Polk County Government Florida

09/02/2026

Stay informed with Polk Government Television! Watch anytime, anywhere—on cable, streaming, or your favorite device. Tune in for local updates, meetings, and more. Here’s how to get connected! You can watch us on Comcast channel 5, Spectrum channel 644, and Frontier channel 20 on our website www.polk-county.tv

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09/02/2026

Residential waste collection in unincorporated Polk County will be delayed by one day next week. There will be no residential collection on Monday, Sept. 7. Monday routes will be collected Tuesday, Tuesday routes will be collected on Wednesday, and so on, with Friday routes collected on Saturday.

The Northeast Landfill Customer Convenience Center Program, the North Central Landfill and North Central Transfer Station will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7, for Labor Day, and all three sites will re-open Tuesday, Sept. 8.

For more information on the holiday schedule and closures, visit
https://www.polkfl.gov/services/polk-county-solid-waste/residential-waste/

09/01/2026

08/31/2026

All Polk County Government offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 7, in observance of Labor Day. Normal operations will resume Tuesday, Sept. 8. Residents are encouraged to enjoy the holiday safely while celebrating the contributions of America’s workforce.

Residential waste collection in unincorporated Polk County will be delayed by one day next week. There will be no residential collection on Monday, Sept. 7. Monday routes will be collected Tuesday, Tuesday routes will be collected on Wednesday, and so on, with Friday routes collected on Saturday.

The Northeast Landfill Customer Convenience Center Program, the North Central Landfill and North Central Transfer Station will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7, for Labor Day, and all three sites will re-open Tuesday, Sept. 8.

For more information on the holiday schedule and closures, visit
https://www.polkfl.gov/services/polk-county-solid-waste/residential-waste/

08/31/2026

Polk County Building Division offices in Bartow and Lake Alfred will be temporarily closed to the public on five consecutive Fridays to provide staff additional time to process timely permit requests.

Polk County Building Division offices will be closed on the following dates:

• Friday, Sept. 11
• Friday, Sept. 18
• Friday, Sept. 25
• Friday, Oct. 2
• Friday, Oct. 9

The Bartow Building Division office is located in the Polk County Government Administration Building at 330 W. Church St. in Bartow. The Lake Alfred office is located in the Northeast Government Center at 200 Government Center Blvd. in Lake Alfred.

Both locations will continue operating during regular business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday during the temporary closure period. Regular Friday office hours will resume on Friday, Oct. 16 at both locations.

For more information about Polk County’s Building Division, including permitting services and office locations, visit the Polk County Government website at www.polkfl.gov.

08/31/2026

Polk County is always looking for awesome volunteers to help within our organizations and communities.

Want to get involved?
Visit https://www.polkfl.gov/about/volunteer/ and click "Apply to Become a Volunteer".

08/28/2026

Research and Genealogy Historian Shannon Graham talks about September Events at the Polk History Center.

The Polk County History Center’s collection includes natural and cultural objects related to Polk and the greater Central Florida area that represent our history from pre-Columbian to present day eras. Located at 100 E. Main St. in Bartow, the History Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. www.polkhistorycenter.org.

08/28/2026

Sign up to receive text alerts from Polk County Government! Receive information about office closures, waste collection interruptions and other service information - right to your mobile device.

While text alerts do not replace Alert Polk in a severe weather , they can help you stay connected to your county government.

You can choose your notification preferences so that you only receive messages that are relevant to you. You can also opt out at any time. Regular text message rates apply.

Take the first step to registering by texting “Hello” to (888) 299-POLK (7655). You can also sign up for text alerts and chat with us by using FYI Polk, the county’s virtual assistant, available in the lower right-hand corner of your screen as you browse www.polk-county.net/.

08/27/2026

A soldier’s illustration of Fort Gardiner on the Kissimmee River near Lake Kissimmee. During the Second Seminole War, Colonel Zachary Taylor carved a path from Tampa to Lake Okeechobee that cut through what would become Polk County. Temporary forts were established along the route as supply depots and communications posts, including Fort Gardiner. Visit the Polk County History Center to learn more about the Seminole Wars and the forts established in Polk County.

📍 100 E. Main St., Bartow, FL 33830
📷 Photograph courtesy of the Diary of Lieut. Henry Prince (1836 – 1842), P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History, Special Collections
🌐polkhistorycenter.org