Miami Gardens, Florida | |
|---|---|
| City of Miami Gardens | |
 TheSunshine State Arch of Miami Gardens | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location inMiami-Dade and the state ofFlorida. | |
  Miami Gardens, Florida  Miami Gardens, Florida  Miami Gardens, Florida | |
| Coordinates:25°56′28″N80°14′43″W / 25.94111°N 80.24528°W /25.94111; -80.24528 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County |  Miami-Dade |
| Incorporated | May 13, 2003; 21 years ago (2003-05-13) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| • Mayor | Rodney Harris |
| • Vice Mayor | Katrina Wilson |
| • Council Members | Shannon Campbell, Reggie Leon, Shannan Ighodaro, Linda Julien, and Robert L. Stephens III |
| • City Manager | Cameron Benson |
| • City Clerk | Mario Bataille |
| Area | |
• City | 19.00 sq mi (49.21 km2) |
| • Land | 18.23 sq mi (47.21 km2) |
| • Water | 0.77 sq mi (2.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 111,640 |
| • Density | 5,900/sq mi (2,300/km2) |
| • Metro | 5,564,635 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 33014, 33054, 33055, 33056, 33152, 33169 |
| Area code(s) | 305,786,645 |
| FIPS code | 12-45050[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1989951[3] |
| Website | miamigardens-fl.gov |
Miami Gardens is a city in north-centralMiami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb ofMiami and located 16 miles (26 km) north ofdowntown Miami with city boundaries that stretch fromI-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th and Northwest 57th Avenues to its west, and from theBroward County line to its north to 151st Street to its south.[4] The city's name originated fromFlorida State Road 860, a major roadway through the area also known as Miami Gardens Drive. It had a population of 111,640 as of 2020.
Miami Gardens is Florida's most populous city with amajority African American population and also home to the largest percentage of African Americans (66.97 percent) of any city in Florida, according to theU.S. Census Bureau.[5] It is a principal city in theMiami metropolitan area ofSouth Florida, which is thenation's ninth-largest, andworld's 65th-largest metropolitan area with a population of 6.158 million people as of 2020. Miami Gardens is the home ofHard Rock Stadium, a 64,767 capacitymulti-purpose stadium that serves as the home field for both theMiami Dolphins of theNational Football League and theMiami Hurricanes, theUniversity of Miami'sNCAA Division Icollege football team.
In the wake of the construction ofI-95 in the late 1960s, manymiddle- andupper-incomeAfrican American andWest Indian American familiesmigrated fromMiami neighborhoods likeLiberty City to what became Miami Gardens (also calledCarol City,Norland, orNorwood) as race-basedcovenants were outlawed with theFair Housing Act, and mostlylower income blacks moved into the Liberty City andLittle Haiti neighborhoods surroundingLiberty Square andEdison Courts.
Miami Gardens was incorporated on May 13, 2003.[4] The city'sneighborhoods ofAndover,Bunche Park,Carol City,Lake Lucerne,Norland,Opa-locka North, andScott Lake were previouslyunincorporated areas withinMiami-Dade County.
In 2007, MayorShirley Gibson said that the city would no longer allow anylow-income housing developments; many residents blamed the developments for spreading crime andrecreational drugs throughout the city. Around that time, the city'stax revenues dropped to the third-lowest in Miami-Dade County.[6]
In 2012,Oliver Gilbert, only the second mayor the city has had, proposed forming acommunity redevelopment agency (CRA).[7] CRAs are formed to remove "slum andblight", to improve the physical environment of the city and to combat the social and economic problems typical of slum areas. CRAs are funded with property tax increases, which funds are used, in part, to stimulate private investment in the rehabilitation of the community.[7]
During the2026 FIFA World Cup,Hard Rock Stadium will host multiple matches during the tournament.[8][9]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 116,713 | — | |
| 2000 | 124,656 | 6.8% | |
| 2010 | 107,167 | −14.0% | |
| 2020 | 111,640 | 4.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 2010[11] 2020[12] | |||
