Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach

Common name: Miami metropolitan area
Largest city	Miami
Other cities	- Hialeah  - Fort Lauderdale  - Pompano Beach  - Boca Raton  - West Palm Beach  - Miami Beach  - Hollywood
Population	Ranked 8th in the U.S.
- Total	5,564,635 (2010)
- Density	890/sq. mi.  315/km²
Area	6,137 sq. mi. 15,896 km²
Country	United States
State(s)	- Florida
Elevation
- Highest point	Coconut Grove, Miami (natural) Greynolds Park, Miami (non-natural)[1][2] 24, 42 feet (7.3, 12.8 m)
- Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean 0 feet (0 m)

The Miami metropolitan area is a metropolitan area including Miami, Florida and nearby communities.^[3][4][5][6] The U.S. Office of Management and Budget designates the area the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area, a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) used for statistical purposes by the United States Census Bureau and other entities.^[7] The OMB defines the MSA as comprising Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties – Florida's three most populous counties – with principal cities including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, West Palm Beach, and Boca Raton.

With 5,564,635 inhabitants as of the 2010 Census, the Miami metropolitan area is the most populous in Florida and in the Southeastern United States^[8] and the eighth-most populous in the United States. It is part of the South Florida region and is partially synonymous with the Gold Coast.

Because the population of South Florida is largely confined to a strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Everglades, the Miami urbanized area (that is, the area of contiguous urban development) is about 110 miles (180 km) long (north to south), but never more than 20 miles (32 km) wide, and in some areas only 5 miles (8.0 km) wide (east to west). The MSA is longer than any other urbanized area in the United States except for the New York metropolitan area.^[9] It was the eighth most densely populated urbanized area in the United States in the 2000 census.^[10]

As of the 2000 census, the urbanized area had a land area of 1,116 square miles (2,890 km²), with a population of 4,919,036, for a population density of 4,407.4 per square mile (1,701.7 per square kilometer). Miami and Hialeah (the second largest city in the metropolitan area) had population densities of more than 10,000 per square mile (more than 3,800 per square kilometer).^[11][12] The Miami Urbanized Area was the fifth largest urbanized area in the United States in the 2000 census.

The Miami metro area also includes several urban clusters (UCs) as of the 2000 Census which are not part of the Miami Urbanized Area. These are the Belle Glade UC, population 24,218, area 20,717,433 square meters and population density of 3027.6 per square mile; Key Biscayne UC, population 10,513, area 4,924,214 square meters and population density of 5529.5 per square mile; Redland UC, population 3,936, area 10,586,212 square meters and population density of 963.0 per square mile; and West Jupiter UC, population 8,998, area 24,737,176 square meters and population density of 942.1 per square mile.^[13]

In 2006, the area had an estimated 5,463,857 persons, of which 1,671,398 live in unincorporated areas.^[14][15][16] Considering that the area has an urban population of 4,919,036, only 544,821 residents live outside of the urban area, meaning that at least 1,126,577 persons live in urban unincorporated areas, but the number is actually higher.

Metropolitan divisions[link]

Miami

The Miami metropolitan area consists of three distinct metropolitan divisions, subdividing the region into three divisions according to the region's three counties: Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County.

Cities[link]

Principal cities

Fort Lauderdale

West Palm Beach

Principal cities are defined by the Census Bureau based on population size and employment. In general, a principal city has more non-residents commuting into the city to work than residents commuting out of the city to work.^[18] As of December 2009, the Census Bureau defined the following principal cities in the metropolitan area:^[19]

• Miami
• Fort Lauderdale
• Pompano Beach
• West Palm Beach
• Miami Beach
• Kendall
• Boca Raton
• Deerfield Beach
• Boynton Beach
• Delray Beach
• Homestead

Areas with between 10,000 and 100,000 inhabitants[link]

Areas with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants[link]

Demographics[link]

Population[link]

An aerial view of Downtown Miami

Miami Beach

Fort Lauderdale

Boca Raton

South Florida is a very diverse community with a large plurality of foreign-born Americans, in large part due to its proximity to Latin America.

Another large factor are residents who were former snowbirds from the Northeast and, to a lesser extent, other regions.

Politically speaking, South Florida is heavily Democratic. Broward County is the second most reliably Democratic county in the state,^[20][21] behind only Gadsden County. Palm Beach County, like Broward, is largely Democratic as well, especially amongst its Jewish community,^[22] while the rest of Florida tends to follow Southern politics and vote more Republican, with the exception of certain parts of Florida where Southern culture is not as influential. With a majority Hispanic population in Miami-Dade, Republican votes are mainly by older generations of Cuban Americans most of whom had fled to the United States to escape the Communist reign of Fidel Castro, but Miami-Dade County still remains very Democratic when compared with most of Florida's other counties.^[23][24][25]

As of the 2005 American Community Survey^[26][27] there is a total of 5,334,685 people living in the metropolis.

