Miami is a major center and leader in finance, commerce, culture, arts, and international trade.[13][14] Miami's metropolitan area is by far the largest urban economy in Florida, with a 2017gross domestic product of $344.9 billion.[15] In a 2018UBS study of 77 world cities, Miami was the third-richest city in the U.S. and the third-richest globally inpurchasing power.[16] Miami is amajority-minority city, with 70.2 percent of the city's population identifying asHispanic and Latino as of 2020.[17]
Downtown Miami has among the largest concentrations of international banks in the U.S. and is home to several large national and international companies.[18][19] TheHealth District is home to several majorUniversity of Miami-affiliated hospital and health facilities, includingJackson Memorial Hospital, the nation's largest hospital with 1,547 beds,[20] and theMiller School of Medicine, the University of Miami's academic medical center and teaching hospital, and others engaged in health-related care and research.PortMiami, the city's seaport, is the busiestcruise port in the world in both passenger traffic and cruise lines.[21]
The Miami metropolitan area is the second-most visited city or metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. afterNew York City, with over four million visitors in 2022.[22] Due to its strong commercial and cultural ties toLatin America and majority-Hispanic population (at 70%), Miami has been called the "Gateway to Latin America" or even the "Capital of Latin America."[23][24][25]
Toponymy
Miami was named after theMiami River, derived fromMayaimi, the historic name ofLake Okeechobee and the Native Americans who lived around it.[26] Miami is sometimes colloquially referred to asThe305,Magic City,Gateway to the Americas,Gateway to Latin America,Capital of Latin America,[1] andVice City.
In 1896, approximately 400 men gathered in the building pictured on the left and voted to incorporate Miami.The mouth ofMiami River atBrickell Key in February 2010
TheTequesta tribe occupied the Miami area for around 2,000 years before contact with Europeans. A village of hundreds of people, dating to 500–600 BCE, was located at the mouth of theMiami River. It is believed that the entire tribe migrated toCuba by the mid-1700s.[27] In 1566, admiralPedro Menéndez de Avilés, Florida's first governor, claimed the area forSpain. A Spanishmission was constructed one year later. Florida was ruled by Spain for centuries—aside from a brief British interlude (1763–1783) that ended withBritain losing the territory back to Spain—until Spain ceded it to the United States in 1821, in exchange for U.S. recognition of Spanish sovereignty inTexas and the resolution of the border dispute along theSabine River. In 1836, the U.S. builtFort Dallas on the banks of the Miami River as part of their development of theFlorida Territory and their attempt to suppress and remove theSeminoles. As a result, the Miami area became a site of fighting in theSecond Seminole War.
Miami is noted as the only major city in the United States founded by a woman.Julia Tuttle, a localcitrus grower and a wealthyCleveland native, was the original owner of the land upon which Miami was built.[28] In the late 19th century, the area was known as "Biscayne Bay Country", and reports described it as a promising wilderness and "one of the finest building sites in Florida".[29][30] TheGreat Freeze of 1894–1895 hastened Miami's growth, as the crops there were the only ones in Florida that survived. Julia Tuttle subsequently convincedrailroad tycoonHenry Flagler to extend hisFlorida East Coast Railway to the region, for which she became known as "the mother of Miami".[31][32] Miami was officially incorporated as a city on July 28, 1896, with a population of just over 300.[33]
In the early twentieth century, Miami’s development was deeply shaped by waves of migrant labor, particularly from the Caribbean. Scholars note that Bahamian immigrants formed a critical portion of Miami’s construction and service workforce during the city’s formative decades, contributing essential labor to roadbuilding, hotel construction, and other urban expansion projects (Shell-Weiss, 2005). Their role in Miami’s labor force helped anchor the city’s early economic growth and laid a foundation for its later multicultural identity.[34]During the early 20th century, migrants from theBahamas and African-Americans constituted 40 percent of the city's population.[35]: 25 When landlords began to rent homes to African-Americans around Avenue J, what would later become NW Fifth Avenue, a gang of white men with torches marched through the neighborhood and warned the residents to move or be bombed.[35]: 33 Miami’s economy was heavily based on seasonal tourism and construction work, which created a volatile job market of low-wage, temporary employment and contributed to pronounced income inequality even as the city promoted itself as a booming leisure destination.”Bennett, Evan P. (2024) “Working in the Magic City: Moral Economy in Early Twentieth-Century Miami,” Labour / Le Travail, 21(1): 123-152.
