Homestead, Florida
Homestead, Florida | ||
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Councilmembers
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• FIPS code | 12-32275[3] | |
GNIS feature ID | 0284214[2] | |
Website | www.CityOfHomestead.com |
Homestead is a city within
The city of Homestead is located near the southern terminus of the
History
In 1898, the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) planned an extension from Miami to Key West, proposing a station 30 miles south of Miami. Henry Flagler, founder of the FEC, agreed and suggested naming the station "Ingraham" after James E. Ingraham who was the vice president and land commissioner for the FEC at the time. Ingraham declined and suggested naming it "Homestead" instead, even though no one had homesteaded in the area at the time. At this time homesteading was ongoing north and northwest of the proposed station in the area that is now known as Redland.[4]
Before the Homestead station was built a railway surveyor named John S. Fredricks laid out a town site around the planned station site on land owned by the FEC. At the time, it was common to plan towns around rail stations in undeveloped areas.[4]
In July 1904, the Florida East Coast Railway opened the first station in what would later become Homestead. In October 1904, a settler and entrepreneur named William D. Horne arrived to homestead and was the first person to buy a lot at the new town site surrounding the railway. Shortly after his arrival, Mr. Horne constructed the first privately owned building in homestead & used it as a store, rooming house & post office. Today that building still stands as the historic Redland Hotel.[5]
Homestead was incorporated in 1913 and is the second oldest city in
The 1926 hurricane and real estate downturn caused many small businesses and banks in Florida to fail. A lot of people left because their homes were destroyed or flooded, and most didn't have insurance, facing hefty mortgage payments.[7]
Homestead and neighboring South
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.4 square miles (37 km2). 14.3 square miles (37 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.63%) is water.
Homestead is a small-sized city. At its greatest north–south points – along SW 137th Avenue (Speedway Boulevard) – its city limits extend only 4 miles (6 km) – 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 (10 km) – 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
A noteworthy tourist attraction within Leisure City is
Climate
Homestead experiences a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am) that borders on a tropical savanna climate (Aw). Summers are hot and humid and high temperatures average between 90° and 92 °F (32° to 33 °C). Winters are warm and dry. The all-time record high temperature is 100 °F (37.8 °C), on July 10, 2023, and August 11, 2023. Lows in summer average between 70 °F (21.1 °C) and 75 °F (23.9 °C), with low temperatures in all times of year averaging 5 degrees cooler than coastal Miami, mainly because of its inland and rural location. In winter, the area sees cold fronts bring cold weather for short periods from November to March. The lowest temperature ever recorded is 26 °F (–3 °C), on 13 December 1934, which was recorded at Homestead Air Force Base, some 10 miles east of the town. High temperatures in winter average between 68° and 80 °F (18° to 26 °C), and lows average between 57° and 64 °F (8° to 14 °C).[9] Summer is the season when most of the rain occurs. Homestead has a wet season lasting from mid-May to early October. The dry season sees some rain, with most of it coming with the passing of cold fronts. Snow flurries were reported to have been observed in the air at Homestead Air Force Base, on January 20, 1977, and marked the farthest south that snow flurries have ever been reported in the lower 48 United States.
Climate data for Homestead, Florida (Miami Homestead General Aviation Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1990–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 89 (32) |
91 (33) |
93 (34) |
97 (36) |
99 (37) |
99 (37) |
100 (38) |
100 (38) |
98 (37) |
99 (37) |
91 (33) |
90 (32) |
99 (37) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 85.0 (29.4) |
86.7 (30.4) |
89.0 (31.7) |
91.4 (33.0) |
93.4 (34.1) |
94.7 (34.8) |
95.5 (35.3) |
95.7 (35.4) |
94.0 (34.4) |
92.3 (33.5) |
87.5 (30.8) |
85.3 (29.6) |
96.5 (35.8) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 77.5 (25.3) |
79.5 (26.4) |
81.8 (27.7) |
85.5 (29.7) |
88.4 (31.3) |
90.8 (32.7) |
92.0 (33.3) |
92.1 (33.4) |
91.0 (32.8) |
87.5 (30.8) |
82.5 (28.1) |
79.2 (26.2) |
85.6 (29.8) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 66.4 (19.1) |
68.0 (20.0) |
70.4 (21.3) |
74.3 (23.5) |
78.2 (25.7) |
81.7 (27.6) |
82.9 (28.3) |
83.2 (28.4) |
82.4 (28.0) |
78.9 (26.1) |
73.0 (22.8) |
69.0 (20.6) |
75.7 (24.3) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 55.3 (12.9) |
56.6 (13.7) |
59.0 (15.0) |
63.2 (17.3) |
68.1 (20.1) |
72.7 (22.6) |
73.8 (23.2) |
74.3 (23.5) |
73.9 (23.3) |
70.4 (21.3) |
63.4 (17.4) |
58.7 (14.8) |
65.8 (18.8) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 39.6 (4.2) |
42.7 (5.9) |
46.5 (8.1) |
52.1 (11.2) |
60.9 (16.1) |
69.0 (20.6) |
70.7 (21.5) |
71.3 (21.8) |
70.5 (21.4) |
60.5 (15.8) |
51.4 (10.8) |
45.0 (7.2) |
37.4 (3.0) |
Record low °F (°C) | 30 (−1) |
33 (1) |
36 (2) |
45 (7) |
51 (11) |
63 (17) |
64 (18) |
67 (19) |
67 (19) |
45 (7) |
39 (4) |
31 (−1) |
30 (−1) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.70 (43) |
2.01 (51) |
2.05 (52) |
2.92 (74) |
5.77 (147) |
