Sebring ( ) is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Highlands County, Florida Highlands County is a county located in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 101,235. Its county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital ...

, United States. It is nicknamed "The City on the Circle", in reference to Circle Drive, the center of the Sebring Downtown Historic District. It is the principal city of the Sebring, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2022

United States Census The United States census (plural censuses or census) is a census that is legally mandated by the Constitution of the United States. It takes place every ten years. The first census after the American Revolution was taken in 1790 United States ce ...

estimates, the population is 11,379, up from 10,729 at the 2020 census. The broader Sebring

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

had a population estimate of 105,618 in 2022; the disparity in population between the city proper and the metropolitan area is due to the relatively small size of the annexed area of the city, with most all of the landmass west of Lake Jackson technically in unincorporated Highlands County. Sebring is centered around Lake Jackson, with the Downtown Historic District directly on the waterfront. Due to its

Florida scrub Florida scrub is a forest ecoregion found throughout Florida in the United States. It is found on coastal and inland sand ridges and is characterized by an evergreen Xerophyte, xeromorphic plant community dominated by shrubs and dwarf oaks. Becau ...

terrain, Lake Jackson has natural white sand beaches, and is a popular boating and swimming destination. Sebring is the home of the

Sebring International Raceway Sebring International Raceway is a road course auto racing facility in the Southeastern United States, southeastern United States, located near Sebring, Florida. Sebring Raceway is one of the oldest continuously operating race tracks in the U.S ...

, best known as the host of the

12 Hours of Sebring The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race for Sports car racing, sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in S ...

, an annual

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship The IMSA SportsCar Championship, currently known as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship under sponsorship, is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada and organized by the International Motor Sports Association (I ...

race that attracts fans and teams from around the world. Nearby Highlands Hammock State Park is a popular attraction, and was the first state park created in Florida. The city features a large 1768-acre airfield, the

Sebring Regional Airport Sebring Regional Airport is a public use airport located six nautical miles (7 mi, 11 km) southeast of the central business district of Sebring, a city in Highlands County, Florida, United States. It is owned by the Sebring Ai ...

. Additionally, Sebring became a popular development and tourist destination of the 1920s, hailed as the "

Coral Gables Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida and is located southwest of Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248. Cora ...

of Central Florida". Many grandiose

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

buildings of that time period still exist within the city, the most notable being the Harder Hall Hotel and Resort.

History

Sebring was founded in 1912. It was named after George E. Sebring (1859–1927), a pottery manufacturer from

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

who developed the city. He had a circular plan as the focal point for the city. It was chartered by the state of Florida in 1913, and was selected as the county seat of Highlands County when the county was created in 1921. The village of

Sebring, Ohio Sebring is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in southwestern Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,191 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Mahoning Valley, Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area. History Sebring wa ...

, is also named for George E. Sebring and his family. Sebring is known for its collection of historic and historically designated buildings. The Sebring Train Station, Sebring Fire Station, and the Highlands County Courthouse are all

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

buildings that are still in service, as well as the entire Sebring Downtown Historic District, consisting of shops, restaurants, offices, businesses and apartments all bordered by the water. Harder Hall Resort and the Kenilworth Lodge are both surviving examples of large, extravagant boom time hotels.

2019 shooting

On January 23, 2019, 21-year-old Sebring resident Zephen Xaver entered a

SunTrust SunTrust Banks, Inc. was an American bank holding company with SunTrust Bank as its largest subsidiary and assets of US$199 billion as of March 31, 2018. The bank's most direct corporate parent was established in 1891 in Atlanta, where it was h ...

bank off of U.S. Route 27 wearing a

ballistic vest A bulletproof vest, also known as a ballistic vest or bullet-resistant vest, is a type of body armor designed to absorb impact and prevent the penetration of firearm projectiles and Fragmentation (weaponry), explosion fragments to the torso. The ...

under his sweatshirt and armed with a 9 mm handgun. Xaver forced five women inside to lie on the ground before fatally shooting them all. Xaver then had a 2-hour standoff with responding police before eventually agreeing to surrender, after which

SWAT A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to res ...

drove an armored vehicle through the front entrance of the bank and arrested him. A year later, after the bank was demolished, a new park was opened up in its place called Reflection Park. The park features a pentagon shaped plaque with sunbeams from the SunTrust logo emblazoned on it, with each side of the pentagon representing a life lost in the attack.

