Overview
Fort
Lauderdale, known as the "Venice of America" due to its expansive and
intricate canal system, is a city in Broward County, Florida, United
States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 152,397. The city
is also sometimes referred to as "Fort Liquordale" because of its
beaches, many bars, nightclubs, strip clubs, and overall party
atmosphere. According to the 2004 U.S. Census Bureau's Estimates, the
city grew to 164,578. Annexation of unincorporated areas in 2005 has
boosted the city population to 170,823. It is the county seat of Broward
County, and forms a part of the South Florida metropolitan area.
Government
Fort Lauderdale has a Commission-Manager form of government. City
policy is set by a city commission of five elected members; the mayor
and four district commission members. Administrative functions are
performed by a City manager, who is appointed by the city commission.
Mayors of Fort Lauderdale
The mayor of Fort Lauderdale serves a three-year term, no greater than
six consecutive terms, for a total of eighteen years. The current mayor,
Jim Naugle, will be ineligible for reelection in 2009.
1991 - present Jim Naugle
1988 - 1991 Robert Cox
1975 - 1981 E. Clay Shaw, Jr.
1973 - 1975 Virginia Young
1965 Cy Young
1956 - 1959 Porter G. Reynolds
1954 C. M. Carlisle
1953 Lewis E. Moore
1926 J.W. "Jack" Tidball
1911 - William H. Marshall (first mayor)
Geography
Fort Lauderdale is known for its extensive network of canals, and is
an especially popular destination for fishing and yachting.
The city of Fort Lauderdale is adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, and
includes several miles of beachfront. borders the following
municipalities on its outside borders:
On its east:
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
Sea Ranch Lakes
On its south:
Hollywood
Dania Beach
On its southwest:
Davie
On its west:
Plantation
Lauderhill
Lauderdale Lakes
On its northwest:
North Lauderdale
On its north:
Pompano Beach
The northwesternmost section of Fort Lauderdale is separate from the
remainder of the city, except for the Cypress Creek Canal as it flows
under I-95. This section of Fort Lauderdale borders the cities of
Tamarac and Oakland Park on its south side.
Oakland Park also borders Fort Lauderdale on the west side of its
northeastern portion. The greater portion of Fort Lauderdale in the
south is bordered, along its north side by Wilton Manors.
History
The first inhabitants of the land were Seminole Indians who arrived
in the 18th century. During the Second Seminole War, Major William
Lauderdale led his Tennessee Volunteers into the area and raised New
River Fort on the site of the modern city in 1838. In 1893, a young
Ohioan named Frank Stranahan arrived and built a house that served as
the first trading post, post office, bank and town hall of the area. The
house was built near the site of the New River Fort and still stands
today as a museum. Fort Lauderdale was officially incorporated as a town
in 1911 and began as a predominantly agricultural community, raising
dairy cows and citrus groves. The city and its surrounding suburbs have
experienced tremendous growth following the end of World War II.
In one of the city's worst traffic disasters, on March 17, 1993, an
Amtrak passenger train collided with a loaded Hess gasoline truck at the
Cypress Creek Road crossing of the CSX Railroad track in north Fort
Lauderdale. The truck was unable to move due to heavy rush hour traffic.
The collision and fire killed the truck driver and as well as five
motorists that were stopped at the crossing. Nobody on the train was
seriously injured. Downtown Fort Lauderdale suffered extensive damage
from Hurricane Wilma on October 24, 2005.
Economy
Intersection of Las Olas and A1A. Fort Lauderdale beach, once
notoriously crowded during Spring Break, still attracts a large number
of seasonal touristsFort Lauderdale's economy is heavily reliant on
tourism. During the 1970s, the city was known as a spring break
destination for college students; since the 1980s, police have cracked
down on underage drinking and other illicit activity, and the tourist
dollars have been largely redirected toward cruise ships and other
nautical recreation. In the last few years however, Fort Lauderdale has
welcomed back spring breakers with open arms, due in part to the large
infusion of cash for the local economy they provide. Police for their
part have kept problems to a minimum, and the scene is nowhere near the
anarchy of the 1970s and 1980s crowds. Today the entertainment district
runs West to East along Las Olas Boulevard, from the heart of downtown
to the beach. The district is anchored in the West by the Broward Center
for the Performing Arts, and runs through the city to arrive at the
intersection of Las Olas and A1A. This intersection is the "ground zero"
of Fort Lauderdale Beach, and is the site of the "Elbo Room" bar
featured in the 1960's film Where the Boys Are, which led in large
measure to the city's former reputation as a spring break mecca.
Fort Lauderdale is a major manufacturing and maintenance center for
yachts. The boating industry is responsible for over 100,000 jobs in the
area. With its many canals, and proximity to the Bahamas and Caribbean,
it is also a popular yachting vacation stop. The boating industry is in
transition as high land cost are forcing marinas to sell and relocate
out of the area. Addtionally, the number of boat slips are declining as
marinas are more actively seeking the large mega-yachts.
Fort Lauderdale skyline, featuring Las Olas River House, completed in
2004The downtown area, especially around Las Olas Boulevard, has seen
dramatic growth in the past decade, and now hosts many new hotels and
high-rise condominium developments. Other improvements include a wide
array of new boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants as well as
upgrades to Lockhart Stadium (to attract marquee sporting events).
Several large companies are based in the Fort Lauderdale area including:
AutoNation USA, Citrix Systems, DHL Express, Spirit Airlines, One Model
Place, and National Beverage Corp. Due to its proximity to Miami, Fort
Lauderdale is emerging as a location for Latin American headquarters for
companies such as Microsoft.
