Sebring, Florida | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sebring Raceway | |
| Nicknames: The City on the Circle Home of 12 Hour Grand Prix | |
 Location inHighlands County andFlorida | |
| Coordinates:27°29′44″N81°26′40″W / 27.49556°N 81.44444°W /27.49556; -81.44444 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| County | Highlands |
| Settled | 1912 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1913 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| • Mayor | John Shoop |
| • City Council | Roland Bishop, Harrison Havery, Terry Mendel, Josh Stewart, and Lenard Carlisle, Jr. |
| • City Administrator | Scott Noethlich |
| • City Clerk | Kathy Haley |
| Area | |
• Total | 16.44 sq mi (42.58 km2) |
| • Land | 10.59 sq mi (27.42 km2) |
| • Water | 5.85 sq mi (15.16 km2) 37.8% |
| Elevation | 135 ft (41 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 10,729 |
| 11,379 | |
| • Density | 1,013/sq mi (391.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 33870-33872, 33875-33876 |
| Area code | 863 |
| FIPS code | 12-64875[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0290806[6] |
| Website | www |
Sebring (/ˈsiːbrɪŋ/SEE-bring[citation needed]) is a city in and thecounty seat ofHighlands County, Florida, United States. It is nicknamed "The City on the Circle", in reference to Circle Drive, the center of theSebring Downtown Historic District.[7][8] As of 2022United States Census estimates, the population is 11,379,[3] up from 10,729 at the2020 census.[9] The broader Sebringmetropolitan area had a population estimate of 105,618 in 2022; the disparity in population between the city proper and the metropolitan area is due to the relatively small size of the annexed area of the city, with most all of the landmass west of Lake Jackson technically in unincorporated Highlands County.[10]
Sebring is centered aroundLake Jackson, with the Downtown Historic District directly on the waterfront. Due to itsFlorida scrub terrain, Lake Jackson has natural white sand beaches, and is a popular boating and swimming destination. Sebring is the home of theSebring International Raceway, best known as the host of the12 Hours of Sebring, an annualWeatherTech SportsCar Championship race that attracts fans and teams from around the world. NearbyHighlands Hammock State Park is a popular attraction, and was the first state park created in Florida.[11] The city features a large 1768-acre airfield, theSebring Regional Airport. Additionally, Sebring became a popular development and tourist destination of the 1920s, hailed as the "Coral Gables of Central Florida".[12] Many grandioseMediterranean buildings of that time period still exist within the city, the most notable being theHarder Hall Hotel and Resort.
Sebring was founded in 1912. It was named after George E. Sebring (1859–1927), a pottery manufacturer fromOhio who developed the city. He had a circular plan as the focal point for the city.[13] It was chartered by the state of Florida in 1913, and was selected as the county seat of Highlands County when the county was created in 1921.[14] The village ofSebring, Ohio, is also named for George E. Sebring and his family.[15]
Sebring is known for its collection of historic and historically designated buildings. TheSebring Train Station,Sebring Fire Station, and theHighlands County Courthouse are allNational Register of Historic Places buildings that are still in service, as well as the entireSebring Downtown Historic District, consisting of shops, restaurants, offices, businesses and apartments all bordered by the water.Harder Hall Resort and theKenilworth Lodge are both surviving examples of large, extravagant boom time hotels.