The city was incorporated in 2003, but various parts of the city appeared ascensus designated places in the2000 census and previous censuses. In addition to the Miami Gardens CDP (pop. 2,706 in 2000), the remainder make up the neighborhoods ofAndover,Bunche Park,Carol City,Lake Lucerne,Norland,Opa-locka North, andScott Lake.The United States Census Bureau enumerated that the population of Miami Gardens was 111,640 per the2020 census.[13]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[11] | Pop 2020[12] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 2,806 | 2,742 | 2.62% | 2.46% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 78,629 | 69,071 | 73.37% | 61.87% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 154 | 94 | 0.14% | 0.08% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 611 | 722 | 0.57% | 0.65% |
| Pacific Islander orNative Hawaiian alone (NH) | 27 | 11 | 0.03% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 190 | 646 | 0.18% | 0.58% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 1,144 | 1,643 | 1.07% | 1.47% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 23,606 | 36,711 | 22.03% | 32.88% |
| Total | 107,167 | 111,640 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 111,640 people, 30,946 households, and 23,158 families residing in the city.[14]
As of 2016, the age distribution was 5.6% under the age of 5, 6.7% from 5 to 9, 6.5% from 10 to 14, 15.5% from 15 to 24, 14.6% from 25 to 34, 12.7% 35 to 44, 13.1% 45 to 54, 12.6% 55 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The population was 46.9% male and 53.1% female. Families made up 72% of households, while 28% were non-families. The average household size was 3.52 members, and the city covered 20 square miles (52 km2).[15]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 107,167 people, 32,000 households, and 23,749 families residing in the city.[16] In 2010, 6.0% of households were vacant.[10]
| # | 2010-2014 Hispanic population of Miami Gardens[17] | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cuban | 43.94% |
| 2 | Central American | 17.78% |
| 3 | Puerto Rican | 11.96% |
| 4 | South American | 8.25% |
| 5 | Mexican | 3.06% |
According to City Rating, Miami Gardenscrime statistics have decreased in the past 13 years. The crimes that have decreased the most areproperty crimes andviolent crimes. The crime rate for Miami Gardens for 2018 is expected to be lower than in 2016.[needs update] Miami Garden's 2016 violent crime rate was 63.64% higher than the national violent crime rate, and the property crime rate was 30.99% higher than the national property crime rate.[18]
In 2016, Miami Gardens' violent crime rate was higher than that in Florida by 50.99%, and the property crime rate was 19.49% higher.[18]
In 2016, there were 432 reported cases of aggravated assault, 22 reported cases of arson, 509 reported cases ofburglary, 24 cases offorcible rape, 2,743 cases oflarceny andtheft, 419 reported cases ofmotor vehicle theft, 22 reported cases ofmurder andmanslaughter, and 265 cases ofrobbery.[18]
The projected[needs update] 2018 crime data is as follows: 286 reported cases ofaggravated assault, 26 reported cases ofarson, 435 reported cases ofburglary, 7 cases reported offorcible rape, 2,139 cases reported oflarceny andtheft, 205 cases reported ofmotor vehicle theft, 18 reported cases ofmurder andmanslaughter, and 102 reported cases ofrobbery.[19]
TheCalder Race Course opened in 1971.
Miami Gardens is home to theMiami Dolphins, who play inHard Rock Stadium on land that was part of theLake LucerneCDP. This stadium also hosts the annualOrange Bowlcollege football game, and is the home field for theUniversity of MiamiHurricanes football team. TheMiami Open tennis tournament is held on the grounds of the stadium. TheFlorida Marlins ofMajor League Baseball shared Hard Rock Stadium with the Dolphins for almost two decades until, in 2012, they relocated toMiami and changed their name to theMiami Marlins.
In2022,2023 and2024, theMiami International Autodrome hosted theMiami Grand Prix forFormula One.[20]
The city of Miami Gardens has several health care clinics and facilities that offer medical care and support to its residents. Although the city has no hospital directly within its limits, Jackson North Medical Center,Concentra Urgent Care, and, Chen Medical Center provide medical services to the residents of Miami Gardens. Supplementing this, several health care clinics and facilities provide medical services that includegeneral medicine,walk-in/urgent care,dental services,gynecology,physical therapy,chiropractor services, laboratory tests,x-rays,sonograms,osteoporosis screening,vaccinations, and health and exercise programs.[21]
Miami Gardens is governed by a seven-membercity council. Members include Mayor Oliver Gilbert (since 2012), and six council members, four elected from districts and two elected citywide. The mayor recommends – and the city council hires – the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk.