South Florida has a very large Jewish community; 10.2% of the population was Jewish in the 2000 Census.^{[citation needed]} There is also a sizable Muslim community numbering at 70,000 some of whom are American born converts to Islam.^[28]

Population: As of the 2010 U.S. Census, there were 5,564,635 people. 2.8 million (52%) were females and 2.6 million (48%) were males. The median age was 38.6 years. 24% of the population were under 18 years and 15% were 65 years and older. There were 2,097,626 households, and 1,378,108 families residing in the South Florida metropolitan area.

Ethnicity:
The racial makeup of population of South Florida [5,334,685] as of 2010:^[29]

• White: 70.3% [3,914,239]
  • White Non-Hispanic: 34.8% [1,937,939]
  • White Hispanic: 33% [1,976,300]
• Black or African American (many from the Caribbean): 21% [1,075,174]
• Native American: 0.3% [16,108]
• Asian: 2.3% [125,564]; (0.7% Indian, 0.5% Chinese, 0.3% Filipino, 0.2% Vietnamese, 0.1% Korean, 0.1% Japanese, 0.4% Other Asian)
• Pacific Islander: 0.0% [2,356]
• Other races: 3.5% [197,183]
• Two or more races: 2.5% [140,000]
• Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.6% [2,312,929] of the population

Language and national origin[link]

National origin and language: Of the people living in the South Florida metro area in 2005, 63% were born in the United States (including 30% who were born in Florida) and 37% were foreign born. Among people at least five years old living in South Florida in 2005, 52% spoke English at home while 48% spoke some other language at home. Of those speaking a language other than English at home, 78% spoke Spanish and 22% spoke some other language (mainly Haitian Creole, but also French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese, Russian or Yiddish). About 47% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Geographic mobility: In 2005, 83% of the people at least one year old living in the South Florida metro area were living in the same residence one year earlier; 12% had moved during the past year from another residence in the same county, 2% from another county in the same state, 2% from another state, and 1% from abroad.

Households and families: There were 2,338,450 households, The average household size was 2.6 people. Families made up 65% of the households in South Florida. This figure includes both married-couple families (45%) and other families (20%). Nonfamily households made up 35% of all households in South Florida. Most of the nonfamily households were people living alone, but some consisted of people living in households in which no one was related to the householder.

Education[link]

Education: In 2005, 83% of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 30% had a bachelor's degree or higher. Among people 16 to 19 years old, 7% were dropouts; they were not enrolled in school and had not graduated from high school. The total school enrollment in South Florida Metro Area was 1.4 million in 2005. Nursery school and kindergarten enrollment was 170,000 and elementary or high school enrollment was 879,000 children. College or graduate school enrollment was 354,000.

Occupation, Income, and Industries[link]

The Port of Miami is the world's largest cruise ship port.

South Beach

The urban neighborhood of Brickell in Downtown Miami contains the largest concentration of international banks in the U.S.

Occupations and Type of Employer: Among the most common occupations were: 32% were management, professional, and related occupations, 30% were sales and office occupations, 18% were service occupations, 11% were construction, extraction, maintenance and repair occupations, and 9% were production, transportation, and material moving occupations. 81% of the people employed were Private wage and salary workers; 12% were Federal, state, or local government workers; and 7% were Self-employed in own not incorporated business workers.

Income: The median income of households in South Florida was $43,091. 78% of the households received earnings and 13% received retirement income other than Social Security. 30% of the households received Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $13. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Industries: In 2005, for the employed population 16 years and older, the leading industries in South Florida Area were Educational services, health care and social assistance, which accounted for 18%, and Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services, which accounted for 13% of the population.

Traveling to Work: 79% of South Florida workers drove to work alone in 2005, 10% carpooled, 4% took public transportation, and 4% used other means. The remaining 3% worked at home. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 28.5 minutes to get to work.

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs: In 2005, 14% of people were in poverty. 19% of related children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 14% of people 65 years old and over. 11% of all families, and 26% of families with a female householder and no husband present had incomes below the poverty level.

Housing characteristics and costs[link]

Changes in house prices for the area are publicly tracked on a regular basis using the Case–Shiller index; the statistic is published by Standard & Poor's and is also a component of S&P's 10-city composite index of the value of the residential real estate market.

Housing characteristics: As of 2005, South Florida had a total of 2.3 million housing units, 13% of which were vacant. Of the total housing units, 52% were in single-unit structures, 45% were in multi-unit structures, and 3% were mobile homes. 25% of the housing units were built since 1990.

Occupied housing unit characteristics: In 2005, South Florida had 2.0 million occupied housing units – 1.3 million (66%) owner occupied and 688,000 (34%) renter occupied.

Housing costs: In 2010, housing costs in South Florida typically represented 40% of household income, compared to 34% nationwide.^[30]

Property tax increase: In March 2009, South Florida lawmakers passed a 5–10% hike in property tax millage rates throughout the metropolitan area to fund the construction of new schools and to fund understaffed schools and educational institutions, resulting in an increase in residents' property tax bills beginning in the 2009 tax year.

