This Is Home.
Our History
Fort Meade was founded in 1849 along a military road carved through Florida’s wilderness, named for General George Meade. Our town has survived the Civil War, the phosphate boom, and generations of change — always holding onto what makes it home.
With around 5,100 residents, Fort Meade is a place where everybody knows everybody. We have over 300 homes on the National Register of Historic Places, citrus groves, and the Peace River running through our lives. We were designated a Blueway community by the Florida Paddlers Association.
This is not just a dot on a map. This is home.
Community Highlights
Oldest city in Polk County — founded 1849
Population ~5,100 — small enough to know your neighbors
300+ homes on the National Register of Historic Places
Peace River running through our community
Florida Paddlers Association-designated Blueway community
Home of the Fort Meade Fighting Miners — 2004 State Football Champions
What This Fight Is About
A corporation based in Bethesda, Maryland wants to build a 4.4 million square foot datacenter campus on 1,300 acres at the edge of our town — and call it progress. Fort Meade is not a sacrifice zone. It is home.
The city’s land development code doesn’t even have a category for datacenters — zoning had to be invented from scratch to make this possible. Residents weren’t notified before the original 5-0 zoning vote in June 2025.
Who We Are
People of Fort Meade is a community-led advocacy group formed by residents, homeowners, students, and local business owners who care about the future of our city. We are not anti-progress — we are pro-Fort Meade.
We believe our community deserves transparency, proper notice, and a real seat at the table before decisions of this scale are made.
Group
Concerning the Fort Meade Data Center
Address:
Fort Meade, Florida — Polk County
E-mail Address:
watchdogsoffortmeade@gmail.com