Community Background Report

City of Florida City

County

Miami-Dade

Boundaries

North: Lucy Street / S.E. 8th Street
South: S.W. 67th Avenue
West: Tower Rd. / S.W. 192nd Avenue
East: S.W. 360th Street

Community Type

Municipality

History

The municipality of Florida City is located in southern Miami-Dade County, just south of Homestead and east of Everglades National Park. Although Florida City was not a planned development of the Florida East Coast railroad, the arrival of the railroad helped nurture the city. Some of the city’s first settlers were largely from Topeka, Kansas and moved from Homestead into the Florida City area in 1910. Florida City began as a part of 22,000 acres of swampland purchased by the Model Land Company of Detroit, Michigan in 1913. Florida City was one of the few black settlements established in the 1900s and the third oldest municipality in Miami-Dade County.

During the early 1900s, the Florida City area was heavily promoted in northern Miami-Dade County as “The Garden of Eden”, in order to attract residents. Detroit natives heavily populated the area, naming it “New Detroit”. The area’s name soon changed again, due to conflicts between the native southerners and newly arrived northerners. In 1914, Florida City was formally incorporated. Just one year after incorporation, the City was home to 368 residents. By 1922, Florida City had over 800 residents, with a drug store, a hardware store, and a three-story hotel. In 1936, there was an attempt to consolidate the City with Homestead, but the Florida City residents voted it down. The City suffered catastrophic damage in August 1992, when Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida.

Community Dynamics

Florida City has a population of 12,076, with a median age of 26.4 and a median household income of $26,828. Between 2015 and 2016, the population of Florida City grew from 12,024 to 12,076, a 0.43% increase, and its median household income grew from $25,840 to $26,828, a 3.82% increase.

The population of Florida City is 50.4% Black, 44.3% Hispanic, and 4.65% White. In Florida City, 55.4% of residents speak a non-English language, and 79.7% are U.S. citizens. The most common foreign languages in Florida City are Spanish (4,244 speakers), French Creole (1,620 speakers), and Chinese (8 speakers).

The median property value in Florida City is $104,300, and the homeownership rate is 28.4%. The economy of Florida City employs 3,749 people.

The largest universities in Florida City, FL are Miami Dade College, with 13,052 graduates, Florida International University, with 12,817 graduates, and Broward College, with 11,190 graduates.

Business Landscape

Florida City is primarily a Miami suburb and a major agricultural area.

During the first week of February, Florida City hosts the two-day Everglades Seafood Festival. The area also hosts the Winston Cup NASCAR races in November, which brings an estimated 73,000 visitors to the area for the weekend. Florida City remains one of the smallest and least technologically developed of the municipalities in Miami-Dade County.

During the period from 2003 through 2017, the City’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) expended nearly $2,000,000 in increment revenue to create public infrastructure on US 1, Krome Avenue, East Lucy Street, and Palm Drive, as a direct incentive to businesses to locate there. The CRA actively engaged in buying and demolishing dilapidated structures, and assembling future building sites. These actions addressed slum and blight conditions in the CR area, as well as providing for future affordable housing.

Transportation Characteristics

The City is at the eastern end of the only road running through Everglades National Park, which terminates at Flamingo. It is also the last stop on the mainland north of the Florida Keys. The southern terminus of the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike, where it ends at its junction with US 1, is located in Florida City.

In response to the traffic problems that arose during the hurricane evacuations in 2004, a proposal has been put forth to begin construction on the “Gateway to the Keys”, widening the section of US 1 from Florida City to Key West.

Most people in Florida City commute by driving alone, and the average commute time is 34.3minutes. The average car ownership in Florida City is one car per household.