Transportation
Local transportation includes Broward County Transit (BCT), which is
the county bus system. BCT provides for connections with the bus systems
in other parts of the metropolitan area: Metrobus in Miami-Dade County
and Palm Tran in Palm Beach County. Tri-Rail, a commuter rail system,
connects the major cities and airports of South Florida. Broward County
voters may soon be asked to approve a 1-cent tax to fund transportation
projects such as light rail and expanding the the bus system.
Two railroads pass through Fort Lauderdale, Florida East Coast Railroad
(FEC) and CSX Systems. Amtrak provides services to other cities on the
Atlantic coast.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the city's main
airport (although it is located in neighboring city Dania Beach) and is
one of the fastest growing airports in the country. Fort
Lauderdale-Hollywood is an emerging international gateway for the
Caribbean and Latin America. Fort Lauderdale is also served by Miami
International Airport and Palm Beach International Airport.
Fort Lauderdale is also home to one of the ten largest general aviation
airports in the country, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
Fort Lauderdale is served by Port Everglades, the nation's 2nd busiest
cruise port. It is Florida's deepest port, and is an integral petroleum
receiving point.
Broward County is served by three Major Interstates (I-75, I-95, I-595)
and some U.S. Highways including U.S. Route 1, US 27 and US 441. It is
also served by State Highway 869, also known as the Sawgrass Expressway.
Sports
The Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League play at
BankAtlantic Center in suburban Sunrise, Florida.
The Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball and the Miami Dolphins play
at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is 17 miles
southwest of Fort Lauderdale.
The Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association play at American
Airlines Arena in downtown Miami, located 23 miles south of Fort
Lauderdale.
The Baltimore Orioles conduct Spring training in the city at Fort
Lauderdale Stadium.
International Swimming Hall of Fame is located at Fort Lauderdale Beach.
South Florida also hosts the college sports teams of Florida Atlantic
University, Florida International University, Nova Southeastern
University, and University of Miami.
Sites of interest
Bonnet House Museum and Tropical Gardens
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale Stadium
Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop, a large indoor/outdoor flea market with the
Thunderbird Drive-In Movie Theatre.
Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
Jungle Queen Riverboats
Las Olas Boulevard
Las Olas Riverfront, known locally as "Riverfront."
Las Olas Riverwalk, a landscaped promenade along New River. (Locally
known as "Riverwalk.")
Lockhart Stadium
Metropolitan Community Church of Fort Lauderdale, locally known as the
"Sunshine Cathedral".
Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale has hosted popular exhibits such as King
Tut and Princess Diana.
Museum of Discovery and Science
Old Fort Lauderdale Village & Museum
Port Everglades
Stranahan House, the oldest house in Broward County.
Education
The Fort Lauderdale area is served by several institutions of higher
learning:
Broward Community College
Nova Southeastern University, a four year university that offers
graduate programs in law, osteopathic medicine, dentistry and business.
Florida Atlantic University
Florida International University
Fort Lauderdale's public education is served by Broward County Public
Schools, the 5th largest school district in the nation. Public high
schools that serve Fort Lauderdale are:
Boyd H. Anderson High School
Dillard High School
Fort Lauderdale High School
Northeast High School
Stranahan High School
Fort Lauderdale is also served by several private schools:
Pine Crest School
Cardinal Gibbons
Westminster Academy
St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Fort Lauderdale)
Demographics
As space becomes increasingly unavailable in and around Fort
Lauderdale, high-rises are springing up in formerly single family and
light industrial areas. This rapid development faces intense opposition
from many longtime residents.As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were
152,397 people, 68,468 households, and 33,001 families residing in the
city. The population density was 1,854.4/km� (4,803.1/mi�). There were
80,862 housing units at an average density of 984.0/km� (2,548.5/mi�).
The racial makeup of the city was 64.27% White, 28.88% African American,
0.23% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.76% from
other races, and 3.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any
race were 9.45% of the population.
There were 68,468 households out of which 19.6% had children under the
age of 18 living with them, 32.2% were married couples living together,
11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.8% were
non-families. 40.3% of all households were made up of individuals and
11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The
average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of
18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and
15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years.
For every 100 females there were 110.0 males. For every 100 females age
18 and over, there were 111.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,887, and the
median income for a family was $46,175. Males had a median income of
$34,478 versus $27,230 for females. The per capita income for the city
was $27,798. About 13.8% of families and 17.7% of the population were
below the poverty line, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 11.1%
of those age 65 or over.
Fort Lauderdale is a popular location for gay and lesbian residents and
visitors. In the last decade many gays and lesbians have moved to the
city in rather large numbers. Fort Lauderdale is also home to the
International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association.
Media
Fort Lauderdale is served by two English-language newspapers, the
South Florida Sun Sentinel and The Miami Herald, as well as two
Spanish-language newspapers El Sentinel and El Nuevo Herald. The
Sun-Sentinel is Fort Lauderdale's primary newspaper with over a million
subscribers focusing mainly on issues that affect the Fort Lauderdale
and Broward County area. The newspaper also has several news bureaus,
including one in Cuba.
Fort Lauderdale is a part of the Miami media market, which is the 12th
largest radio market and the 17th largest television market in the
United States. Television stations serving the Miami area include WAMI (Telefutura),
WBFS (UPN), WBZL (The WB), WFOR (CBS), WHFT (TBN), WLTV (Univision),
WPLG (ABC), WPXM (i), WSCV (Telemundo), WSVN (FOX), WTVJ (NBC), WPBT
(PBS), and WLRN (also PBS).