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Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most populous county in the United States. It is also Florida's third largest county in terms of land area, with . The county seat is Miami, the core of the nation's ninth largest and world's 34th largest metropolitan area with a 2020 population of 6.138 million people. Miami-Dade County is heavily Hispanic, and was the most populous majority-Hispanic county in the nation as of 2020. It is home to 34
incorporated cities A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally owned ...
and many unincorporated areas. The northern, central and eastern portions of the county are heavily
urbanized ''Urbanized'' is a documentary film directed by Gary Hustwit and released on 26 October 2011. It is considered the third of a three-part series on design known as the Design Trilogy; the first being ''Helvetica'', about the typeface, and the seco ...
with many high-rise buildings along the coastline, including Miami's
Central Business District A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
in Downtown Miami. Southern Miami-Dade County includes the Redland and Homestead areas, which make up the agricultural economy of the county. Agricultural Redland makes up roughly one third of Miami-Dade County's inhabited land area, and is sparsely populated, a stark contrast to the densely populated, urban portions of the county northern sections. The county also includes portions of two national parks. To the west, the county extends into the Everglades National Park and is populated only by a Miccosukee tribal village. Biscayne National Park and the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves are located east of the mainland in Biscayne Bay.


History


Native people

The earliest evidence of Native American settlement in the Miami region came from about 12,000 years ago. The first inhabitants settled on the banks of the Miami River, with the main villages on the northern banks. The inhabitants at the time of first European contact were the Tequesta people, who controlled much of southeastern Florida, including what is now Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and the southern part of Palm Beach County. The Tequesta Indians fished, hunted, and gathered the fruit and roots of plants for food, but did not practice agriculture. They buried the small bones of the deceased with the rest of the body, and put the larger bones in a box for the village people to see. The Tequesta are credited with making the Miami Circle.


European explorers and settlers

Juan Ponce de León Juan Ponce de León (, , , ; 1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and '' conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and for serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was born in Santervá ...
was the first European to visit the area in 1513 by sailing into Biscayne Bay. His journal records he reached ''Chequescha'', a variant of ''Tequesta'', which was Miami's first recorded name. It is unknown whether he came ashore or made contact with the natives.
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés Pedro Menéndez de Avilés (; ast, Pedro (Menéndez) d'Avilés; 15 February 1519 – 17 September 1574) was a Spanish admiral, explorer and conquistador from Avilés, in Asturias, Spain. He is notable for planning the first regular trans-oceani ...
and his men made the first recorded landing when they visited the Tequesta settlement in 1566 while looking for Avilés' missing son, shipwrecked a year earlier. Spanish soldiers led by Father Francisco Villarreal built a Jesuit mission at the mouth of the Miami River a year later but it was short-lived. After the Spaniards left, the Tequesta Indians were left to fend themselves from European-introduced diseases like smallpox. By 1711, the Tequesta sent a couple of local chiefs to Havana, Cuba, to ask if they could migrate there. The Cubans sent two ships to help them, but Spanish illnesses struck and most of the Tequesta died. The first permanent European settlers arrived in the early 19th century. People came from the Bahamas to South Florida and the
Keys Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
to hunt for treasure from the ships that ran aground on the treacherous Great Florida Reef. Some accepted Spanish land offers along the Miami River. At about the same time, the Seminole Indians arrived, along with a group of runaway slaves. The area was affected by the
Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...
, during which Major
William S. Harney William Selby Harney (August 22, 1800 – May 9, 1889) was a Tennessee-born cavalry officer in the US Army, who became known during the Indian Wars and the Mexican–American War for his brutality and ruthlessness. One of four general officers ...
led several raids against the Indians. Most non-Indian residents were soldiers stationed at Fort Dallas. It was the most devastating Indian war in American history, causing almost a total loss of population in Miami. After the Second Seminole War ended in 1842, William English re-established a plantation started by his uncle on the Miami River. He charted the "Village of Miami" on the south bank of the Miami River and sold several plots of land. In 1844, Miami became the county seat, and six years later a census reported there were ninety-six residents in the area. The Third Seminole War was not as destructive as the second, but it slowed the settlement of southeast Florida. At the end of the war, a few of the soldiers stayed.


Establishment

Dade County was created on January 18, 1836, under the Territorial Act of the United States. The county was named after Major
Francis L. Dade Francis Langhorne Dade (1793? – December 28, 1835) was a Brevet Major (United States), Major in the U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment, United States Army, during the Second Seminole War. Dade was killed in a battle with Seminole Indians that came t ...
, a soldier killed in 1835 in the
Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...
, at what has since been named the
Dade Battlefield Dade Battlefield Historic State Park is a state park located on County Road 603 between Interstate 75 (Exit 314) and U.S. Route 301 in Sumter County, Florida. The park includes of pine flatwoods and a live oak hammock. Also called the Dade Ma ...
. At the time of its creation, Dade County included the land that now contains Palm Beach and Broward counties, together with the
Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...
from Bahia Honda Key north and the land of present-day Miami-Dade County. The county seat was originally at
Indian Key Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...
in the Florida Keys; then in 1844, the County seat was moved to Miami. The Florida Keys from Key Largo to Bahia Honda were returned to
Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: * Monroe County, Alabama *Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida * Monroe County, Georgia *Monroe County, Illinois *Monroe County, Indian ...
in 1866. In 1888 the county seat was moved to Juno, near present-day
Juno Beach, Florida Juno Beach is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. Its population was 3,176 at the 2010 census. As of 2018, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was estimated at 3,648. Juno Beach is home to the headquarters of Florid ...
, returning to Miami in 1899. In 1909, Palm Beach County was formed from the northern portion of what was Dade County, and then in 1915, Palm Beach County and Dade County contributed nearly equal portions of land to create what is now Broward County. There have been no significant boundary changes to the county since 1915.


