Miami

In 1836, the U.S. built Fort Dallas on the banks of the Miami River as part of their development of the Florida Territory and their attempt to suppress and remove the Seminoles.

Julia Tuttle subsequently convinced railroad tycoon Henry Flagler to extend his Florida East Coast Railway to the region, for which she became known as "the mother of Miami".

When World War II began, Miami became a base for U.S. defense against German submarines due to its prime location on the southern coast of Florida.

[33] After Fidel Castro rose to power in Cuba following the Revolution in 1959, many wealthy Cubans sought refuge in Miami, further increasing the city's population.

The area's educational and cultural institutions also developed significantly in this period, positioning the city to service a larger and increasingly international population.

At the same time, South Florida weathered social problems related to drug wars, immigration from Haiti and Latin America, and the widespread destruction of Hurricane Andrew.

Several parallel lines of reef formed along the edge of the submerged Florida plateau, stretching from the present Miami area to what is now the Dry Tortugas.

[39] Beneath the plain lies the Biscayne Aquifer, a natural underground source of fresh water that extends from southern Palm Beach County to Florida Bay.

The heart of the city is Downtown Miami, which is on the eastern side and includes the neighborhoods of Brickell, Virginia Key, Watson Island, and PortMiami.

Downtown Miami is Florida's largest and most influential central business district, with many major banks, courthouses, financial headquarters, cultural and tourist attractions, schools, parks, and a large residential population.

[42] The northern side of Miami includes Midtown, a district with a great mix of diversity ranging from West Indians to Hispanics to European Americans.

[44] The northern side of Miami also has notable African-American and Caribbean immigrant communities, including Little Haiti, Overtown (home of the Lyric Theater), and Liberty City.

[62][63][64] Other potential impacts of climate change include higher hurricane wind speeds and severe thunderstorms, which can bring about hail or tornadoes.

Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, Miami experienced a certain amount of stagnation in its population, with expansion slowing during the 1950s and 1960s before nearly halting in the next three decades as suburbanization occurred.

From 1970 to 2000, population growth in Miami was stagnant, as non-Hispanic White Miamians left and significant immigration from Latin America, particularly Cuba, made up the balance.

Over 1,400 multinational firms are located in Miami, with many major global organizations headquartering their Latin American operations (or regional offices) in the city including Walmart.

[133] Companies based in nearby cities or unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade County include, Benihana, Burger King, Carnival Cruise Line, Navarro Discount Pharmacies, Perry Ellis International, Ryder, Sedano's, UniMás, and U.S. Century Bank.

[146] Miami International Airport (IATA: MIA) and PortMiami are among the nation's busiest ports of entry, especially for cargo from South America and the Caribbean.

Miami is the home to the National Hurricane Center and the headquarters of the United States Southern Command, responsible for military operations in Central and South America.

[148] In the 2012 census, Miami had the fourth highest percentage of family incomes below the federal poverty line out of all large cities in the United States, behind Detroit, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, respectively.

[218] Miami has numerous marinas, rivers, bays, canals, and the Atlantic Ocean, which make boating, canoeing, sailing, and fishing popular outdoor activities.

[236] The commission's regular meetings are held at Miami City Hall, which is located at 3500 Pan American Drive on Dinner Key in the neighborhood of Coconut Grove.

For much of the 20th century, Miami and its surrounding area, Miami-Dade County, were solidly Democratic, reflecting the city's diverse population and liberal political leanings.

[237] Then in the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election, Ron DeSantis won the county for the first time for a Republican candidate since 2002 and only lost the city of Miami by one-and-a-half points.

[240] While the city did not fully switch to Republican control, the narrowing margin underscored the growing support for Trump among Miami's voters, particularly those of Cuban and other Latin American origins.

[241][failed verification] The political transformation in Miami and Miami-Dade County is part of a larger trend of changing dynamics among Hispanic voters in the United States.

Historically, this demographic group leaned toward the Democratic Party, but recent shifts suggest that Republicans are increasingly appealing to these voters, especially through rhetoric and policies that resonate with their concerns about immigration, economic opportunity, and law and order.

[242][failed verification] As the political landscape of Miami continues to evolve, its future as a bellwether for the broader Hispanic vote remains uncertain.

[citation needed] M-DCPS is also one of a few public school districts in the United States to offer optional bilingual education in Spanish, French, German, Haitian Creole, and Mandarin Chinese.

In 2007, Miami was identified as having the rudest drivers in the United States, the second year in a row to have been cited, in a poll commissioned by automobile club AutoVantage.

In 1896, approximately 400 men gathered in the building pictured on the left and voted to incorporate Miami.
A 1962 map of Miami
The mouth of Miami River at Brickell Key in February 2010
A view from one of the higher points in Miami, west of Downtown Miami . The highest natural point in Miami is in Coconut Grove , near Biscayne Bay along the Miami Rock Ridge at 24 feet (7.3 m) above sea level . [ 41 ]
The historic district of Downtown Miami is one of the city's oldest with buildings constructed as far back as 1896.
A map of Miami's neighborhoods
A summer afternoon thunderstorm rolling into Miami from the Everglades , July 2006
Brickell Avenue in Downtown Miami has the largest concentration of international banks in the nation.
The high-rise construction in Miami is considered by some to be " Miami's Manhattanization ".
Brickell Avenue in Downtown Miami's Brickell Financial District in February 2010
Miami's old logo
Miami's new logo
PortMiami , the world's largest cruise ship port and headquarters for many of the world's largest cruise companies, seen from the docked MSC Magnifica cruise ship in March 2024.
The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts , the second-largest performing arts center in the United States
Miami City Hall , located at Dinner Key in Coconut Grove , is home to Miami's primary administrative offices.
Florida International University , with its main campus in nearby University Park , is the largest university in South Florida and the fourth largest university by enrollment in the U.S. It is also one of Florida's primary research universities.
Founded in 1925, the University of Miami in nearby Coral Gables is Florida's top ranked private institution of higher education.
Miami Senior High School , founded in 1903, was Miami's first high school.
The former headquarters of The Miami Herald on Biscayne Bay
State Road 886 , also known as Port Boulevard, connects Downtown Miami and PortMiami over Biscayne Bay .
Miami's Metrorail is the city's rapid transit system and connects Miami with its outlying suburbs.
Tri-Rail is Miami's commuter rail that runs north–south from Miami's suburbs in West Palm Beach to Miami International Airport .
Miami International Airport , the nation's 10th-largest airport