Education[link]

Florida Atlantic University

University of Miami

In Florida, each county is also a school district. Each district is headed by an elected school board. A professional superintendent manages the day-to-day operations of each district, who is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the School Board.

The Miami-Dade County Public School District is currently the 4th-largest public school district in the nation. The School District of Palm Beach County is the 4th-largest in Florida and the 11th-largest in the United States. Broward County Public School District is the 6th-largest in the United States.

Some colleges and universities in South Florida include:

• Barry University (private/Catholic)
• Broward College (public)
• Carlos Albizu University (private)
• Florida Atlantic University (public)
• Florida International University (public)
• Florida Memorial University (private)
• Johnson & Wales University (private)
• Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami (private)
• Lynn University (private)
• Miami Dade College (public)
• Northwood University (private)
• Nova Southeastern University (private)
• Palm Beach Atlantic University (private/Christian)
• Palm Beach State College (public)
• St. Thomas University (private/Catholic)
• University of Miami (private)

In 2005, 82% of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 28% had a bachelor's degree or higher. Among people 16 to 19 years old, 7% were dropouts; they were not enrolled in school and had not graduated from high school. The total school enrollment in South Florida metro area was 1.4 million in 2005. Nursery school and kindergarten enrollment was 170,000 and elementary or high school enrollment was 879,000. College or graduate school enrollment was 354,000.

Transportation[link]

Tri-Rail is South Florida's commuter rail and connects to the three counties north to south

Government Center is one of the main stations for the Metrorail and Metromover.

Roads[link]

The South Florida metropolitan area is served by five interstate highways operated by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in conjunction with local agencies. Interstate 95 (I-95) runs north to south along the coast, ending just south of Downtown Miami at South Dixie Highway (US 1). I-75 runs east to west, turning south in western Broward County and connecting suburban north Miami-Dade to Naples on the Southwest Coast via Alligator Alley, which transverses the Florida Everglades before turning north. I-595 connects the Broward coast and downtown Fort Lauderdale to I-75 and Alligator Alley. In Miami, I-195 and I-395 relay the main I-95 route east to Biscayne Boulevard (US 1) and Miami Beach across Biscayne Bay via the Julia Tuttle and MacArthur causeways.

In greater Miami, the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority and Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) maintain eight state expressways in conjunction with FDOT. The Airport Expressway (SR 112) and the Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) relay western Miami-Dade suburbs to the eastern urban coast at I-95, and to Miami Beach via I-195 and I-395 at the Airport and Midtown interchanges. The Gratigny Expressway (SR 924) connects northern Miami suburbs to the southern end of I-75. The Palmetto Expressway (SR 826) is the primary beltway road of urban Miami, relaying I-95 and Florida's Turnpike at the Golden Glades Interchange near northeastern North Miami Beach to the southern inland suburbs of Kendall and Pinecrest. The Don Shula Expressway (SR 874) and the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike (SR 821) form the southernmost end of the beltway, connecting the Palmetto Expressway to the bedroom communities of Homestead and Florida City. The Snapper Creek Expressway (SR 878) relays the Don Shula Expressway to South Dixie Highway (US 1).

The urban bypass expressway in greater Fort Lauderdale is the Sawgrass Expressway (SR 869), connecting the northern Broward County coast at I-95 and Deerfield Beach to I-595 and I-75 at Alligator Alley in Sunrise.

Major freeways and tollways[link]

Julia Tuttle Causeway connects Miami and Miami Beach

Downtown Miami Distributor

• Interstate 95
• Interstate 75
• Interstate 195
• Interstate 395
• Interstate 595
• Florida's Turnpike
• Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike
• Dolphin Expressway (State Road 836)
• Gratigny Parkway (State Road 924)
• Airport Expressway (State Road 112)
• Don Shula Expressway (State Road 874)
• Snapper Creek Expressway (State Road 878)
• Sawgrass Expressway (State Road 869)
• Palmetto Expressway (State Road 826)
• Hialeah Expressway (State Road 934)
• Downtown Distributor (State Road 970)

Major airports[link]

The metropolitan area is served by three major commercial airports. These airports combine to make the fourth largest domestic origin and destination market in the United States, after New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.^[31]

The following smaller general aviation airports are also in the metro area:

Seaports[link]

The metropolis also has four seaports, the largest and most important being the Port of Miami. Others in the area include Port Everglades, Port of Palm Beach and the Miami River Port.

This section requires expansion.

Public transportation[link]

Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) is the largest public transit agency in Florida, operating rapid transit, people movers, and an intercity bus system. Metrorail is Florida's only rapid transit, currently with 22 stations on a 22.4-mile (36.0 km) track, and expanding to 23 stations and a 24.9-mile (40.1 km) track upon the completion of Miami Central Station at Miami International Airport in 2012. The Downtown Miami people mover, Metromover, operates 21 stations and three lines on a 4.4-mile (7.1 km) track through the Downtown neighborhoods of the Omni, the central Downtown, and Brickell. Metrobus is serves the entirety of Miami-Dade County, also serving Monroe County as far south as Marathon, and Broward County as far north as downtown Fort Lauderdale. In Broward County, Broward County Transit runs public buses, as does Palm Tran in Palm Beach County. Additionally, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority operates Tri-Rail, a commuter rail train that connects the three of the primary cities of South Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach), and most intermediate points.