Hurricanes

The third-costliest
natural disaster A natural disaster is "the negative impact following an actual occurrence of natural hazard in the event that it significantly harms a community". A natural disaster can cause loss of life or damage property, and typically leaves some econ ...
to occur in the United States was
Hurricane Andrew Hurricane Andrew was a very powerful and destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that struck the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana in August 1992. It is the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida in terms of structures damaged ...
, which hit Miami in the early morning of Monday, August 24, 1992. It struck the southern part of the county from due east, south of Miami and very near Homestead, Kendall, and
Cutler Ridge Cutler Bay is an incorporated town in Miami-Dade County, Florida established in 2005, with a population of approximately 45,425 as of 2020. With 45,425 people, Cutler Bay is in 9th place of the top 10 most populous municipalities of the 34 m ...
(now the Town of
Cutler Bay Cutler Bay is an incorporated town in Miami-Dade County, Florida established in 2005, with a population of approximately 45,425 as of 2020. With 45,425 people, Cutler Bay is in 9th place of the top 10 most populous municipalities of the 34 ...
). Damages numbered over US$25 billion in the county alone, and recovery has taken years in these areas where the destruction was greatest. This was the costliest natural disaster in US history until
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
struck the Gulf region in 2005.


Name change

On November 13, 1997, voters changed the name of the county from Dade to Miami-Dade to acknowledge the international name recognition of Miami. Voters were acting pursuant to home rule powers granted to Dade County, including the ability to change the name of the county without the consent of the
Florida Legislature The Florida Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. State of Florida. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the House of Representatives. Article III, Section 1 of the Florida Cons ...
. The change in name also addressed a source of public dissatisfaction with the name "Dade" which was chosen to honor
Francis L. Dade Francis Langhorne Dade (1793? – December 28, 1835) was a Brevet Major (United States), Major in the U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment, United States Army, during the Second Seminole War. Dade was killed in a battle with Seminole Indians that came t ...
, who had been killed in the
Dade battle The Dade battle (often called the Dade massacre) was an 1835 military defeat for the United States Army. The U.S. was attempting to force the Seminoles to move away from their land in Florida and relocate to Indian Territory (in what would becom ...
in the 1830s. The massacre did not occur in
South Florida South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
, but in the west central part of the state, in present-day Sumter County, near Bushnell. There is also a Dade City, which is closer to the site of the massacre. Miami-Dade is the only hyphenated county name in the United States (although Alaska's Matanuska-Susitna Borough is similarly adorned).


Geography

According to the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has an area of , of which is land and (21.9%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Florida by land area and second-largest by total area. Most of the water is in the Biscayne Bay, with another significant portion in the adjacent Atlantic Ocean. Miami-Dade County is only about
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...
. It is rather new geologically and is at the eastern edge of the Florida Platform, a carbonate plateau created millions of years ago. Eastern Dade is composed of
Oolite Oolite or oölite (''egg stone'') is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains composed of concentric layers. The name derives from the Ancient Greek word for egg (ᾠόν). Strictly, oolites consist of ooids of diameter 0.25–2 ...
limestone while western Dade is composed mostly of Bryozoa. Miami-Dade is among the last areas of Florida to be created and populated with fauna and flora, mostly in the Pleistocene. The bay is divided from the Atlantic Ocean by many barrier islands along the coast. The city of
Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which sep ...
, home to the
South Beach South Beach, also nicknamed colloquially as SoBe, is a neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida. It is located east of Miami between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses Miami Beach south of Dade Boulevard. This area was the fi ...
neighborhood and its Art Deco district, is built on these barrier islands. The archipelago of the
Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...
, which extends in an arc to the south-southwest, is only accessible through Miami-Dade County, although most of the Keys are part of neighboring
Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: * Monroe County, Alabama *Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida * Monroe County, Georgia *Monroe County, Illinois *Monroe County, Indian ...
. Miami is sixty-five miles from West Palm Beach, and thirty miles from Fort Lauderdale.


Communities

Miami-Dade County includes 34 incorporated areas, 38 census-designated places, and 16 unincorporated regions.


Adjacent counties

* Broward County – north *
Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: * Monroe County, Alabama *Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida * Monroe County, Georgia *Monroe County, Illinois *Monroe County, Indian ...
– southwest * Collier County – northwest


National protected areas

* Big Cypress National Preserve * Biscayne National Park * Everglades National Park


Demographics


2020 U.S. Census

As of the
2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 2,701,767 people, 912,805 households, and 633,834 families residing in the county.


