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Miami metropolitan area

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A vibrant view of downtown Miami showing tall buildings and city life.

The Miami metropolitan area, officially called the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area, is a big coastal area in southeastern Florida. It is the eighth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the largest in Florida. Many people live there—over 6 million as of 2023—which makes it bigger than 31 of the 50 states in the country. It includes three important counties: Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County.

Miami is the main city in this area. It is very important for money and culture, linking South Florida to the world. Other big cities in the area include Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, Miami Beach, and many more. The whole Miami area is one of the most crowded places in the world, with lots of people living close together.

The Miami metropolitan area is part of a bigger region called South Florida, which also includes places like the Everglades and the Florida Keys. It stretches about 100 miles from north to south, but is only about 20 miles wide in most places. Many students go to school here at places like Barry University, Florida International University, Nova Southeastern University, and the University of Miami.

Other names

The Miami metropolitan area has many different names. It is also called the South Florida metropolitan area, SoFlo, SoFla, the Gold Coast, the Tri-County Area, the Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area, or Greater Miami. For U.S. government statistics, it is known as the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Definitions

Miami metropolitan area

As of 2023, the Miami metropolitan area is called the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). In 2020, about 6 million people lived there. The area includes three main parts:

  • Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall in Miami Dade County, with about 2.7 million people.
  • Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Sunrise in Broward County, with about 1.9 million people.
  • West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach in Palm Beach County, with about 1.5 million people.
Satellite image of the Miami metropolitan area in January 2023

This MSA is the second most crowded area in the Southeastern United States and covers 6,137 square miles (15,890 km2).

Miami-Port Saint Lucie-Fort Lauderdale Combined Statistical Area

The Census Bureau also talks about a larger area called the Miami-Port Saint Lucie-Fort Lauderdale Combined Statistical Area (CSA). In 2020, about 6.9 million people lived here. This area includes three main parts and one smaller area:

  • The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach MSA with about 6.1 million people.
  • The Port Saint Lucie MSA with about 486,000 people, including Martin County and Saint Lucie County.
  • The Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor MSA in Indian River County with about 159,000 people.
  • The Key West-Key Largo smaller area in Monroe County with about 82,000 people.

Gold Coast

People often call the Miami metropolitan area the "Gold Coast". This name matches other areas in Florida like the Space Coast, Treasure Coast, and others. The name "Gold Coast" started when the area began to grow a lot. It refers to the rich and fancy tropical lifestyle there.

Climate and geography

Climate

See also: Climate of Miami

Biscayne National Park in Miami-Dade County

The Miami area has a tropical climate, like the weather in the Caribbean. It is the only big city area in the 48 contiguous states with this kind of climate. It usually has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification, Am), meaning it rains a lot in the summer and stays dry in the winter. Summer rains come with thunderstorms and humid weather from May to October. Winter, from late October to late April, is drier, but sometimes cold fronts can bring a bit of rain.

The area stays warm all year because of the nearby Gulf Stream. Summer days are often in the high 80s to low 90s °F (30–35 °C) but can cool down with afternoon thunderstorms or a sea breeze. Winter temperatures usually stay around 74–77 °F (23–25 °C) during the day and 55–63 °F (13–17 °C) at night. It is rare for it to get very cold, but sometimes temperatures can drop to around 40 °F (4 °C) for a short time.

The hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with the highest chance of hurricanes from mid-August to the end of September. Because of its location near water, South Florida is one of the places most likely to face hurricanes. Notable hurricanes include Andrew in 1992, Wilma in 2005, and Irma in 2017.

Component counties, subregions, and cities

Largest cities

Downtown Miami in November 2014
Fort Lauderdale in November 2015

The following is a list of the twenty largest cities in the Miami metropolitan area as ranked by population.

West Palm Beach in November 2014

Areas with between 10,000 and 100,000 inhabitants

Areas with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants

CityCounty2000
population		2010
population		2020
population		2010 to 2020
% change
MiamiMiami-Dade362,470399,457442,241+10.71%
HialeahMiami-Dade226,419224,669223,109−0.69%
Fort LauderdaleBroward152,397165,521182,760+10.41%
Pembroke PinesBroward137,427154,750171,178+10.62%
HollywoodBroward139,357140,768153,067+8.74%
MiramarBroward72,739122,041134,721+10.39%
Coral SpringsBroward117,549121,096133,394+10.16%
Miami GardensMiami-Dade100,758107,167111,640+4.17%
Pompano BeachBroward78,19199,845112,046+12.22%
West Palm BeachPalm Beach82,10399,919117,415+17.51%
DavieBroward75,72091,922105,691+14.98%
Boca RatonPalm Beach74,76484,39297,422+15.44%
SunriseBroward85,77984,43997,335+15.27%
PlantationBroward82,93484,95591,750+8.00%
Miami BeachMiami-Dade87,93387,77982,890−5.57%
Deerfield BeachBroward64,58375,01886,859+15.78%
Boynton BeachPalm Beach60,38968,21780,380+17.83%
LauderhillBroward57,58566,88774,482+11.35%
DoralMiami-Dade20,43845,70475,874+66.01%
HomesteadMiami-Dade31,90960,51280,737+33.42%

Demographics

The Miami metropolitan area has many different kinds of people. In some parts, most families speak English at home, but in other parts, many families speak Spanish. This makes the area very interesting and diverse.

