51 Miami Beach Facts That Will Make You Want To Go There

Blessed with fine beaches of white sand lapped by pristine turquoise waters, Miami Beach in Florida is nothing short of paradise on Earth.

Whether you like spending your holidays relaxing on the beach, undertaking adventurous water sports, trying mouth-watering cuisines, partying, or enjoying the incredible nightlife, Miami Beach is the place you ought to be! This exquisite holiday destination located in Florida City is not only a place of ethereal beauty, but also home to some of the world's greatest archaeological sites.

Miami Beach is one of the most riveting places to visit in Florida, United States. Located in Miami-Dade County, 4 mi (6.4 km) from the city of Miami, Miami Beach attracts millions of tourists every year from all over the world.

Miami Beach lies on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean in the east and Biscayne Bay in the west. Due to its close proximity to the ocean, Miami Beach never gets too hot and enjoys a warm subtropical climate with warm, dry winters and rainy summers.

History Of Miami Beach

The Miami Beach region has more history to it than you would think, let's explore some of these unbelievable Miami beach facts!

The site of Miami Beach used to be a mangrove swamp back in 1912, which the growers tried to make into a coconut plantation but had better luck with producing an avocado grove.

James Lummus, John S. Collins, and Carl Fisher came together to look after the real estate development of Miami Beach and built a bridge across the bay.

In 1915, the city was integrated, named as Ocean Beach. It was later renamed Miami Beach in 1916.

The Miami Beach strip was often referred to as Alton Beach even after its incorporation.

The territory includes Palm, Hibiscus, and Star Islands, the Sunset Islands, a major portion of Normandy Isle, and all of the Venetian Islands leaving out Belle Isle.

Innumerable migrants came to South Florida during the economic expansion post World War II, which significantly increased the population of Miami Beach.

The Miami Metropolitan area or Greater Miami, which includes the counties of Palm Beach, Miami - Dade, and Broward is 11 times larger than the city of Miami Beach, making Miami the seventh most populated state in the United States.

Once a swamp area, Miami Beach has now become one of the most highly visited places not just in Florida but in the world as well.

The city of Miami is the only American city that was established by a woman called Julia Tuttle.

Julia Tuttle, a local businesswoman, encouraged developers to extend the new Florida East Coast Railroad to the city of Miami and the first train arrived in the year 1896.

The city of Miami derives its name from the native tribes of the region who were called 'Mayaimi' and inhabited the place in the early 1600 and 1700s.

The American word Mayaimi translates to big water. Hence, it is also believed that Miami was named after the Miami River.

Encompassing an area of around 15.22 sq mi (39.4 sq km), almost 7.53 mi (12 km) of Miami Beach is just water.

The number of tourists that Miami welcomes each year is more than 14 million.

The population of Miami Beach is dominated by Hispanics and Latinos, closely followed by Cubans and other Central American races.

Little Havana in Miami is home to many Cuban immigrants who have brought with them their Latin-American heritage.

Tourism In Miami Beach

Spending a memorable time in Miami Beach, the world's most visited tourist attraction, must surely be on everybody's bucket list! Visit Flamingo Park, age-old museums, soak up all the sun in this beautiful tropical city and enjoy the city's vibrant atmosphere with over 800+ Art déco buildings. This tourist town has rows of hotels, fitting all ranges of budgets.

In the whole of the United States of America, Miami Beach is the only location that remains warm even in the winter season.

Miami, also known as the 'Magic City', is the cruise capital of the world.

Founded in 1985, Miami Beach is home to the Miami City Ballet.

Under the able direction of Michael Tilson Thomas, the New World Symphony Orchestra is based in Miami Beach.

Miami Beach is a common location to find a lot of actors and actresses from Hollywood. Miami Beach is the birthplace of actresses like Robin Sherwood and Cristy Joy.

People in Miami Beach heavily rely on bicycles and public transport. They are an essential part of the city life in Miami.

The city of Miami is the only city in the United States to be bordered by two different national parks, namely the Everglades National Park on the west and the Biscayne National Park on the east.

The world's largest collection of Art déco architecture is in Miami, Florida.

The Flamingo Park and Museum, Collin/Washington Avenues, Espanola Way are historic districts that make up the Art déco District of Miami, Florida.

Movies like 'The Birdcage' and 'Scarface' featured Ocean Drive in Miami's Art déco District.

One of the largest art shows in the US, Art Basel Miami Beach, hosts film fests, parties, music events, and exhibitions.

The White Party, Aqua Girl, Winter Part, Miami Gay, and Lesbian Film Festival are some of the LGBTQIA+ events held in Miami Beach.

The Vizcaya Museum is a top tourist attraction in Miami, displaying artworks that are over 2000 years old.