2010 U.S. Census

U.S. Census Bureau 2010 ethnic/race demographics: * Hispanic or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race: 65.0% * White (non-Hispanic): 15.4% (White total 73.8% when including White Hispanics) * Black (non-Hispanic): 17.1% (Black total 18.9% when including
Black Hispanic Black Hispanic and Latino Americans, also called Afro-Hispanics ( es, Afrohispano, links=no), Afro-Latinos or Black Hispanics, or Black Latinos are classified by the United States Census Bureau, Office of Management and Budget, and other U.S. ...
s)
*
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
: 1.5% *
Two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many culture ...
: 2.4% *
American Indian and Alaska Native Native Americans, also known as American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Americans, and #Terminology differences, other terms, are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of the mainland United States (Indigenous peopl ...
: 0.2% *
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Asian/Pacific American (APA) or Asian/Pacific Islander (API) or Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) or Asian American and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) is a term sometimes used in the United States when including both Asian an ...
: <0.1% * Other Races: 3.2% (0.6% Arab) In 2010, the largest ancestry groups were: * 34.3%
Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban citizen, a perso ...
* 4.6% Colombian * 4.5% Haitian * 4.2%
Nicaraguan Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
* 3.7% Puerto Rican * 3.4%
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
* 2.3% Dominican * 2.3%
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
* 2.2% Italian * 2.2% Honduran * 2.1%
Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
* 1.9%
Venezuelan Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
* 1.8% Irish * 1.6% Peruvian * 1.5% English * 1.4% Jamaican * 1.1%
Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
* 1.0% Russian In 2010, Cubans made up the largest population of immigrants (with more than half of the population) with Colombians coming in second,
Haitians Haitians ( French: , ht, Ayisyen) are the citizens of Haiti and the descendants in the diaspora through direct parentage. An ethnonational group, Haitians generally comprise the modern descendants of self-liberated Africans in the Caribbean te ...
in third, followed by Nicaraguans in fourth place, then Dominicans, Venezuelans, Peruvians, Jamaicans,
Mexicans Mexicans ( es, mexicanos) are the citizens of the United Mexican States. The most spoken language by Mexicans is Spanish language, Spanish, but some may also speak languages from 68 different Languages of Mexico, Indigenous linguistic groups ...
, and Argentinians among the highest group of immigrants. Miami-Dade has small communities of
Brazilians Brazilians ( pt, Brasileiros, ) are the citizens of Brazil. A Brazilian can also be a person born abroad to a Brazilian parent or legal guardian as well as a person who acquired Brazilian citizenship. Brazil is a multiethnic society, which me ...
, Portuguese,
Spaniards Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance peoples, Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of National and regional identity in Spain, national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex Hist ...
, Ukrainians and
Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
along with Canadians (including
Francophone French became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the l ...
from the province of Quebec),
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, Germans, other
Europeans Europeans are the focus of European ethnology, the field of anthropology related to the various ethnic groups that reside in the states of Europe. Groups may be defined by common genetic ancestry, common language, or both. Pan and Pfeil (2004) ...
, British expatriates and Israelis. There were 867,352 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% (2.5% male and 5.9% female) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.33. The age distribution is 21.9% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males. The median income for a household in the county was $43,605, and the median income for a family was $50,065. Males had a median income of $35,096 versus $29,980 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,957. About 13.8% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 22.1% of those aged 65 or over. In 2010, 51.1% of the county's population was
foreign born Foreign-born (also non-native) people are those born outside of their country of residence. Foreign born are often non-citizens, but many are naturalized citizens of the country in which they live, and others are citizens by descent, typically ...
, with 48.7% being naturalized American citizens. Of foreign-born residents, 93.0% were born in Latin America, 3.2% were born in Europe, 2.7% born in Asia, 0.5% born in Africa, 0.5% in North America, and 0.1% were born in Oceania.


2000 U.S. Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,253,362 people, 776,774 households, and 548,402 families in the county, with an average population density of . There were 852,278 housing units, with an average density of . The county's racial makeup was 69.7% White (49% White Hispanic, 20.7% Non-Hispanic White), 20.3% African American and Black (with a large part of Caribbean descent), 0.2% Native American, 1.4%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.60% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. 57.3% of the population were Hispanic or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race. In relation to
ancestry An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder or a forebear, is a parent or (recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from whom ...
(excluding the various Hispanic and
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
ancestries), 5% were Haitian, 5% American, 2% Italian, 2% Jamaican, 2%
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
, 2% Irish, and 2% English ancestry. There were 776,774 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.35. The age distribution is 24.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males. The county's median household income was $35,966, and the median family income was $40,260. Males had a median income of $30,120 versus $24,686 for females. The county's per capita income was $18,497. About 14.5% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.9% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.


Languages

As of 2010, 28.1% of the population spoke only English at home, while 63.8% of the population spoke Spanish, 4.2% spoke French Creole (mainly
Haitian Creole Haitian Creole (; ht, kreyòl ayisyen, links=no, ; french: créole haïtien, links=no, ), commonly referred to as simply ''Creole'', or ''Kreyòl'' in the Creole language, is a French-based creole language spoken by 10–12million people wor ...
), 0.6%
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, and 0.6% Portuguese. About 52% of the county residents were born outside the United States, while 71.9% of the population spoke a language other than English at home.


Religious statistics

In 2010 statistics, the largest religious group in Miami-Dade County was the
Archdiocese of Miami The Archdiocese of Miami ( la, Archidioecesis Miamiensis, es, Arquidiócesis de Miami, ht, Achidyosèz Miami) is a particular church of the Catholic Church in the United States of America. Its ecclesiastical territory consists of Broward County, ...
with 544,449 Catholics in 65 parishes, followed by 96,749
non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...
adherents with 197 congregations, 80,123 SBC Baptists with 313 congregations, 47,921 NBC Baptists with 44 congregations, 27,901 Seventh-day Adventists in 62 congregations, 25,244 AoG Pentecostals with 45 congregations, 14,628 LDS Mormons with 18 congregations, 12,569 TEC Episcopalians with 30 congregations, and 11,880 UMC Methodists with 32 congregations. There is an estimated 23,064 Muslims with 15 congregations, 3,069 Hindus with 20 congregations, and 1,342 Buddhist with 22 congregations. In 2005 the Jewish population of the county has decreased but stabilized at about 121,000 with a high percentage of retired and elderly persons (but less than in Broward and Palm Beach counties). There are more than 60 congregations, 3
Jewish
educational institutions, and three Jewish community centers. The highest percentage and increase in Jewish population is in North Dade, especially in Aventura. Miami-Dade County hosts Florida's third largest Jewish population and the nation's tenth largest. Altogether, 39.8% of the population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information. In 2014, Miami-Dade County had 731 religious organizations, the 14th most out of all US counties.


