History of Miami in Timeline

Miami is a coastal city located in South Florida, serving as the county seat of Miami-Dade County. As the core of a metropolitan area of over 6 million people, it's the second-largest metro area in the Southeast and ninth-largest in the U.S. With over 440,000 residents, it is Florida's second most populous city. Miami is also known for its impressive skyline, boasting over 300 high-rise buildings.

1900: Miami population in 1900

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

February 3, 1917: Record low temperature in Miami on February 3, 1917

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

1922: Construction of Coral Way in 1922

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

1925: Tornado in Miami in 1925

A tornado struck Miami in 1925, which are generally uncommon in the area.

1925: Annexation of Coconut Grove into Miami in 1925

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

1926: 1926 Miami Hurricane

The 1926 Miami Hurricane slowed down Miami's development.

1940: Miami's population in 1940

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

July 21, 1942: Record high temperature in Miami on July 21, 1942

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

1950: Miami population in 1950

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

1956: Start date of summer based on rainfall from 1956

From 1956 to 1997, the start date of summer ranged from April 16 to June 3.

1959: Cuban refugees after the 1959 Revolution

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

1970: Racial demographics of Miami in 1970

In 1970, the Census Bureau reported Miami's population as 45.3% Hispanic, 32.9% non-Hispanic White, and 22.7% Black.

1970: Miami population in 1970

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

1972: Miami hosted national conventions in 1972

In 1972, Miami hosted both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions during the Presidential election year. In the same year, the Miami Dolphins had their undefeated season.

January 19, 1977: Snow flurries in Miami on January 19, 1977

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

1985: Miami elected its first Cuban-born mayor in 1985

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

1988: Republican won Miami-Dade County

In 2024 it was the first time a Republican candidate had won Miami-Dade County since 1988.

December 1989: Coldest daytime maximum temperature in December 1989

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

1990: Peak non-Hispanic Black population in 1990

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

1991: Coldest maximum temperature average between 1991

The coldest maximum temperature average between 1991 and 2020 stood at 59 °F (15 °C).

1997: Tornado in Miami in 1997

A tornado struck Miami in 1997, which are generally uncommon in the area.

1997: End date of summer based on rainfall from 1997

From 1956 to 1997, the end date of summer ranged from September 24 to November 1.

2000: Nadir of non-Hispanic White population in 2000

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

2000: Miami population in 2000

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

2000: Population Growth Stagnant From 1970 to 2000.

From 1970 to 2000, population growth in Miami was stagnant.

2000: Miami's population growth from 2000 to 2010

From 2000 to 2010, Miami's population grew by 10.2%.

2001: Miami Government Bankruptcy

In 2001, Miami became one of the very few cities in the U.S. where the local government has gone bankrupt.

2002: Republican Candidate Won County

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

2003: Free Trade Area of the Americas negotiations

In 2003, Miami was the host city of the Free Trade Area of the Americas negotiations.

2007: Miami's Rudest Drivers

In 2007, Miami was identified as having the rudest drivers in the United States, the second year in a row to have been cited, in a poll commissioned by automobile club AutoVantage.

2007: Housing Market Crash

The housing market crash of 2007 caused a foreclosure crisis in the Miami area.

September 2008: Public School Enrollment

In September 2008, Miami-Dade County Public Schools had a student enrollment of 385,655 and over 392 schools and centers.

2009: Univision Announces New Production Studio

In 2009, Univision announced plans to build a new production studio in Miami, dubbed Univision Studios.

2010: Non-Hispanic White population in 2010

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

2010: American and Arab ancestries in 2010

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

2010: Breakdown of city residents origin in 2010

In 2010, 34.4% of city residents were of Cuban origin, 15.8% had a Central American background, 8.7% were of South American descent, 4.0% had other Hispanic or Latino origins, 3.2% descended from Puerto Ricans, 2.4% were Dominican, and 1.5% had Mexican ancestry.

2010: City residents origin in 2010

In 2010, 5.6% of city residents were West Indian or Afro-Caribbean American, 3.0% were Black Hispanics, and 0.4% were Subsaharan African.

2010: Miami Ranked Bike-Friendly

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

2010: Miami population in 2010

In 2010, Miami's population reached 399,457.

2010: College Graduates

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

2010: City Residents European ancestry in 2010

In 2010, those of (non-Hispanic white) European ancestry were 11.9% of Miami's population. Of the city's total population, 1.7% were German, 1.6% Italian, 1.4% Irish, 1.0% English, 0.8% French, 0.6% Russian, and 0.5% were Polish.

2010: Miami Intermodal Center Completed

Miami Intermodal Center was completed in 2010, and is serving about 150,000 commuters and travelers in the Miami area.

