Lakeland, Florida

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has an area of {{convert|67|sqmi|km2|1|abbr=on}}, of which {{convert|45.84|sqmi|km2|1|abbr=on}} is land and {{convert|5.61|sqmi|km2|1|abbr=on}} (10.90%) is covered by water. Lakeland is within the Central Florida Highlands area of the [[Atlantic coastal plain]], with a terrain consisting of flatland interspersed with gently rolling hills.<ref name="Florida's Geological History">{{cite web
| url = http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw208
| title = Florida's Geological History
| access-date = October 14, 2010
| publisher = University of Florida
}}</ref>

===Lakes===
[[File:Lakeland FLAUSA lake Mirror.jpg|thumb|right|Lake Mirror Park in downtown Lakeland, with surrounding City Hall and Lakeland Terrace Hotel]]
The dominant feature in Lakeland is the city's many lakes. Thirty-eight lakes are named, with a number of other bodies of water unnamed, mostly phosphate mine pits that eventually filled with water.<ref>{{cite web|title=Measurement of Recovery in Lakes Following Phosphate Mining|url=http://www1.fipr.state.fl.us/fipr/fipr1.nsf/129fc2ac92d337ca85256c5b00481502/9a9af43eaa9607f885256b2f0051be61/$FILE/03-045-039Final.pdf|publisher=Florida Institute of Phosphate Research|access-date=February 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222004307/http://www1.fipr.state.fl.us/fipr/fipr1.nsf/129fc2ac92d337ca85256c5b00481502/9a9af43eaa9607f885256b2f0051be61/$FILE/03-045-039Final.pdf|archive-date=February 22, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=http://www.lakelandgov.net/libraryspecialcollections/SpecialCollectionsHome/FrequentlyAskedQuestions.aspx|publisher=Lakeland, Florida|access-date=February 4, 2014}}</ref> The largest of these is [[Lake Parker, Florida|Lake Parker]], which is {{convert|2550|acre|km2|abbr=on}} in size. Much of the culture of Lakeland revolves around its many lakes, and many people use the lakes as reference points in much the same way people in other towns use streets as reference points, such as "I live near Lake Beulah." In addition to Lake Parker, some of the more prominent lakes in the Lakeland area are [[Lake Hollingsworth]], [[Lake Morton (Florida)|Lake Morton]], Lake Mirror, and [[Lake Gibson (Florida)|Lake Gibson]].

[[Swan]]s are one of the most visible features on the lakes near downtown Lakeland. They have a long history, the first swans appearing around 1923. By 1954, the swans were gone, eradicated by [[alligator]]s and pets. A Lakeland resident who mourned the passing of the swans wrote to [[Queen Elizabeth II]]. The [[royal family]] allowed the capture of two of the royal swans, and the swans now on the lakes of Lakeland are the descendants of the one surviving royal swan sent by the Queen.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Story Map Journal|url=https://lakelandflorida.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=7fb4f159b1d34663834098c1e940458a|access-date=2021-10-29|website=lakelandflorida.maps.arcgis.com}}</ref>

In July 2006, Scott Lake, one of the city's lakes, was almost totally drained by a cluster of [[sinkholes]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060623/NEWS/606230389/1039 |title=The Lake is Dry |work=[[The Ledger]] |author=Diane Lacey Allen |date=June 23, 2006 |access-date=November 25, 2007}}</ref> Later the lake partially refilled.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,205444,00.html |title=Florida Lake Swallowed by Sinkhole Reappearing |agency=Associated Press |date=July 25, 2006 |access-date=November 25, 2007}}</ref>