People in the Miami area have many different beliefs. Christianity is the most common belief, with many people attending Protestant or Roman Catholic churches. There are also large groups of Jewish people, and smaller groups follow other beliefs such as Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Some people do not follow any particular belief.

Population density in the Miami urban area
Miami MSA (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach)
CensusPop.%±
192066,542—
1930214,830222.8%
1940387,52280.4%
1950693,70579.0%
19601,497,099115.8%
19702,236,88549.4%
19803,220,84444.0%
19904,056,10025.9%
20005,007,56423.5%
20105,564,63511.1%
20206,138,33310.3%
2023 (est.)6,183,1990.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1920–1970 1980 1990
2000 2010 2020 2023
Historical racial composition20202010200019901980
White (non-Hispanic)29.1%34.8%44.1%54.5%64.6%
Hispanic or Latino45.9%41.6%34.0%27.8%20.2%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)18.7%19.7%18.1%16.3%14.2%
Asian and Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic)2.6%2.2%1.7%1.2%1.1%
Native American (non-Hispanic)0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
Other Race (non-Hispanic)0.8%0.3%0.3%0.1%
Two or more races (non-Hispanic)2.8%1.2%1.8%N/AN/A
Population6,138,3335,564,6355,007,5644,056,1003,220,844
Demographic characteristics20202010200019901980
Households2,641,0022,464,4172,149,7491,586,3551,261,686
Persons per household2.322.262.332.562.55
Sex Ratio92.893.893.492.190.1
Ages 0–1719.6%21.7%23.6%22.0%22.6%
Ages 18–6461.5%62.4%59.9%59.7%59.3%
Ages 65 +18.9%15.9%16.4%18.3%18.1%
Median age42.239.937.736.436.9
Population6,138,3335,564,6355,007,5644,056,1003,220,844
Economic indicators
2017–21 American Community SurveyMiami metro areaFlorida
Median income$34,644$34,367
Median household income$62,855$61,777
Poverty Rate13.6%13.1%
High school diploma86.5%89.0%
Bachelor's degree34.1%31.5%
Advanced degree13.0%11.7%
Language spoken at home20152010200019901980
English46.9%49.2%55.3%64.0%72.9%
Spanish or Spanish Creole41.6%39.7%34.6%27.8%20.2%
French or Haitian Creole5.9%5.8%4.9%3.0%1.3%
Other Languages5.5%5.3%5.3%5.1%5.7%
Nativity20152010200019901980
% population native-born60.0%61.8%65.0%71.0%76.7%
... born in the United States57.0%59.1%62.3%68.4%75.0%
... born in Puerto Rico or Island Areas1.8%1.7%1.9%2.2%1.8%
... born to American parents abroad1.2%1.1%0.8%0.9%
% population foreign-born40.0%38.2%35.0%29.0%23.3%
... born in Cuba13.0%12.0%11.5%11.3%10.6%
... born in Haiti3.7%3.5%2.9%1.8%N/A
... born in Colombia2.9%2.8%2.5%1.4%N/A
... born in Jamaica2.3%2.3%2.1%1.4%0.7%
... born in Venezuela1.6%1.2%0.7%0.3%N/A
... born in Nicaragua1.5%1.7%1.8%1.7%N/A
... born in the Dominican Republic1.2%1.1%1.0%0.5%0.2%
... born in Mexico1.1%1.1%1.0%0.5%0.2%
... born in Honduras1.1%1.1%0.9%0.4%N/A
... born in Peru1.1%1.1%0.9%0.5%N/A
... born in Brazil0.8%0.7%0.6%0.2%N/A
... born in Guatemala0.7%0.7%0.4%0.2%N/A
... born in Argentina0.7%0.6%0.5%0.3%N/A
... born in Canada0.6%0.6%0.7%0.7%0.9%
... born in Ecuador0.5%0.5%0.4%0.2%N/A
... born in El Salvador0.5%0.5%0.4%0.2%N/A
... born in India0.4%0.3%0.2%0.1%0.1%
... born in Trinidad and Tobago0.4%0.4%0.4%0.2%N/A
... born in the United Kingdom0.3%0.3%0.4%0.5%0.6%
... born in China0.3%0.2%0.1%0.1%0.1%
... born in the Philippines0.3%0.2%0.2%0.1%0.1%
... born in Italy0.2%0.2%0.3%0.3%0.5%
... born in Chile0.2%0.2%0.3%0.2%N/A
... born in the Bahamas0.2%0.2%N/A0.3%N/A
... born in Spain0.2%0.2%0.2%0.3%N/A
... born in Germany0.2%0.2%0.4%0.5%0.6%
... born in Panama0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%N/A
... born in Russia0.2%0.1%0.2%0.3%0.9%
... born in Poland0.1%0.2%0.3%0.5%0.7%
... born in Hungary0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%0.2%
... born in Austria0.1%0.1%0.2%
... born in other countries3.4%3.7%3.3%3.6%6.7%