Culture and attractions

Sebring has a number of museums and arts facilities, including the * Children's Museum of the Highlands, located in the heart of downtown featuring interactive activities for children ages 1–12 *Charles F. Weigle House Museum, administered by the Sebring Historical Society and highlighting the history of the city and its notable residents *

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

Museum at Highlands Hammock State Park, highlighting the history of the CCC, President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

New Deal The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...

, and the history of the park *Highlands Lakeside Theater, a waterfront performing arts center * Highlands Museum of the Arts, a multi media arts collection * Military Sea Services Museum, containing artifacts and exhibits relating to the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marines and

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

*The Sadie Kahn Memorial Park, a small passive park downtown, was designed by renowned architect Kenneth Treister

Buildings and locations

Central Station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...

* Downtown Historic District * Edward Hainz House * Elizabeth Haines House * First National Bank Building * Florida Medal of Honor Memorial * H. Orvel Sebring House * Harder Hall Hotel * Highlands County Courthouse * Highlands Hammock State Park * Kenilworth Lodge * Lakeshore Mall * Paul L. Vinson House * Santa Rosa Hotel * Seaboard Air Line Passenger Station *

South Florida State College South Florida State College is a public college in Florida with campuses in Highlands, DeSoto and Hardee counties. The college is part of the Florida College System. South Florida State College was founded in 1965 and serves around 19,000 stu ...

Geography and climate

Sebring is located in northwestern Highlands County at . According to the Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which are land and of which are water. Water comprises 37.8% of the city's total area. The city's geography is dominated by Lake Jackson, but Dinner Lake and Little Lake Jackson are also within the city limits. Highlands County has more than 84 lakes, most of which are located in unincorporated areas of the county. Sebring lies near the southern end of the

Lake Wales Ridge The Lake Wales Ridge, sometimes referred to as the Mid-Florida Ridge,Eastern States Archaeological Federation. ''Archaeology of Eastern North America, Volume 11'', p. 54 is a sand ridge running for about south to north in Central Florida. Clearl ...

, a chain of ancient islands that is the native habitat for many rare plants and animals. Most of the area is rural and part of the

ecosystem, with smaller areas of

hammock A hammock, from Spanish , borrowed from Taíno language, Taíno and Arawak language, Arawak , is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two or more points, used for swing (seat), swinging, sleeping, or Human relaxation, res ...

s and

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...

swamps, similar to those found at Highlands Hammock State Park, west of Sebring. Sebring's climate is a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

Cfa), with hot, humid summers and mild, dry winters. Unlike most places with a similar climate classification, Sebring's rainfall is clearly seasonal, with approximately 57 percent of the total rainfall occurring in the June–September summer period. However, the variation between the wettest and driest months does not reach the threshold required for climate classification Cwa, which requires the wettest month to have ten times the precipitation of the driest month.

Demographics

2010 and 2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,729 people, 3,699 households, and 2,122 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 10,491 people, 4,430 households, and 2,362 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 9,668 people, 3,969 households, and 2,305 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,024 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 75.81%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 15.69%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.57% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.10%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 5.06% from other races, and 2.02% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino residents of any race were 11.00% of the population. In 2000, there were 3,969 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.91. In 2000, in the city, 22.1% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.9% was from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 27.7% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city is $32,607, and the average income for the city is $56,732. As of 2000, those who spoke English only at home accounted for 89.39% of residents. Other home languages included

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

, spoken by 10.18% of the city's residents, and French, spoken by 0.42%.