Miami Beach has lost treasures buried inside. Pirates like Blackbeard and Gasparilla are believed to have dropped a lot of treasure here, which have been discovered by many visitors both on and off the land.

There is a lot of diversity in and around Miami. The place is estimated to have over 150 ethnicities, and the inhabitants speak over 60 languages.

Located south of Miami Beach, Fisher Island is a 216 ac (87.4 ha) island with the highest average annual income.

Miami Beach is the center of suntan invention.

Copperstone was the first sunscreen that was invented in Miami by Benjamin Green.

Palm Beach is one of the most luxurious spots to visit while traveling to Miami and is just a few miles from South Beach.

South Beach became popular after the TV show 'Miami Vice'. Before gaining popularity, the area had a very high crime rate.

Miami Beach is a true paradise for scuba divers with over 50 different wreck sites to explore under the emerald waters and gorgeous sunshine.

Despite English being the official language, Spanish is the most spoken language in Miami Beach.

According to Miami's official meteorological history, the city has witnessed snowfall only once, and that took place on January 19, 1977.

Ironically, Miami, the Sunshine City, is renowned for having the largest snow skiing clubs in the United States of America.

Miami is also a stargazer's paradise owing to its clean environment, which makes it one of the best locations for stargazing.

The city is popular as a retirement zone with 16% of the population over the age of 65 years.

Miami is also the birthplace of the fast-food joint Burger King, founded in 1954 in the city.

Elevation And Tidal Flooding

Also known as South Beach, Miami Beach is the city's only strip of sand, and interestingly enough, this dazzling beach island is also man-made. The South Beach strip was created mainly by Fisher by dredging Biscayne Bay.

The elevation of this man-made hotspot is vital to its existence as its shorelines are extremely susceptible to erosion by the ocean water and have to be regularly replenished with pristine new sand from the Bahamas and other Caribbean beaches.

Due to Miami's location, it's highly prone to hurricanes and tropical storms.

During the annual king tides, South Beach experiences sunny day flooding.

A study organized by the University of Miami revealed that tidal flooding became more common during the mid-'00s suggesting that the use of traditional flood mitigation techniques such as sea walls and dykes may not work in Florida due to the state's porous nature.

In response to the effects of climate change, some areas of southern Florida, such as Miami Beach, are planning on implementing various projects aimed at protecting themselves from rising sea levels. Some of these include the construction of taller sea walls and raising road levels.

Some of the streets and sidewalks in the area were raised about 2.5 ft (0.76 m) above the previous levels.

The pumps that were used to raise the streets were only capable of pumping about 4000 gals (15141.6 l) of water per minute.

The lands in Miami are about 6-9 ft (1.82-2.74 m) above sea level. Hence, it's not possible for houses on Miami Beach to have basements.

The entire city is only at an average of 4.4 ft (13.4 m) above sea level.

Miami is an adventurous city with a truckload of activities to engage in. It's famous for its trade and commerce, garment industry, and pharmaceuticals.

The tourist town also has a rich history of tradition and culture besides the non-stop nightlife that the city enjoys. Needless to mention that the city earns its major share of the revenue from the hospitality and tourism industry, which has flourished by leaps and bounds over the years.

FAQs

Q. What is Miami Beach known for?

A. Apart from its sugar icing shores of white sandy beaches, Miami is known for its delicious cuisine, warm climate, amazing nightlife, globally acclaimed art galleries, and Latin-American influences.

Q. Is Miami Beach a fake beach?

A. Miami Beach is man-made. The Miami shoreline is susceptible to erosion by the ocean water and has to be regularly replenished with pristine new sand from the Bahamas and other Caribbean beaches.

Q. How do you get to Miami Beach?

A. If you are traveling internationally, the closest airport to Miami Beach is the Miami International Airport (MIA) which is nearly 13 mi (21 km) west of Miami Beach.

You can also reach Miami Beach via taxis, trolleys, tri rails, and metro rails. The Miami-Dade Transit also runs the Metrobus, which covers around 95 bus routes throughout the Miami-Dade County.

Q. What county is North Miami Beach FL in?

A. The North Miami Beach FL is in Miami-Dade County, which is located in the south-eastern part of Florida, U.S.

Q. How far is Key West from Miami Beach?

A. Key West is around 169 mi (270 km) from Miami Beach. It takes four hours to reach by car.

Q. How far is Hollywood Beach from Miami Beach?

A. The distance between Hollywood Beach and Miami Beach is nearly 24 mi (38.6 km) and takes almost 40-minutes by car.

Q. What is there to do in Miami Beach at night?

A. You can enjoy the nightlife, go stargazing or explore the cuisine of the place at night. There are a plethora of things to choose from.