History of Miami in Timeline

Miami is a major coastal city in Florida, and the second-most populous city proper in the state. Its metropolitan area is the third-largest in the Southeastern United States with approximately 6.46 million residents. Known for its impressive skyline of over 300 high-rises, Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County.

1900: Miami Population

In the 1900 census, Miami's population was 1,681.

February 3, 1917: Record Low Temperature

On February 3, 1917, Miami recorded its historical low temperature of 27 °F (-2.8 °C).

1922: Coral Way Built

In 1922, Coral Way, a historic residential neighborhood, was built between Downtown and Coral Gables.

1925: Coconut Grove Annexed into Miami

In 1925, Coconut Grove was annexed into Miami. Coconut grove was settled in 1825.

1925: Tornado in Miami

In 1925, Miami was struck by a tornado.

1926: 1926 Miami Hurricane

In 1926, the Miami Hurricane slowed Miami's development.

1940: Miami Population

By 1940, Miami's population increased to 172,172 residents due to World War II.

July 21, 1942: Record High Temperature

On July 21, 1942, Miami recorded its historical high temperature of 100 °F (38 °C).

1950: Miami Population

In the 1950 census, Miami's population was 249,276, making it Florida's largest city.

1956: Start of Rainfall Observation

From 1956 to 1997, the date summer began in Miami ranged from April 16 to June 3.

1959: Cuban Revolution

Following the Cuban Revolution in 1959, many wealthy Cubans sought refuge in Miami, increasing the city's population.

1970: Miami Population

By the 1970 census, Miami's population reached 334,859.

1970: Population Demographics

In 1970, Miami's population was 45.3% Hispanic, 32.9% non-Hispanic White, and 22.7% Black.

1972: Miami's National Profile Expanded

In 1972, Miami hosted both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, and the Miami Dolphins had their undefeated season.

January 19, 1977: Snow Flurries

On January 19, 1977, snow flurries fell in some parts of Miami.

1978: Inauguration of Calle Ocho Festival

In 1978, the Calle Ocho Festival, the largest Latin music festival in the country, was established in Miami.

1985: First Cuban-born Mayor

In 1985, Miami elected its first Cuban-born mayor, Xavier Suarez.

1988: Presidential Election

In the 2024 presidential election in Florida, Miami-Dade county was won by a republican candidate for the first time since 1988.

December 1989: Coldest Daytime Maximum Temperature

In December 1989, during the December 1989 United States cold wave, Miami's coldest daytime maximum temperature on record was 45 °F (7 °C).

1990: Peak Black Population

In 1990, Miami's non-Hispanic Black population peaked at almost 90,000, nearly a quarter of the city's population.

1996: Establishment of Miami Jewish Film Festival

In 1996, the Miami Jewish Film Festival (MJFF) was established as an annual event held in January, showcasing films related to Jewish history and culture.

1997: End of Rainfall Observation

From 1956 to 1997, the date summer ended in Miami ranged from September 24 to November 1.

1997: Tornado in Miami

In 1997, Miami was struck by a tornado.

2000: Non-Hispanic White Population

At the time of the 2000 census, the non-Hispanic White population reached a nadir of 11.8%.

2000: Miami Population

By the time of the 2000 census, Miami's population stood at 362,470.

2000: Population Demographics

From 1970 to 2000, non-Hispanic White Miamians left and significant immigration from Latin America, particularly Cuba, made up the balance.

2001: Miami Government Bankruptcy

In 2001, the local government of Miami went bankrupt, marking a significant financial crisis for the city.

2002: Gubernatorial Election

In the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election, Ron DeSantis won Miami-Dade county for the first time for a Republican candidate since 2002.

2003: Miami Hosts Free Trade Area of the Americas Negotiations

In 2003, Miami served as the host city for the Free Trade Area of the Americas negotiations, highlighting its significance in international business and trade.

2005: Bahamian Immigrants' Contribution

In 2005, Shell-Weiss noted that Bahamian immigrants were critical to Miami's construction and service workforce during the city's early decades.

2007: Miami identified as having the rudest drivers

In 2007, Miami was identified as having the rudest drivers in the United States, marking the second consecutive year it received this citation in a poll commissioned by AutoVantage.

2007: Housing Market Crash and Foreclosure Crisis

In 2007, the housing market crash led to a foreclosure crisis in the Miami area, impacting neighborhoods throughout the region.

September 2008: Student Enrollment in Miami-Dade County Public Schools

In September 2008, Miami-Dade County Public Schools had a student enrollment of 385,655 and over 392 schools and centers, making it the largest school district in Florida and the fourth-largest in the United States.

