Lake Placid (Florida)

Lake Placid is a town in Highlands County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the town's population as 2,164 on 1 July 2015. It is part of the Sebring Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 99,349.The town has two nicknames—"Town of Murals" and "The Caladium Capital of the World." Lake Placid has more than 40 murals painted on buildings throughout the town, and 98 percent of the world's caladium bulbs come from Lake Placid.HistoryLake Placid, which was formerly called Lake Stearns, was chartered on December 1, 1925. Dr. Melvil Dewey, the inventor of the Dewey Decimal System, and the founder of the Lake Placid Club in Lake Placid, New York, proposed that Lake Stearns change its name to Lake Placid. On April 29, 1927 the Lake Stearns Commissioners accepted Dr. Dewey's proposal to change the town's name from Lake Stearns to Lake Placid. Subsequently, they submitted a request to the Florida State Legislature. On June 6, 1927 the Town of Lake Stearns was chartered as Lake Placid.GeographyLake Placid is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.84sqmi, of which 2.57sqmi is land and.27sqmi is water.DemographicsAs of the census of 2000, there were 1,668 people, 646 households, and 395 families residing in the town. The population density was 650.2 per square mile (250.6/km²). There were 776 housing units at an average density of 302.5 per square mile (116.6/km²).