Hardee County is a county in Florida, United States, on the Peace River in the Florida Heartland, south of Tampa. It had a population of 25,327 at the 2020 census and covers 638 square miles (1,652 km2) of land centred near 27°29′N 81°49′W.
Wauchula is the county seat, and its postal code is 33873. The county has two incorporated cities, one incorporated town, and a scatter of unincorporated communities and mobile-home parks; it observes Eastern Time.
Towns & Villages in Hardee County
Hardee County has three incorporated municipalities — Wauchula (the seat), Bowling Green and Zolfo Springs — plus a set of small unincorporated communities and rural mobile-home parks scattered through the county’s citrus groves and cattle ranches. CDP = Census-Designated Place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government of its own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wauchula | City · seat | — | 33873 |
| Zolfo Springs | Town | — | 33890 |
| Bowling Green | City | — | 33834 |
| Fort Green | Unincorp. | — | 33873 |
| Fort Green Springs | Unincorp. | — | 33873 |
| Ona | Unincorp. | — | 33865 |
| Gardner | Unincorp. | — | 33873 |
| Limestone | Unincorp. | — | 33873 |
| Lemon Grove | Unincorp. | — | 33873 |
| Lily | Unincorp. | — | 33873 |
| Kinsey | Unincorp. | — | 33873 |
| Coker | Unincorp. | — | 33873 |
| Wauchula Hills | Unincorp. | — | 33873 |
| Sweetwater | Unincorp. | — | 33873 |
| Oak Grove | Unincorp. | — | 33873 |
A handful of the old listing’s entries — Bridges, Buchanan, Citrus Valley MH Estates, Crewsville, Crystal Lake MH Park, Grace MH Park, Griffins Corner, Johnson Trailer Park, Moffitt, Sunshine Trailer Park, The Oasis at Zolfo Springs MH Park, Torrey and Vandolah — are informal place names, mobile-home parks or ranch/rail-siding labels rather than recognised census communities; they are omitted here for lack of independent verification, not because they don’t exist locally.
ZIP Codes
- 33873 — Wauchula (also serves most of the county’s rural east side, including Fort Green, Gardner and Lemon Grove)
- 33834 — Bowling Green
- 33890 — Zolfo Springs
- 33865 — Ona
Smaller unincorporated communities generally share the ZIP code of the nearest post-office town rather than carrying their own.
Geography
Hardee County sits on the flat, sandy Peace River terrace between the Lakeland Ridge and the Desoto Plain, and citrus groves and cattle pasture cover most of its land. The Peace River runs the length of the county from northeast to southwest, past Wauchula and Zolfo Springs, and is the county’s dominant natural feature; Charlie Creek and Horse Creek are its main tributaries. Phosphate-bearing land in the county’s northwest corner is worked by mining operations.
Hardee County borders Polk County to the north, Highlands County to the east, DeSoto County to the south, Manatee County to the west and Hillsborough County to the northwest.
Demographics
Hardee County had 25,327 residents at the 2020 census, giving a density of about 40 people per square mile. Wauchula, the county seat, is its largest community. Median household income in the county trails the Florida median of $73,311, reflecting the county’s dependence on agricultural and mining wages.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture and mining anchor the local economy: Hardee County has long been one of Florida’s top citrus-producing counties, and cattle ranching remains widespread on its open pasture land. The Mosaic Company runs phosphate mining operations covering around 10,000 acres near Fort Green in the county’s north. The Wauchula, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area covers the entire county.
History
Hardee County was created on April 23, 1921, carved from DeSoto County, and named for Cary A. Hardee, the Florida governor who signed the act creating it. Citrus and cattle drove its early economy, and phosphate mining expanded through the county’s north in the later twentieth century.
Getting There
U.S. Route 17 runs north-south through the county along the Peace River, linking Bowling Green, Wauchula and Zolfo Springs; Florida State Roads 62, 64, 66 and 636 connect the rural east and west.
- Bartow — 25 miles north
- Sebring — 30 miles east
- Bradenton — 40 miles west
- Tampa — 55 miles northwest
Wauchula Municipal Airport serves general aviation; the nearest commercial airport is Tampa International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hardee County, Florida?
It is in south-central Florida’s Heartland region, on the Peace River between Tampa and Sebring.
What is the population of Hardee County?
25,327 at the 2020 census.
How big is Hardee County?
638 square miles (1,652 km2) of land.
What is the county seat of Hardee County?
Wauchula.
How many towns and cities are in Hardee County?
Three incorporated municipalities — Wauchula, Bowling Green and Zolfo Springs — plus several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Hardee County?
33873 (Wauchula), 33834 (Bowling Green), 33890 (Zolfo Springs) and 33865 (Ona).
What is Hardee County’s economy based on?
Citrus, cattle ranching and phosphate mining, with Mosaic operating mines near Fort Green.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Florida.