Welcome to South Florida

Welcome to beautiful South Florida, a paradise that stretches southward from sunny Palm Beach County to eclectic Key West. With some of Florida's finest beaches, unique shopping districts and a vast array of cultural opportunities, there's something for every vacationer here. Explore the elegant stores and Mediterranean Revival architecture of Palm Beach and the trendy cafés and sleek boutiques of Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. Delight in the fascinating South Beach section of Miami and chic shops and restaurants in Coconut Grove. Relax by the shining waters of the Florida Keys and revel in that funky, far-out jewel of the south, Key West.

Greater Miami & the Beaches
Glitzy, glamorous South Beach, with its trendy restaurants and fast-paced nightlife, appeals to the sophisticated traveler, while Miami also boasts some of the best family attractions in the state. The Miami Seaquarium, located near Key Biscayne, is a fully comprehensive aquarium with a dolphin tank, shark area and turtle nesting exhibits. The Seaquarium, Parrot Jungle and Coral Castle are on every visiting family's attractions list. Explore exciting theme parks, embark on scenic excursions, and marvel at first-rate museums, performing arts and evening entertainment. No visit to South Florida would be complete without a visit to the Everglades. The world-famous ecosystem borders the western half of South Florida, so just a short side trip will get you into this wonderland. You'll marvel at its vast saw grass prairies, home to an abundance of birds, wildlife, plants and trees.

Greater Fort Lauderdale Area
Broward County, with its 23 miles of golden sands, is another popular vacation spot. The spectacular beachfront promenade, ringed with palm trees, draws locals and visitors to rollerblade, cycle or stroll beside the sparkling Atlantic. With more than 300 miles of inland waterways to explore, the water taxi provides a terrific mode of transportation, as well as a relaxing way to see the sights and sounds of this prime resort city. Whether it's time for a leisurely lunch or a stint of boutique shopping, charming Las Olas Boulevard is the place to be, with its great variety of restaurants, cafés and clubs.

Palm Beach County
Situated along Florida's famous "Gold Coast," extending from Jupiter south to Boca Raton, Palm Beach County boasts near perfect temperatures year-round, breathtaking natural beauty and an abundance of cultural activities. In addition to world-class shopping, the county has several outlet malls for bargain shoppers. Area beaches showcase nature at its loveliest, and options for outdoor recreation abound. Spend a morning at an orange grove, taste homemade chocolates at a real chocolate factory or count alligators while skimming across the saw grass prairie on an airboat ride. Shop at internationally famous designer stores along Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. Dine in casual comfort or black-tie elegance at one of many fine restaurants, then take in a show, visit trendy Clematis Street in West Palm Beach or stroll Delray Beach's Atlantic Avenue.

The Florida Keys & Key West
The Keys are small islands of coral and limestone perched precariously in the endless aquamarine of the Straits of Florida and Florida Bay. Take time to appreciate the Keys' beautiful parks (above and below the water), along with some of the best sport fishing, scuba diving, boating, swimming and snorkeling in the world. The one and only road in and out of the Keys is US 1. This highway is dotted with green and white mile markers (MM) on the right shoulder. They begin with MM 127 one mile past Florida City and end with MM 0 in Key West. As you travel US 1, admiring the sparkling waters and the beautiful scenery, you'll find that the Keys live up to their glamorous reputation. Dine at a dockside restaurant, take a glassbottom boat out to the reef, relax and enjoy the tropical sun. As you travel down the Keys you'll become more relaxed, your pace will get slower, you'll linger a while . . . At the end of the continent -- the end of the line - is fabulous, funky Key West. Spend a night at one of Key West's charming bed and breakfast inns, watch the renowned Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square, and take a day trip on an historic schooner. Whatever your vacation dreams, they're sure to come true in Key West!

South Florida Municipalities

South Florida encompasses a three-county area of the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The metropolitan area covers the counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. The three counties are the three most populous in Florida. The term "South Florida" is roughly synonymous with the Gold Coast. The Principal Cities include Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. The Florida Keys are also included in the Metropolitan Area at times. Because the population of South Florida is largely confined to a strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Everglades, the Miami urbanized area (that is, the area of contiguous urban development) is about 110 miles (180 km) long (north to south), but never more than twenty miles (32 km) wide, and in some areas only five miles wide (east to west). South Florida is longer than any other urbanized area in the United States except for the New York metropolitan area. It was the eighth most densely populated urbanized area in the United States in the 2000 census. As of the 2000 census, the urbanized area had a land area of 1,116 square miles ( 2,890.7 square kilometers), with a population of 4,919,036, for a population density of 4,407.4 per square mile (1,701.7 per square kilometer). Miami and Hialeah (the second largest city in the metropolitan area) had population densities of more than 10,000 per square mile (more than 3,800 per square kilometer). The Miami Urbanized Area was the fifth largest Urbanized Area (but 7th largest metropolitan area) in the United States in the 2000 census.

The Miami metro area also includes several urban clusters (UCs) as of the 2000 Census which are not part of the Miami Urbanized Area. These are the Belle Glade UC, population 24,218, area 20,717,433 square metres and population density of 3027.6 per square mile; Key Biscayne UC, population 10,513, area 4,924,214 square metres and population density of 5529.5 per square mile; Redland UC, population 3,936, area 10,586,212 square metres and population density of 963.0 per square mile; and West Jupiter UC, population 8,998, area 24,737,176 square metres and population density of 942.1 per square mile.

In 2006, the area had an estimated 5,463,857 persons, of which 1,671,398 live in unincorporated areas. Considering that the area has an urban population of 4,919,036, only 544,821 residents live outside of the urban area, meaning that at least 1,126,577 persons live in urban unincorporated areas, but the number is actually higher.