State Road 33 (SR 33) is a state highway running through Lake and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Florida.

State Road 33 marker
State Road 33
Map
SR 33 in red, CR 33 in blue
Route information
Maintained by FDOT
Length42.687 mi[1] (68.698 km)
Existed1945 renumbering (definition)–present
Major junctions
South end US 92 in Lakeland
Major intersections I-4 in Lakeland
SR 559 in Polk City
North end SR 50 in Mascotte
Location
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountiesPolk, Lake
Highway system
SR 31 SR 35

Route description

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Southbound SR 33 in Polk City approaching a bridge over the Auburndale TECO Trail.

State Road 33 begins in Lakeland off U.S. Route 92 (US 92) east of the intersection with US 98 and heads north along the vicinity of the west bank of Lake Parker. North of there it curves to the northeast and has one of two interchanges with Interstate 4 (I-4). The first interchange (Exit 33) provides westbound access via North Socrum Loop Road (CR 582), and eastbound access directly to SR 33. The route turns more to the east away from I-4, until it curves north at the northern terminus of Florida State Road 659. It has an encounter at the second interchange with I-4 (Exit 38) where it actually crosses under the interstate. The road continues northeast to Polk City where it curves back towards the north at a bridge over a former Seaboard Air Line Railroad line (now the Auburndale TECO Trail and General James A. Van Fleet State Trail) just at the northwestern coast of Lake Agnes. From there, it traverses through mostly rural farmland into Lake County and Groveland. In Groveland, it intersects and begins a 3 miles (4.8 km) concurrency with SR 50, up to Mascotte. Now a county road, CR 33 continues through another 10 miles (16 km) or so of rural farmland, passes over Florida's Turnpike, then has a brief overlap with Lake County Road 48 in Okahumpka, which terminates at the eastern terminus of CR 470, while CR 48 head to Howey-in-the-Hills. Lake CR 33 itself ends on US 27 just south of the bridge over Helena Run, a waterway between Lake Denham and Lake Harris.

History

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The current Florida State Road 33 was established during the great renumbering of 1945, after the original SR 33 was replaced by Florida State Road 85 between Fort Walton Beach and Crestview in Okaloosa County. The route originally began at began at U.S. Route 92 (later U.S. Business Route 92, and currently unmarked State Road 600) in Lakeland, Florida and ended at Florida State Road 44 west of the merge with U.S. Route 441 in Leesburg, Florida. It was rerouted in Lakeland from Iowa Avenue one block west to Massachusetts Avenue in the 1970's, with a connecting road between East First Street and north of Bon Aire Street. Some Google Street View images still mistakenly show Iowa Avenue as being part of SR 33.[2] [3] South of the current US 92, SR 33 became a city street within Lakeland, though some traces of Massachusetts Avenue's status as part of SR 33 can still be found in the city, mainly on railroad signal boxes at the crossing of the CSX Carters Subdivision.[4]

North of SR 50 in Mascotte, the road was downgraded to a county road.[when?] North of U.S. Route 27 in Okahumpka, the route was extended in a hidden overlap with US 27 and hidden SR 25 until it branched off at Dixie Avenue in Leesburg. The US 27/SRs 25-33 bridge over Lake Harris contained a roadside park, which was later converted into the Leesburg Fishing Area.[5][6] This segment was eliminated as part of the realignment of SR 44 in Leesburg during the mid-1980's, and the county portion has been truncated at US 27 in Okahumpka ever since.

Major intersections

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CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
PolkLakeland0.0000.000  US 92 (Memorial Boulevard / SR 546) – Auburndale, Plant City
2.9314.717 
 
 
 
 
CR 582 north (North Socrum Loop Road) to I-4 west – Tampa
3.5725.749 
 
I-4 east (SR 400) – Orlando
I-4 exit 33
6.0469.730 
 
SR 659 south (North Combee Road)
Former SR 33A, and CR 33A
7.6912.38  I-4 (SR 400) – Tampa, OrlandoI-4 exit 38
Polk City13.50321.731 
 
CR 655 south (Berkley Road) – Auburndale
Former SR 655
13.70222.051 
 
 
 
SR 559 south (Broadway Boulevard) to I-4 – Fantasy of Flight, Lake Alfred
PolkLake
county line
Bridge over Withlacoochee River
Lake27.46044.193 
 
CR 474 east
29.80347.963 
 
CR 561 north – Clermont
36.54758.817 
 
CR 565B east (Pine Island Road)
Groveland40.21664.721 
 
SR 50 east – Clermont
south end of SR 50 overlap; signage changes northbound from SR 33 to CR 33
40.54165.244 
 
 
 
 
SR 19 north (Lake Avenue) to Florida's Turnpike north – Howey-in-the-Hills
Southern terminus of SR 19
41.31266.485 
 
CR 565 north (Villa City Road)
Mascotte42.68768.698 
 
SR 50 west – Brooksville
north end of SR 50 overlap and state maintenance
Leesburg54.1[7]87.1 
 
CR 48 west – Center Hill, Webster
south end of CR 48 overlap
Okahumpka54.7[7]88.0 
 
 
 
 
 
CR 48 east / CR 470 west to Florida's Turnpike – Sumterville, Howey-in-the-Hills
north end of CR 48 overlap
56.04990.202  US 27 (SR 25)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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SR-CR 33A

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LocationEaton Park-Lakeland, Florida
Length7.625 mi (12.271 km)

State Road 33A served as a suffixed alternate route for SR 33 from Eaton Park, Florida to the northern reaches of Lakeland, Florida. It began at US 98 in Eaton Park, ran north through Crystal Lake and Combee Settlement at US 92, and finally terminated at SR 33 south of Interstate 4. It is mainly known as South Combee Road south of Polk County Road 542 and North Combee Road north of CR 542. At some point in the 1980's, the route was downgraded into County Road 33A. Today it is designated as Florida State Road 659, though the old route number still shows up in many street name signs and on Google maps.

References

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