The Great Freeze of 1894–1895 hastened Miami's growth, as the crops there were the only ones in Florida that survived. In the late 19th century, the area was known as 'Biscayne Bay Country', and reports described it as a promising wilderness and 'one of the finest building sites in Florida'. Julia Tuttle, a local citrus grower and a wealthy Cleveland native, was the original owner of the land upon which the city was built. Miami is noted as the only major city in the United States founded by a woman. As a result, the Miami area became a site of fighting in the Second Seminole War. built Fort Dallas on the banks of the Miami River as part of their development of the Florida Territory and their attempt to suppress and remove the Seminoles.

Spain (and briefly Britain) ruled Florida until it ceded it to the United States in 1821.

A Spanish mission was constructed one year later. In 1566, admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Florida's first governor, claimed the area for Spain. It is believed that the entire tribe migrated to Cuba by the mid-1700s. A village of hundreds of people, dating to 500–600 BCE, was located at the mouth of the Miami River. The Tequesta tribe occupied the Miami area for around 2,000 years before contact with Europeans. The mouth of Miami River at Brickell Key in February 2010 See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Miami In 1896, approximately 400 men gathered in the building pictured on the left and voted to incorporate Miami. Miami is sometimes colloquially referred to as The 305, Magic City, Gateway to the Americas, Gateway to Latin America, Capital of Latin America, and Vice City. Miami was named after the Miami River, derived from Mayaimi, the historic name of Lake Okeechobee and the American Indians who lived around it. after New York City with over 4 million visitors as of 2022. It is the second-most visited city in the U.S. in business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement. In 2022, Miami ranked seventh in the U.S. Miami has sometimes been called the 'Gateway to Latin America' because of the magnitude of its commercial and cultural ties to the region. Miami is the second-largest tourism hub for international visitors after New York City. PortMiami, the city's seaport, is the busiest cruise port in the world in both passenger traffic and cruise lines. Miller School of Medicine, the University of Miami's academic medical center and teaching hospital, and others engaged in health-related care and research. The Health District is home to several major University of Miami-affiliated hospital and health facilities, including Jackson Memorial Hospital, the nation's largest hospital with 1,547 beds, and the Leonard M. and is home to several large national and international companies.

ĭowntown Miami has one of the largest concentrations of international banks in the U.S. Miami is a majority-minority city with a Hispanic and Latino population of 310,472, or 70.2 percent of the city's population, as of 2020.

and the third richest globally in purchasing power. According to a 2018 UBS study of 77 world cities, Miami is the third-richest city in the U.S. Miami's metropolitan area is by far the largest urban economy in Florida, with a gross domestic product of $344.9 billion as of 2017. Miami is a major center and leader in finance, commerce, culture, arts, and international trade. with over 300 high-rises, 58 of which exceed 491 ft (150 m). Miami has the third-largest skyline in the U.S. It is the core of the much larger Miami metropolitan area, which, with a population of 6.14 million, is the second-largest metropolitan region in the Southeast and ninth-largest metropolitan region in the United States. With a population of 442,241 as of the 2020 census, it is the second-most populous city in the U.S. Miami ( / m aɪ ˈ æ m i/ my- AM-ee), officially the City of Miami, is a coastal metropolis and the seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida.

Us hispanic population density map