Law, government, and politics

Miami-Dade County has operated under a metropolitan system of government, a "two-tier federation", since 1957. This was made possible when Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1956 that allowed the people of Dade County (as it was known) to enact a home rule
charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
. Prior to this year, home rule did not exist in Florida, and all counties were limited to the same set of powers by the
Florida Constitution The Constitution of the State of Florida is the document that establishes and describes the powers, duties, structure, and function of the government of the U.S. state of Florida, and establishes the basic law of the state. The current Constitu ...
and
state law State law refers to the law of a federated state, as distinguished from the law of the federation of which it is a part. It is used when the constituent components of a federation are themselves called states. Federations made up of provinces, cant ...
. Unlike a
consolidated city-county In United States local government, a consolidated city-county is formed when one or more cities and their surrounding county ( parish in Louisiana, borough in Alaska) merge into one unified jurisdiction. As such it has the governmental powers o ...
, where the city and county governments merge into a single entity, these two entities are separate. Instead there are two "tiers", or levels, of government: city and county. There are 34 municipalities in the county, the City of Miami being the largest. Cities are the "lower tier" of local government, providing police and fire protection, zoning and code enforcement, and other typical city services within their jurisdiction. These services are paid for by city taxes. The County is the "upper tier", and it provides services of a metropolitan nature, such as emergency management, airport and seaport operations, public housing and health care services, transportation, environmental services, solid waste disposal etc. These are funded by county taxes, which are assessed on all incorporated and unincorporated areas. Of the county's 2.6 million total residents (as of 2013), approximately 52% live in unincorporated areas, the majority of which are heavily suburbanized. These residents are part of the Unincorporated Municipal Services Area (UMSA). For these residents, the County fills the role of both lower- and upper-tier government, the County Commission acting as their lower-tier municipal representative body. Residents within UMSA pay a UMSA tax, equivalent to a city tax, which is used to provide County residents with equivalent city services (police, fire, zoning, water and sewer, etc.). Residents of incorporated areas do not pay UMSA tax.


Structure of county government

The Mayor of Miami-Dade County is elected countywide to serve a four-year term and is considered a "strong mayor". The mayor is not a member of the County Commission, appoints all 25 directors who oversee the operations of the County Departments and has veto power over the Commission. A mayoral appointment and veto can only be overridden by a two-thirds majority of the County Commission. The post is occupied by Daniella Levine Cava, the county’s first female mayor. The Board of County Commissioners is the legislative body, consisting of 13 members elected from single-member districts. Members are elected to serve four-year terms, and elections of members are staggered. The Board chooses a Chairperson, who presides over the Commission, as well as appoints the members of its legislative committees. The Board has a wide array of powers to enact legislation, create departments, and regulate businesses operating within the County. It also has the power to override the Mayor's veto with a two-thirds vote. Florida's Constitution provides for five elected officials to oversee executive and administrative functions for each county (called "Constitutional Officers"):
Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Elections, Tax Collector, and Clerk of the Circuit Court (also functions as Comptroller). However, the Constitution allows voters in home-rule counties (including Miami-Dade) to abolish the offices and reorganize them as subordinate County departments; Miami-Dade voters chose this option for Sheriff, Supervisor of Elections, and Tax Collector. The offices of Clerk of the Circuit Court,
State Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a loc ...
, and
Public Defender A public defender is a lawyer appointed to represent people who otherwise cannot reasonably afford to hire a lawyer to defend themselves in a trial. Several countries provide people with public defenders, including the UK, Hungary and Singapore, ...
are still branches of State government and are, therefore, independently elected and not part of County government. Miami-Dade is the only county in Florida that does not have an elected sheriff or a "Sheriff's Office". Instead, the county's law enforcement agency is known as the Miami-Dade Police Department, and its leader is known as the Metropolitan Sheriff and Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department; Nonetheless, Miami-Dade Police badges bear the inscription, "Deputy Sheriff, Sheriff's Office, Dade County, Fla."


Politics


Overview

Miami-Dade County has voted for the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
candidate in most of the presidential elections in the past four decades, and has gone Democratic in every election since 1992. However, it did vote twice for
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
(1980, 1984) and once for
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
(1988). From 1904 to 1972 it supported the Democratic candidate in all but four elections. The Democrats had expanded their winning margin in each of the three elections from 2008 to 2016; in
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
and
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, Democrat Barack Obama averaged 59.69% of the vote. In
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, Democrat Hillary Clinton won 63.22% of the vote. However, in
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
, Democrat Joe Biden only won 53.31% of the vote, winning the county by just over seven percent over Republican Donald Trump. This was attributed to a large swing of Cuban Americans, Venezuelan Americans, and other Hispanic Americans to the Republican Party, resulting in the best Republican performance since
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
. In the 2022 gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections, Republicans Ron DeSantis and
Marco Rubio Marco Antonio Rubio (born May 28, 1971) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the senior United States senator from Florida, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Speaker of the Florida Hous ...
respectively won the county. DeSantis became the first Republican Governor to win Miami-Dade since Jeb Bush in
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
. Rubio won the county for the second time, following his victory in
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
. Miami-Dade County is represented in the United States House of Representatives by
Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Maria Elvira Salazar, Carlos Gimenez and Mario Diaz-Balart of the 27th, 26th and 25th districts, and Democrats Frederica Wilson and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of the 24th and 23rd districts.


Voter registration


Economy

Brightstar Corporation,
Burger King Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
, Intradeco Holdings,
Latin Flavors Latin Flavors is a Hispanic manufacturer of frozen foods sold throughout the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. The primary product lines are pastries and breads formulated ...
,
Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), also known in short as Norwegian, is an American cruise line founded in 1966, incorporated in Bermuda and headquartered in Miami. It is the fourth-largest cruise line in the world by passengers, controlling about 8.6 ...
, and Ryder have their headquarters in unincorporated areas in the county.
Centurion Air Cargo Centurion Air Cargo, operating as Centurion Cargo, was an American cargo airline based in Miami, Florida, United States. History The airline was established as Challenge Air Cargo in 1985 as a subsidiary of Challenge Air Transport. In 1986, the ...
, Florida West International Airways,
IBC Airways IBC Airways is an FAR Part 135 on-demand airline headquartered in unincorporated Broward County, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale. IBC Airways operates on-demand cargo services to the Caribbean. Its main bases are Miami International Airport (MIA) a ...
, and World Atlantic Airlines have their headquarters on the grounds of Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area in the county.
Hewlett Packard The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. HP developed and provided a wide variety of hardware components ...
's main Latin America offices are on the ninth floor of the Waterford Building in unincorporated Miami-Dade County. Other companies with offices in an unincorporated area not in any CDP: * AstraZeneca's Latin American headquarters *
Gate Group Gategroup is a Swiss company providing services to the travel industry, including catering, onboard retail, food service provisioning, and food logistics. It serves as the parent company for four core brands, and is a supplier to many major air ...
's Latin American headquarters *
Unicomer Group Unicomer Group ( es, Grupo Unicomer), is a multinational retailing and consumer finance group headquartered in San Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador with regional offices in Miami, Trinidad, Jamaica, Costa Rica. It operates several chains of ret ...
's United States offices * Goya Foods's Miami office Several defunct airlines, including Airlift International,
Arrow Air Arrow Air was a passenger and cargo airline based in Building 712 on the grounds of Miami International Airport (MIA) in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida. At different times over the years, it operated over 90 weekly schedul ...
, National Airlines, and Rich International Airways, were headquartered on or near the airport property. After Frank Borman became president of Eastern Airlines in 1975, he moved Eastern's headquarters from Rockefeller Center in
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...
, New York City to an unincorporated area in Miami-Dade County Around 1991 the Miami-Dade County lost a few corporations, including Eastern Airlines, which folded in 1991. At one time the cruise line ResidenSea had its headquarters in an unincorporated area in the county.