Despite the city’s image of resort-style prosperity, workers and activists during the interwar period organized around unemployment and labor exclusion, helping to lay early foundations for labor mobilization in South Florida.[citation needed][36]
Miami prospered during the 1920s with an increase in population and development in infrastructure as northerners moved to the city. The legacy ofJim Crow was embedded in these developments. Miami's chief of police at the time,H. Leslie Quigg, did not hide the fact that he, like many other white Miami police officers, was a member of theKu Klux Klan. Unsurprisingly, these officers enforced social codes far beyond the written law. Quigg, for example, "personally and publicly beat a colored bellboy to death for speaking directly to a white woman".[35]: 53 [37] The collapse of theFlorida land boom of the 1920s, the1926 Miami Hurricane, and theGreat Depression in the 1930s slowed development. WhenWorld War II began, Miami became a base for U.S. defense againstGerman submarines due to its prime location on the southern coast of Florida. This brought an increase in Miami's population; 172,172 people lived in the city by 1940. Thecity's nickname,The Magic City, came from its rapid growth, which was noticed by winter visitors who remarked that the city grew so much from one year to the next that it was like magic.[38]
AfterFidel Castro rose to power inCuba following theRevolution in 1959, many wealthy Cubans sought refuge in Miami, further increasing the city's population. Miami's national profile expanded dramatically in the 1970s, particularly in 1972.[39] The region hosted both theDemocratic andRepublican National Conventions in the1972 Presidential election. TheMiami Dolphins also made history with theirundefeated "perfect" season. The area's educational and cultural institutions also developed significantly in this period, positioning the city to service a larger and increasingly international population.[39]
Miami developed new businesses and cultural amenities as part of theNew South in the 1980s and 1990s. At the same time, South Florida weathered social problems related todrug wars, immigration fromHaiti and Latin America, and the widespread destruction ofHurricane Andrew.[40][38] Racial and cultural tensions sometimes sparked, but Miami developed in the latter half of the 20th century as a major international, financial, and cultural center. It is the second-largest U.S. city with a Spanish-speaking majority (afterEl Paso, Texas), and the largest city with aCuban-American plurality.[41][42]
Geography
Miami and its suburbs are located on a broad plain between theEverglades to the west andBiscayne Bay to the east, which extends fromLake Okeechobee southward toFlorida Bay. The elevation of the area averages at around 6 ft (1.8 m)[43] above sea level in most neighborhoods, especially near the coast. The highest points are found along theMiami Rock Ridge, which lies under most of the eastern Miami metro. The main portion of Miami is on the shores of Biscayne Bay, which contains several hundred natural and artificialbarrier islands, the largest of which containsMiami Beach andSouth Beach. TheGulf Stream, a warmocean current, runs northward just 15 miles (24 km) off the coast, allowing Miami's climate to stay warm and mild all year.
Geology
The surface bedrock under the Miami area is calledMiami oolite or Miami limestone. This bedrock is covered by a thin layer of soil, and is no more than 50 feet (15 m) thick. Miami limestone formed as the result of the drastic changes in sea level associated with recentglacial periods, orice ages. Beginning some 130,000 years ago, theSangamonian Stage raised sea levels to approximately 25 feet (8 m) above the current level. All of southern Florida was covered by a shallow sea. Several parallel lines of reef formed along the edge of the submerged Floridaplateau, stretching from the present Miami area to what is now theDry Tortugas.[44]
The area behind this reef line was a large lagoon. Miami limestone formed throughout the area from the deposition of oolites and the shells ofbryozoans. Starting about 100,000 years ago, theWisconsin glaciation began lowering sea levels, exposing the floor of the lagoon. By 15,000 years ago, the sea level had dropped 300 to 350 feet (90 to 110 m) below the current level. The sea level rose quickly after that, stabilizing at the current level about 4,000 years ago, leaving themainland of South Florida justabove sea level.[44]
Beneath the plain lies theBiscayne Aquifer, a natural underground source of fresh water that extends from southernPalm Beach County toFlorida Bay. It comes closest to the surface around the cities ofMiami Springs andHialeah.[45] Most of theMiami metropolitan area obtains its drinking water from the Biscayne Aquifer. As a result of the aquifer, it is not possible to dig more than 15 to 20 ft (5 to 6 m) beneath the city without hitting water, which impedes underground construction, though someunderground parking garages exist. For this reason, themass transit systems in and around Miami are elevated orat-grade.[44]
Most of the western fringes of Miami border theEverglades, a tropical marshland covering most of the southern portion of Florida.Alligators that live in the marshes have ventured into Miami communities and onto major highways.[44]
The western side of Miami includes the neighborhoods ofLittle Havana,West Flagler, andFlagami. Although at one time a mostly Jewish neighborhood, today western Miami is home to immigrants from mostly Central America andCuba. The west central neighborhood ofAllapattah is a multicultural community of many ethnicities.[47]
The northern side of Miami includesMidtown, a district with a great mix of diversity ranging from Caribbeans to Central Americans, South Americans and Europeans. TheEdgewater neighborhood of Midtown is mostly composed of high-rise residential towers and is home to theAdrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.Wynwood is an art district with ten galleries in former warehouses, as well as a large outdoor mural project. The wealthier residents of Miami usually live in theDesign District and theUpper Eastside, which has many 1920s homes as well as examples ofMiami Modern architecture in the MiMo Historic District.[49] The northern side of Miami also has notable African-American andCaribbean immigrant communities, includingLittle Haiti,Overtown (home of theLyric Theater), andLiberty City.[47]
Miami's sea-level elevation, coastal location, position just above theTropic of Cancer, and proximity to theGulf Stream shape its climate. Average winter high temperatures, from December to March, range from 76.4–80.3 °F (24.7–26.8 °C). January is the coolest month with an average daily temperature of 68.2 °F (20.1 °C). Low temperatures fall below 50 °F (10 °C) about 3 to 4 nights during the winter season,[citation needed] after the passage ofcold fronts that produce what little rainfall that falls in the winter.