These are 17 of the many departments for which the City Manager of Miami Gardens creates a budget.
| # | Department | City Manager's Budget 2017–2018[22] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legislative Department | $969,411 |
| 2 | Office ofCity Manager | $1,434,310 |
| 3 | Office ofCity Manager Public Affairs Office | $3,922,843 |
| 4 | Office ofCity Clerk | $450,730 |
| 5 | Finance Department | $1,109,545 |
| 6 | Human Resources Department | $1,076,395 |
| 7 | Office of theCity Attorney | $589,165 |
| 8 | Planning and Zoning Office | $782,854 |
| 9 | Public Safety Department Police Administration Division | $30,891,829 |
| 10 | Public Safety Police School Crossing Guard Program Division | $483,407 |
| 11 | Public Safety Department Police Investigations Division | $67,000 |
| 12 | Public Safety Police Operations Division | $43,800 |
| 13 | Public Safety Police Support Services Division | $265,003 |
| 14 | Public Safety Cops Grant | $1,146,231 |
| 15 | Public Safety Cops III | $1,190,853 |
| 15 | Public Safety Cops IV | $1,050,309 |
| 16 | Code Compliance Division | $1,441,100 |
| 17 | Parks & Recreation Department Recreation Division | $2,268,224 |
| Image | Mayor | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Shirley Gibson | 2003–2012 | |
 | Oliver G. Gilbert III | 2012–2020 | |
 | Rodney Harris | 2020–Present |
TheMiami Gardens Police Department is the lead law enforcement agency for the 110,000 residents living within the city's 20 square miles (52 km2). The department operates under a unified command structure with its headquarters located at 1020 NW 163 Drive, Miami Gardens, Florida 33169. The department became operational on Sunday, December 16, 2007, with 159 sworn officers. Since then, the department has grown to 259 members consisting of 201 sworn positions with 58 non-sworn support positions.[23]
In 2013, law enforcement abuses were alleged regarding the Miami Gardens Police Department by several news outlets.[24][25][26] The abuses were first uncovered when it became public that a convenience store employee,Earl Sampson was arrested 27 times for trespassing, while working at and around the store at which he was employed. Video evidence was gathered by the owner of the store, Ali Saleh, showing Miami Garden police involved in clear and repeated misconduct involving his employee, and customers. According to theMiami Herald'sJulie K. Brown: "The videos show, among other things, cops stopping citizens, questioning them, aggressively searching them and arresting them for trespassing when they have permission to be on the premises". It appeared Sampson had been arrested in this way due to police quotas, a department culture, and that Sampson was easy to arrest. Sampson always pleaded guilty so they would let him out almost immediately, with one exception where he pleaded not guilty, and he was jailed for 20 days. The guilty plea would validate the officers' improper arrest and increment their quota, so he became a continuous target.
It was reported that, between 2008 and 2013, 99,980 stops occurred in Miami Gardens, involving 56,922 people, over half of the city's population. In the City of Miami, 3,753 stops occurred during the same period, with four times the population. Some stops involved children aged 5 to 7, totaling more than 1,000 children. These numbers were compiled after news regarding Earl Sampson.[27]
Following these reports, the police chief resigned.[28] Civil rights lawsuits have been filed against the Miami Gardens Police Department by the store owner and others who were illegally detained and/or arrested.[29][30]A police officer filed a lawsuit claiming that he had been fired for reporting abuses.[31]
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In 2003, Miami Gardens basedMerchandize Liquidators was founded.[32]
Miami-Dade County Public Schools operates area public schools.
| # | Miami Gardens' elementary schools | 2012 school grade[33] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brentwood Elementary School | C |
| 2 | Bunche Park Elementary School | A |
| 3 | Norwood Elementary School | B |
| 4 | North County Elementary School | C |
| 5 | Skyway Elementary School | C |
| 6 | Parkway Elementary School | C |
| # | Miami Gardens' middle schools | 2012 school grade[33] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dade Middle School | A |
| 2 | Lake Stevens Middle School | C |
| 3 | Parkway Middle School | D |
| 4 | Carol City Middle School | D |
Norland Middle School, in the Miami Gardens area, has amagnet program in dance, music, theatre and art, which began in 1985. The young actors Alex R. Hibbert and Jaden Piner, who starred in the Oscar-winning filmMoonlight, were trained at this school.[34]
| # | Miami Gardens'K–8 schools | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North County K–8 Center |
| # | Miami Gardens' high schools | 2012 school grade and graduation rates[33] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami Carol City Senior High School | F, with a 62% graduation rate |
| 2 | Miami Norland Senior High School | B, with 89% graduation rate |
TheArchdiocese of Miami operates area Catholic schools.Monsignor Edward Pace High School is in the Miami Gardens city limits. The archdiocese formerly operated Saint Monica School in Miami Gardens.[35]
Miami-Dade Public Library System operates the North Dade Regional Library, which opened in September 1979.[36]
Broward County (West Park)
Ives Estates,Ojus,North Miami Beach, UnincorporatedMiami-Dade County
UnincorporatedMiami-Dade County
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Saint Monica 3490 NW 191st Street Opa Locka, Florida 33056
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