Education

The School Board of Highlands County operates eight public schools drawing from the city of Sebring with a combined enrollment of approximately 6200 students; one kindergarten center, four elementary schools (Woodlawn Elementary, Fred Wild Elementary, Cracker Trail Elementary, and Sun 'n Lake Elementary, serving students in 1st through 5th grades), two middle schools (Sebring Middle School and Hill-Gustat Middle School, serving students in 6th through 8th grades), and one high school ( Sebring High School). In 2023 grades released by the Florida Department of Education, three of the elementary schools (Cracker Trail Elementary School, Woodlawn Elementary School, and Sun 'n Lake Elementary School) received "B" grades; Fred Wild Elementary School received a "C" grade. In the same report, Sebring Middle School received a "C", and Sebring High School, home of the county's sole

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the I ...

program, received a "C" grade. In 2021, the county's high school graduation rate was 84.4%, reflecting an increase every year over the previous 11 years During segregation time, E. O. Douglas High School, Home of the Mighty Tigers, was located in this city for Black people throughout Highlands County. The last graduating class from this school was in 1967. After desegregation, students from E. O. Douglas transferred to schools which were formerly whites-only. The E. O. Douglas campus now houses the headquarters of the School Board of Highlands County.

Corporations and Employment

The top private employers in Sebring include

AdventHealth AdventHealth is a Seventh-day Adventist nonprofit organization headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Florida, that operates facilities in 9 states across the United States. It is the largest not-for-profit Protestant health care provider in the ...

Publix Publix Super Markets, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Publix, is an employee ownership, employee-owned American supermarket Chain store, chain headquartered in Lakeland, Florida. Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, Publix is a Privately h ...

, The Results Company, Highlands Regional Medical Center (HCA), Alan Jay Automotive Network, Costa Farms, and Bowman Steel. Sebring serves as the North, South and Central American sales and distribution center for airplane manufacturer

Tecnam Costruzioni Aeronautiche TECNAM S.p.A., commonly known as Tecnam, is an Italian aircraft manufacturer. As of 2025, Tecnam has delivered over 7,500 aircraft worldwide and employs more than 500 people across its facilities in Capua and the Naples ...

French propeller manufacturer Duc Hélices has its North American headquarters located in Sebring.

Transportation

U.S. Route 27 (cosigned with U.S. Route 98 in Sebring) is the major artery providing access to the rest of the state. State Road 17 begins in Sebring and heads north to its terminus in Haines City. State Road 64 (to the north) and State Road 66 (to the south) are important secondary roads. Sebring is the largest populated area in the country to not be serviced by an Interstate Highway. Like many Florida communities, Sebring contains subdivisions containing streets with thematic continuity. In Sebring Country Estates, many thoroughfares are named after automobile manufacturers or their models, as is evident in

Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French automobile brand owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was established in 1810, making it the oldest car company in the world. On 20 November 1858, Émile Peugeot applie ...

Street,

Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...

Drive,

Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in luxury, high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Th ...

Avenue, Vantage Terrace,

Corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...

Avenue, and Thunderbird Road. In Sebring Hills, many streets bear names with an ornithological bent, including

Egret Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build ...

Street,

Ibis The ibis () (collective plural ibises; classical plurals ibides and ibes) are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. "Ibis" derives from the Latin and Ancient Greek word f ...

Avenue, and

Woodpecker Woodpeckers are part of the bird family (biology), family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar and the extreme ...

Boulevard. Th
Sun 'n Lake Sebring
development is plotted with streets bearing the same names as those in the city of

is located a few miles southeast of the city and provides general aviation facilities for Sebring. The airport is also the home of the

, the host of the

, second round of

automobile race series, held annually in March. The airport has also hosted the annual US Sport Aviation Expo for eight years. The nearest regularly scheduled passenger service is provided at

Orlando International Airport Orlando International Airport is the primary international airport located southeast of downtown Orlando, Florida. In 2024, it had 57,211,628 passengers, making it the busiest airport in the state and ninth busiest airport in the United St ...

, by road to the north. The city is served by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

from the Sebring station, a depot built in 1924 by the

Seaboard Air Line The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , known colloquially as the Seaboard Railroad during its time, was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime ri ...

and listed on the

. Amtrak's daily service to Sebring consists of two trains each from the ''

Silver Meteor The ''Silver Meteor'' is a Long-distance Amtrak routes, long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York City and Miami, Florida. Introduced in 1939 as the first diesel-powered streamliner between New York and Florida, it was t ...

'' and ''

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

'', heading south to

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

and north to

Tampa Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

and

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...

owns the track over which Amtrak operates. The South Central Florida Express railroad connects to the CSX line in Sebring, allowing transportation of sugar from Clewiston to the rest of the country.