Climate[link]

A view of Biscayne National Park in Miami-Dade County

South Florida has a tropical climate, the only major metropolitan area in the 48 contiguous states that falls under that category. More specifically, it generally has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification, Am).^[32] The metropolis does experience cold fronts from November through March, however most of the year is warm and humid and the mean temperature for any month is never below 64.4 °F (18 °C). In addition, the metropolis sees most of its rain in the summer (wet season) and is mainly dry in winter (dry season). The wet season, which is hot and humid, lasts from May to October, when it gives way to the dry season, which features mild temperatures with some invasions of colder air, which is when the little winter rainfall occurs – with the passing of a front. The hurricane season largely coincides with the wet season.^[33]

In addition to its sea-level elevation, coastal location and position just above the Tropic of Cancer, the area owes its warm, humid climate to the Gulf Stream, which moderates climate year-round. A typical summer day does not see temperatures below 75 °F (24 °C). Temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s (30–35 °C) accompanied by high humidity are often relieved by afternoon thunderstorms or a sea breeze that develops off the Atlantic Ocean, which then allow lower temperatures, although conditions still remain very muggy. During winter, humidity is significantly lower, allowing for cooler weather to develop. Average minimum temperatures during that time are generally in the 50s to around 60 °F (10–15 °C), occasionally dipping into the 40s (5–9 °C) and rarely below 35 °F (2 °C). The average maximum for South Florida during the winter is around 75 °F (24 °C).

Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30, although hurricanes can develop outside that period. The most likely time for South Florida to be hit is during the peak of the Cape Verde season, mid-August through the end of September.^[34] Due to its location between two major bodies of water known for tropical activity, South Florida is also statistically the most likely major area to be struck by a hurricane in the world, trailed closely by Nassau, Bahamas, and Havana, Cuba. Many hurricanes have affected the metropolis, including Betsy in 1965, Andrew in 1992, Irene in 1999, and Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma in 2005. In addition, a tropical depression in October 2000 passed over the city, causing record rainfall and flooding. Locally, the storm is credited as the No Name Storm of 2000, though the depression went on to become Tropical Storm Leslie upon entering the Atlantic Ocean.

Area codes[link]

• 305 and 786 Miami-Dade County and Florida Keys
• 954 Broward County
• 754 Broward County
• 561 Palm Beach County

Sports[link]

American Airlines Arena, home of the Miami Heat.

Sun Life Stadium home of the Miami Dolphins, and the Miami Hurricanes

• The Miami Dolphins of the National Football League play at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
• The Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association play at AmericanAirlines Arena in Downtown Miami.
• The Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball play at Marlins Park in Little Havana.
• The Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League play at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise.
• The Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League play at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
• The Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals conduct Spring Training in Jupiter at Roger Dean Stadium.
• The Baltimore Orioles conduct Spring training in Fort Lauderdale at Fort Lauderdale Stadium.
• The Miami metro area also hosts the college sports teams of Barry University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University (FIU Stadium, U.S. Century Bank Arena and University Park Stadium), Nova Southeastern University and University of Miami (Sun Life Stadium, BankUnited Center and Mark Light Field).

Government[link]

The Stephen P. Clark Government Center in Downtown Miami is the headquarters of the Miami-Dade County government.

The metropolis is governed by the 3 counties in the area. In total there are 107 municipalities or incorporated places in the metropolis. Each one of the municipalities has its own city, town or village government, although there is no distinction between the 3 names. Much of the land in the metropolis is unincorporated, which means it does not belong to any municipality, and therefore is governed directly by the county it is located in.

Congressional districts[link]

South Florida has all or part of nine congressional districts of which four are Republican leaning district (16th, 18th, 21st and 25th) and five are Democratic leaning districts (17th, 19th, 20th, 22nd and 23rd). District 16 is the most Republican leaning district in the area, while District 17 is the most Democratic leaning district in the region.

The Cook Political report lists District 21 as "leans Republican" while District 18 and District 25 are listed as "likely Republican."^[35] Other independent political analysts including the Rotherberg Political Report,^[36] CQ Politics^[37] and the Crystal Ball^[38] rate all three South Florida Republican districts as either "Lean Republican," "Likely Republican," "Republican Favored," "Limited Risk" or "Safe Republican." None of the districts are listed in the toss-up column. All of the Democrat seats in South Florida are listed as either "Safe Democrat," "Democrat Favored" or "Limited risk."

According to the August 14, 2008 Time magazine article, "Democrats are mounting serious challenges to at least two of Miami's three Republican lawmakers" and that "the Miami challenges have caught the GOP off guard. Democratic voter registration in Miami-Dade County, as in other places, is up, and Republican registration is down."^[39]

Media[link]

The Miami Herald headquarters in Downtown Miami. The Miami Herald is the largest newspaper in South Florida.