2009: Univision announces new production studio

In 2009, Univision announced its plans to build a new production studio in Miami, named Univision Studios, which would be headquartered in Miami and produce content for all of Univision Communications' television networks.

2010: Non-Hispanic White Population

At the time of the 2010 census, the non-Hispanic White population grew to 11.9%.

2010: Miami Population

From 2000 to 2010, Miami's population grew by 10.2% and reached 399,457 in 2010.

2010: American and Arab Ancestry in Miami

In 2010, 1.9% of Miami's population considered themselves to be of only American ancestry (regardless of race or ethnicity), while 0.5% were of Arab ancestry.

2010: Origin of City Residents

In 2010, 34.4% of city residents were of Cuban origin, 15.8% had a Central American background (7.2% Nicaraguan, 5.8% Honduran, 1.2% Salvadoran, and 1.0% Guatemalan), 8.7% were of South American descent (3.2% Colombian, 1.4% Venezuelan, 1.2% Peruvian, 1.2% Argentine, 1.0% Chilean and 0.7% Ecuadorian), 4.0% had other Hispanic or Latino origins (0.5% Spaniard), 3.2% descended from Puerto Ricans, 2.4% were Dominican, and 1.5% had Mexican ancestry.

2010: Graduation Numbers from Miami's Largest Colleges

In 2010, Miami's four largest colleges and universities (Miami Dade College, Florida International University, University of Miami, and Barry University) graduated 28,000 students.

2010: Miami ranked as 44th-most bike-friendly city in the U.S.

In 2010, according to Bicycling Magazine, Miami was ranked as the 44th-most bike-friendly city in the U.S.

2010: Completion of the Miami Intermodal Center

In 2010, the Miami Intermodal Center, a large transportation hub servicing various modes of transport near Miami International Airport, was completed and began serving approximately 150,000 commuters and travelers.

2010: Asian Ancestry in Miami's Population

In 2010, the population of Miami included Asian ancestry, with 1.0% of the city's residents identifying as such. This group was further broken down into Indian/Indo-Caribbean (0.3%), Chinese/Chinese Caribbean (0.3%), Filipino (0.2%), other Asian (0.1%), Japanese (0.1%), Korean (0.1%), and Vietnamese (0.0%).

November 2011: Opening of New Norwegian Seamen's Church

In November 2011, Crown Princess of Norway Mette-Marit opened a new building for the Norwegian Seamen's Church in Miami. The church was built as a center for Scandinavians living in Florida.

2011: Miami ranked eighth-most walkable city

A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Miami as the eighth-most walkable of the 50 largest cities in the U.S.

2011: Telemundo's Original Programming Filmed in Miami

In 2011, 85% of Telemundo's original programming was filmed in Miami, solidifying the city's role as a major television production center, especially for Spanish-language media.

2012: Phase I of MiamiCentral Station completed

In 2012, Phase I of the MiamiCentral Station was completed.

2012: Expected Completion of MiamiCentral Station

In 2012, the MiamiCentral Station was originally expected to be completed, with the intention of moving Amtrak operations to a centralized location. However, it experienced several delays.

2012: Poverty Rate Ranking in Miami

In the 2012 census, Miami had the fourth-highest percentage of family incomes below the federal poverty line out of all large cities in the United States.

2013: Gross Metropolitan Product of Miami

In 2013, Miami had a Gross Metropolitan Product of $257 billion, ranking 11th in the United States and 20th worldwide.

2013: The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald Relocate

In 2013, The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald, Miami's major newspapers, relocated from Downtown Miami to Doral.

2014: Religious Affiliations in Miami

In 2014, a Pew Research Center study indicated that Christianity was the most practiced religion in Miami (68%), followed by Judaism (9%). Other religions had smaller followings, and 21% of the population identified with atheism or no organized religious affiliation.

2014: Opening of the Port of Miami Tunnel

In 2014, the Port of Miami Tunnel opened, connecting the MacArthur Causeway to PortMiami, improving access and traffic flow to the port.

2014: MiamiCentral Station completion delayed

In 2014, the expected completion date of the MiamiCentral Station was pushed back to late 2014 after experiencing several delays.

2015: U.S. Census Findings

According to the U.S. census between 2015 and 2019, Miami lacks in terms of owner-occupied housing, computer and internet usage, education of bachelor's degree or higher, median household income, per capita income, while having a higher percentage of persons in poverty.

2015: Households without a car

In 2015, 19.9% of city of Miami households were without a car.

2015: Miami Hosts Formula E Race

In 2015, Miami hosted a one-off Formula E race, adding to its history of hosting professional auto races.

2015: Completion of the Tri-Rail part of Phase II of MiamiCentral Station

In 2015, the Tri-Rail component of Phase II of the MiamiCentral Station was completed.