On January 23, 2019, 21-year-old Sebring resident Zephen Xaver entered aSunTrust bank off ofU.S. Route 27 wearing aballistic vest under his sweatshirt and armed with a9 mm handgun. Xaver forced five women inside to lie on the ground before fatally shooting them all. Xaver then had a 2-hour standoff with responding police before eventually agreeing to surrender, after whichSWAT drove an armored vehicle through the front entrance of the bank and arrested him.[16]
A year later, after the bank was demolished, a new park was opened up in its place called Reflection Park. The park features a pentagon shaped plaque with sunbeams from the SunTrust logo emblazoned on it, with each side of the pentagon representing a life lost in the attack.[17]
Sebring is located in northwestern Highlands County at27°29′44″N81°26′40″W / 27.49556°N 81.44444°W /27.49556; -81.44444.[18] According to the Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.0 square miles (41.5 km2), 10.0 square miles (25.8 km2) of which are land and 6.1 square miles (15.7 km2) of which are water. Water comprises 37.8% of the city's total area.[19]
The city's geography is dominated by 9,212-acre (37 km2)Lake Jackson, but 420-acre (1.7 km2)Dinner Lake and 137-acre (0.6 km2)Little Lake Jackson are also within the city limits. Highlands County has more than 84 lakes,[20] most of which are located in unincorporated areas of the county. Sebring lies near the southern end of theLake Wales Ridge, a chain of ancient islands that is the native habitat for many rare plants and animals.[21] Most of the area is rural and part of theFlorida scrub ecosystem, with smaller areas ofhammocks andcypress swamps, similar to those found atHighlands Hammock State Park, 4 miles (6 km) west of Sebring.[22]
Sebring's climate is ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), with hot, humid summers and mild, dry winters. Unlike most places with a similar climate classification, Sebring's rainfall is clearly seasonal, with approximately 57 percent of the total rainfall occurring in the June–September summer period. However, the variation between the wettest and driest months does not reach the threshold required for climate classification Cwa, which requires the wettest month to have ten times the precipitation of the driest month.[23]
| Climate data for Sebring, Florida | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 90 (32) | 94 (34) | 94 (34) | 98 (37) | 102 (39) | 103 (39) | 103 (39) | 102 (39) | 101 (38) | 98 (37) | 92 (33) | 90 (32) | 103 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 73 (23) | 75 (24) | 79 (26) | 83 (28) | 88 (31) | 90 (32) | 91 (33) | 90 (32) | 89 (32) | 84 (29) | 79 (26) | 74 (23) | 83 (28) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 48 (9) | 50 (10) | 55 (13) | 59 (15) | 65 (18) | 70 (21) | 72 (22) | 72 (22) | 71 (22) | 64 (18) | 58 (14) | 51 (11) | 61 (16) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 18 (−8) | 23 (−5) | 23 (−5) | 34 (1) | 44 (7) | 50 (10) | 60 (16) | 59 (15) | 58 (14) | 40 (4) | 29 (−2) | 20 (−7) | 18 (−8) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.48 (63) | 2.41 (61) | 3.02 (77) | 2.17 (55) | 3.63 (92) | 8.25 (210) | 6.81 (173) | 7.18 (182) | 5.98 (152) | 3.02 (77) | 2.27 (58) | 1.87 (47) | 49.09 (1,247) |
| Source: The Weather Channel[24] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 812 | — | |
| 1930 | 2,912 | 258.6% | |
| 1940 | 3,155 | 8.3% | |
| 1950 | 5,006 | 58.7% | |
| 1960 | 6,939 | 38.6% | |
| 1970 | 7,223 | 4.1% | |
| 1980 | 8,736 | 20.9% | |
| 1990 | 8,900 | 1.9% | |
| 2000 | 9,667 | 8.6% | |
| 2010 | 10,491 | 8.5% | |
| 2020 | 10,729 | 2.3% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 11,379 | 6.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[25][19][26] | |||
Sebring is the principal city of the Sebring, FloridaMetropolitan Statistical Area.[27]
| Race | Pop 2010[28] | Pop 2020[29] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 6,802 | 5,848 | 64.84% | 54.51% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,466 | 1,572 | 13.97% | 14.65% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 57 | 30 | 0.54% | 0.28% |
| Asian (NH) | 141 | 157 | 1.34% | 1.46% |
| Pacific Islander orNative Hawaiian (NH) | 2 | 11 | 0.02% | 0.10% |
| Some other race (NH) | 6 | 49 | 0.06% | 0.46% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 172 | 347 | 1.64% | 3.23% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,845 | 2,715 | 17.59% | 25.31% |
| Total | 10,491 | 10,729 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 10,729 people, 3,699 households, and 2,122 families residing in the city.[30]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 10,491 people, 4,430 households, and 2,362 families residing in the city.[31]
As of thecensus[5] of 2000, there were 9,668 people, 3,969 households, and 2,305 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,883.7 inhabitants per square mile (727.3/km2). There were 5,024 housing units at an average density of 979.0 units per square mile (378.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 75.81%White, 15.69%African American, 0.57%Native American, 0.74%Asian, 0.10%Pacific Islander, 5.06% fromother races, and 2.02% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino residents of any race were 11.00% of the population.
In 2000, there were 3,969 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% weremarried couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.91.
In 2000, in the city, 22.1% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.9% was from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 27.7% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city is $32,607, and the average income for the city is $56,732.[32]
As of 2000, those who spokeEnglish only at home accounted for 89.39% of residents. Other home languages includedSpanish, spoken by 10.18% of the city's residents, andFrench, spoken by 0.42%.[33]
The top private employers in Sebring includeAdventHealth,Publix, The Results Company, Highlands Regional Medical Center (HCA), Alan Jay Automotive Network, Costa Farms, and Bowman Steel.[34]
Sebring serves as the North, South and Central American sales and distribution center for airplane manufacturerTecnam[35]
French propeller manufacturerDuc Hélices has its North American headquarters located in Sebring.
