Ojus, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ojus, Florida
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Location in Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida
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U.S. Census Bureau map showing CDP boundaries
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| Country |  United States of America |
| State |  Florida |
| County |  Miami-Dade |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.16 sq mi (8.18 km2) |
| • Land | 2.65 sq mi (6.86 km2) |
| • Water | 0.51 sq mi (1.32 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 19,673 |
| • Density | 7,426.58/sq mi (2,867.48/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | |
| Area code(s) | 305, 786, 645 |
| FIPS code | 12-51125 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0288066 |
Ojus is a census-designated place and formerly incorporated town in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The population was 19,673 at the 2020 census, up from 18,036 in 2010.
History
People have been living in the Ojus area for thousands of years. Paleo-Indians have been documented in South Florida dating back to over 13,000 years ago. Archaeologists have uncovered ancient sites at Arch Creek and along the Oleta River. According to archaeologist Robert Carr, although the largest Tequesta settlement was located at the mouth of the Miami River, by 750 BCE approximately 100 Native Americans routinely inhabited the local area which was just a one-hour canoe trip north of the main settlement. The Oleta River, which cuts through Ojus, was one of the Tequesta's primary "roadways" for millennia. Subsequent people, to include Seminoles, European explorers, and early settlers, would also use the Oleta River to traverse from Miami to the New River in Ft. Lauderdale.
During the late nineteenth century, settlers established farms along the Oleta River. These settlers grew peas, beans, sugar cane, and tomatoes. Seminoles set up a trading post near present-day Greynolds Park to conduct business with the Ojus settlers. In 1897, Albert Fitch named the area "Ojus" after the Seminole word for "plenty" or "lots of". After the turn of the century, rock was discovered in the area that was ideal for road building. Many of the neighborhood lakes were created during the early part of the twentieth century to support the construction of the area's infrastructure.
State representative Graham W. King lived in Ojus.
Voters initially approved the Town of Ojus on 4/12/1926 only to have this set aside by the state supreme court due to invalid boundary specifications. A second vote for incorporation was approved by voters on 8/31/1926. In 1927, the Town of Ojus was abolished by the state as a municipal government and re-established as a municipal corporation, along with other charter changes. In 1929, a court upheld the city council's refusal of the mayor's order for a charter election. Subsequently the state passed a bill calling for the abolishment of the town, which was rejected by voters. In 1931, the state abolished the Town of Ojus with voter approval on 7/15/1931. A court rescinded this on 10/26/1933 due to the outstanding debt associated with the town. The town was dissolved on 8/8/1935 after the state again abolished the town with voters approving on 8/6/1935. This time, the state was explicit regarding the handling of, and a mechanism to eliminate, the town's debt.
Two landmarks were created in the early part of the twentieth century, but only one survives. In 1925, Carl Fischer constructed the Fulford–Miami Speedway in the present-day Sky Lake neighborhood. The wooden race track was then billed as the world's fastest. It was unfortunately destroyed by the devastating 1926 hurricane. One of the region's most notable features, Greynolds Park, was established in 1936 as part of President Franklin Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) "New Deal" programs. The park was named after Mr. A.O. Greynolds, owner of the Ojus Rock Company, who donated 110 acres (45 ha) of his property in exchange for naming the park after him. Over the years, the park has expanded to include a golf course and a boathouse, and even hosted popular musical acts during the 1960s such as the Grateful Dead. Greynolds Park was declared a historic site in 1983.
On June 6, 2006, the Ojus Urban Area District (OUAD) was formed as a result of recommendations in the Ojus Charrette Report to plan for the future of the Ojus Area in response to a request for a planning report for Ojus.
In 2018, county referendum 6 narrowly failed to form a new municipality from portions of Ojus, Skylake and Highland Lakes.
Geography
Ojus is located in northeastern Miami-Dade County at 25°57′24″N 80°9′29″W / 25.95667°N 80.15806°W (25.956720, -80.157917), 15 miles (24 km) north-northeast of downtown Miami. Its northern boundary is the Broward County line. Ojus is bordered in Miami-Dade County by Aventura to the east, North Miami Beach to the south, and Ives Estates to the west, while neighboring Broward County communities are Pembroke Park to the northwest and Hallandale Beach to the north.
Interstate 95 forms the western border of the community and provides access via Exit 16 (Ives Dairy Road). U.S. Route 1 (Biscayne Boulevard) runs parallel to the eastern border, just inside the Aventura city limits.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Ojus CDP has a total area of 3.16 square miles (8.2 km2), of which 2.65 square miles (6.9 km2) are land and 0.51 square miles (1.3 km2), or 16.14%, are water. The Oleta River drains the east side of the community. Elevation ranges from 0 to 12 feet (0.0 to 3.7 m) above sea level.
It is in the Eastern Standard Time Zone.
Surrounding areas
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1980 | 17,344 | — | |
| 1990 | 15,519 | −10.5% | |
| 2000 | 16,642 | 7.2% | |
| 2010 | 18,036 | 8.4% | |
| 2020 | 19,673 | 9.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White (NH) | 7,772 | 6,737 | 43.09% | 34.24% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,611 | 1,544 | 8.93% | 7.85% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 4 | 9 | 0.02% | 0.05% |
| Asian (NH) | 364 | 397 | 2.02% | 2.02% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 6 | 0 | 0.05% | 0.00% |
| Some other race (NH) | 76 | 172 | 0.42% | 0.87% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 221 | 630 | 1.23% | 3.20% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7,979 | 10,184 | 44.24% | 51.77% |
| Total | 18,036 | 19,673 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,673 people, 6,690 households, and 4,257 families residing in the CDP.
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 18,036 people, 6,263 households, and 4,138 families residing in the CDP.
Education
Miami-Dade County Public Schools operates public schools. Ojus Elementary School is in Ojus. Students are zoned to Krop High School.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami operates Catholic schools. St. Lawrence K-8 School is in Ojus.
Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day School is in Ojus.
See also
In Spanish: Ojus (Florida) para niños