Top private employers

According to Miami's Beacon Council, the top private employers in 2014 in Miami-Dade were:Beacon Council
. Beacon Council. Retrieved on May 4, 2013.


Top government employers

According to Miami's Beacon Council, the top government employers in 2014 in the county were:


Agriculture

Most of the state's summer okra (''
Abelmoschus esculentus Okra or Okro (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with su ...
'') is grown here, totalling over the whole year. It is grown as a "scavenger crop", one grown to scavenge the benefits of residual fumigant and fertilizer. The most problematic
pest Pest or The Pest may refer to: Science and medicine * Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns ** Weed, a plant considered undesirable * Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection ** ...
is the Melon Thrips ('' Thrips palmi'') but aphids are also significant. Although the Silverleaf Whitefly (Sweet Potato Whitefly, '' Bemisia tabaci'') reproduces in large numbers on this crop, the plant is not seriously harmed and the feeding damage is quickly repaired. This does still leave okra as a problematic refuge from which SLW will migrate, to nearby tomato, bean, and ornamentals. The University of Florida provides a production handbook which recommends disease management and weed management practices.
Methyl bromide Bromomethane, commonly known as methyl bromide, is an organobromine compound with formula C H3 Br. This colorless, odorless, nonflammable gas is produced both industrially and biologically. It has a tetrahedral shape and it is a recognized ozon ...
(MB) has been phased out and Telone products fumigants are heavily regulated here. M-D much more heavily regulates Telone than the rest of the state does. Therefore the best MB alternatives here are either metam sodium or
metam potassium Metam sodium is an organosulfur compound with the formula . The compound is a sodium salt of a dithiocarbamate. The compound exists as a colorless dihydrate, but most commonly it is encountered as an aqueous solution. It is used as a soil fumiga ...
, both combined with chloropicrin. M-D has some of the lowest Cry 1F resistance in the country or Puerto Rico. Despite its high volume of cargo traffic with PR and earlier speculation, none of PR's extreme Cry1F-r genetics seems to have spread to this area. Southern Florida in general has the lowest in the country + PR. The state's first invasion of the Peach Fruit Fly (''
Bactrocera ''Bactrocera'' is a large genus of tephritid fruit flies, with close to 500 species currently described and accepted. Name The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ''bakter'' "rod" and ''kera'' "horn". Systematics Prior to the 1990s, almo ...
zonata Zonata was a Swedish power metal band originating from Borås. They formed in 1998 and recorded three albums with label Century Media before calling a split up in 2003. Their lyrics draw heavily on mythology and life struggles. They are known by ...
'') began here. An adult male PFF was found on November 10th, 2010 on a guava tree (''
Psidium guajava ''Psidium guajava'', the common guava, yellow guava, lemon guava, or apple guava is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the Caribbean, Central America and South America. It is easily pollinated by insects; when cultivated, it is pollina ...
''). The state responded by trapping an are around the site. The Little Fire Ant ('' Wasmannia auropunctata'') is an invasive agricultural pest here. In fact the first recorded invasion of the state was in 1924 in Coconut Grove (which was then near Miami and has since been incorporated into the city). M-D has the largest greenhousing/ nursery industry in the state, but on the other hand produces very little of its own livestock.


Public services


Fire rescue

The Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for Miami-Dade County, Florida. The department serves 29 municipalities and all unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade County from 60 fire stations. The Department also provides fire protection services for Miami International Airport,
Miami Executive Airport Miami Executive Airport, formerly known until 2014 as Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, is a public airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami. It is operated by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department. The ...
and
Opa-locka Airport Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (formerly Opa-locka Airport and Opa-locka Executive Airport until 2014) is a joint civil-military airport located in Miami-Dade County, Florida north of downtown Miami. Part of the airport is in the city limit ...
. The communities served are Aventura, Bal Harbour,
Bay Harbor Islands Bay Harbor Islands is a town in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,922 at the 2020 census. It is separated from the mainland by Biscayne Bay. History Bay Harbor Islands was founded by Shepard Broad on April 28, 1947. ...
, Biscayne Park,
Cutler Bay Cutler Bay is an incorporated town in Miami-Dade County, Florida established in 2005, with a population of approximately 45,425 as of 2020. With 45,425 people, Cutler Bay is in 9th place of the top 10 most populous municipalities of the 34 ...
, Doral, El Portal, Florida City, Golden Beach, Hialeah Gardens, Homestead,
Indian Creek Indian Creek may refer to the following: Communities * Indian Creek, Orange Walk District, Belize, a village in Belize * Indian Creek, Toledo, a village in Belize * Indian Creek, Florida, U.S. * Indian Creek, Illinois, U.S. * Indian Creek No. 7 Pr ...
,
Medley Medley or Medleys may refer to: Sports *Medley swimming, races requiring multiple swimming styles * Medley relay races at track meets Music *Medley (music), multiple pieces strung together People *Medley (surname), list of people with this nam ...
, Miami Gardens,
Miami Lakes Miami Lakes is a suburb of Miami, an incorporated town and former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. US Census, 31,628 people live in Miami Lakes. History The development was constructed by Sengra (now the ...
, Miami Shores,
Miami Springs Miami Springs is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city was founded by Glenn Hammond Curtiss, "The Father of Naval Aviation", and James Bright, during the famous "land boom" of the 1920s and was originally named Country Club Estate ...
,
North Bay Village North Bay Village is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 8,159. North Bay Village is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of . o ...
,
North Miami North Miami is a suburban city located in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, about north of Miami. The city lies on Biscayne Bay and hosts the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University, and the North Miami campu ...
,
North Miami Beach North Miami Beach (commonly referred to as NMB) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Originally named "Fulford-by-the-Sea" in 1926 after Captain William H. Fulford of the U.S. Coast Guard, the city was renamed "North Miami Be ...
, Opa-locka, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, South Miami, Surfside, Sweetwater,
Sunny Isles Beach Sunny Isles Beach (SIB, officially the City of Sunny Isles Beach) is a city located on a barrier island in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Intracoastal Waterway on ...
, Virginia Gardens, and
West Miami West Miami is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 7,233 at the 2020 census, up from 5,965 in 2010. Geography West Miami is located west of downtown Miami at (25.757691, –80.296583). It is bordered to th ...
. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is also the home to Urban Search and Rescue Florida Task Force 1 as well as EMS operations consisting of 57 Advanced Life Support units staffed by 760 state-certified paramedics and 640 state-certified emergency medical technicians.