There are two basic seasons in Miami, a hot and wet season from May to October, and a warm and dry season from November to April. During the hot and wet season, daily thundershowers occur in the humid unstable air masses. The wet season in Miami is defined as the period during which the average dailydew point temperature is above 70 °F (21 °C). The rainy season typically begins on the first day that occurs, or within a few days later.[52]
Daily rainfall in Miami decreases sharply when the average daily dew point falls to 70 °F (21 °C) or below. In some years, a stalled front to the south of the Florida peninsula may cause rains to continue for a few more days. From 1956 to 1997, the date summer began ranged from April 16 to June 3, with a median date of May 21. In those same years, the date summer ended ranged from September 24 to November 1, with a median date of October 17.[52]
During summer, temperatures range from the mid-80s to low 90s °F (29–35 °C) and are accompanied by high humidity. The heat is often relieved in the afternoon by thunderstorms or asea breeze that develops off the Atlantic Ocean. Much of the year's 61.9 inches (1,572 mm) of rainfall occurs during this period.Dew points in the warm months range from 71.9 °F (22.2 °C) in June to 73.7 °F (23.2 °C) in August.[53]
Historical temperature extremes range from 27 °F (−2.8 °C) on February 3, 1917, to 100 °F (38 °C) on July 21, 1942.[54] While Miami has neverrecorded snowfall at any official weather station since records have been kept,snow flurries fell in some parts of Miami on January 19, 1977.[55][56][57] The coldest daytime maximum temperature on record is 45 °F (7 °C) in December 1989 during theDecember 1989 United States cold wave. The warmest overnight low measured is 84 °F (29 °C) on several occasions.[53]
Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30, although hurricanes can develop beyond those dates. The most likely time for Miami to be hit is during the peak of theCape Verde season, which is mid-August to the end of September.[58] Although tornadoes are uncommon in the area, one struck in1925 and another in1997.[59][60] Around 40% of homes in Miami are built uponfloodplains and are considered as flood-risk zones.[61]
Miami is one of the major coastal cities and major cities in the United States that will be most affected byclimate change.[63][64] Globally, it is one of the most at-risk cities, according to a 2020 report byResources for the Future.[65][66] Globalsea level rise. Historical tide-gauge observations show a measurable upward trend in sea level along Florida’s coastline, and projections estimate that Miami may experience significantly higher flooding frequency by mid-century[67]which in Miami is projected to be 21 inches (53 cm) to 40 inches (100 cm) by 2070, will lead to an increase in storm damage, more intense flooding, and will threaten Miami's water supply.[68][69][70] Other potential impacts of climate change include higher hurricane wind speeds and severe thunderstorms, which can bring about hail or tornadoes.[66] Some protective efforts are in place, including nourishing beaches and adding protective barriers, raising buildings and roads that are vulnerable, and restoring natural habitats such aswetlands.[66] Miami Beach has invested $500 million to protect roads, buildings, and water systems.[66] Real estate prices in Miami already reflect the increase in prices for real estate at a higher elevation within the city compared to real estate at a lower elevation.[71]
Miami is the largest city inSouth Florida, the second-largest city inFlorida, and is the anchor of the largest metropolitan area in Florida: theMiami metropolitan area, which has over 6 million residents. Despite Miami being home to less than a fourteenth (1/14) of the population of the metro area, it is an outlier compared to its neighbors, being nearly twice the size of the next-largest city in the metro:Hialeah. Miami has approximately a sixth of the population of its own county,Miami-Dade, which is the state's largest.
Miami had rapid growth in the first half of the twentieth century. Its population grew from 1,681 in the1900 census to 249,276 in the1950 census. This made it Florida's largest city, a title it retained until theJacksonville Consolidation, when the city of Jacksonville absorbed most ofDuval County, nearly tripling its population. Since then, Miami has retained its spot as Florida's second-largest city.
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. Miami grew by 34.3% in the 1950s and 1960s as its population reached 334,859 at the1970 census. In the next three decades, it only grew 8.2%. By the time of the2000 census, Miami's population stood at 362,470.
In the 2000s and 2010s, spurred by high-rise construction in Downtown Miami, Edgewater, and Brickell, Miami's population began to grow quickly once more.[83] An estimate by the American Community Survey found that the downtown population, from Brickell north to Midtown Miami, grew nearly 40% between 2010 and 2018.[84] From 2000 to 2010, Miami's population grew by 10.2% and reached 399,457 in 2010. In the early 2010s, Miami's population crossed a milestone of 400,000 people. In the2020 census, it had grown by a further 10.7%, up to a population of 442,241.
