Overview
The Florida Heartland is a region of southern Inland Florida. It includes the counties of Hardee, DeSoto, Highlands, Okeechobee, Glades, Hendry, and the westernmost parts of Palm Beach and Martin Counties. The region is most known for its large agriculture sector, and shoreline along the large Lake Okeechobee. More sparsely populated than neighboring regions that have been pumped up by retirees and tourism, this area has remained more like "Old Florida".
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Oct–May. Summer highs reach about 90°F; winter lows dip to about 51°F. Very hot (Jul, Aug) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Aug and Jun. (climate data from nearby Port St. Lucie)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- PGD Punta Gorda Airport, Punta Gorda — 52 mi away. Directions
- RSW Southwest Florida International Airport, Fort Myers — 57 mi away (major hub). Directions
Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Sebring — Highlands Hammock State Park, The Circle, Highlands Lakeside Theatre.
- Day 2: Okeechobee — Lake Okeechobee, Okeechobee County Courthouse, Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park.
- Day 3: Clewiston — Dixie Crystal Theatre, Clewiston Museum, St. Margaret Parish Church.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Photos
Places in Florida Heartland
Sebring
City / town · 22 listings
Okeechobee
City / town · 17 listings
Clewiston
City / town · 15 listings
Avon Park
City / town · 12 listings
Wauchula
City / town · 11 listings
Lake Placid
City / town · 10 listings
Indiantown
City / town · 10 listings
LaBelle
City / town · 7 listings
Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation
Rural area · 2 listings
Arcadia
City / town · 2 listings
Bowling Green
City / town · 2 listings
Moore Haven
City / town · 2 listings
Understand
This region has no salt water coastline. The advent of the Interstate Highway System (I-75 and I-95) and the Florida Turnpike diverted tourism away from this area towards the coastal parts of the state.
Cities
- Arcadia
- Avon Park
- Bowling Green
- Clewiston
- Indiantown
- LaBelle
- Lake Placid
- Moore Haven
- Okeechobee
- Sebring
- Wauchula
Other destinations
- Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation
Get around
By plane
By car
Major routes include the Florida Turnpike, US 17, US 27 and US 441.
See
- Sebring International Raceway in Sebring.
Do
- Canoe on the Peace River
- Fishing on Lake Okeechobee
Nearby
Frostproof
City / town · 17 listings · 44 mi away
Port St. Lucie
City / town · 56 listings · 52 mi away
Fort Meade
City / town · 15 listings · 53 mi away
Lake Wales
City / town · 53 listings · 55 mi away
Punta Gorda
City / town · 13 listings · 56 mi away
Fort Pierce
City / town · 39 listings · 56 mi away
Fort Myers
City / town · 63 listings · 56 mi away
Palm City
City / town · 4 listings · 57 mi away
My experience
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