Hardee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 26,938. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 28,286 . Its county seat is Wauchula, Florida. The county comprises the Wauchula, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :It...

, on the west. On the northeast it is bounded by Lake Adelaide

Lake Adelaide

Lake Adelaide is a lake located in the northwest corner of Highlands County, Florida. It is bounded on the north by Holiday Ranch RV Park, which borders the Polk-Highlands County line, on the east by Adelaide Shores RV Resort and on the west by the Avon Park Lakes residential subdivision...

. On the southeast it is bounded by citrus orchards and pastures; the city limits of Avon Park, Florida

Avon Park, Florida

Avon Park is a city in Highlands County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population in 2009 at 8,824. It is the oldest city in Highlands County, and was named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England.-History:...

, are about a mile to the east of Avon Park Lakes. State Highway 64 is to the south of Avon Park Lakes. The community is not incorporated.
The development contains Lake Olivia

Lake Olivia

Lake Olivia is an freshwater lake located within the Avon Park Lakes subdivision in northwest Highlands County, Florida. It is to the northwest of the incorporated city of Avon Park. Maximum depth is about , with a fairly steep contour to the depth. The lake's shape is round. There were many...

, which is a lake and park, and Lake Chilton

Lake Chilton

Lake Chilton is a natural circular lake within the Avon Park Lakes, Florida, community. It is small, measuring approximately 1200 by 1200 feet and has a maximum depth of about 22 feet. It is bounded on all sides by residential streets and houses almost completely surround the lake on the opposite...

. There is a clubhouse on the south side of Lake Olivia, owned by the Avon Park Lakes Association (the development's homeowner association). A church, Avon Park Lakes Baptist Church, is on the extreme eastern edge of the development and another church, World Harvest & Restoration Ministries, is on the same street and well inside Avon Park Lakes. The local Veterans of Foreign Wars clubhouse is on the extreme south edge. Avon Park Lakes contains no retail business properties, although the VFW clubhouse runs a nightclub/restaurant.
The subdivision began at Lake Olivia in the late 1950s and continuously grew until the real estate crash of 2007. Then, probably for the first time in its history, came a slight migration away from the area. Today, there are very many vacant lots in Avon Park Lakes.