South Florida is served by several English-language and two major Spanish-language daily newspapers. The Miami Herald, headquartered in Downtown Miami, is Miami's primary newspaper with over a million readers. It also has news bureaus in Broward County, Monroe County, and Nassau, Bahamas. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel circulates primarily in Broward and southern Palm Beach counties and also has a news bureau in Havana, Cuba. The Palm Beach Post serves mainly Palm Beach County, especially the central and northern regions, and the Treasure Coast. The Boca Raton News publishes five days a week and circulates in southern Palm Beach County.^[40] El Nuevo Herald, a subsidiary of the Miami Herald, and Diario Las Americas,^[41] are Spanish-language daily papers that circulate mainly in Miami-Dade County. La Palma and El Sentinel are weekly Spanish newspapers published by the Palm Beach Post and Sun-Sentinel, respectively, and circulate in the same areas as their English-language counterparts.

South Florida is split into two separate television/radio markets: The Miami-Fort Lauderdale market serves Miami-Dade, Broward and the Florida Keys. The West Palm Beach market serves Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast region.

Miami-Fort Lauderdale is the 12th largest radio market and the 17th-largest television market in the U.S. television stations serving the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area include WAMI-TV (TeleFutura), WBFS-TV (MyNetworkTV), WSFL-TV (The CW), WFOR-TV (CBS), WHFT-TV (TBN), WLTV (Univision), WPLG (ABC), WPXM (ION), WSCV (Telemundo), WSVN (FOX), WTVJ (NBC), WLRN-TV (PBS), and WPBT (also PBS), the latter television station being the only channel to serve the entire metropolitan area.

In addition to the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market, West Palm Beach has its own. It is the 49th largest radio market and the 38th-largest television market in the U.S. Television stations serving the West Palm Beach area include WPTV (NBC), WPEC (CBS), WPBF (ABC), WFLX (FOX), WTVX (The CW), WXEL (PBS), WTCN (MyNetworkTV), and WPXP (ION). The West Palm Beach market shares use of WSCV and WLTV for Telemundo and Univision respectively. Also, both markets cross over and tend to be available interchangeably between both areas.

See also[link]

	Florida portal
	Miami portal

• United States metropolitan area
• Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas

References[link]

External links[link]

• Populations of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Area (and rankings)

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Coordinates: 26°8′N 80°12′W / 26.133°N 80.2°W / 26.133; -80.2

State of Florida
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Sunshine State
Motto(s): In God We Trust
State anthem: Florida, Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky
Official language(s)	English[1]
Spoken language(s)	English 74.5% Spanish 18.7%[2]
Demonym	Floridian
Capital	Tallahassee
Largest city	Jacksonville
Largest metro area	South Florida metro area
Area	Ranked 22nd in the U.S.
- Total	65,755[3] sq mi (170,304[3] km2)
- Width	361 miles (582 km)
- Length	447 miles (721 km)
- % water	17.9
- Latitude	24° 27′ N to 31° 00' N
- Longitude	80° 02′ W to 87° 38′ W
Population	Ranked 4th in the U.S.
- Total	19,057,542 (2011 est)[3]
- Density	353.4/sq mi  (136.4/km2) Ranked 8th in the U.S.
Elevation
- Highest point	Britton Hill[4][5] 345 ft (105 m)
- Mean	100 ft  (30 m)
- Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean[4] sea level
Before statehood	Florida Territory
Admission to Union	March 3, 1845 (27th)
Governor	Rick Scott (R)
Lieutenant Governor	Jennifer Carroll (R)
Legislature	Florida Legislature
- Upper house	Senate
- Lower house	House of Representatives
U.S. Senators	Bill Nelson (D) Marco Rubio (R)
U.S. House delegation	19 Republicans, 6 Democrats (list)
Time zones
- Peninsula and "Big Bend" region	Eastern: UTC -5/-4
- Panhandle west of the Apalachicola River	Central: UTC -6/-5
Abbreviations	FL Fla. US-FL
Website	www.myflorida.com

Florida State symbols
The Flag of Florida.
Animate insignia
Amphibian	Barking tree frog
Bird(s)	Northern Mockingbird
Butterfly	Zebra Longwing
Fish	Florida largemouth bass, Atlantic sailfish
Flower(s)	Orange blossom
Mammal(s)	Florida panther, Manatee, Bottle-nosed dolphin, Florida Cracker Horse[6]
Reptile	American Alligator, Loggerhead turtle[6]
Tree	Sabal Palmetto
Inanimate insignia
Beverage	Orange juice
Food	Key lime pie, Orange
Gemstone	Moonstone
Rock	agatized Coral
Shell	Horse conch
Soil	Myakka
Song(s)	"Old Folks at Home" ("Way Down Upon The Swanee River")
Route marker(s)
State Quarter
Released in 2004
Lists of United States state insignia

Florida (ⁱ/ˈflɒrɪdə/) is a state in the southeastern United States, bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Florida is the 22nd most extensive, the 4th most populous, and the 8th most densely populated of the 50 United States. The state capital is Tallahassee, its largest city is Jacksonville, and the South Florida metropolitan area is the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern U.S.