In 1970, the Census Bureau reported Miami's population as 45.3% Hispanic, 32.9% non-Hispanic White, and 22.7% Black.[86] Miami's explosive population growth has been driven by internal migration from other parts of the country, up until the 1960s. From 1970 to 2000, population growth in Miami was stagnant, asnon-Hispanic White Miamians left and significant immigration from Latin America, particularlyCuba, made up the balance.[87][88] Miami's Hispanic majority solidified itself in this period of time, and in 1985, Miami elected its first Cuban-born mayor,Xavier Suarez.
According to the U.S Census Bureau’s 2024 population estimates, Miami-dade county continues to experience steady growth, driven largely by domestic migration and ongoing international immigration. The county’s population in 2024 reflects its status as one of the most diverse metropolitan regions in the United States, with large Hispanic, Caribbean, and Latin American communities contributing to its demographic profile (U.S Census Bureau, 2024)[89]
The non-Hispanic Black population of the city of Miami peaked in 1990 at almost 90,000, making up nearly a quarter of the population of Miami. Since then, Miami's non-Hispanic Black population has experienced a precipitous and steady decline. In the 2020 census, it was 52,447, only 11.7% of the population. Reasons for this include high costs in areas such asLiberty City andLittle Haiti, compounded withgentrification.[90][91]
The non-Hispanic White population began to rebound in the twenty-first century, as the monolithically Hispanic areas in the Western and Central parts of Miami experienced population stagnation. This caused them to begin to be outweighed by migration into the Downtown region, from Latin America and the rest of the United States. This caused the non-Hispanic White population to rise from a nadir of 11.8% at the time of the2000 census to 11.9% at the time of the2010 census. After this, the non-Hispanic White population grew significantly faster than Miami as a whole did during the 2010s. In the2020 census, non-Hispanic Whites were 14.0% of the population of Miami and numbered 61,829, the highest number since the 1980s. The non-Hispanic White population of Miami surpassed the non-Hispanic Black population of Miami in the 2010s.
In 2010, those of (non-Hispanic white) European ancestry were 11.9% of Miami's population. Of the city's total population, 1.7% were German, 1.6% Italian, 1.4% Irish, 1.0% English, 0.8% French, 0.6% Russian, and 0.5% were Polish.[119][120]
In 2010, those of Asian ancestry were 1.0% of Miami's population. Of the city's total population, 0.3% wereIndian/Indo-Caribbean (1,206 people), 0.3% Chinese/Chinese Caribbean (1,804 people), 0.2%Filipino (647 people), 0.1% were other Asian (433 people), 0.1% Japanese (245 people), 0.1% Korean (213 people), and 0.0% wereVietnamese (125 people).[119]
In 2010, 1.9% of the population considered themselves to be of only American ancestry (regardless of race or ethnicity),[119][120] while 0.5% were of Arab ancestry, in 2010.[119]
In a 2014Pew Research Center study, Christianity was the most-practiced religion in Miami (68%), with 39% professing attendance at a variety of churches that could be consideredProtestant, and 27% professingCatholicism.[122][123] Followed by Judaism (9%);Islam,Buddhism,Hinduism, and a variety of other religions have smaller followings;atheism or no self-identifying organized religious affiliation was practiced by 21%.
There has been aNorwegian Seamen's church in Miami since the early 1980s. In November 2011,Crown Princess of Norway Mette-Marit opened a new building for the church. The church was built as a center for the 10,000 Scandinavians that live in Florida. Around 4,000 of them areNorwegian. The church is also an important place for the 150 Norwegians that work atWalt Disney World in Central Florida.[124]
In a 2022Point-In-Time Homeless Count, there were 3,440homeless people in Miami-Dade County,[125] 970 of which were on the streets. In the city limits of Miami, there were 591 unsheltered homeless people on the streets, up from 555 in 2021.[126]
According toNational Immigration Forum, the top countries of origin for Miami's immigrants are Latin America (86%): Cuba (741,666), Haiti (213,000), Colombia (166,338), Jamaica (144,445); Europe (6.1%): United Kingdom (23,334), Germany (15,611), Italy (14,240) and Asia (5.2%): India (23,602), China (21,580) and the Philippines (15,078).[127]
Economy
Brickell Avenue has the largest concentration of international banks in the nation.
