Alturas is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in southeastern Polk County, Florida, with ZIP code 33820 and a 2020 census population of about 4,084 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). The Census Bureau classified its residents as one hundred percent rural, which captures the character: open land, citrus groves, lakes, and homesteads rather than a dense town center.
The community was established in the early twentieth century, with local histories placing its founding around 1911 in the hope it would anchor central Florida agriculture (Alturas community and city guides, 2026). The name comes from the Spanish word for heights, a nod to the gently elevated terrain, and agriculture, especially citrus, has shaped the area ever since. Local guides describe Alturas as holding one of the last sustainable citrus tracts in Polk County; confirm any specific grove or agricultural claim with the seller and county records.
Because this is a rural community and not a single subdivision, the money is made or lost on the parcel, not the address. The drivers are the acreage and zoning, the well and septic systems, the road frontage and access, any HOA or deed restriction where one exists, and the flood and wetland picture, all of which have to be read from the county records and inspections for the exact parcel. Many parcels carry no HOA, which buyers often value, but that also means fewer shared standards, so confirm the zoning and allowed uses.
The pitch is rural space within reach of jobs and services: County Road 665A runs through the community, State Road 60 runs just north, and Bartow, Winter Haven, and Lake Wales are all an easy drive (Alturas community guides, 2026). The work is the diligence: inspect the well and septic, confirm the zoning and survey, check the flood zone and any wetlands, and verify utilities and internet before you buy the quiet.
