POPULATION: 399,457 (city), 5,564,635 (metro) | TIME ZONE: Eastern | CLIMATE: Tropical monsoon climate (hot and humid summers, short, warm winters, all shaped by a sea-level elevation, coastal location and proximity to the Gulf Stream)
The name Miami comes from Mayaimi, the name for a south Florida indigenous people, and which also means "big water," referring to Lake Okeechobee where the Mayaimi lived. What is now known as the Miami River marked the beginning of a canoe trail through the Everglades to the big lake. When you get right down to it, there may be no place in the country as colorful and quirky as Miami. The city was founded by Cleveland widow Julia Tuttle. After moving to what is now Miami and becoming a citrus grower, Tuttle convinced railroad tycoon Henry Flagler to bring his rail line south, and the rest is history—a lengthy history steeped in conflict, racial tension, drug wars, frequent refugee immigration, a Spanish-speaking majority, and all kinds of nuttiness imported from across the U.S. It also happens to be the stuff of comedy, most notably provided by the likes of humorist Dave Barry and reporter/novelist Carl Hiaasen.
NICKNAME(S)
Magic City
The Gateway to the Americas
Capital of Latin America
MOTTO(S)
Delivering Excellence Every Day
RANDOM SONG ABOUT THE CITY
"Moon Over Miami," by Eddie Duchin
PRO SPORTS TEAMS
Miami Dolphins (NFL)
Miami Marlins (MLB)
Miami Heat (NBA)
Florida Panthers (NHL)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL)
Miami United FC (NPSL)
ALSO KNOWN FOR...
Cockroaches
Miami Vice
South Beach
Wolfie’s Jewish Deli
Little Havana
The first suntan lotion
The only Everglades eco-system in the world
The only major U.S. city founded by a woman
The world’s largest cruise ship port
The only U.S. city bordered by two National Parks
The world’s largest concentration of Art Deco Architecture
The Wreck Diving Capital of the Americas
Debbie Harry, Sidney Poitier, Ben Vereen, Eva Mendes, Janet Reno, William H. Macy, Andy Gracia, Philip Michael Thomas, Luther Campbell, Gloria Estefan, Dave Barry