Miami is a major center of commerce and finance and has a stronginternational business community. According to the 2020 ranking of world cities undertaken by theGlobalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) based on the level of presence of global corporate service organizations, Miami is considered a Beta + levelworld city, along withAtlanta,Dallas, andHouston. However, according to the U.S. census between 2015 and 2019, Miami lacks in terms of owner-occupied housing, computer and internet usage, education of bachelor's degree or higher, median household income, per capita income, while having a higher percentage of persons in poverty.[128][129] In 2013, Miami had a Gross Metropolitan Product of $257 billion, ranking 11th in the United States and 20th worldwide in GMP.[130][131]
Miami is a major television production center, and the most important city in the United States for Spanish-language media.Telemundo andUniMás have their headquarters in the Miami area.Univisión Studios andTelemundo Global Studios produce much of the original programming for their respective parent networks, such astelenovelas, news, sports, and talk shows. In 2011, 85% of Telemundo's original programming was filmed in Miami.[151] Miami is a significant music recording center, with theSony Music Latin headquarters in the city,[152] along with many other smaller record labels. Miami also attracts many artists for music video and film shoots.
During the mid-2000s, Miami witnessed its largest real estate boom since theFlorida land boom of the 1920s, and the city had well over a hundred approved high-rise construction projects. However, only 50 were actually built.[153] A rapid wave ofManhattanization, or high-rise construction, led to fast population growth in Miami's inner neighborhoods, withDowntown,Brickell andEdgewater becoming the fastest-growing areas of Miami. Miami currently has the seven tallest, as well as fifteen of top twenty,skyscrapers in the state of Florida, with the tallest being the 868-foot (265 m)Panorama Tower.[154]
Thehousing market crash of 2007 caused a foreclosure crisis in the area.[155] Like other metro areas in the United States, crime in Miami is localized to specific neighborhoods.[156]
Miami International Airport (IATA: MIA) andPortMiami are among the nation's busiest ports of entry, especially for cargo fromSouth America and theCaribbean. PortMiami is the world's busiest cruise port. Miami International Airport is the busiest airport in Florida and the largest gateway between the United States and Latin America.[157] Due to its strength in international business, finance and trade, Miami has among the largest concentration of international banks in the country, primarily alongBrickell Avenue inBrickell, Miami's financial district. Miami was the host city of the 2003Free Trade Area of the Americas negotiations.
Miami is the home to theNational Hurricane Center and the headquarters of theUnited States Southern Command, responsible for military operations inCentral and South America. Miami is also an industrial center, especially for stone quarrying and warehousing. These industries are centered largely on the western fringes of Miami nearDoral andHialeah.[158]
In the 2012 census, Miami had thefourth highest percentage of family incomes below the federal poverty line out of all large cities in the United States, behindDetroit,Cleveland, andCincinnati, respectively. Miami is also one of the very few cities in the U.S. where the local government has gone bankrupt, in 2001.[159]
PortMiami, the world's largest cruise ship port and headquarters for many of the world's largest cruise companies, seen from the dockedMSC Magnifica cruise ship in March 2024.
PortMiami in Miami is the largest cruise ship port in the world.[161] It has retained its status as the number one cruise and passenger port in the world for well over a decade, accommodating the largest cruise ships and the major cruise lines. In 2017, the port served 5,340,559 cruise passengers.[162] The port is one of the nation's busiest cargo ports, importing 9,162,340 tons of cargo in 2017.[162]
Tourism is one of the Miami's largest private-sector industries, accounting for more than 144,800 jobs inMiami-Dade County.[164] Miami's frequent portrayal in music, film, and popular culture has made Miami and its landmarks recognizable worldwide. In 2016, it attracted the second-highest number of foreign tourists of any city in the United States, after New York City, and is among the top 20 cities worldwide by international visitor spending. More than 15.9 million visitors arrived in Miami in 2017, adding $26.1 billion to the economy.[165] With a large hotel infrastructure and the newly renovatedMiami Beach Convention Center, Miami is a popular destination for annual conventions and conferences.[166]
Miami enjoys a vibrant culture that is influenced by a diverse population from all around the world. Miami is known as the "Magic City" for seemingly popping up overnight due to its young age and massive growth. Miami is infamous for itsdrug war in the early 1980s and its outrun aesthetics.[167][168][169] It isnicknamed the "Capital of Latin America" because of its high population of Spanish speakers.[170][171][172][173]
Miami is home to many entertainment venues, theaters, museums, parks, and performing arts centers. TheAdrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts is the home of theFlorida Grand Opera and the second-largest performing arts center in the United States afterLincoln Center in New York City.[183] The center attracts many large-scale operas, ballets, concerts, and musicals from around the world.
Miami is home to a number of annual festivals, such as theCalle Ocho Festival, the largest Latin music festival in the country, which has run since 1978.[186][187]
Another celebrated event is theMiami International Film Festival, taking place every year for 10 days around the first week of March, during which independent international and American films are screened across Miami. Miami has over a half dozen independent film theaters.[188]
The Miami Jewish Film Festival (MJFF) was established in 1996.[189] It is an annual event held in January that screens a variety of films relating to Jewish history and culture. As of 2025[update], the festival awards a number of film awards: Critics Jury Prize, Next Wave Jury Prize, Kadima Jury Prize, Torchbearer Award, Emerging Filmmaker Award, and the Audience Awards for Best Narrative Film, Documentary Film, and Short Film. The Miami Jewish Film Club holds special screenings throughout the year.[190]
Cuban immigrants in the 1960s originated theCuban sandwich and broughtmedianoche,Cuban espresso,Bistec de palomilla, andcroquetas, all of which have grown in popularity among all Miamians and have become symbols of the city's varied cuisine. Today, these are part of the local culture and can be found throughout the city at window cafés, particularly outside of supermarkets and restaurants.[199][200] Some of these locations, such as theVersailles restaurant inLittle Havana, are landmark eateries of Miami. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, and with a long history as aseaport, Miami is also known for its seafood, with many seafood restaurants located along theMiami River and in and around Biscayne Bay.[201] The city is also the headquarters of restaurant chains such asBurger King andBenihana.