Police department

The Miami-Dade Police Department is a full-service metropolitan police department serving Miami-Dade County's unincorporated areas, although it has lenient mutual aid agreements with other municipalities, most often the City of Miami Police Department. With 4,700 employees, it is Florida's largest police department. The Department is often referred to by its former name, the ''Metro-Dade Police'' or simply ''Metro''. The Miami-Dade Police Department operates out of nine districts throughout the county and has two special bureaus. The director of the department is Juan Perez, who succeeded J.D. Patterson, Jr. The Department's headquarters are in Doral, Florida.


Water and sewer department

Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (MDWASD) is one of the largest public utilities in the United States, employing approximately 2,700 employees as of 2007. It provides service to over 2.4 million customers, operating with an annual budget of almost $400 million. Approximately 330 million gallons of water are drawn every day from the Biscayne Aquifer for consumer use. MDWASD has over of water lines, a service area of and 14 pump stations. MDWASD has over of sewage pipes, a service area of and 954 pump stations. Miami-Dade County is also in the jurisdiction of the
South Dade Soil and Water Conservation District {{Infobox government agency , name = South Dade Soil and Water Conservation District , type = Special district , image = , image_size = , image_caption = Aerial map of the SDSWC ...
.


Corrections department

Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Department is the correction agency.


Aviation department

The
Miami-Dade Aviation Department The Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) is an agency of the Miami-Dade County government that manages airports. As of 2021 Ralph Cutié is the interim director of the agency. The Arts and Cultural Affairs division was created, and is managed by, ...
(MDAD) operates Miami International Airport,
Miami Executive Airport Miami Executive Airport, formerly known until 2014 as Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, is a public airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami. It is operated by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department. The ...
,
Opa-locka Executive Airport Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (formerly Opa-locka Airport and Opa-locka Executive Airport until 2014) is a joint civil-military airport located in Miami-Dade County, Florida north of downtown Miami. Part of the airport is in the city limit ...
, Homestead General Aviation Airport, and
Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport is a public airport located within the Florida Everglades, 36 miles (58 km) west of the central business district of Miami, in Collier County, Florida, United States. It is owned by Miami-Dade C ...
.


County representation

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice operates the Miami-Dade Regional Juvenile Detention Center in an unincorporated area in the county.


Public libraries

The Miami-Dade Public Library System traces its origin to the late nineteenth century. The first library was a reading room established in
Lemon City Little Haiti (french: La Petite Haïti, ht, Ti Ayiti), is a Neighborhoods in Miami, neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. It is known historically as Lemon City, Little River and Edison. It is home to Haitian Immigration to the United S ...
on April 7, 1894 by the Lemon City Library and Improvement Association. In 1942 neighborhood libraries were brought together in a single public library system, governed by a Board of Trustees and administered by a Head Librarian. A new central library building had been proposed for Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami as early as 1938, but the proposal was not realized till over a decade later. In December 1965 the City of Miami and Metropolitan Dade County agreed that the City of Miami would provide public library service to unincorporated Dade County and to those municipalities that did not provide their library service with four
bookmobiles A bookmobile or mobile library is a vehicle designed for use as a library. They have been known by many names throughout history, including traveling library, library wagon, book wagon, book truck, library-on-wheels, and book auto service. Bookm ...
provided library service to the unincorporated area. On November 1, 1971, the City of Miami transferred its library system to Metropolitan Dade County which created a new Department of Libraries with a Director reporting directly to the County Manager. On November 7, 1972, Dade County voters approved a referendum, also known as the "Decade of Progress" bonds, authorized approximately $553 million for public improvement projects in Dade County. Of that amount, approximately $34.7 million was authorized for public libraries, including construction, renovation, land acquisition, furnishings, and equipment. Between 1976 and 1990, this bond issue provided the funds to open 14 new libraries. On August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew inflicted significant damage on the library system, destroying all branches south of Kendall Drive. Over the next years, no further expansion of the system was funded and no new libraries opened. It wasn’t until the fall of 2001, when Mayor Alex Penelas and Board of County Commissioners voted to increase the library system’s budget which provided funding for capital improvement initiatives—making way for the opening of 18 new libraries by 2011. As of 2017, 15 of these libraries have been opened, with the remaining 3 still under construction. Today
Miami-Dade Public Library System The Miami-Dade Public Library System (MDPLS) is a system of libraries in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Governance The Miami-Dade Public Library System is a county department within Miami-Dade county government. The Board of County Commissioner ...
serves a population of 2,496,435, provides services for the Miami-Dade County except for the cities of Bal Harbour, Hialeah
Homestead
Miami Shores,
North Miami North Miami is a suburban city located in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, about north of Miami. The city lies on Biscayne Bay and hosts the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University, and the North Miami campu ...
,
North Miami Beach North Miami Beach (commonly referred to as NMB) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Originally named "Fulford-by-the-Sea" in 1926 after Captain William H. Fulford of the U.S. Coast Guard, the city was renamed "North Miami Be ...
and Surfside. It has forty-nine branches, two
bookmobiles A bookmobile or mobile library is a vehicle designed for use as a library. They have been known by many names throughout history, including traveling library, library wagon, book wagon, book truck, library-on-wheels, and book auto service. Bookm ...
and one technobus. The Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners governs the
Miami-Dade Public Library System The Miami-Dade Public Library System (MDPLS) is a system of libraries in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Governance The Miami-Dade Public Library System is a county department within Miami-Dade county government. The Board of County Commissioner ...
.