2015: MiamiCentral Station completion further delayed

In early 2015, the completion of the MiamiCentral Station was once again pushed back after previous delays.

2016: Closure of Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School

Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School, located within the Miami city limits, closed in 2016.

2016: Miami's Ranking in Foreign Tourism

In 2016, Miami attracted the second-highest number of foreign tourists of any city in the United States, after New York City.

2016: Commuting Statistics in Miami

In 2016, according to the American Community Survey, 72.3% of Miami residents commuted by driving alone, 8.7% carpooled, 9% used public transportation, 3.7% walked, 1.8% used other forms of transport, and 4.5% worked from home. The percentage of households without a car decreased from 19.9% to 18.6%. The average was 1.24 cars per household.

2016: Presidential Election

In the 2016 presidential election, there was a 21-point shift to the right from 2016 to 2020.

2017: Cruise Passengers and Cargo at PortMiami

In 2017, PortMiami served 5,340,559 cruise passengers and imported 9,162,340 tons of cargo, maintaining its status as a leading cruise and cargo port.

2017: Visitors and Economic Impact in Miami

In 2017, more than 15.9 million visitors arrived in Miami, adding $26.1 billion to the economy, highlighting the significant impact of tourism.

2017: ParkScore Ranking of Miami's Park System

In its 2017 ParkScore ranking, The Trust for Public Land reported that the park system in the City of Miami was the 48th best park system among the 100 most populous U.S. cities.

2018: UBS Study of Richest Cities

According to a 2018 UBS study, Miami was the third-richest city in the U.S. and globally in purchasing power.

2018: Downtown Population Growth

Between 2010 and 2018, the downtown population of Miami grew nearly 40%.

2019: Miami Open Moved to Hard Rock Stadium

In 2019, the Miami Open, an annual tennis tournament, was moved to Hard Rock Stadium after being purchased by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.

2020: Climate Change Risk

According to a 2020 report by Resources for the Future, Miami is one of the most at-risk cities globally due to climate change.

2020: Miami's Ranking as a World City

According to the 2020 Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) ranking, Miami is considered a Beta + level world city.

2020: Miami's Hispanic Population

As of 2020, 70.2 percent of Miami's population identified as Hispanic and Latino.

2020: Opening of Miami's First Boat-In Movie Theater

In 2020, Miami's first boat-in movie theater opened, offering a unique cinematic experience.

2020: ParkScore Ranking of Miami's Park System

In its 2020 ParkScore ranking, The Trust for Public Land reported that the park system in the City of Miami was the 64th best park system among the 100 most populous U.S. cities.

2020: Non-Hispanic Black Population

In the 2020 census, Miami's non-Hispanic Black population was 52,447, only 11.7% of the population.

2020: Presidential Election Shift in Miami-Dade County

The 2020 presidential election marked a turning point in Miami-Dade County, with Trump making substantial gains among Hispanic voters. Trump only lost the city by 19 points, a 21-point shift to the right from 2016.

2021: Miami-Dade Homeless Count

In 2021, the homeless count in Miami city limits registered 555 unsheltered homeless people.

2022: Miami-Dade Homeless Count

In 2022, a Point-In-Time Homeless Count reported 3,440 homeless individuals in Miami-Dade County, with 970 living on the streets.

2022: Citadel Relocates Headquarters to Miami

In 2022, hedge fund Citadel LLC and market maker Citadel Securities relocated their headquarters from Chicago to Miami.

2022: Miami Visitors

In 2022, the Miami metropolitan area was the second-most visited in the U.S. with over four million visitors.

2022: Florida Gubernatorial Election

In the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election, Ron DeSantis won Miami-Dade county for the first time for a Republican candidate since 2002.

2023: Miami's GDP

In 2023, Miami's metropolitan area had a gross domestic product of $533.674 billion, making it the largest urban economy in Florida.

July 2024: Miami Hosted the 2024 Copa América final

In July 2024, Miami hosted the Copa América final.

2024: Population Estimates

According to the U.S Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates, Miami-dade county continues to experience steady growth, driven largely by domestic migration and ongoing international immigration.

2024: Presidential Election in Florida

In the 2024 presidential election in Florida, Trump won Miami-Dade county by eleven points and losing the city by less than a point. This was the first time a Republican candidate had won Miami-Dade County since 1988.

2025: Film Awards at Miami Jewish Film Festival

As of 2025, the Miami Jewish Film Festival awards a number of film awards: Critics Jury Prize, Next Wave Jury Prize, Kadima Jury Prize, Torchbearer Award, Emerging Filmmaker Award, and the Audience Awards for Best Narrative Film, Documentary Film, and Short Film.