Sebring has a number of museums and arts facilities, including the
The School Board of Highlands County operates seven public schools drawing from the city of Sebring with a combined enrollment of approximately 6200 students; four elementary schools (Cracker Trail Elementary, Fred Wild Elementary, Sun 'n Lake Elementary, and Woodlawn Elementary serving students in kindergarten through 5th grades), two middle schools (Sebring Middle School and Hill-Gustat Middle School, serving students in 6th through 8th grades), and one high school (Sebring High School).[40]In 2023 grades released by the Florida Department of Education, three of the elementary schools (Cracker Trail Elementary School, Woodlawn Elementary School, and Sun 'n Lake Elementary School) received "B" grades; Fred Wild Elementary School received a "C" grade. In the same report, Sebring Middle School received a "C", andSebring High School, home of the county's soleInternational Baccalaureate program, received a "C" grade.[41]
In 2021, the county's high school graduation rate was 84.4%, reflecting an increase every year over the previous 11 years[42]
During segregation time,E. O. Douglas High School, Home of the Mighty Tigers, was located in this city for Black people throughout Highlands County. The last graduating class from this school was in 1967. After desegregation, students from E. O. Douglas transferred to schools which were formerly whites-only. The E. O. Douglas campus now houses the headquarters of the School Board of Highlands County.[43]
U.S. Route 27 (cosigned withU.S. Route 98 in Sebring) is the major artery providing access to the rest of the state.State Road 17 begins in Sebring and heads north to its terminus inHaines City.State Road 64 (to the north) andState Road 66 (to the south) are important secondary roads. Sebring is the largest populated area in the country to not be serviced by an Interstate Highway.
Like many Florida communities, Sebring contains subdivisions containing streets with thematic continuity. In Sebring Country Estates, many thoroughfares are named after automobile manufacturers or their models, as is evident inPeugeot Street,Ferrari Drive,Porsche Avenue,Vantage Terrace,Corvette Avenue, andThunderbird Road. In Sebring Hills, many streets bear names with an ornithological bent, includingEgret Street,Ibis Avenue, andWoodpecker Boulevard. TheSun 'n Lake Sebring development is plotted with streets bearing the same names as those in the city ofCoral Gables.
Sebring Regional Airport is located a few miles southeast of the city and provides general aviation facilities for Sebring. The airport is also the home of theSebring International Raceway, the host of the12 Hours of Sebring, second round ofWeatherTech SportsCar Championship automobile race series, held annually in March. The airport has also hosted the annual US Sport Aviation Expo for eight years. The nearest regularly scheduled passenger service is provided atOrlando International Airport, 86 miles (138 km) by road to the north.
The city is served byAmtrak from theSebring station, a depot built in 1924 by theSeaboard Air Line and listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. Amtrak's daily service to Sebring consists of two trains each from theSilver Meteor andSilver Star, heading south toMiami and north toTampa,Orlando andNew York City.CSX Transportation owns the track over which Amtrak operates. TheSouth Central Florida Express railroad connects to the CSX line in Sebring, allowing transportation of sugar fromClewiston to the rest of the country.
Sebring is located in a fringe viewing area of theTampa-St. Petersburg television market (DMA). In addition to the primary Tampa-market television signals, local services offer signals fromWFTV, theABC affiliate inOrlando andWINK, theCBS affiliate inFort Myers/Naples.
Sebring is the largest city in the Sebring radio market, which is ranked as the 288th largest in the United States byArbitron.[57] Radio stations broadcasting from Sebring includeWAVP (1390AM),WWLL (105.7FM/Adult Contemporary),WITS (1340AM/Religion ), andWJCM (1050AM/ESPN).The latter three are co-owned with WWOJ (99.1FM/Country), licensed to neighboring Avon Park and WWTK (730AM/News-Talk), licensed to Lake Placid, to the south. The five stations together operate from studios in Sebring on Highway 27 near the town's northern city limit.
AdventHealth Sebring andHCA Florida Highlands Hospital are the only hospitals in the city.[58][59]
Sebring travel guide from WikivoyageMunicipalities and communities ofHighlands County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Ghost town | ||
| International | |
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