Sweetwater, Florida | |
|---|---|
| City of Sweetwater | |
 Dolphin Mall, Sweetwater | |
 Seal | |
| Nickname: Little Managua[1] | |
| Motto: "Family, God, Education" | |
 U.S. Census Bureau map showing city limits prior to the 2010 annexation | |
| Coordinates:25°47′57.52″N80°22′25.04″W / 25.7993111°N 80.3736222°W /25.7993111; -80.3736222 | |
| Country |  United States of America |
| State |  Florida |
| County |  Miami-Dade |
| Incorporated | October 10, 1941 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Commission |
| • Mayor | Jose "Pepe" Diaz |
| • Commission President | Reinaldo Rey |
| • Commissioners | Isidro Ruiz, Saul Diaz, Marcos Villanueva, Ian Vallecillo, Jose Marti, and Idania Llano |
| • City Manager | Mayor Jose "Pepe" Diaz |
| • City Clerk | Carmen Garcia |
| Area | |
• Total | 4.23 sq mi (10.96 km2) |
| • Land | 2.19 sq mi (5.68 km2) |
| • Water | 0.11 sq mi (0.28 km2) |
| Population | |
• Total | 19,363 |
| • Density | 8,833.1/sq mi (3,410.48/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 33172, 33174 (Miami) |
| Area codes | 305,786,645 |
| FIPS code | 12-70345[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2405554[5] |
| Website | cityofsweetwater |
Sweetwater, informally known as "Little Managua", a reference to the longstanding Nicaraguan community within the city, is located inMiami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city is part of theMiami metropolitan area ofSouth Florida. As of the2020 census, the population was 19,363,[3] up from 13,499 in 2010.[6]
Sweetwater is located 12 miles (19 km) west ofdowntown Miami at25°45′58″N80°22′25″W / 25.76611°N 80.37361°W /25.76611; -80.37361 (25.765977, –80.373624).[7] It is bordered to the north and northeast by the city ofDoral, to the southeast byFontainebleau, to the south byWestchester, and to the west byTamiami. TheRonald Reagan Turnpike forms the western edge of the city, and theDolphin East-West Expressway crosses the center.U.S. Route 41 (Southwest 8th Street) follows the city's southern border.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Sweetwater has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11 km2), of which 3.9 square miles (10 km2) are land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2), or 9.58%, are water.[2] The city tripled in size in 2010 upon the annexation of additional areas, including whereDolphin Mall is located. The annexed area is roughly bounded by Northwest Seventh and 25th streets, 107th Avenue and Florida's Turnpike extension.[8] The city on December 1, 2021, received approval from the county commission to annex 2 square miles of unincorporated land, bounded by NW 25th Street to the north, NW 12th Street to the south, Florida's Turnpike extension to the east and NW 137th Avenue to the west. It doubled the size of Sweetwater, and the area includes theheadquarters of theTelemundo television network, as well as many companies likeTopgolf,Amazon,Goya,Home Depot, and City Furniture.
The history of Sweetwater began during theFlorida land boom of the 1920s when the Miami-Pittsburgh Land Company purchased land and laid out the original plat of "Sweetwater Groves". However, the1926 Miami Hurricane and subsequentSouth Florida real estate "bust" put an abrupt end to the development venture.[9]
In 1938, Clyde Andrews acquired most of the "Sweetwater Groves" tract and began to market lots. Among his buyers was a troupe of Russian dwarves seeking a place to retire after a career with thecircus. They built several mini-scaled homes suited to their needs. For years, Sweetwater was known as the "midget" community.[9]
In 1941, Sweetwater held a successful election for incorporation. The new town's first mayor was Joe Sanderlin, the dwarfs’ guardian and manager. By 1959, Sweetwater had attracted 500 residents and contained a town hall, church, grocery store, service station and 183 homes. It also had a two-man police force and a volunteer fire department. In 1970, Sweetwater was still a relatively small community of about 3,000 residents.[9]
During the 1970s, several events dramatically changed the "sleepy little country town" of Sweetwater forever. These events included the establishment ofFlorida International University to the south of the city, the construction of the two major expressways to the north and west, and the discovery of Sweetwater by Dade County'sHispanic community. The growth and development which was precipitated by these occurrences caused Sweetwater to more than double in population and lead all otherDade cities in growth during the 1970s.[9]
In March 1996, Sweetwater made national news as 69 animals were found dead on two properties in the city. Dade County police and the localzoologist blamed a large dog, while some residents blamed the killings on thechupacabra.[10]
