The only airport with regularly scheduled flights is Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (IATA: LAL), served only by the small carrier Direct Air. As of November 2011, Direct Air offers service between Lakeland and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Niagara Falls, New York; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Plattsburgh, New York; and Springfield, Illinois.
Northeastern Polk County is closest to Orlando International Airport (IATA: MCO), which is one of the nation's busiest airports. Hundreds of flights each day connect Orlando with destinations nationwide as well as Canada, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The airport also has one of the largest rental car fleets in the country, with several companies and a wide range of vehicles to chose from. To get to Polk County, simply take the Central Florida GreeneWay (SR 417) south ($2.50 in tolls) to Interstate 4 and head west. Davenport is about 25 mi, Winter Haven about 40 mi (via US 27), and Lakeland about 55 mi.
Lakeland and northwestern Polk County are closer to Tampa International Airport (IATA: TPA) which is served by all major airlines and has flights nationwide and to Canada, the Caribbean, and London. To get to Polk County, follow signs to Interstate 275 East (via short drive on SR 60/Veteran's Expressway), go past downtown and get on Interstate 4. Do not take State Road 60, as it runs through urban area for about 20-25 mi, including downtown Tampa. Lakeland is about 35 mi and Winter Haven (via Polk Parkway/SR570 [toll $1.50] & Winter Lake Rd/SR540) is about 55 mi.
The distance in travel time between the two airports is 30 minutes from just about every corner of the county (except Davenport and the "Four Corners" area near Disney World). TIA lies on the west side of downtown Tampa which may be an issue if you're traveling around rush hour, but Tampa traffic usually runs smoothly even at 6pm.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Polk County (Florida)
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Polk County (Florida) - updated May 2024
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Polk County (Florida) Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