Much of Florida is situated on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Straits of Florida. Its geography is marked by a coastline, by the omnipresence of water and the threat of hurricanes. Florida has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, encompassing approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km), and is the only state to border both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Much of the state is at or near sea level and its terrain is characterized by sedimentary soils. The climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south.^[7] Its symbolic animals like the American alligator, Florida panther and the manatee, can be found in the Everglades, one of the most famous national parks in the world.

Since the first European contact was made in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León – who named it La Florida ("Flowery Land") upon landing there during the Easter season, Pascua Florida^[8] – Florida was a challenge for the European colonial powers before it gained statehood in the United States in 1845. It was a principal location of the Seminole Wars against the Indians, and racial segregation after the American Civil War. Today, it is distinguished by its large Hispanic community, and high population growth, as well as its increasing environmental concerns. Its economy relies mainly on tourism, agriculture and transportation, which developed in the late 19th century. Florida is also known for its amusement parks, the production of oranges and the Kennedy Space Center.

Florida culture is a reflection of influences and multiple inheritance; Native American, European American, Hispanic and African American heritages can be found in the architecture and cuisine. Florida has attracted many writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes. It is internationally known for tennis, golf, auto racing and water sports.

History[link]

Juan Ponce de León

The five flags of Florida from the right, Spain (1565–1763), the Kingdom of Great Britain, Spain (1784–1821), the Confederacy, and the United States. France (flag not shown) also controlled part of Florida.

Bernard Picart copper plate engraving of Florida Indians, Circa 1721 "Ceremonies and Religious Dress of all the People of the World"^[9]

A Cracker cowboy, 19th century

The Battle of Olustee during the American Civil War in 1864

Winter in Florida, 1893

Soldiers and crowds in Downtown Miami 20 minutes after surrender during World War II (1945)

Archaeological research indicates that Florida was first inhabited by Paleo-Indians, the first human inhabitants of the Americas, perhaps as early as 14 thousand years ago. The region was continuously inhabited through the Archaic period (to about 2000 BC). After about 500 BC the previously relatively uniform Archaic culture began to coalesce into distinctive local cultures.^[10] By the 16th century, the earliest time for which there is a historical record, major Native American groups included the Apalachee (of the Florida Panhandle), the Timucua (of northern and central Florida), the Ais (of the central Atlantic coast), the Tocobaga (of the Tampa Bay area), the Calusa (of southwest Florida) and the Tequesta (of the southeastern coast).

Florida was the first part of what is now the continental United States to be visited by Europeans. The earliest known European explorers came with the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León, who spotted the peninsula on April 2, 1513. According to his chroniclers, Ponce de León named the region La Florida ("flowery land") because it was then the Easter Season, known in Spanish as Pascua Florida (roughly "Flowery Easter"), and because the vegetation was in bloom.^[11] It is possible Juan Ponce de León was not the first European to reach Florida, however; reportedly, at least one indigenous tribesman whom he encountered in Florida in 1513 spoke Spanish.^[12] From 1513 onward, the land became known as "La Florida", although after 1630 and throughout the 18th century, Tegesta (after the Tequesta tribe) was an alternate name of choice for the Florida peninsula following publication of a map by the Dutch cartographer Hessel Gerritsz in Joannes de Laet's History of the New World.^[13][14]

Over the following century, both the Spanish and French established settlements in Florida with varying degrees of success. In 1559, Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano established a colony at present-day Pensacola, one of the first European attempts at settlement in the continental United States. It was abandoned by 1561 due to hurricanes, famine and warring tribes, and the area was not re-inhabited until the 1690s. French Protestant Huguenots founded Fort Caroline in modern-day Jacksonville in 1564. The following year, the Spanish colony of St. Augustine (San Agustín) was established, and forces from there conquered Fort Caroline that same year. The Spanish maintained tenuous control over the region by converting the local tribes, briefly with Jesuits and later with Franciscan friars.

The area of Spanish Florida diminished with the establishment of English colonies to the north and French colonies to the west. The English weakened Spanish power in the area by supplying their Creek and Yamasee allies with firearms and urging them to raid the Timucuan and Apalachee client-tribes of the Spanish. The English attacked St. Augustine, burning the city and its cathedral to the ground several times, while the citizens hid behind the walls of the Castillo de San Marcos.

Florida was attracting a large number of Africans and African Americans from British-occupied North America who sought freedom from slavery. Once in Florida, the Spanish Crown converted them to Roman Catholicism and gave them freedom. Those ex-slaves settled in a community north of St. Augustine, called Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, the first freedom settlement of its kind in what became the United States. Many of those slaves were also welcomed by Creek and Seminole Native Americans who had established settlements there at the invitation of the Spanish government.

