Explore Lake Wales, Florida, with this interactive street and satellite map.
This page also offers TOPO MAPS — the official USGS topographic sheets — plus USGS aerial imagery, a labelled USNG grid overlay, a distance and bearing tool, and a GPS grid-reference readout. See How to Use This Map below.
This interactive map shows the street layout and satellite imagery for Lake Wales, Florida. Use the Map and Satellite buttons above to switch between street map and aerial imagery views. Use the + and − buttons to zoom in or out, or scroll your mouse wheel while holding the Control key to zoom. On a touchscreen, use a two-finger pinch gesture. Drag the map to pan to any area of Florida or beyond.
Click ⛶ Fullscreen to expand the map to fill your screen. To return to the normal page view, press the Escape key, click the ✕ Exit Fullscreen button that appears above the map, or on a mobile device tap the back button (Android) or the close icon (iOS).
TOPO MAPS — NEW. Click the green 🔍 Search Maps button below the map to open a second map with a Base map row offering three choices. OSM is the standard OpenStreetMap street map. Topo shows the official USGS topographic maps from The National Map — contours, hydrography, land cover and shaded relief, the same mapping used for hiking, hunting and back-country navigation in the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Finger Lakes. Imagery shows USGS aerial photography, mostly 1-metre NAIP. The search box finds any US town, county or landmark by name, so you are not limited to Lake Wales.
Reading the map like a paper quad. Click Grid to overlay the U.S. National Grid (USNG), labelled along the edges exactly as a printed topographic sheet is — at normal zoom the squares are one kilometre across, so you can read a six-figure grid reference by eye and judge distance directly off the map. Click Measure, then tap two points, to get the distance between them together with the grid bearing in degrees and mils, the true bearing, and the magnetic bearing to set on a compass.
Click 📍 My position to take a single GPS reading from your device. It marks where you are and reports your position as a USNG grid reference as well as plain latitude and longitude — USNG being the format FEMA and US search and rescue teams work from — with a Copy position button so you can paste it straight into a text message. It takes one reading and stops, rather than tracking continuously, to conserve your battery. Note that map tiles need cell coverage, but a GPS reading does not — your coordinates stay correct even where the map itself cannot load.
| City | Lake Wales |
| State | Florida (FL) |
| County | Polk County |
| Country | United States of America |
| Timezone | Eastern Time (America/New_York) |
| Latitude | 27.920697 |
| Longitude | -81.599505 |
| Population | 16,361 |
| Density | 335.2 /km² |
| Incorporated | Yes |
| ZIP Codes | 33853, 33898, 33859 |
| Area Code | 561 |
| County Seat | Bartow |
| School District | Polk County School District |
Lake Wales defines the horizon with a landscape carved by ancient, sandy ridges and the persistent warmth of the subtropical sun. It lies 9.0 miles southeast of Cypress Gardens, FL (from Cypress Gardens, FL: bearing 135°T), and is situated 8.6 miles south-southeast of Dundee. The terrain rises toward Iron Mountain, creating a rare elevation that breaks the monotony of the surrounding flatlands. Crystal Lake Park offers a quiet space where the humidity clings to the palmetto scrub during the long, quiet afternoons. Five miles away, the dark, slow-moving waters of Peace Creek wind through the undergrowth, shaping the lowlands in silence. The golden light of dusk settles over Lake Wales, illuminating the fine, white sand that characterizes the high ground of the local geography.
Lake Wales emerged from the expansion of the rail lines, becoming a center for the cultivation of citrus that defines the regional economy. Vast groves of oranges and grapefruit stretch across the undulating terrain, their heavy, sweet scent hanging in the air during the harvest months. Agriculture remains the backbone of the industry, though the rhythm of the work has evolved alongside the needs of a modern workforce. Residents move through their days with a steady focus, maintaining the groves and supporting the commerce that keeps the local economy functioning. The proximity to the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest ensures that the natural bounty of the land is preserved even as the machinery of industry hums in the distance. Deep within the soil, the history of the region is written in the labor of those who turned the wild scrub into productive farmland.
The cultural identity of Lake Wales centers on the preservation of its natural beauty and a commitment to the landmarks that define its skyline. Bok Tower Gardens stands as a testament to the vision of Edward Bok, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and editor whose legacy remains etched into the aesthetic of the region. Visitors gather to hear the bells of the Singing Tower chime across the trees, a sound that carries far over the still surface of Lake Wales. The community gathers for local events that celebrate the harvest and the changing seasons, reinforcing a shared sense of place. While the pace of life remains deliberate, the influence of figures like Bok has lent a quiet dignity to the local character. Every street reflects the intersection of agricultural heritage and a deep respect for the land, creating a life that feels both anchored and open to the expansive sky.
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This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Lake Wales, Florida. Coordinates: 27.920697, -81.599505. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.
Detailed location data for Lake Wales includes the ZIP code (33853, 33898, 33859), telephone area code (561), county seat of Polk County (Bartow), and school district assignment (Polk County School District).
Search Maps opens a second, independent map. It searches OpenStreetMap for any US town, county or landmark by name; offers USGS topographic maps and USGS aerial imagery as base layers; overlays a labelled U.S. National Grid (USNG) so the map can be read like a printed topographic quad; measures distance and grid, true and magnetic bearings between any two points; and takes a single GPS fix reporting your position as a USNG grid reference and as latitude and longitude. Map tiles require cell coverage, but a GPS position does not, so the coordinates remain correct even where the map cannot load.
Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.
| Page generated | September 2026 |
| Location data | SimpleMaps US Cities Database; coordinates matched to USGS GNIS definitive data |
| Map layers | Google Maps; © OpenStreetMap contributors; USGS The National Map topographic and aerial imagery (public domain); magnetic declination from NOAA NCEI (World Magnetic Model) |
| Wikipedia validation | Article content matched to USGS GNIS coordinates via Wikipedia geosearch API. |