Education


Colleges and universities

The University of Miami, located in Coral Gables, Florida, Coral Gables, is among the top-tier research universities in the United States, and is the highest ranked private university in Florida. As of 2020, Florida International University, located in Westchester, Florida, Westchester (in the University Park, Florida, University Park area), is the fifth List of United States public university campuses by enrollment, largest university by enrollment in the United States. Miami Dade College, located in Miami, has the second largest undergraduate enrollment of any U.S. college or university with over 100,000 students. A full list of colleges and universities: * University of Miami (private) * Florida International University (public) * Miami Dade College (public) * Barry University (private/Catholic) * Nova Southeastern University (private) * Florida National University (private) * Florida Memorial University (private/historically black) * St. Thomas University (Florida), St. Thomas University (private/Catholic) * Johnson & Wales University (private) * Carlos Albizu University (private) * Miami International University of Art & Design (private) * Yeshiva V'Kollel Beis Moshe Chaim (private/Jewish) * Miami Ad School (private) *Southeastern College (private)


Primary and secondary (K-12) schools

In Florida, each county is also a school district, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools is such for the county. The district is operated by an independently elected board of education, School Board. A professional Superintendent (education), Superintendent of Schools appointed by the School Board manages the district's day-to-day operations. , the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami-Dade County Public School District is the fourth-largest public school district in the nation with almost 360,000 students. The Miami-Dade Public Library is one of the country's largest public library systems. It has 50 branch locations and others under construction. Miami-Dade County is home to many private and public primary and secondary schools. ; MDCPS public * American Senior High School (Miami-Dade County, Florida), American * G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School, Braddock * Miami Carol City Senior High School, Carol City * Miami Central Senior High School, Central * Coral Gables Senior High School, Coral Gables * Miami Coral Park Senior High School, Coral Park * Cutler Bay Senior High School, Cutler Bay * Miami Edison Senior High School, Edison * John A. Ferguson Senior High School, Ferguson * Barbara Goleman Senior High School, Goleman * Hialeah High School, Hialeah * Hialeah Gardens High School, Hialeah Gardens * Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School, Hialeah-Miami Lakes * Homestead Senior High School (Homestead, Florida), Homestead * Miami Jackson Senior High School, Jackson * Miami Killian Senior High School, Killian * Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, Krop * Miami Senior High School, Miami * Miami Beach Senior High School, Miami Beach * Miami Springs Senior High School, Miami Springs * Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High Biscayne Bay Campus, Mourning * Miami Norland Senior High School, Norland * North Miami Senior High School, North Miami * North Miami Beach Senior High School, North Miami Beach * Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Northwestern * Miami Palmetto Senior High School, Palmetto * Ronald W. Reagan/Doral Senior High School, Reagan/Doral * South Dade Senior High School, South Dade * South Miami Senior High School, South Miami * Miami Southridge Senior High School, Southridge * Southwest Miami Senior High School, Southwest Miami * Miami Sunset Senior High School, Sunset * Felix Varela Senior High School, Varela * Westland Hialeah Senior High School, Westland * Booker T. Washington Senior High School (Miami, Florida), Washington * Coral Reef Senior High School, Coral Reef * Design and Architecture High School, DASH * José Martí MAST 6-12 Academy, Martí MAST * MAST Academy * MAST @ FIU Biscayne Bay Campus, MAST @ FIU * Medical Academy for Science and Technology, MAST @ Homestead * Miami Lakes Educational Center, Miami Lakes Ed Ctr * New World School of the Arts, New World * Robert Morgan Educational Center, Robert Morgan * School for Advanced Studies * William H. Turner Technical Arts High School, Turner Tech * TERRA Environmental Research Institute, TERRA ERI * Young Men's Preparatory Academy, Young Men's Prep * Young Women's Preparatory Academy, Young Women's Prep ;Charter * Don Soffer Aventura High School * Sports Leadership and Management Charter School ;Tribal * Miccosukee Indian School (affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education) ;Private * Allison Academy School (North Miami Beach, Florida), Allison Academy School * Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart * The Cushman School * Gulliver Schools * Monsignor Edward Pace High School (Catholic) * Ransom Everglades School * Riviera Schools * Palmer Trinity School


Sites of interest


Museums

* Bass Museum of Art,
Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which sep ...
* Coral Castle, Homestead Miami * Coral Gables Police and Fire Station, Coral Gables, Florida, Coral Gables * Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables * Frost Art Museum, (Florida International University, Miami) * Gold Coast Railroad Museum, Miami * HistoryMiami, Downtown Miami * Holocaust Memorial, Miami Beach * Jewish Museum of Florida, Miami Beach * Lowe Art Museum, (University of Miami, Coral Gables) * Miami Children's Museum, Miami * Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami * Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami * Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, Miami * Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami * Wings Over Miami Museum, Miami * Wolfsonian-FIU, Wolfsonian, (Florida International University, Miami Beach)