Great Britain gained control of Florida and other territory diplomatically in 1763 through the Peace of Paris. The British divided their new acquisitions into East Florida, with its capital at St. Augustine, and West Florida, with its capital at Pensacola. Britain tried to develop the Floridas through the importation of immigrants for labor, but this project ultimately failed. Spain received both Floridas after Britain's defeat by the American colonies and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles in 1783, continuing the division into East and West Florida. They offered land grants to anyone who settled in the colonies, and many Americans moved to them.

After settler attacks on Indian towns, Seminole Indians based in East Florida began raiding Georgia settlements, purportedly at the behest of the Spanish. The United States Army led increasingly frequent incursions into Spanish territory, including the 1817–1818 campaign against the Seminole Indians by Andrew Jackson that became known as the First Seminole War. Following the war, the United States effectively controlled East Florida. In 1819, by terms of the Adams-Onís Treaty, Spain ceded Florida to the United States in exchange for the American renunciation of any claims on Texas that they might have from the Louisiana Purchase and $5 million.

In 1830, the Indian Removal Act was passed and as settlement increased, pressure grew on the United States government to remove the Indians from their lands in Florida. To the chagrin of Georgia landowners, the Seminoles harbored and integrated runaway blacks, known as the Black Seminoles, and clashes between whites and Indians grew with the influx of new settlers. In 1832, the United States government signed the Treaty of Payne's Landing with some of the Seminole chiefs, promising them lands west of the Mississippi River if they agreed to leave Florida voluntarily. Many of the Seminoles left at this time, while those who remained prepared to defend their claims to the land. The U.S. Army arrived in 1835 to enforce the treaty under pressure from white settlers, and the Second Seminole War began at the end of the year with the Dade Massacre, when Seminoles ambushed and killed or mortally wounded all but one in a group of 110 Army troops, plus Major Dade and seven officers, marching from Fort Brooke (Tampa) to reinforce Fort King (Ocala).^[15] Between 900 and 1,500 Seminole Indian warriors employed guerrilla tactics against United States Army troops for seven years until 1842. The U.S. government is estimated to have spent between $20 million and $40 million on the war, at the time an astronomical sum.

The United States quarter dollar coin released March 29, 2004, in honor of the state of Florida.

On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America, although initially its population grew slowly. White settlers continued to encroach on lands used by the Seminoles, and the United States government resolved to make another effort to move the remaining Seminoles to the West. The Third Seminole War lasted from 1855 to 1858, and resulted in the removal of most of the remaining Seminoles. Even after three bloody wars, the U.S. Army failed to force all of the Seminole Indians in Florida to the West.^[16] Though most of the Seminoles were forcibly exiled to Creek lands west of the Mississippi, hundreds, including Seminole leader Aripeka (Sam Jones), remained in the Everglades and refused to leave the native homeland of their ancestors. Their descendants remain there to this day.

White settlers began to establish cotton plantations in Florida, which required numerous laborers. By 1860 Florida had only 140,424 people, of whom 44% were enslaved. There were fewer than 1000 free African Americans before the Civil War.^[17]

On January 10, 1861, before the start of the American Civil War, Florida declared its secession from the Union; ten days later, the state became a founding member of the Confederate States of America. The war ended in 1865. On June 25, 1868, Florida's congressional representation was restored. After Reconstruction, white Democrats succeeded in regaining power in the state legislature. In 1885 they created a new constitution, followed by statutes through 1889 that effectively disfranchised most blacks and many poor whites over the next several years. Provisions included poll taxes, literacy tests, and residency requirements. Disfranchisement for most African Americans in the state persisted until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s gained federal legislation to protect their suffrage.

Until the mid-20th century, Florida was the least populous Southern state. In 1900 its population was only 528,542, of whom nearly 44% were African American.^[18] The boll weevil devastated cotton crops, and early 20th century lynchings and racial violence caused a record number of African Americans to leave the state in the Great Migration to northern and midwestern industrial cities. Forty thousand blacks, roughly one-fifth of their 1900 population, left for better opportunities.^[19] Economic prosperity in the 1920s stimulated tourism to Florida. Combined with its sudden elevation in profile was the Florida land boom of the 1920s, which brought a brief period of intense land development. Devastating hurricanes in 1926 and 1928, followed by the stock market crash and Great Depression, brought that period to a halt.

Florida's economy did not fully recover until the buildup for World War II. The climate, tempered by the growing availability of air conditioning, and low cost of living made the state a haven. Migration from the Rust Belt and the Northeast sharply increased the population after the war. In recent decades, more migrants have come for the jobs in a developing economy. With a population of more than 18 million according to the 2010 census, Florida is the most populous state in the Southeastern United States, the second most populous state in the South behind Texas, and the fourth most populous in the United States.

Geography[link]

A map of Florida showing county names and boundaries

Much of the state of Florida is situated on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Straits of Florida. Spanning two time zones, it extends to the northwest into a panhandle, extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered on the north by the states of Georgia and Alabama, and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is near several Caribbean countries, particularly The Bahamas and Cuba. Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi River, and only Alaska and Michigan are larger in water area.

