Miami Lakes, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Miami Lakes, Florida
Town
Town Hall of Miami Lakes Miami Lakes Drive Veterans Park
Seal
Motto(s):  "Growing Beautifully"
Location in Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida
U.S. Census Bureau map showing town boundaries
Country	United States of America
State	Florida
County	Miami-Dade
Incorporated	December 5, 2000
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
Area
• Total	6.51 sq mi (16.85 km2)
• Land	5.66 sq mi (14.65 km2)
• Water	0.85 sq mi (2.20 km2)  6.73%
Elevation	3 ft (1 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	30,467
• Density	5,385.72/sq mi (2,079.43/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	33014, 33016, 33018
Area code(s)	305, 786, 645
FIPS code	12-45100
GNIS feature ID	0305161

Miami Lakes, officially called the Town of Miami Lakes, is a town in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It's part of the larger Miami metropolitan area in South Florida. In 2020, about 30,467 people lived there.

History of Miami Lakes

The town of Miami Lakes began to be built in 1962 by a company called Sengra, now known as the Graham Companies. The land used to belong to Florida state senator Ernest "Cap" Graham. The Grahams planned for it to be a 30-year project, but they are still developing parts of it today!

The first part of Miami Lakes, located east of the Palmetto Expressway, was carefully designed by Lester Collins. He created a unique layout with curving, tree-lined roads and many lakes that also curve. This is different from most nearby areas, which often have straight, treeless streets and rectangular lakes. This older part of town has local shopping centers, small parks for kids, and a main town center called Main Street.

A large part of Miami Lakes is still owned by the Graham family. This includes apartment buildings, shopping centers, office buildings, and land that hasn't been built on yet. Miami Lakes is an early example of a planning idea called New Urbanism. This means that shops and services are close enough for people to walk to from their homes. It also features narrow, walkable streets and many neighborhood parks.

Miami Lakes became an official town on December 5, 2000. It was the 31st town or city to join Miami-Dade County. Today, more than 1,100 businesses call Miami Lakes home.

The master plan for Miami Lakes started over 50 years ago. The Graham family decided to create a long-term plan for their dairy farm land. This plan allowed the town to grow and change over many decades. Lester Collins, a former dean from the Harvard School of Design, helped create this master plan. He designed a community where homes, businesses, and industrial areas would all fit together.

Former U.S. Senator Bob Graham is one of the owners of the Graham Companies. He is the younger half-brother of William "Bill" Graham, who was a leader in the family.

Geography of Miami Lakes

Miami Lakes is located about 15 miles (24 km) northwest of downtown Miami. It shares borders with the city of Hialeah to the south and west. To the east, it borders the city of Miami Gardens. The community of Country Club is to its north.

The United States Census Bureau says that Miami Lakes covers a total area of 6.5 square miles (16.8 km2). About 5.7 square miles (14.8 km2) of this is land, and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2) is water. This means about 13% of the town's area is water.

Climate in Miami Lakes

Miami Lakes has a tropical climate. This is similar to the weather found in many parts of the Caribbean. It is one of the few places in the lower 48 states that has this kind of climate. Specifically, it often has a tropical rainforest climate, which is a very warm and wet climate all year round.

Population and People

Here's how the population of Miami Lakes has grown over the years:

The table below shows the different groups of people living in Miami Lakes. Please note that "Hispanic/Latino" is an ethnic group, and people from this group can be of any race.

2020 Census Details

According to the 2020 United States census, Miami Lakes had 30,467 people. There were 10,393 households and 7,814 families living in the town.

2010 Census Details

The 2010 United States census showed that 29,361 people lived in Miami Lakes. There were 9,533 households and 7,050 families.

Economy and Businesses

Many companies have their main offices in Miami Lakes. One of the biggest is BankUnited, N.A., which is a large banking institution in the United States.

Other companies located here include:

• Potamkin Auto Group
• The Graham Companies
• Fine Art Lamps
• Pacer
• New Generation Computing
• South Florida ENT Associates
• Inktel
• Isaco International
• Safari
• 1st Financial
• American Bancshares Mortgage, LLC
• National Molding
• Lotspeich
• Oliva Cigar

Education and Schools

Miami-Dade County Public Schools manages the public schools in Miami Lakes.

K–8 Schools

• Bob Graham Education Center
• Miami Lakes K-8 Center

Middle Schools

• Miami Lakes Middle School

High Schools

• Barbara Goleman Senior High School
• Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School

Magnet Schools

• Miami Lakes Educational Center

Private Schools

• Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic School

Parks and Fun Activities

The Town of Miami Lakes has over 100 parks! These include mini parks, tot lots (small playgrounds for young children), green-ways, and trails. Some popular parks are Miami Lakes Optimist Park, Veterans Park, and Royal Oaks Park.

Transportation

Miami Lakes is served by several Miami-Dade metrobus routes. These include routes 37, 54, and 75, which help people get around town and to other areas.

Cultural Places

Veterans Memorials

Miami Lakes has a special indoor veterans memorial at the Royal Oaks Park Community Center. It's a 50-foot-long mural that combines two digital paintings of military scenes from U.S. history. It also has wood carvings, stained glass, and glass mosaics made from leaves of Miami Lakes' trees. In the center are the seals from each U.S. military branch and the POW/MIA (Prisoner of War/Missing in Action) seal. This memorial was opened on Memorial Day in 2011. The artists were Alfred Darmanin and Michelle Stecco.

Another veterans memorial, called "V is for Veterans," was revealed in front of Miami Lakes Town Hall on September 4, 2014. This artwork was created by Stephanie Jaffe Werner.

Public Libraries

• Miami Lakes Branch Library

Places of Worship

• Elevate Church
• Hope at Miami Lakes Methodist Church
• Miami Lakes United Church of Christ
• Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church

Theaters and Arts

• Main Street Players is a local theater group. They put on live plays using talented people and volunteers from the community.

Festivals and Events

Miami Lakes hosts many fun events throughout the year:

• Fourth of July Concert and Fireworks Show
• Main Street Festival of Lights
• Miami Lakes Cars for a Cure
• Miami Lakes Farmers Market
• Miami Lakes Food and Wine Festival
• Nightmare on Montrose Halloween Event
• Pumpkin Patch
• Spring Fling Easter Egg Hunt
• Veterans Day Parade; this is the longest-running Veterans Day Parade in all of Miami-Dade County.

Sports

• Miami Lakes Bandits
• Miami Lakes United Soccer Club

Media

The Miami Laker is the local newspaper for Miami Lakes and the surrounding areas in northwest Miami-Dade County.

Notable People

Many interesting people have lived in Miami Lakes, including:

See also

In Spanish: Miami Lakes para niños