Miramar, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miramar, Florida
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| Motto(s):
Beauty and Progress
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Florida |
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| County | Broward | |
| Incorporated | May 26, 1955 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Commission-Manager | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 31.08 sq mi (80.50 km2) | |
| • Land | 28.85 sq mi (74.73 km2) | |
| • Water | 2.23 sq mi (5.77 km2) 5.66% | |
| Elevation | 9 ft (2 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 134,721 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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138,319 | |
| • Rank | 201st in the United States 14th in Florida |
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| • Density | 4,756.60/sq mi (1,836.32/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP codes |
33023, 33025, 33027, 33029
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| Area code(s) | 754, 954 | |
| FIPS code | 12-45975 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0286974 | |
Miramar is a city located in southern Broward County, Florida, in the United States. It is a suburb of the large Miami metropolitan area. In 2020, about 134,721 people lived there. This makes Miramar the fourth-largest city in Broward County. It is also the 14th-largest city in all of Florida.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
History of Miramar, Florida
Miramar was started by a person named A.L. Mailman. He wanted to create a "bedroom community". This means a place where people live and sleep, but work in nearby cities like Miami or Fort Lauderdale. Mailman bought the land for Miramar in 1953.
He built 56 simple homes with concrete and flat roofs. These homes were cheap, and the land was also affordable. Because of this, the homes sold very quickly. That's how the city of Miramar began to grow.
Founding and Early Days
The city officially became a city on May 26, 1955. It was named after a place called Miramar in Havana, Cuba. Mailman had a summer home there. In Spanish, "Miramar" means "look at the sea."
When it first became a city, less than 200 people lived in Miramar. The city was about 2.9 square miles. Its first mayor, Robert Gordon, and the city council were sworn in on June 20, 1955. Mayor Gordon is known for giving the city its name. The city's motto, "Beauty and Progress," is written on its official seal.
H.D. Perry Sr. was also very important to Miramar's early history. He sold the land to Mailman. Mr. Perry was a kind person who helped the community a lot. Schools and parks in Miramar are named after his family. He even taught farm life lessons to the city's young people.
Growth and Development
When Miramar was new, there were only a few main roads. U.S. 441 was a two-lane road. Hallandale Beach Boulevard and Pembroke Road were also important. Pembroke Road was just a dirt road back then.
The city leaders wanted Miramar to grow in an organized way. In 1972, they made a plan for how the land should be used. This helped the city develop smoothly. Even today, about two-thirds of the land inside the city limits is still undeveloped.
Geography of Miramar
Miramar is a city in Florida. It covers a total area of about 81 square kilometers (31.08 square miles). Most of this area, about 76.5 square kilometers (28.85 square miles), is land. The rest, about 4.6 square kilometers (2.23 square miles), is water.
A study in 2017 showed that Miramar is one of the cities most at risk from coastal flooding. About 93,000 people in the city live in areas that could flood.
Neighboring Cities
Miramar shares its borders with several other cities:
- To the north: Pembroke Pines
- To the northeast: Hollywood
- To the east: West Park
- To the south: Miami-Dade County
Population and People
Miramar has grown a lot over the years. Here's how its population has changed:
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 5,485 | — | |
| 1970 | 23,997 | 337.5% | |
| 1980 | 32,813 | 36.7% | |
| 1990 | 40,663 | 23.9% | |
| 2000 | 72,739 | 78.9% | |
| 2010 | 122,041 | 67.8% | |
| 2020 | 134,721 | 10.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 138,319 | 13.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1960–1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2023 |
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Miramar is a very diverse city. Many different cultures and languages are part of its community. In 2020, about 41% of the people were Hispanic or Latino. Another 41% were Black or African American. About 8% were White, and 5.7% were Asian.
Many people in Miramar speak more than one language at home. In 2020, about 53% of people spoke English. About 31.7% spoke Spanish, and 9.2% spoke French or Haitian Creole. Many people living in Miramar were born in other countries. In 2020, about 38.7% of the population was born outside the U.S. Many came from countries like Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and Colombia.