Sports

*The major sporting event in Sebring is the annual

race, although the

hosts races of all types year round. *The famed

Newark Bears The Newark Bears were an American independent league professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They were a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and, later, the Canadian American Association of Professional Bas ...

played their

Spring Training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

games in Sebring in the 1930s and 1940s. The Bears, a

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...

affiliate, began their stint in town shortly after

Jacob Ruppert Jacob Ruppert Jr. (August 5, 1867 – January 13, 1939) was an American brewer, businessman, National Guard colonel and politician who served for four terms representing New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1899 to 1907. ...

purchased the Yankees. The team's 1937 season in Sebring is covered in the book ''The 1937 Newark Bears: A Baseball Legend'' by Ronald A. Mayer *Sebring is known for its

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

, with its many courses comprising the Citrus Golf Trail. Courses include Sun 'N Lake Golf Club (two courses), the Country Club of Sebring, Golf Hammock Country Club, Sebring International Golf Resort and the Sebring Municipal Golf Course *Lake Jackson hosts an annual stop on the Liqui Moly Pro Watercross Tour. In 2023, the race became the season kickoff *The Sebring

Gran Fondo A Gran Fondo is a type of long-distance road cycling ride originating in Italy in 1970, and roughly translates into English as "Big Ride". Italian Gran Fondos are officially defined and certified by the Italian Cycling Federation as a bicycle ev ...

is an annual 95 mile endurance professional

cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

race, billed as Florida's longest and toughest *Starting in 2021,

Spartan Race Spartan Race is a series of Obstacle racing, obstacle races of varying difficulty, ranging from 3 miles to ultra-marathon distances of 50k+. These races are held in the United States and have been franchised to 30 countries, including Canada, So ...

and

Tough Mudder Tough Mudder is an endurance event series in which participants attempt obstacle courses. It was co-founded by Will Dean and Guy Livingstone. The obstacles often play on common human fears, such as fire, water, electricity and fear of heights, ...

joined for a combined series of events now held annually in the city *The Highlands County Multisports Complex is a 52-acre, five field facility used for

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

, and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

games, events and traveling tournaments *The Sebring Recreation Club is a

shuffleboard Shuffleboard (Deck shuffleboard) is a game in which players use cues to push weighted discs, sending them gliding down a narrow court, with the purpose of having them come to rest within a marked scoring area. As a more generic term, it refers t ...

complex in downtown Sebring, featuring both covered and open air courts. The club has hosted a number of tournaments, including the Florida State Masters *The Highlands County

Horseshoe A horseshoe is a product designed to protect a horse hoof from wear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface (ground side) of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human toenail, altho ...

Club features 18 blue clay courts just one block off the "Circle" in Downtown Sebring *

Boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, suc ...

and

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

are primary activities in and on Lake Jackson, with 3 public beaches and a public boat ramp *

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

is popular throughout the town, with a number of tournaments regularly held. Popular fishing destinations include Lake Jackson and Lake Istokpoga

Media

Television

Sebring is located in a fringe viewing area of the

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

television market (DMA). In addition to the primary Tampa-market television signals, local services offer signals from

WFTV WFTV (channel 9) is a television station in Orlando, Florida, United States, affiliated with American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It is owned by Cox Media Group alongside WRDQ (channel 27), an independent station. The two stations share studios ...

, the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

affiliate in

and

WINK A wink is a facial expression made by briefly closing one eye. A wink is an informal mode of non-verbal communication usually signaling shared hidden knowledge or intent. However, it is ambiguous by itself and highly dependent upon additional c ...

, the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

affiliate in

Fort Myers A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

Radio

Sebring is the largest city in the Sebring radio market, which is ranked as the 288th largest in the United States by

Arbitron Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by mergin ...

. Radio stations broadcasting from Sebring include WAVP (1390AM), WWLL (105.7FM/Adult Contemporary), WITS (1340AM/Religion ), and WJCM (1050AM/ESPN). The latter three are co-owned with WWOJ (99.1FM/Country), licensed to neighboring Avon Park and WWTK (730AM/News-Talk), licensed to Lake Placid, to the south. The five stations together operate from studios in Sebring on Highway 27 near the town's northern city limit.

