Overview
Homestead
is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States nestled between
Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the
west.
Homestead was incorporated in 1913 and is the second oldest city in
Miami-Dade County next to the City of Miami. It is located approximately
35 miles southwest of the city of Miami, and 25 miles northeast of Key
Largo. The name originates from when the Florida East Coast Railway
extension to Key West was being built. The rail line was passing through
an area recently opened up for homesteading, and as the construction
camp at the end of the line did not have a particular name, construction
materials and supplies for the workers were consigned to "Homestead
Country", shortened to "Homestead" by the engineers who mapped the area.
As of the 2000 census the city population was 31,909. As of 2006, the
population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,767, which made it
the fastest growing city in the US for cities with populations 50,000+
with a 20.8% increase from 2005-2006.
The city of Homestead is located near the southern terminus of the
Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike where it ends at its junction
with U.S. 1. Homestead is immediately north of Florida City, and these
two cities comprise the greater Homestead-Florida City area. Some of the
notable unincorporated communities in the area are Redland, Leisure
City, Naranja, and Princeton.
Homestead is a rather small-sized city. At its greatest north-south
points - along SW 137th Avenue (Speedway Boulevard) - its city limits
extend only 4 miles - from SW 288th Street (Biscayne Drive) at the north
end to (theoretical) SW 352nd Street at the south end. At its greatest
east-west points - along SW 328th Street (North Canal Drive / Lucy
Street) - its city limits extend 6 miles - from (theoretical) SW 132nd
Avenue at the east end to SW 192nd Avenue at the west end. U.S. 1 -
known as Homestead Boulevard within the city limits - extends through a
rather narrow northeast / southwest corridor of the city from SW 304th
Street (Kings Highway) at the north end to SW 328th Street (Lucy Street)
at the south end. It is at this point at the south end that Homestead
and Florida City share a common border. (North of the north end at SW
304th Street is known as Unincorporated Miami-Dade County, but it is
locally known as the community of Leisure City).
Major east-west streets within Homestead include SW 304th Street / NE &
NW 15th Street (Kings Highway), SW 312th Street / NE & NW 8th Street
(Campbell Drive), SW 320th Street (Mowry Drive), SW 328th Street / SE &
SW 8th Street (North Canal Drive / Lucy Street), and SW 344th Street /
SE 24th Street (Palm Drive).
The original Homestead Air Force Base was once located several miles to
the northeast of Homestead, but due to annexation of formerly
unincorporated land immediately to the east and northeast of the
original city limits during the late-1990s the city and the far
southwestern perimeter of the (now) Homestead Air Reserve Base share a
common border for a small portion along SW 137th Avenue (Speedway
Boulevard).
A noteworthy tourist attraction within Leisure City is the mysterious
Coral Castle, built by a jilted lover, Edward Leedskalnin, over the
course of 28 years from 1923 to 1951. The Fruit and Spice Park is also
of interest.
Homestead bore the brunt of Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 hurricane,
which hit South Florida on August 24, 1992. The city of Homestead was
put on the map due to the sheer devastation wrought by Hurricane Andrew.
Since 2002, the city has experienced a building and housing boom due to
the scarcity of developable land elsewhere in Miami-Dade County.
The City of Homestead made history on November 6th 2007, when its
citizens elected Lynda Bell as its first female Mayor in the city's 94
year history.