The Miami area has a unique dialect ofAmerican English, commonly called the "Miami accent", that is widely spoken. The accent developed among second- or third-generationHispanics, includingCuban Americans, whose first language was English. Somenon-Hispanic white,black andother races who were born and raised in the Miami area have tended to adopt it as well.[202]
This is a native dialect of English, not learner English orinterlanguage. It is possible to differentiate this variety from aninterlanguage spoken by second-language speakers, in that the "Miami accent" doesnot generally display the following features: there is noaddition of/ɛ/ before initial consonant clusters with/s/, speakers do not confuse/dʒ/ with/j/, (e.g.,Yale withjail), and /r/ and /rr/ are pronounced asalveolar approximant [ɹ] instead ofalveolar tap[ɾ] oralveolar trill [r] in Spanish.[204][205][206][207]
TheOrange Bowl, one of the major bowl games in theCollege Football Playoff of theNCAA, is played at Hard Rock Stadium every winter. The stadium has also hosted theSuper Bowl. The Miami metro area has hosted the game ten times, five times at the current Hard Rock Stadium and five at theMiami Orange Bowl, tying New Orleans for the most games.[216]
The City of Miami has various lands operated by theNational Park Service, the Florida Division of Recreation and Parks, and the City of Miami Department of Parks and Recreation.
In its 2020 ParkScore ranking,The Trust for Public Land reported that the park system in the City of Miami was the 64th best park system among the 100 most populous U.S. cities,[247] down slightly from 48th place in the 2017 ranking.[248] The City of Miami was analyzed to have a median park size of 2.6 acres, park land as percent of city area of 6.5%, 87% of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park, $48.39 spending per capita of park services, and 1.3 playgrounds per 10,000 residents.[249]
The government of the City of Miami uses themayor-commissioner type of system. The city commission consists of five commissioners that are elected from single member districts. The city commission constitutes the governing body with powers to pass ordinances, adopt regulations, and exercise all powers conferred upon the city in the city charter. The mayor is elected at large and appoints a city manager. The City of Miami is governed by MayorFrancis Suarez and 5 city commissioners that oversee the five districts in the city.[250]
For much of the 20th century, Miami and its surrounding area,Miami-Dade County, were solidlyDemocratic, reflecting the city's diverse population and liberal political leanings. However, in recent election cycles, a notable shift has occurred. The 2020 presidential election marked a turning point, with Trump making substantial gains among Hispanic voters, especially within the Cuban-American community. This shift was reflected in Miami-Dade County, where Trump only lost the county by seven points and lost the city by 19 points, a 21-point shift to the right from 2016.[251] Then in the2022 Florida gubernatorial election,Ron DeSantis won the county for the first time for aRepublican candidate since 2002 and only lost the city of Miami by one-and-a-half points.[252] That trend continued in the2024 presidential election in Florida, with Trump winning the county by eleven points, a rare occurrence for a Republican presidential candidate. This was the first time a Republican candidate had won Miami-Dade County since1988, a major political transformation in what had traditionally been a Democratic stronghold.[253]
Florida International University, with its main campus in nearbyUniversity Park, is the largest university inSouth 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, theUniversity of Miami in nearbyCoral Gables is Florida's top ranked private institution of higher education.
Miami is also home to both for-profit and nonprofit organizations that offer a range of professional training and other, related educational programs.Per Scholas, for example is a nonprofit organization that offers free professional certification training directed towards successfully passingCompTIA A+ and Network+ certification exams as a route to securing jobs and building careers.[255][256][257]
Public schools in Miami are governed byMiami-Dade County Public Schools, which is the largest school district in Florida and the fourth-largest in the United States. In September 2008 it had a student enrollment of 385,655 and over 392 schools and centers. The district is the largest minority public school system in the country, with 60% of its students being of Hispanic origin, 28%Black orWest Indian American, 10%White (non-Hispanic) and 2% non-white of other minorities.[273]
Miami has one of the largest television markets in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida afterTampa Bay.[293] Miami has several major newspapers, the main and largest newspaper beingThe Miami Herald.El Nuevo Herald is the major and largest Spanish-language newspaper.The Miami Herald andEl Nuevo Herald are Miami's and South Florida's main, major and largest newspapers. The papers left their longtime home in Downtown Miami in 2013. The newspapers are now headquartered at the former home ofU.S. Southern Command inDoral.[294]
A number of magazines circulate throughout the greater Miami area, includingMiami Monthly, Southeast Florida's only city/regional, andOcean Drive, a hot-spot social scene glossy.
