Coral Springs, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Coral Springs, Florida
City
Downtown Coral Springs in January 2019
Flag Seal
Motto(s):  "Everything Under the Sun!"
Location in Broward County and the U.S. state of Florida
Coral Springs, Florida Location in Florida Show map of Florida Coral Springs, Florida Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States of America
State	Florida
County	Broward
Incorporated	July 10, 1963
Government
• Type	Commission-Manager
Area
• Total	23.99 sq mi (62.13 km2)
• Land	22.86 sq mi (59.22 km2)
• Water	1.12 sq mi (2.91 km2)
Elevation	13 ft (3 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	134,394
• Density	5,877.97/sq mi (2,269.45/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Zip Codes	33065, 33067, 33071, 33073, 33075, 33076, 33077
Area code(s)	754 and 954
FIPS code	12-14400
GNIS feature ID	0307614

Coral Springs is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Fort Lauderdale. In 2020, about 134,394 people lived there. It is a main city in the Miami metropolitan area, which is a large group of cities in South Florida.

The city was officially started on July 10, 1963. It was carefully planned and built by a company called Coral Ridge Properties. Even though it's called "Coral Springs," there are no natural springs in the city. Florida's natural springs are usually found more to the north.

During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Coral Springs grew very quickly. Over 35,000 new people moved there every ten years. The city has very strict rules for building. These rules help keep the city looking nice and unique. Coral Springs is known for being a great place to live, with low crime and a friendly environment for families.

History of Coral Springs

Coral Springs is a planned community. This means it was designed before it was built. Before it became a city in 1963, the area was mostly marshy land. A man named Henry Lyons bought this land between 1911 and 1939.

After some big floods in 1947, canals and levees were built to drain the land. This made it suitable for farming. At first, it was a bean farm, and later it was used for raising cattle.

After World War II, many people wanted to buy land in South Florida. A company called Coral Ridge Properties bought about 3,869 acres (1,566 hectares) of land in 1961. The City of Coral Springs was officially started on July 10, 1963. The company had a plan for a city with 50,000 people.

In 1964, the first building lots were sold. The famous covered bridge was built that same year to help promote the new town. The city grew bigger when more land was bought in 1965. The first city government elections were held in 1967.

Between 1970 and 2000, the city added many public schools, a large mall, shopping centers, and parks. This was because the population was growing so fast. The biggest mall, Coral Square, opened in 1984. The construction of the Sawgrass Expressway in 1986 helped the city grow even more. A museum and a theater also opened in the 1990s.

Geography and City Layout

Coral Springs is located at about 26°16′14″N 80°15′33″W. The city covers about 23.99 square miles (62.1 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

Coral Springs is surrounded by other cities. To the north is Parkland. To the east is Coconut Creek. To the southeast are Margate and North Lauderdale. To the south is Tamarac. To the west of Coral Springs are the The Everglades.

Cityscape and Buildings

Coral Springs is a spread-out city. It does not have many very tall buildings. The tallest building is a 12-story condominium. There are also a few buildings around 10 stories tall, including office buildings along University Drive. This is one of the city's main roads.

Completed in 1974, the 10-story Coral Springs Financial Plaza was the tallest building west of Interstate 95 in Broward County. The building was demolished in 2021.

The company that built Coral Springs made strict rules for how buildings and signs should look. For example, Coral Springs had one of the first McDonald's restaurants without the famous Golden Arches sign. These rules help keep the city looking neat and attractive. Because of these rules, homes in Coral Springs are usually more expensive than in other parts of the county.

The downtown area of Coral Springs is being redeveloped. This big project will add new offices, shops, and a new government center. It will also include new homes and a hotel. The city's new city hall opened in 2018. A new project called "Cornerstone Downtown Coral Springs" started construction in 2022.

The City of Coral Springs has over 50 parks. These include a water park and a skate park. They cover more than 675 acres (273 hectares). Mullins Park is the largest park in the city. There are also four natural conservation areas, with Sandy Ridge Sanctuary being the biggest.

Climate and Weather

Coral Springs has a tropical rainforest climate. This means it is warm all year round. It gets more rain from April to September. January and February are the driest months.

The hurricane season is from June to November. Hurricanes are most likely to happen in September. In 2005, Wilma passed directly over the city. This hurricane caused a lot of damage to trees in Coral Springs. A study in 2017 showed that Coral Springs is one of the U.S. cities most likely to experience coastal flooding.

People in Coral Springs

In 2020, there were 134,394 people living in Coral Springs. There were 42,504 households and 32,507 families.

The city has a diverse population. In 2020, about 36.8% of people were White (not Hispanic), 22.5% were Black or African American (not Hispanic), and 5.6% were Asian (not Hispanic). About 29.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

Economy and Jobs

Coral Square

Most adults in Coral Springs work. In 2017, about 72.6% of people aged 16 and over were working. Many people work in management, professional jobs, sales, and office jobs. Other common jobs are in service, construction, and transportation.

The main industries where people in Coral Springs work include education, health care, retail, and professional services. Most people work for private companies. Many also work for the government or are self-employed. Most people drive alone to work.

Large companies like Fiserv and Alliance Entertainment have offices in Coral Springs.