Culture and wildlife

* Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Downtown Miami * St. Bernard de Clairvaux Church, Ancient Spanish Monastery, North Miami Beach * Bayfront Park Amphitheatre, Downtown Miami * Bayside Marketplace, Downtown Miami * Colony Theatre, Miami Beach * Florida Grand Opera, Miami * Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, Downtown Miami * Jungle Island, Miami * Miami New Drama, Miami Beach * Miami Seaquarium, Miami * Monkey Jungle, Miami * Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami * Wertheim Performing Arts Center, (Florida International University, Miami) * Zoo Miami, Miami


Other areas and attractions


Parks


Sports venues

Miami-Dade County holds the majority of sports arenas, stadiums and complexes in
South Florida South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
. Some of these sports facilities are: * Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Dolphins (football) and plays host to the Miami Hurricanes football team during their regular season. * LoanDepot Park – Miami Marlins (baseball) * FTX Arena (formerly American Airlines Arena) – Miami Heat (basketball) * Tennis Center at Crandon Park – Sony Ericcson Open * Riccardo Silva Stadium – FIU Panthers football, FIU Panthers (football) * Ocean Bank Convocation Center – FIU Panthers men's basketball, FIU Panthers (basketball) * Infinity Insurance Park – FIU Panthers (baseball) * Watsco Center – Miami Hurricanes (basketball) * Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field – Miami Hurricanes (baseball) * Cobb Stadium - Miami Hurricanes (soccer, track and field) * Tropical Park Stadium * Homestead-Miami Speedway * Calder Race Course * Hialeah Park Race Track Former venues include: * Bobby Maduro Miami Stadium * Miami Arena * Miami Orange Bowl * Miami Marine Stadium Planned: * Miami MLS stadium


Transportation


Airports

Miami International Airport, in an unincorporated area in the county, is the Miami area's primary international airport. One of the busiest international airports in the world, it serves over 35 million passengers a year. Identifiable locally, as well as several worldwide authorities, as MIA or KMIA, the airport is a major hub and the single largest international gateway for American Airlines, the world's largest passenger air carrier. Miami International is the United States’ third largest international port of entry for foreign air passengers (behind New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport), and is the seventh largest such gateway in the world. The airport's extensive international route network includes non-stop flights to over seventy international cities in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. * Homestead General Aviation Airport *
Miami Executive Airport Miami Executive Airport, formerly known until 2014 as Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, is a public airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami. It is operated by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department. The ...
* Opa-Locka Executive * Homestead Air Reserve Base, east of Homestead in an unincorporated area, serves military traffic. * Miami Seaplane Base * Dade-Collier


Public transit

Public transit in Miami-Dade County is operated by Miami-Dade Transit, and is the largest public transit in Florida. Miami-Dade Transit operates a heavy rail rapid transit, metro system Metrorail (Miami), Metrorail, an elevated people mover in Downtown Miami, Metromover and the bus system, Miami-Dade Transit#Metrobus, Metrobus. Brightline and Tri-Rail which are Inter-city rail also services the county.


Major expressways

Miami-Dade County has 10 major expressways and one minor expressway in Downtown Miami: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


County roads

This is a list of Miami-Dade county roads. Miami-Dade County has fewer county roads than any other county in Florida, despite its large population. None are signed. Sources:
FDOT Map of Miami-Dade County, Florida

FDOT GIS data
accessed January 2014


Street grid

A grid plan, street grid stretches from downtown Miami throughout the county. This grid was adopted by the City of Miami following World War I after the United States Post Office threatened to cease mail deliveries in the city because the original system of named streets, with names often changing every few blocks and multiple streets in the city sharing the same name, was too confusing for the mail carriers. The new grid was later extended throughout the county as the population grew west, south, and north of city limits. The grid is laid out with Miami Avenue as the meridian (PLSS), meridian going north–south and Flagler Street the Baseline (surveying), baseline going east-west. The grid is primarily numerical so that, for example, all street addresses north of Flagler and west of Miami Avenue have NW in their address (e.g. NW 27th Avenue). Because its point of origin is in downtown Miami 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, although, with a few notable exceptions, the number is in more common usage among locals. Although this grid is easy to understand once one is oriented to it, it is not universal in the entire county. Hialeah uses its own grid system which is entirely different in its orientation. Coral Gables, Florida, Coral Gables and
Miami Lakes Miami Lakes is a suburb of Miami, an incorporated town and former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. US Census, 31,628 people live in Miami Lakes. History The development was constructed by Sengra (now the ...
use named streets almost exclusively, and various smaller municipalities such as Florida City and Homestead use their own grid system along with the Miami-Dade grid system adding to the confusion. In the beach cities and parks of Miami Beach, Florida, Miami Beach, Surfside, Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles, Florida, Sunny Isles, and Golden Beach, the streets are coordinated with the main grid; however, their avenues are named.


Communities


Notable people


Sister cities

Miami-Dade County's sister cities are: * Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, Aix-Marseille-Provence, France * Province of Asti, Italy * Asunción, Paraguay * The Bahamas * Cape Town, South Africa * County Cork, Ireland * Dakar, Senegal * Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica * Maldonado, Uruguay, Maldonado, Uruguay * Mendoza Province, Argentina * Monagas, Monagas State, Venezuela * New Taipei City, New Taipei, Taiwan * Paramaribo, Suriname * Pereira, Colombia, Pereira, Colombia * Petit-Goâve, Haiti * Prague, Czech Republic * San José, Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica * Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic * São Paulo, Brazil * Stockholm County, Sweden * Tenerife, Spain * Veracruz (city), Veracruz, Mexico * Viareggio, Italy * Curitiba, Brazil


See also

* Gentrification of Miami * List of tallest buildings in Miami * List of tallest buildings in Sunny Isles Beach * List of tallest buildings in Miami Beach * National Register of Historic Places listings in Miami-Dade County, Florida * List of counties in Florida * West End (Florida)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Miami-Dade County, Florida Miami-Dade County, Florida, Counties in the Miami metropolitan area Charter counties in Florida 1836 establishments in Florida Territory Populated places established in 1836 Florida counties Hispanic and Latino American culture in Florida