At 345 feet (105 m) above mean sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida and the lowest highpoint of any U.S. state.^[20] Much of the state south of Orlando is low-lying and fairly level; however, some places, such as Clearwater, feature vistas that rise 50 to 100 feet (15 – 30 m) above the water. Much of Central and North Florida, typically 25 miles (40 km) or more away from the coastline, features rolling hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 feet (30 – 76 m). The highest point in peninsular Florida, Sugarloaf Mountain, is a 312-foot (95 m) peak in Lake County.^[21]

Boundaries[link]

The state line begins in the Atlantic Ocean, traveling west, south, and north up the thalweg of the Saint Mary's River. At the origin of that river, it then follows a straight line nearly due west and slightly north, to the point where the confluence of the Flint River (from Georgia) and the Chattahoochee River (down the Alabama/Georgia line) used to form Florida's Apalachicola River. (Since Woodruff Dam was built, this point has been under Lake Seminole.) The border with Georgia continues north through the lake for a short distance up the former thalweg of the Chattahoochee, then with Alabama runs due west along latitude 31°N to the Perdido River, then south along its thalweg to the Gulf via Perdido Bay. The water boundary is 3 nautical miles (3.5 mi; 5.6 km) offshore in the Atlantic Ocean^[22] and 9 nautical miles (10 mi; 17 km) offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.^[22] Much of the state is at or near sea level.

Climate[link]

Hurricane Andrew bearing down on Florida on August 23, 1992.

The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by the fact that no part of the state is very distant from the ocean. North of Lake Okeechobee, the prevalent climate is humid subtropical (Köppen: Cfa), while coastal areas south of the lake (including the Florida Keys) have a true tropical climate (Köppen: Aw).^[23] Mean high temperatures for late July are primarily in the low 90s Fahrenheit (32–34 °C). Mean low temperatures for early to mid January range from the low 40s Fahrenheit (4–7 °C) in northern Florida to the mid-50s (≈13 °C) in southern Florida. With an average daily temperature of 70.7 °F (21.5 °C), it is the warmest state in the country.^[24]

In the summer, high temperatures in the state seldom exceed 100 °F (38 °C). Several record cold maxima have been in the 30s °F (−1 to 4 °C) and record lows have been in the 10s (−12 to −7 °C). These temperatures normally extend at most a few days at a time in the northern and central parts of Florida. Southern Florida, however, rarely encounters freezing temperatures.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Florida was 109 °F (43 °C), which was set on June 29, 1931 in Monticello. The coldest temperature was −2 °F (−19 °C), on February 13, 1899, just 25 miles (40 km) away, in Tallahassee.

Due to the tropical climate Florida rarely receives snow. However, on very rare occasions, a combination of cold moisture and freezing temperatures can result in snowfall. Frost is more common than snow, occurring several times during the winter months.

Snowball fight on the Florida State Capitol Building in Tallahassee on February 13, 1899

The USDA Plant hardiness zones for the state range from zone 8a (no colder than 10 °F (−12 °C)) in the inland western panhandle to zone 11 (no colder than 40 °F (4 °C)) in the lower Florida Keys.^[25]

Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State", but severe weather is a common occurrence in the state. Central Florida is known as the lightning capital of the United States, as it experiences more lightning strikes than anywhere else in the country. ^[26] Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state,^{[citation needed]} in large part because afternoon thunderstorms are common in most of the state from late spring until early autumn. A narrow eastern part of the state including Orlando and Jacksonville receives between 2,400 and 2,800 hours of sunshine annually. The rest of the state, including Miami, receives between 2,800 and 3,200 hours annually.^[27]

Florida leads the United States in tornadoes per area (when including waterspouts)^[28] but they do not typically reach the intensity of those in the Midwest and Great Plains. Hail often accompanies the most severe thunderstorms.

Hurricanes pose a severe threat during hurricane season, which lasts from June 1 to November 30, although some storms have been known to form out of season. Florida is the most hurricane-prone state, with subtropical or tropical water on a lengthy coastline. From 1851 to 2006, Florida has been struck by 114 hurricanes, 37 of them major—category 3 and above.^[29] It is rare for a hurricane season to pass without any impact in the state by at least a tropical storm. For storms, category 4 or higher, 83% have either hit Florida or Texas.^[29] August to October is the most likely period for a hurricane in Florida.

In 2004, Florida was hit by a record four hurricanes. Hurricanes Charley (August 13), Frances (September 4–5), Ivan (September 16), and Jeanne (September 25–26) cumulatively cost the state's economy $42 billion. Additionally, the four storms caused an estimated $45 billion in damage. ^[30] In 2005, Hurricane Dennis (July 10) became the fifth storm to strike Florida within eleven months. Later, Hurricane Katrina (August 25) passed through South Florida and Hurricane Rita (September 20) swept through the Florida Keys. Hurricane Wilma (October 24) made landfall near Cape Romano, just south of Marco Island, finishing another very active hurricane season. Wilma is the second most expensive hurricane in Florida history, due in part to a five year window in which to file claims.^[31]