Arts and Culture in Coral Springs

The Museum of Coral Springs History started as a real estate office

The Coral Springs Center for the Arts opened in 1990. It has a large theater that shows popular performances and Broadway shows. The Coral Springs Museum of Art has exhibits and offers art classes for the community. The city also has the Northwest Regional Library, which is part of the county library system. The band New Found Glory started in Coral Springs.

The Covered Bridge was the first permanent structure in the city

The "Our Town" Festival has been held every year since 1979. It has a car show, a beauty pageant, and carnival rides. Many people visit this festival each year. A parade was added to the festival in 1985. Now, the parade is a separate event held during the Christmas season. Other festivals, like "Fiesta Coral Springs" (a Hispanic culture celebration) and the Festival of the Arts, are also held.

Coral Springs has two special Florida Heritage sites. The Coral Springs Covered Bridge was the first building in the city, built in 1964. It is the only covered bridge in Florida that is on a public road. The Covered Bridge is even shown on Coral Springs' city seal.

The Museum of Coral Springs History used to be a real estate office. It was moved several times and even used for fire department training. Now, it is a museum that shows historic items and models of the city.

Parks and Recreation

Coral Springs Youth Soccer League Game, Cypress Park

Coral Springs is a great place for sports. The NHL team, the Florida Panthers, trains here. The city has more than 25 amateur sports leagues. Coral Springs Youth Soccer has over 3,000 players on many different teams.

The Sportsplex is a large sports complex. It has a jogging path, a swimming center, tennis courts, ice rinks, and a dog park. The Florida Panthers practice at the Saveology Iceplex, which is part of the Sportsplex. The International Tennis Championships, a professional tennis tournament, was held at the Sportsplex from 1993 to 1998.

In 2017, the North Springs Little League team from Coral Springs won the U.S. southeast regional senior league championship. They even played in the championship game of the World Series, which was shown on ESPN 2!

Education in Coral Springs

Many adults in Coral Springs have a college degree. About 39.2% of adults over 25 have a bachelor's degree. Also, 91.7% of residents over 25 have finished high school.

In 2006, Coral Springs had about 29,900 students. There are three charter schools that offer both elementary and high school classes. For higher education, students can attend Barry University, Nova Southeastern University, and Broward College.

Public schools in Coral Springs are managed by the Broward County Public Schools District. There are 3 high schools, 4 middle schools, and 12 elementary schools in the city. Many of these schools have received high ratings for their performance. For example, Ramblewood Elementary School won an award for excellence in 2006.

North Broward Preparatory School has a smaller campus in Coral Springs. It has boarding facilities, a playground, and a gymnasium.

Media and News

Coral Springs is part of the large Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood media market. This means it gets news and entertainment from these bigger cities. The main daily newspapers are the South Florida-Sun Sentinel and The Miami Herald.

The city also has two local weekly newspapers: the Coral Springs Forum and Our Town News. These newspapers focus on local news and stories about people in the community. The Coral Springs Forum was started by high school students in 1971.

City Services and Transportation

Buses within Coral Springs are free. For travel to other areas, Broward County Transit provides regional bus services. The closest passenger airport is Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The closest cruise and cargo port is Port Everglades. Both are about 27 miles (43 km) southeast of Coral Springs.

The main highway in Coral Springs is the Sawgrass Expressway (State Road 869). It runs along the northern and western edges of the city. Other important roads include Atlantic Boulevard, University Drive, and Sample Road.

Coral Springs has a hospital called Coral Springs Medical Center. It has 200 beds and is highly rated for its quality of care.

The city gets its drinking water from the Biscayne Aquifer. This is the main source of water for South Florida. There are different water providers in the city. The South Florida Water Management District helps control floods and manages the water supply. Waste Pro handles trash collection. Florida Power & Light provides electricity.

Famous People from Coral Springs

Many notable people have lived in Coral Springs, including:

• Eli Abaev (born 1998), a basketball player
• Karamo Brown (born 1980), an actor and TV host
• Darius Butler (born 1986), a former NFL player
• Adam Cole (born 1989), a professional wrestler
• Walter Dix (born 1986), an Olympic bronze medalist sprinter
• Brandon Duhaime (born 1997), a professional NHL ice hockey player
• Steve Hutchinson (born 1977), a former NFL player
• Anthony Rizzo (born 1989), an MLB baseball player for the New York Yankees
• Lexi Thompson (born 1995), a professional golfer who won an LPGA tour event at age 16
• Misty May-Treanor (born 1977), an Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball

Awards and Recognitions

In 2007, Coral Springs was the first city government in the U.S. to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. This award recognizes excellent performance.

The city has also won the Florida Sterling Award for excellent administration twice, in 1997 and 2003.

Sister City

Coral Springs has a sister city relationship with Paraíso, Costa Rica.

Images for kids

• 

  Completed in 1974, the 10-story Coral Springs Financial Plaza was the tallest building west of Interstate 95 in Broward County. The building was demolished in 2021.

• Coral Square.JPG

  Coral Square

• 

  The Museum of Coral Springs History started as a real estate office

• 

  The Covered Bridge was the first permanent structure in the city

• 

  Coral Springs Youth Soccer League Game, Cypress Park

See also

In Spanish: Coral Springs (Florida) para niños