===Climate===
Lakeland, like most other parts of Florida north of [[Lake Okeechobee]], is in the [[humid subtropical climate|humid subtropical]] zone ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Cfa''). Typically, summers are hot and humid with high temperatures seldom dropping below 90&nbsp;°F and 70&nbsp;°F for the overnight low. Like most of Central Florida, afternoon thunderstorms are the norm throughout the summer. Winters in Lakeland are drier and warm, with frequent sunny skies. High temperatures range in the mid 70s during the day, with lows in the 50s. Cold snaps drop temperatures below freezing twice a year on average.
{{Weather box|width=auto
|location = Lakeland, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present
|single line = Y

|Jan avg record high F = 83.1
|Feb avg record high F = 85.2
|Mar avg record high F = 87.9
|Apr avg record high F = 91.5
|May avg record high F = 95.2
|Jun avg record high F = 96.2
|Jul avg record high F = 96.3
|Aug avg record high F = 96.0
|Sep avg record high F = 94.3
|Oct avg record high F = 91.4
|Nov avg record high F = 87.2
|Dec avg record high F = 83.8
|year avg record high F = 97.3

| Jan high F = 73.7
| Feb high F = 76.7
| Mar high F = 80.2
| Apr high F = 85.1
| May high F = 89.5
| Jun high F = 91.3
| Jul high F = 92.1
| Aug high F = 92.2
| Sep high F = 90.3
| Oct high F = 85.9
| Nov high F = 79.8
| Dec high F = 75.6
|year high F = 84.4
|Jan mean F = 62.2
|Feb mean F = 65.0
|Mar mean F = 68.3
|Apr mean F = 73.2
|May mean F = 78.2
|Jun mean F = 81.8
|Jul mean F = 83.2
|Aug mean F = 83.3
|Sep mean F = 81.7
|Oct mean F = 76.4
|Nov mean F = 69.2
|Dec mean F = 64.8
|year mean F = 73.9
| Jan low F = 50.6
| Feb low F = 53.3
| Mar low F = 56.5
| Apr low F = 61.4
| May low F = 66.9
| Jun low F = 72.3
| Jul low F = 74.2
| Aug low F = 74.4
| Sep low F = 73.1
| Oct low F = 66.9
| Nov low F = 58.6
| Dec low F = 53.9
|year low F = 63.5

|Jan avg record low F = 31.2
|Feb avg record low F = 34.7
|Mar avg record low F = 39.7
|Apr avg record low F = 47.9
|May avg record low F = 57.2
|Jun avg record low F = 66.8
|Jul avg record low F = 69.9
|Aug avg record low F = 70.3
|Sep avg record low F = 66.6
|Oct avg record low F = 51.7
|Nov avg record low F = 42.0
|Dec avg record low F = 35.5
|year avg record low F = 29.3

|Jan record high F = 91
|Feb record high F = 90
|Mar record high F = 92
|Apr record high F = 96
|May record high F = 103
|Jun record high F = 105
|Jul record high F = 102
|Aug record high F = 100
|Sep record high F = 98
|Oct record high F = 96
|Nov record high F = 93
|Dec record high F = 89
|year record high F =
|Jan record low F = 20
|Feb record low F = 24
|Mar record low F = 25
|Apr record low F = 35
|May record low F = 47
|Jun record low F = 56
|Jul record low F = 64
|Aug record low F = 63
|Sep record low F = 61
|Oct record low F = 38
|Nov record low F = 28
|Dec record low F = 20
|year record low F =
|precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 2.99
| Feb precipitation inch = 2.33
| Mar precipitation inch = 3.06
| Apr precipitation inch = 2.82
| May precipitation inch = 3.80
| Jun precipitation inch = 8.69
| Jul precipitation inch = 8.85
| Aug precipitation inch = 9.08
| Sep precipitation inch = 7.62
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.04
| Nov precipitation inch = 1.93
| Dec precipitation inch = 2.61
|year precipitation inch = 56.82
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 6.9
| Feb precipitation days = 6.4
| Mar precipitation days = 5.4
| Apr precipitation days = 5.4
| May precipitation days = 7.8
| Jun precipitation days = 16.5
| Jul precipitation days = 19.0
| Aug precipitation days = 18.7
| Sep precipitation days = 14.9
| Oct precipitation days = 7.5
| Nov precipitation days = 5.1
| Dec precipitation days = 7.1
| year precipitation days = 120.7
|Jan snow inch =
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|source 1 = NOAA<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=tbw
| title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = May 23, 2021
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00084802&format=pdf
| title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991&ndash;2020
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = May 23, 2021
}}</ref> }}