In the 2010s, there are only a few vacant lots left to develop. By 2010, the city's population had burgeoned to 13,499 persons, of which 95.5% were of Hispanic origin. The city now has a full-service police department, four parks, an elementary school, a county fire station, 4,353 residential housing units, 14 shopping centers, over 600 businesses, several churches and a bank. Sweetwater is also located nearMiami International Mall. After a December 2010 vote,Dolphin Mall is now part of the city.[11]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 230 | — | |
| 1960 | 645 | 180.4% | |
| 1970 | 3,357 | 420.5% | |
| 1980 | 8,251 | 145.8% | |
| 1990 | 13,909 | 68.6% | |
| 2000 | 14,226 | 2.3% | |
| 2010 | 13,499 | −5.1% | |
| 2020 | 19,363 | 43.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] | |||
| Race(NH = Non-Hispanic) | 2020[13] | 2010[14] | 2000[15] | 1990[16] | 1980[17] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 3.7% (726) | 3.5% (475) | 6.2% (884) | 6.4% (890) | 18.2% (1,504) |
| Black alone (NH) | 0.7% (126) | 0.3% (44) | 0.1% (14) | 0.1% (9) | 0.4% (34) |
| American Indian alone (NH) | 0.1% (14) | 0% (3) | 0.1% (9) | 0% (0) | 0.2% (16) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1% (192) | 0.5% (66) | 0.1% (19) | 0.4% (54) | 0.1% (11) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0% (0) | 0% (0) | 0% (0) | ||
| Other race alone (NH) | 0.3% (61) | 0% (5) | 0% (2) | 0.1% (18) | 0.2% (14) |
| Multiracial (NH) | 0.5% (99) | 0.1% (12) | 0.3% (45) | — | — |
| Hispanic/Latino (any race) | 93.7% (18,145) | 95.5% (12,894) | 93.2% (13,253) | 93% (12,938) | 80.9% (6,672) |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 19,363 people, 6,177 households, and 4,522 families residing in the city. Locals have long referred to Sweetwater as “Little Managua” in reference to long-standing Nicaraguan-American community within the city going back decades. A recognizable portion of the cities population hails from Nicaraguan descent.[18] The most reported ancestries were:[19]
| Sweetwater Demographics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Census | Sweetwater | Miami-Dade County | Florida |
| Total population | 13,499 | 2,496,435 | 18,801,310 |
| Population, percent change, 2000 to 2010 | –5.1% | +10.8% | +17.6% |
| Population density | 17,023.0/sq mi | 1,315.5/sq mi | 350.6/sq mi |
| White or Caucasian (includingWhite Hispanic) | 92.4% | 73.8% | 75.0% |
| (Non-Hispanic White or Caucasian) | 3.5% | 15.4% | 57.9% |
| Black or African-American | 1.8% | 18.9% | 16.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 95.5% | 65.0% | 22.5% |
| Asian | 0.5% | 1.5% | 2.4% |
| Native American orNative Alaskan | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Pacific Islander orNative Hawaiian | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 2.1% | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| Some Other Race | 3.0% | 3.2% | 3.6% |
As of the2010 United States census, there were 13,499 people, 4,434 households, and 3,536 families residing in the city.[20]
As of 2013,Spanish was themother tongue for 95.30% of the population, whileEnglish was spoken by 2.90% of all residents. Speakers of otherIndo-European languages accounted for 0.30%, while the combined total of those who spoke anAsian language orPacific Islander language made up 0.80%. The rest of the people who spoke any other languages in Sweetwater were at 0.70%. In total, 97.10% of the populace spoke something other than English as theirfirst language.[21]
In 2000, 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.8% were non-families. 12.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.33 and the average family size was 3.55.
In 2000, the city population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $29,333, and the median income for a family was $30,823. Males had a median income of $22,378 versus $17,020 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $11,098. About 08.4% of families and 11.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 21.7% of those age 65 or over.
TheMiami Herald is headquartered in Sweetwater.[22]
Sweetwater is within theMiami-Dade County Public Schools.[23] An estimated 13% of Sweetwater residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.[citation needed]
Elementary schools
Public middle schools
K-8
Public high schools
Universities
TheRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami previously operated Our Lady of Divine Providence School inFontainebleau CDP,[31][32] in proximity to Sweetwater. It closed in 2009.[33]
11410 NW 20th St. Suite 222 Sweetwater Fl, 33172
Our Lady of Divine Providence 10207 West Flagler Street Miami, Florida 33174
Municipalities and communities ofMiami-Dade County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| CDPs |
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Places adjacent to Sweetwater, Miami-Dade County, Florida | |
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