Politics

Metropolitan Miami tends to support the Democratic party, similar to many big cities in the United States. Broward County is one of the most Democratic places in Florida. This is different from much of the rest of Florida, which often leans toward the Republican party.

Miami-Dade County has more Republican voters compared to other big city areas, partly because of its many Cuban-American residents. However, it is still mostly Democratic. Palm Beach County also strongly supports the Democratic party.

The Stephen P. Clark Government Center in Downtown Miami, headquarters of many of Miami-Dade County's government offices

Government

The area is managed by three counties and includes 107 different cities or towns. Many areas are not part of any city and are directly controlled by the county government.

Congressional districts

The Miami area includes parts of nine Congressional districts. Some lean toward the Republican party, while others support the Democratic party.

Economy

See also: List of companies based in Miami

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

In the Miami area, jobs are spread across many types of work. About 32% of people work in management or professional jobs, 30% work in sales or office jobs, and 18% work in service jobs.

Most people, about 81%, have regular jobs with companies or bosses. Some, around 12%, work for the government, and a smaller group, about 7%, work for themselves. The average amount of money a family makes in Miami is around $43,091.

Many families get money from different places. Some earn wages, some get money from Social Security, and others might get retirement money.

In 2005, many people in Miami worked in schools, hospitals, and helping services, or in professional and science jobs. Most people, about 79%, drive alone to work. Some share rides, take public transport, or use other ways to get to work. On average, it takes about 28 and a half minutes to travel to work.

GDP
(billion US$)		Population (2024)GDP per capita
(US$)
Miami-Dade County260.8372,812,14492,754
Broward County173.6512,013,68986,235
Palm Beach County140.5061,574,14889,258
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL (MSA)574.9946,399,98189,843

Culture

Miami dialect

Main article: Miami accent

In Miami-Dade County, many people speak a special way of talking called the Miami dialect. This way of speaking started with people whose families came from places like Hispanics, especially Cuban-Americans, but others who grew up there also use it. It sounds a bit like the way people talk in the Mid-Atlantic, such as in the New York area, but it also has some sounds from Spanish.

This Miami way of speaking is different from other ways people talk in Florida and nearby places. It is mostly heard in Miami-Dade County and less in Broward County and Palm Beach County.

Area codes

Main article: List of Florida area codes

The Miami metropolitan area uses several area codes for different parts of the region.

Media

Main article: Media in Miami

See also: List of radio stations in Florida

The Miami Herald's headquarters on Biscayne Bay in Downtown Miami from March 1963 until May 2013, when the building was sold to a Malaysian company for $236 million and demolished; the Miami Herald is now headquartered in Doral, about 13 miles from Downtown Miami

Miami has many newspapers. The main one is The Miami Herald, which is read by over a million people. There are also Spanish-language newspapers like El Nuevo Herald.

Miami has many TV and radio stations. Some of the TV stations include WFOR-TV for CBS, WSVN for FOX, and WTVJ for NBC. There are also separate stations for West Palm Beach.

Education

Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton

In Florida, each county is also a school district, and each one has a school board that is elected by the community. A superintendent, chosen by the school board, takes care of the everyday running of the schools.

University of Miami in Coral Gables

The Miami-Dade County Public School District is one of the biggest school districts in the country. The School District of Palm Beach County is also very large, both in Florida and across the United States. And the Broward County Public School District is another of the largest school districts in the nation.

The University of Miami is known for being one of the best private universities in the United States. As of 2023[update], Florida International University has more than 55,000 students, making it one of the largest public universities in the country.

Other colleges and universities in the Miami area include:

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in South Florida

The Miami metropolitan area has many roads to help people travel. There are five important highways called interstates. One runs north to south along the coast, and another goes east to west. Some highways connect cities like Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach.

There are also special roads called expressways that help drivers avoid traffic. These roads connect different parts of the city, such as suburbs to the downtown area.

The area has three big airports where people can fly to and from. There are also smaller airports for private planes.

Miami has important seaports where ships come and go. The biggest one is the Port of Miami, which helps bring goods in and out of the area.