Economy and Jobs
Several important companies have their main offices in Miramar. Spirit Airlines moved its headquarters here in 1999. Other companies like JL Audio and Arise Virtual Solutions are also based in the city.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a large office in Miramar. This building is very modern and designed to be energy-efficient. It is named after two FBI agents who died in a shootout in 1986. The FBI office moved to Miramar in 2014.
Top Employers in Miramar
Many people in Miramar work for large companies. Here are some of the biggest employers in the city, based on a 2016 report:
| # | Employer | # of employees | Percentage of total city employment |
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| 1 | Comcast of South Florida | 1530 | 4.30% |
| 2 | Strayer University | 1401 | 3.94% |
| 3 | Royal Caribbean Cruises | 1174 | 3.31% |
| 4 | Memorial Hospital Miramar | 1147 | 3.23% |
| 5 | City of Miramar | 1059 | 2.98% |
| 6 | Humana Medical Plans | 887 | 2.49% |
| 7 | Interactive Response Technologies/iQor | 707 | 1.99% |
| 8 | Spirit Airlines | 622 | 1.75% |
| 9 | Carnival | 583 | 1.64% |
| 10 | Quest Diagnostics | 472 | 1.33% |
Fun Places and Landmarks
Miramar has several cool places for residents and visitors to enjoy.
Miramar Cultural Center and ArtsPark
This center is a place where people can celebrate art and different cultures. It's located right next to City Hall. The center has lots of free parking and is easy to get to.
Miramar Branch Library Education Center
The library has over 80,000 items, including books, movies, and video games. You can find games for PlayStation, Xbox, and Wii. The library also has a large room for events, study rooms, and many public computers.
Miramar Regional Park Amphitheater
This is an outdoor concert venue where live shows and entertainment take place. It can hold 5,000 people, with 3,000 seats under a covered roof and 2,000 on a grassy area. It's also used for filming movies and TV shows.
Education in Miramar
Miramar's public schools are part of Broward County Public Schools.
Public Schools
- Elementary schools
- Coconut Palm Elementary School
- Coral Cove Elementary School
- Dolphin Bay Elementary School
- Fairway Elementary School
- Miramar Elementary School
- Sea Castle Elementary School
- Silver Lakes Elementary School
- Silver Shores Elementary School
- Sunset Lakes Elementary School
- Sunshine Elementary School
- Middle schools
- New Renaissance Middle School
- Glades Middle School
- Silver Trail Middle School (in Pembroke Pines)
- K–8 schools
- Annabel C. Perry K–8
- High schools
- Everglades High School
- Miramar High School
- Alternative schools
- Henry D. Perry Education Center
Charter Schools
- Somerset Academy Miramar Elementary Charter School
- Somerset Academy Central Miramar Elementary Charter School
- Somerset Academy Miramar Middle Charter School
- Somerset Academy Central Miramar Middle Charter School
- Somerset Academy Central Miramar High Charter School
Private Schools
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami runs Catholic schools. Saint Bartholomew Catholic School is in Miramar. Saint Stephen Catholic School opened in 1956 but closed in 2009.
Colleges and Universities
Miramar also has several colleges and universities:
- DeVry University
- Chamberlain College of Nursing
- University of Phoenix
- Strayer University
- Le Cordon Bleu
- Broward College (Miramar Town Center and Miramar West Center)
- Florida International University (Miramar West Center)
- Nova Southeastern University (Miramar Campus)
- University of Florida (MBA) (South Florida Campus)
Media and News
Miramar is part of the large Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood media market. This means people in Miramar get their news and entertainment from the same TV and radio stations as those in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
The main daily newspapers are the South Florida-Sun Sentinel and The Miami Herald. There are also Spanish-language versions, El Sentinel and El Nuevo Herald. Some TV stations, like WTVJ (NBC) and WSCV (Telemundo), have their studios and offices in Miramar.
Famous People from Miramar
Many well-known people have lived in or are from Miramar, including:
- Shawn Barry, a soccer player
- Jon Beason, an NFL football player
- Ato Bolden, an Olympic track and field medalist
- Johnny Depp, a famous actor
- Jason Derulo, a popular singer
- Geno Smith, an NFL football player
Images for kids
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A neighborhood view in Miramar, Florida.
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Map showing Miramar's location in Florida.
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The official seal of the City of Miramar.
See also
In Spanish: Miramar (Florida) para niños