Miami is the headquarters and main production city of many of the world's largest television networks, record label companies, broadcasting companies and production facilities, such asTelemundo,Univision,Univision Communications,Mega TV,Universal Music Latin Entertainment,RCTV International andSunbeam Television. In 2009, Univision announced plans to build a new production studio in Miami, dubbed Univision Studios. Univision Studios is headquartered in Miami, and will produce programming for all of Univision Communications' television networks.[295]
In the 2016American Community Survey, 72.3% of working city of Miami residents commuted by driving alone, 8.7% carpooled, 9% used public transportation, and 3.7% walked. About 1.8% used all other forms of transportation, including taxicab, motorcycle, and bicycle. About 4.5% of working city of Miami residents worked at home.[298] In 2015, 19.9% of city of Miami households were without a car, which decreased to 18.6% in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Miami averaged 1.24 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8 per household.[299]
Miami's road system is based along the numerical Miami grid whereFlagler Street forms the east–westbaseline andMiami Avenue forms the north–southmeridian. The corner of Flagler Street and Miami Avenue is in the middle of Downtown in front of the DowntownMacy's (formerly theBurdine's headquarters). The Miami grid is primarily numerical so that, for example, all street addresses north of Flagler Street and west of Miami Avenue have "NW" in their address. Because its point of origin is in Downtown, which is close to the coast, the "NW" and "SW" quadrants are much larger than the "SE" and "NE" quadrants. Many roads, especially major ones, are also named (e.g.,Tamiami Trail/SW 8th St), although, with exceptions, the number is in more common usage among locals.
With few exceptions, within this grid north–south roads are designated as Courts, Roads, Avenues or Places (often remembered by their acronym), while east–west roads are streets, Terraces, Drives or occasionally Ways. Major roads in each direction are located at one mile intervals. There are 16blocks to each mile on north–south avenues, and 10 blocks to each mile on east–west streets. Major north–south avenues generally end in "7" – e.g., 17th, 27th, 37th/Douglas Aves., 57th/Red Rd., 67th/Ludlam, 87th/Galloway, etc., all the way west beyond 177th/Krome Avenue. One prominent exception is 42nd Avenue, LeJeune Road, located at the half-mile point instead.
Major east–west streets to the south of Downtown are multiples of 16, though the beginning point of this system is at SW 8th St, one half-mile south of Flagler ("zeroth") Street. Thus, major streets are at 8th St., 24th St./Coral Way, 40th St./Bird, 56th/Miller, 72nd/ Sunset, 88th/N. Kendall, 104th (originally S. Kendall), 120th/Montgomery, 136th/Howard, 152nd/Coral Reef, 168th/Richmond, 184th/Eureka, 200th/Quail Roost, 216th/Hainlin Mill, 232nd/Silver Palm, 248th/Coconut Palm, etc., well into the 300s. Within the grid, odd-numbered addresses are generally on the north or east side, and even-numbered addresses are on the south or west side.
All streets and avenues inMiami-Dade County follow the Miami grid, with a few exceptions, most notably inCoral Gables,Hialeah, Coconut Grove andMiami Beach. One neighborhood,The Roads, is named as such because its streets run off the Miami grid at a 45-degree angle, and therefore are all named roads.
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.[300] Miami is also consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the United States for pedestrians.[301]
Public transportation in Miami is operated byMiami-Dade Transit andSFRTA, and includescommuter rail (Tri-Rail), heavy-railrapid transit (Metrorail), an elevatedpeople mover (Metromover), and buses (Metrobus). Miami has Florida's highest transit ridership as about 17% of Miamians use transit on a daily basis.[302] The average Miami public transit commute on weekdays is 90 minutes, while 39% of public transit riders commute for more than 2 hours a day. The average wait time at a public transit stop or station is 18 minutes, while 37% of riders wait for more than 20 minutes on average every day. The average single trip distance with public transit is 7.46 mi (12 km), while 38% travel more than 8.08 mi (13 km) in each direction.[303]
Miami's heavy-rail rapid transit system,Metrorail, is an elevated system comprising two lines and 23 stations on a 24.4-mile (39.3 km)-long line. Metrorail connects the urban western suburbs ofHialeah,Medley, and inner-city Miami with suburbanThe Roads,Coconut Grove,Coral Gables,South Miami, and urbanKendall via the central business districts ofMiami International Airport, theHealth District, and Downtown. A free, elevatedpeople mover,Metromover, operates 21 stations on three different lines in greater Downtown Miami, with a station at roughly every two blocks of Downtown and Brickell. Several expansion projects are being funded by a transit development sales tax surcharge throughout Miami-Dade County.[304]
TheMiami Intermodal Center is a massive transportation hub servicingMetrorail,Amtrak,Tri-Rail,Brightline,Metrobus,Greyhound Lines,taxis,rental cars,MIA Mover, private automobiles, bicycles and pedestrians adjacent to Miami International Airport. Miami Intermodal Center was completed in 2010, and is serving about 150,000 commuters and travelers in the Miami area. Phase I ofMiamiCentral Station was completed in 2012, and the Tri-Rail part of Phase II was completed in 2015, but the construction of the Amtrak part remains delayed.