Notable people

* Peter Argetsinger (1950–2020) – race car driver and instructor * Walt Bashore (1909–1984) –

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) player *

Rex Beach Rex Ellingwood Beach (September 1, 1877 – December 7, 1949) was an American novelist, playwright, and Olympic water polo player. Early life Rex Beach was born in Atwood, Michigan, and moved to Tampa, Florida, with his family where his father ...

(1877–1949) – 1904 Olympic

water polo Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...

player, novelist, and playwright *

Bob Beaumont Robert Gerald Beaumont (April 1, 1932 – October 24, 2011) was the founder of Sebring-Vanguard a Florida-based company that produced the Citicar, an electric automobile manufacturer from 1974 to 1977. He was born in Teaneck, New Jersey and at ...

(1932–2011) – founder of Sebring-Vanguard * Russell Ellwood (–2014) – convicted murderer *

Jacque Fresco Jacque Fresco (March 13, 1916 – May 18, 2017) was an American futurist and self-described social engineer. Self-taught, he worked in a variety of positions related to industrial design. Fresco wrote and lectured his views on susta ...

(1916–2017) –

futurist Futurists (also known as futurologists, prospectivists, foresight practitioners and horizon scanners) are people whose specialty or interest is futures studies or futurology or the attempt to systematically explore predictions and possibilities ...

and self-described social engineer * Janice Gilbert (1920–1992) – actress and

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

player * Elton Gissendanner (1927–2023) –

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...

member *

Tom Gordon Thomas Gordon (born November 18, 1967), nicknamed "Flash", is an American former professional baseball right-handed pitcher and current radio color commentator for the Boston Red Sox. Gordon played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kan ...

(b. 1967) – MLB player * Bennie Gutierrez (1935–2024) –

polo Polo is a stick and ball game that is played on horseback as a traditional field sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports, having been adopted in the Western world from the game of Chovgan (), which originated in ancient ...

player and Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame inductee *

Gene Harris Gene Harris (born Eugene Haire, September 1, 1933 – January 16, 2000) was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz. From 1956 to 1970, he played in The Three Sounds tri ...

(b. 1964) – MLB player * H. Harrison Haskell (1939–1990) –

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

member * Fred Hawkins (1923–2014) –

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

Willie Hernández Guillermo "Willie" Hernández Villanueva (November 14, 1954 – November 20, 2023) was a Puerto Rican baseball relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He won both the American League Cy Young Award and the American League Most Valuable Playe ...

(1954–2023) – MLB player * Clifton F. Hodge (1859–1949) –

physiologist Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out chemical and ...

and educator * Sabrina Jackintell (1940–2012) – glider pilot * Douglas W. Johnson (1878–1944) –

geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...

and

geomorphologist Geomorphology () is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features generated by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near Earth's surface. Geomorphologists seek to understand why ...

* Ronnie Lippett (b. 1960) –

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) player * Howard G. Livingston (1907–1975) – Florida House of Representatives member * Patrick Mason –

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...

and educator * Parker L. McDonald (1924–2017) –

Florida Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Florida is the state supreme court, highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. It consists of seven justices—one of whom serves as Chief Justice. Six members are chosen from six districts around the state to foster geog ...

justice *

Ralph McGill Ralph Emerson McGill (February 5, 1898 – February 3, 1969) was an American journalist and editorialist. An anti-segregationist editor, he published the ''Atlanta Constitution'' newspaper. He was a member of the Peabody Awards Board of Ju ...

(1950–2015) – NFL player * Thomas McGuire (1920–1945) – U.S. Army Air Force fighter ace during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and a

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient * John Michaels (1907–1996) – MLB player * Tonya R. Moore – writer, editor, and poet * Leslie Moser (1894–1969) –

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

player and coach * Frankie Neal (b. 1965) – NFL player * John Noppenberg (1917–2006) – NFL player * José Pagán (1935–2011) – MLB player and coach *

Marjorie Rambeau Marjorie Burnet Rambeau (July 15, 1889 – July 6, 1970) was an American film and stage actress. She began her stage career at age 12, and appeared in several silent films before debuting in her first sound film, '' Her Man'' (1930). She was t ...