Public transportation includes buses, a train called Metrorail, and a small train called Metromover that goes around downtown Miami. There is also a train called Tri-Rail that connects Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. Another train service called Brightline connects these cities and also goes to Orlando.

Julia Tuttle Causeway, which connects Miami and Miami Beach, May 2008

Roads

Major freeways and tollways

Major airports

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.

Port of Miami, the world's busiest cruise ship port, December 2007

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

Seaports

Public transportation

Miami-Dade Transit 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 23 stations on a 24.4-mile (39.3 km) track. The Downtown Miami people mover, Metromover, operates 20 stations and three lines on a 4.4-mile (7.1 km) track through the Downtown neighborhoods of the Arts & Entertainment District, the Central Business District, and Brickell. Metrobus 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. Brightline provides service to Miami, Aventura, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Central Florida's Orlando, with talks to expand to Tampa and Jacksonville.

AirportIATA codeCountyFAA Category
Miami International AirportMIAMiami-DadeLarge Hub
Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International AirportFLLBrowardLarge Hub
Palm Beach International AirportPBIPalm BeachMedium Hub
AirportIATA codeICAO codeCounty
Dade-Collier Training and Transition AirportTNTKTNTMiami-Dade
Miami Homestead General Aviation AirportMiami-Dade
Homestead Joint Air Reserve BaseHSTKHSTMiami-Dade
Miami Executive AirportTMBKTMBMiami-Dade
Miami-Opa Locka Executive AirportOPFKOPFMiami-Dade
Fort Lauderdale Executive AirportFXEKFXEBroward
North Perry AirportHWOKHWOBroward
Pompano Beach AirparkPPMKPMPBroward
North Palm Beach County General Aviation AirportPalm Beach
Palm Beach County Park AirportLNAKLNAPalm Beach
Boca Raton AirportBCTKBCTPalm Beach

Sports

Main article: Sports in Miami

See also: Florida Panthers, Inter Miami CF, Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, Miami Hurricanes, and Miami Marlins

Professional

The Miami area is home to five major league sports teams.

College sports

The most famous college sports team in the Miami area is the Miami Hurricanes from the University of Miami in Coral Gables. They play in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The University of Miami's football team has won five national titles since 1983, and its baseball team has won four national titles since 1982.

Other college teams in the area include the Florida Atlantic Owls from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, the FIU Panthers from Florida International University in University Park, the Nova Southeastern Sharks from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, and the Barry Buccaneers from Barry University in Miami Shores.

Minor league and other sports

Miami also has minor league and other sports teams. For example:

[Kaseya Center](/wiki/Kaseya_Center), home of the [Miami Heat](/wiki/Miami_Heat)

[Amerant Bank Arena](/wiki/Amerant_Bank_Arena), home of the [Florida Panthers](/wiki/Florida_Panthers)

[Flagler Credit Union Stadium](/wiki/Flagler_Credit_Union_Stadium), home of the Florida Atlantic Owls

[Pitbull Stadium](/wiki/Pitbull_Stadium), home of the FIU Panthers
Professional teamLeagueSportVenueCityEstablishedChampionships
Miami DolphinsNational Football League (NFL)FootballHard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens19652
Inter Miami CFMajor League Soccer (MLS)SoccerNu StadiumMiami (Grapeland Heights)20181
Miami HeatNational Basketball Association (NBA)BasketballKaseya CenterDowntown Miami19883
Miami MarlinsMajor League Baseball (MLB)BaseballLoanDepot ParkMiami (Little Havana)19932
Florida PanthersNational Hockey League (NHL)HockeyAmerant Bank ArenaSunrise19932
Major professional and D-I college teams (attendance > 10,000)
ClubSportLeagueVenue (Capacity)AttendanceLeague Championships
Miami DolphinsFootballNational Football LeagueHard Rock Stadium (64,767)70,035Super Bowl (2) — 1972, 1973
Miami HeatBasketballNational Basketball AssociationKaseya Center (19,600)19,710NBA Finals (3) — 2006, 2012, 2013
Miami MarlinsBaseballMajor League BaseballLoanDepot Park (36,742)21,386World Series (2) — 1997, 2003
Inter Miami CFSoccerMajor League SoccerNu Stadium (26,700)21,550MLS Cup (1) — 2025
Florida PanthersHockeyNational Hockey LeagueAmerant Bank Arena (19,250)19,250Stanley Cup (2) — 2024, 2025
Miami HurricanesFootballNCAA D-I FBS (ACC)Hard Rock Stadium (64,767)53,837National titles (5) — 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001
Florida Atlantic OwlsFootballNCAA D-1 FBS (American)Flagler Credit Union Stadium (29,571)18,948None
FIU PanthersFootballNCAA D-I FBS (CUSA)Pitbull Stadium (23,500)15,453None

Related articles

Florida
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Broward County, Florida
Palm Beach County, Florida
Miami
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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