Overview
Florida
City is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The
population was 7,843 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population
recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 8,363.
The city lies to the west of, and is contiguous with, Homestead. Both
cities suffered catastrophic damage in August 1992, when Hurricane
Andrew struck South Florida.
The city originated as a land promotion named Detroit. There were no
buildings in the area when the first thirty families arrived in 1910,
and they had to stay in Homestead until their houses could be built. The
name was changed to Florida City when the town incorporated in 1914. It
has a small historic area, but much of the city is hotels and other
tourist facilities.
The city is at the eastern end of the only road running through the
Everglades National Park, which terminates at Flamingo. Florida City is
the southernmost city in the United States which is not on an island. It
is also the last stop on the mainland north of the Florida Keys.
Florida City is situated mostly atop a limestone ridge called the Miami
Rock Ridge that extends south from present day North Miami Beach to a
location in Everglades National Park. The ridge, consisting of Miami
Limestone, serves as the higher ground within the community. The ridge
extended from northeast to southwest across the city. The old location
of the Florida East Coast Railway track marks the approximate boundary
of the location of the limestone ridge south of Davis Parkway. The range
of elevation of the ridge is from 5 to 8 feet above sea level.
Prior to settlement, the ridge was vegetated by South Florida Slash Pine
trees, which were alternatively known as "Dade County Pine" (Pinus
elliottii var. densa). (Remnants of these pines can be seen today in
local parks and in Everglades National Park at the Long Pine Key picnic
area.) These pine rocklands were crushed by equipment and converted to
farmland during the 1900s. Tomatoes, squash, and other truck crops were
grown in the area during the winter months and packed at the Florida
City State Farmers' Market near Krome Avenue and Palm Drive, driving the
local economy throughout the 1900s.
East of the natural ridge was a broad area of marshlands surrounding the
area. Old timers of Florida City called these coastal glades the "East
Glade". This was an extension of Everglades that extended from areas
west and south of Florida City to its east. East of the East Glade,
marshlands gave way to mangrove swamp prior to reaching Biscayne Bay.
Soils in the East Glade primarily consisted of a limey soil called
Biscayne Marl.
Development schemes in the East Glade led to the construction of canals
in the early 1900s. This led to a lowering of water tables. Although
development the East Glade was not extensive prior to the 1980s,
agricultural development did occur. Potatoes were the primary crop grown
in the East Glade prior to the construction of extensive housing
developments within the areas annexed by the City of Homestead in the
late 1970s. Potatoes were mostly harvested from February to March.
Florida City was historically dissected by a slough. Sloughs were
commonly found crossing the limestone ridge at a roughly perpendicular
angle from Miami to Florida City. Florida City's slough (officially
called "Long Slough" or "Long Glade Slough") entered the city near
Redland Road and Lucy Street, and extended across the city to the
southeast to a location near today's NW 3rd Street and NW 3rd Avenue.
East of that point, the slough entered the East Glade.
Long Slough was a slow flowing body of water that originated in the
Everglades just south of the Homestead General Airport. As canals were
constructed in the 1900s, and especially the 1960s, the slough was
drained and became a low valley in the limestone ridge. Roadways (such
as Redland Road near West Homestead Elementary School, NW 6th Avenue
north of Davis Parkway, and NW 3rd Avenue about fifty feet north of NW
3rd Street) had culverts constructed under them to allow water to pass
through the slough. NW 4th Street east of NW 5th Avenue dead ended near
the approximate location where a fictional NW 4th Avenue would intersect
that street. During the late 1980s the street was constructed to reach
NW 3rd Avenue since water in the slough had been drained away.
Eventually fill was added to the slough and it was destroyed.
Extensive filling operations were conducted in Long Slough near NW 3rd
Avenue in the late 1970s. Fill was obtained as waste rock from a nearby
rock cutting operation (utilizing Key Largo Limestone, a local coral
rock) and was allowed to be dumped in the location by the landowners.
Today, this portion of Long Slough serves as a housing development.
An additional natural feature existed along Davis Parkway, extending
into the Florida City Camper Park. This feature was a live oak/tropical
hammock. The under story of the hammock was cleared for the camper park,
but much of the hammock remained undisturbed to the south of Davis
Parkway and NW 1st Road prior to the late 1970s.
Florida City today serves as the southern terminus of the Florida
Turnpike. Motels and eateries are located along US 1 prior to taking the
highway south into the Florida Keys. Along with serving as the mainland
entrance to the Florida Keys, Florida City also serves as the gateway to
the main section of Everglades National Park.