"Welcome
to the city of Wauchula, southwest Florida's tranquil
treasure of southern hometown charm and lifestyle.
Enjoy easy days in this last bastion of beautiful
old South Florida with its warm sunny blue skies,
scenic panoramas and friendly folks all within easy
reach of the best of everything south Florida has
to offer.
Only an hour from everywhere,
from cosmopolitan Tampa, the finest white sand beaches
of the Gulf Coast, the magic of Orlando, to the adventure
of Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades beyond, Wauchula
is near and here for you.
Live, work and play in warmth
of our weather's embrace and spacious freedom, where
life's dream is filled with tropical colors and affordable
like nowhere else. Visit Wauchula, where the
Florida heartland beats strong for you."
Wauchula was named by the Florida
Southern Railway when it extended south in 1886 and
built a depot in the area, which still exists today.
The name was derived from the Miccosoukee Indian word
Wa-tu-la-ha-kee, meaning "call of the sand
hill crane".
Wauchula was incorporated as a city on September 29,
1902, chartered on May 22, 1907, and the historic City
Hall was built in 1926.
Wauchula, the county seat of Hardee
County, boasts a population of nearly 5,000 people.
The community initially grew up around Fort Hartsuff,
one of the many military forts during the Seminole
Wars. The town was a veritable metropolis in rural
central Florida in the early settlement days.
The Florida Southern Railway named Wauchula in 1886
when it extended its route and set up a depot. The
name was derived from the Miccosoukee Indian word
Wa-tu-la-ha-kee, meaning "call of the sand
hill crane". Banks and stores opened
quickly, and like many railroad towns along the Peace
River, Wauchula benefited from the phosphate boom,
the endless citrus groves, and the roving cattle.
Wauchula was incorporated in 1902,
and its City Hall, a Mediterranean revival treasure
still standing near the train station, was built in
1926.
126 South 7th Ave. Wauchula, Florida
33873
Phone: (863) 773-3131