November 2011: Opening of new Norwegian Seamen's church building in November 2011

In November 2011, Crown Princess of Norway Mette-Marit opened a new building for the Norwegian Seamen's church in Miami.

2011: Miami Walkability Ranking

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

2011: Telemundo Filming in Miami

In 2011, 85% of Telemundo's original programming was filmed in Miami, making it a major television production center and the most important city in the United States for Spanish-language media.

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2012: Poverty Levels 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.

2012: Phase I of MiamiCentral Station completed

Phase I of MiamiCentral Station was completed in 2012.

2012: Miami Central Station completion delayed

The Miami Central Station was expected to be completed by 2012, but experienced several delays.

2013: Gross Metropolitan Product

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

2013: Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald Relocate

In 2013, The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald, Miami's main newspapers, left their longtime home in Downtown Miami and moved to Doral.

2014: Port of Miami Tunnel Opened

In 2014, the Port of Miami Tunnel opened, connecting the MacArthur Causeway to PortMiami.

2014: Miami Central Station Completion Date Pushed Back

In 2014, the completion of the Miami Central Station was pushed back to early 2015.

2014: Religion in Miami in 2014

In a 2014 Pew Research Center study, Christianity was the most-practiced religion in Miami (68%), followed by Judaism (9%).

2015: Miami Lacking

According to the U.S. census between 2015–2019, 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 cars

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

2015: Tri-Rail part of Phase II was completed

In 2015, the Tri-Rail part of Phase II was completed but the construction of the Amtrak part remains delayed.

2015: Miami Central Station Completion Date Pushed Back Again

In early 2015, the completion of the Miami Central Station was pushed back again.

2016: Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School Closure

Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School was in the Miami city limits until its closure in 2016.

2016: Tourism in Miami

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

2016: Transportation Statistics

In the 2016 American Community Survey, 72.3% of working city of Miami residents commuted by driving alone, 8.7% carpooled, 9% used public transportation, and 3.7% walked. About 1.8% used all other forms of transportation, and 4.5% worked at home.

2016: Shift to the right

In the 2016 presidential election, Miami shifted 21 points to the right, leading to substantial gains for Trump among Hispanic voters.

2017: ParkScore Ranking

In 2017 the City of Miami was ranked as having the 48th best park system among the 100 most populous U.S. cities according to the ParkScore ranking by The Trust for Public Land.

2017: Miami's GDP in 2017

In 2017, Miami's metropolitan area had a gross domestic product of $344.9 billion, making it the largest urban economy in Florida.

2017: Visitors in Miami

In 2017, More than 15.9 million visitors arrived in Miami, adding $26.1 billion to the economy.

2017: PortMiami Statistics

In 2017, PortMiami served 5,340,559 cruise passengers and imported 9,162,340 tons of cargo.

2018: Downtown population growth between 2010 and 2018

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

2018: Miami's ranking in a 2018 UBS study

In a 2018 UBS study of 77 world cities, Miami was the third-richest city in the U.S. and the third-richest globally in purchasing power.

2019: Miami Open Moved

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: Miami at risk according to a 2020 report

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

2020: Hispanic and Latino population of Miami in 2020

As of 2020, Miami had a Hispanic and Latino population of 310,472, which is 70.2 percent of the city's population.

2020: Miami population as of the 2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Miami's population was 442,241, making it the second-most populous city in Florida, after Jacksonville.

2020: Miami a Beta + level world city

In 2020, Miami was ranked as a Beta + level world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC). The ranking was based on the level of presence of global corporate service organizations.

2020: First boat-in movie theater opened

In 2020, Miami's first boat-in movie theater opened.

2020: ParkScore Ranking

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

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

2020: Presidential Election

The 2020 presidential election marked a turning point, with Trump making substantial gains among Hispanic voters, especially within the Cuban-American community. Trump only lost the county by seven points and lost the city by 19 points.

2020: Coldest maximum temperature average between 2020

The coldest maximum temperature average between 1991 and 2020 stood at 59 °F (15 °C).

2021: Unsheltered homeless people in Miami in 2021

In the city limits of Miami, there were 555 unsheltered homeless people on the streets in 2021. In 2022 this number increased.

2022: Miami metropolitan area visitors in 2022

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

2022: Homeless count in Miami-Dade County in 2022

In a 2022 Point-In-Time Homeless Count, there were 3,440 homeless people in Miami-Dade County, 970 of whom were on the streets.

2022: Gubernatorial Election

In the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election, Ron DeSantis won the county for the first time for a Republican candidate since 2002 and only lost the city of Miami by one-and-a-half points.