Two new light rail systems, Baylink and the Miami Streetcar, have been proposed and are currently in the planning stage. BayLink would connect Downtown withSouth Beach, and the Miami Streetcar would connect Downtown withMidtown.
Miami is the southern terminus ofAmtrak's Atlantic Coast services, running two lines, theSilver Meteor and theSilver Star, both terminating in New York City. The Miami Amtrak Station is located in the suburb ofHialeah near theTri-Rail/Metrorail Station on NW 79 St and NW 38 Ave. Current construction of the Miami Central Station will move all Amtrak operations from its current out-of-the-way location to a centralized location withMetrorail,MIA Mover,Tri-Rail,Miami International Airport, and theMiami Intermodal Center all within the same station closer to Downtown. The station was expected to be completed by 2012,[306] but experienced several delays and was later expected to be completed in late 2014,[307] again pushed back to early 2015.[308]
Miami International Airport serves as the primary international airport of the Greater Miami Area. One of the busiest international airports in the world because of its centric location, Miami International Airport caters to over 45 million passengers a year. The airport is a major hub and the largest international gateway forAmerican Airlines.[309]
The city government under former mayorManny Diaz took an ambitious stance in support ofbicycling in Miami for both recreation and commuting.[311] In 2010, Miami was ranked as the 44th-most bike-friendly city in the U.S., according toBicycling Magazine.[312]
A 2011 study byWalk Score ranked Miami the eighth-most walkable of the 50 largest cities in the U.S.[313]
^Bahamians were farming along the Miami River before 1830. Richard Fitzpatrick established a plantation there in 1830, but abandoned it when theSecond Seminole War (1835–1843) began. The U.S. Army establishedFort Dallas there in 1836, but left the fort in 1841. William English reopened Fitzpatrick's plantation after the war and sold city lots, but left the area at the end of the 1840s. The Army returned to the fort in 1849–1851, and again for the Third Seminole War (1855–1858).[3][4]
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Official records for Miami were kept at theLemon City from September 1895 to November 1900, the MiamiCOOP from December 1900 to May 1911, the Weather Bureau Office from June 1911 to February 1937, at various locations in and around the city from March 1937 to July 1942, and at Miami Int'l since August 1942. For more information, seeThreadEx.
^Language spoken at home among residents at least five years old; only languages (or language groups) which at least 2% of residents have spoken at any time since 1980 are mentioned
^"Inventory of World Cities". Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) Study Group and Network. Archived fromthe original on October 14, 2013. RetrievedDecember 1, 2007.
^""Maine shivers at −29: Snow falls in Florida".The Baltimore Sun. January 20, 1977. p. A1.ProQuest541189651.Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. RetrievedDecember 4, 2022.Temperatures dipped into the 30s in southern Florida, with snow flurries reported even in Miami Beach.
^Lardner Jr., George; Meyers, Robert (January 20, 1977)."Miami Is Hit by First Recorded Snow: the State of Emergency Is Eyed for Virginia Thousands Idled as Cold Closes Factories, Businesses".The Washington Post. p. A1.ProQuest146900778.Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. RetrievedDecember 4, 2022.The meandering jet stream in the upper atmosphere sent flurries of genuine snow onto Miami's palm trees. ... It was the farthest south that snow has been reported in the United States since the record books were started in the 19th century. ... The snow flurries in Miami will be only an asterisk in the record books since they didn't fall on any of the National Weather Service's recording stations in the area, but they were genuine.
^"Census Counts: 1890-2020".Florida Municipal Population Census Counts: 1890 to 2020. Office of Economic and Demographic Research, The Florida Legislature. 2023.Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. RetrievedApril 12, 2023.
^Booth, William (November 11, 1998)."A White Migration North From Miami".The Washington Post. The Myth of the Melting Pot.Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. RetrievedAugust 3, 2021.
^"Miami Herald".account.miamiherald.com.Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. RetrievedAugust 8, 2020.
^姉妹・友好・兄弟都市 [Sister cities] (in Japanese). Kagoshima International Affairs Division. Archived fromthe original on June 2, 2013. RetrievedAugust 8, 2013.
^"Lisboa – Geminações de Cidades e Vilas" [Lisbon – Twinning of Cities and Towns] (in Portuguese). Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses [National Association of Portuguese Municipalities]. Archived fromthe original on February 1, 2015. RetrievedAugust 23, 2013.
Elizabeth M. Aranda, Sallie Hughes, and Elena Sabogal,Making a Life in Multiethnic Miami: Immigration and the Rise of a Global City. Boulder, Colorado: Renner, 2014.
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