Auburndale's roots can be traced back to 1873, when John Ledue became the first official settler on Lake Ariana. The first house was built in July 1884, four months after the completion of the railroad through the area. Auburndale received its name in July of 1884 when Major Louis McClain, the civil engineer in charge of laying out the downtown area, described the location to a personal friend, the editor of the Boston Herald newspaper.
By the year 1900, Auburndale was steadily growing with an economy based largely on agriculture. On the evening of November 23, 1913 disaster struck when the entire downtown area was destroyed by fire. Two years later, in 1915, history repeated itself when a second fire damaged several structures. In the 1920's Auburndale was incorporated, and built a picturesque Spanish style structure to house city services. Today's city hall once housed the fire and police departments.
Auburndale took numerous steps forward during the late 1940's and 50's. Improvements, new construction and growth continued during these years. Today the population of Auburndale is just over 11,000.

Auburndale was designated as a “Florida Main Street” in 1992. Established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this program has a dual purpose — to preserve historical commercial architecture and to stimulate economic revitalization in the downtown district. Auburndale Chamber-Main Street is a result of a 1997 merger between Auburndale Chamber of Commerce and Auburndale Main Street Redevelopment Association. This, the first such merger in Florida, strengthens and unites the focus of business development and education while improving the appearance and effectiveness of the central business district.