(1889–1970) – film and stage actress * Joshua Ramos (b. 2000) – professional soccer player * Henry C. Raven (1889–1944) –

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

* Rebecca Sedwick (2000–2013) – suicide victim * Michael J. Seiler – real estate economist and educator * Larry Scott (b. 1977) – college football player and coach *

Amanda Smith Amanda Smith ( Berry; January 23, 1837 – February 24, 1915) was an American Methodist preacher and former slave who funded the former Amanda Smith Orphanage and Industrial Home for Abandoned and Destitute Colored Children in Harvey, Illino ...

(1837–1915) –

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

preacher and former slave * Ginger Stanley (1931–2023) – model, actress, and stunt woman *

Eliot Teltscher Eliot Teltscher (born March 15, 1959) is a retired professional American tennis player. He won the 1983 French Open Mixed Doubles. His highest ranking in singles was No. 6 in the world and in doubles was No. 38 in the world. Tennis career Earl ...

(b. 1959) – professional tennis player * Kaylee Tuck (b. 1994) – Florida House of Representatives member * Cornelia Wallace (1939–2009) – First Lady of

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

* Charles Welner (1935–2017) – college football coach * Gabe White (b. 1971) – MLB player * D. J. Williams (b. 1999) – NFL player * Zephen Xaver – perpetrator of the 2019 Sebring shooting

In popular culture

*Celebrity hair stylist "

Jay Sebring Thomas John Kummer (October 10, 1933 – August 9, 1969), known professionally as Jay Sebring, was an American celebrity Haircut, hair stylist, and the founder of the hairstyling corporation Sebring International. Sebring was Tate–LaBianca mur ...

" was the professional name used by Thomas John Kummer. He chose his surname based on the city and its famous race. Sebring was murdered by members of the

Manson Family The Manson Family (known among its members as the Family) was a Intentional community, commune, gang, and cult led by criminal Charles Manson that was active in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The group at its peak consisted of a ...

along with his ex-girlfriend

Sharon Tate Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she appeared in advertisements and small television roles before appearing in films as well as working as a model. After receiv ...

, and is depicted in the film ''

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ''Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica, and distributed by Sony Pict ...

'' (2019). *The 1975 film ''

The Great Waldo Pepper ''The Great Waldo Pepper'' is a 1975 American drama (film and television), drama film directed, produced, and co-written by George Roy Hill. Set during 1926–1931, the film stars Robert Redford as a disaffected World War I veteran Aviator, pi ...

'' starring

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the ...

includes aerial scenes filmed at the Sebring Regional Airport *The popular electric car

Citicar The CitiCar was a car produced from 1974 to 1977 by Sebring, Florida–based Sebring-Vanguard, Inc. After being bought out by Commuter Vehicles, Inc, Sebring-Vanguard produced the similar Comuta-Car and Comuta-Van from 1979 to 1982. Similariti ...

was designed and produced in Sebring throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. *Multiple major car models are named after the city and its storied legacy of automobile racing, including the Chrysler Sebring and the Plymouth Satellite Sebring * TaylorMade golf has released a number of versions of the "Sebring" putter under their Ghost Tour line. Other models, including Daytona, Maranello, Fontana, Corza and Monte Carlo, are all named after famous race locations *

Lehigh Acres Lehigh Acres is a census-designated place (CDP) in Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 Census the population was 114,287, up from 86,784 at the 2010 census. Lehigh Acres is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan ...

has a street named after the town, "Sebring Circle". Band Of Mice & Men released a song titled "Second & Sebring" named after the road; in March 2021, the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

certified the song Gold, the band's first certification *

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

series '' Fastest Car'' features scenes shot at the Sebring International Raceway *Season 3 of

HGTV HGTV (an initialism for Home & Garden Television) is an American basic cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The network primarily broadcasts reality programming related to home improvement and real estate. HGTV Dream Home is an ...

's '' Home Town Takeover'' features Sebring, making over 6 residences, several businesses and sprucing up each wedge of Sebring Circle, along with beautifying the Sebring Circle Park.