9.34 (237) |
7.14 (181) |
10.17 (258) |
8.63 (219) |
5.86 (149) |
2.34 (59) |
1.97 (50) |
59.90 (1,521) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.1 | 6.6 | 5.9 | 6.2 | 11.4 | 18.1 | 17.2 | 18.8 | 18.5 | 12.4 | 8.0 | 8.7 | 138.9 |
Source: NOAA[10][11] |
Hurricanes
In August 1992, the
When
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1910 | 261 | — | |
1920 | 1,307 | 400.8% | |
1930 | 2,319 | 77.4% | |
1940 | 3,154 | 36.0% | |
1950 | 4,573 | 45.0% | |
1960 | 9,152 | 100.1% | |
1970 | 13,674 | 49.4% | |
1980 | 20,668 | 51.1% | |
1990 | 26,866 | 30.0% | |
2000 | 31,909 | 18.8% | |
2010 | 60,512 | 89.6% | |
2020 | 80,737 | 33.4% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[16] |
Historical demographics | 2020[17] | 2010[18] | 2000[19] | 1990[20] | 1980[21] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 10.9% | 16.0% | 22.9% | 41.8% | 57.7% |
Hispanic or Latino | 68.2% | 62.9% | 51.8% | 35.3% | 16.0% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|
17.3% | 18.4% | 21.6% | 22.0% | 24.9% |
Asian and Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic)
|
1.1% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 1.3% |
Native American (non-Hispanic) | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% | |
Some other race (non-Hispanic)
|
0.6% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | |
Two or more races (non-Hispanic) | 1.8% | 1.1% | 2.6% | N/A | N/A |
Population | 80,737 | 60,512 | 31,909 | 26,866 | 20,688 |
2010 and 2020 census
Race | Pop 2010[22] | Pop 2020[23] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White (NH)
|
9,684 | 8,768 | 16.00% | 10.86% |
Black or African American (NH)
|
11,132 | 14,006 | 18.40% | 17.35% |
Alaska Native (NH)
|
77 | 65 | 0.13% | 0.08% |
Asian (NH) | 684 | 877 | 1.13% | 1.09% |
Native Hawaiian (NH)
|
64 | 39 | 0.11% | 0.05% |
Some other race (NH)
|
136 | 495 | 0.22% | 0.61% |
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 657 | 1,436 | 1.09% | 1.78% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 38,078 | 55,051 | 62.93% | 68.19% |
Total | 60,512 | 80,737 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 80,737 people, 19,392 households, and 15,601 families residing in the city.[24]
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 60,512 people, 17,397 households, and 12,278 families residing in the city.[25]
Media
The city of Homestead is served by the Miami market for local radio and television. Homestead has its own newspaper, the South Dade News Leader, which has been serving the South Dade community since 1913. The News Leader is published on Fridays.
"Inside Homestead TV" is a television program where viewers can find out about all the happenings in Homestead. Each month, a news show is released offering Homestead residents updates on local events as well as other developments throughout the region. Also, the program has in-depth interviews with the local Mayor & Council and City Staff, special events coverage, and how-to videos.
These monthly news reports vary in topic every month. For instance, the March 2015 video describes the new City Hall, education and National Parks news.[26]
Government and infrastructure
The
The United States Postal Service operates the Homestead Post Office. [32]
The
On October 11, 1957, an Air Force
Transportation
The principal roadways linking Homestead with the rest of Miami-Dade County are US 1, the Florida Turnpike and State Road 997. The Florida Turnpike has three exits (6, 5 and 2) as it runs south through eastern Homestead before eventually terminating at US 1 in Florida City. US 1 (Homestead Blvd.) runs northeast-to-southwest roughly through the middle of the city, and is the only way to continue to the Florida Keys. State Road 997 (Krome Ave.) runs north–south through the western end of Homestead and through the historic downtown district.
The City of Homestead operates two local circulator lines.
Starting in 2014 the Homestead Trolley began seasonal service to Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park. The free Homestead National Parks Trolley[36]] is offered by the City of Homestead in partnership with the National Park Service. Operating on weekends between January and April, the service is the only public transportation option available to these two parks.[37][38][39][40]
The
There are public marinas at Homestead Bayfront Park and Marina, on Biscayne Bay east of the city and adjacent to Biscayne National Park's Convoy Point Visitor Center, and at Black Point Park and Marina to the northeast. Convoy Point also has a limited number of marina slips for day visitors to dock.
Most major national car and truck rental companies have rental locations in Homestead or its immediate surroundings.
Points of interest
- ArtSouth Artist's Community at Homestead, Florida
- Biscayne National Park
- Coral Castle
- Everglades Alligator Farm
- Everglades National Park
- Showbiz Cinemas
- Fruit and Spice Park
- Homestead Bayfront Park and Marina
- Homestead General Aviation Airport
- Homestead Historic Downtown District
- Homestead Seaboard Air Line Railway Station
- Homestead Hospital Baptist Health South Florida
- Homestead Pavilion
- Homestead Championship Rodeo
- Homestead-Miami Speedway
- Homestead Sports Complex
- Homestead Air Reserve Base[41]
- Knaus Berry Farm
- Monkey Jungle
- Robert Is Here Fruit Stand and Farm
- Schnebly Redland's Winery
- Seminole Theatre
- South Dade Rail Trail
- Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station
Notable people
- NFL wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills
- Alan Campbell, actor
- Tracy Grammer, singer-songwriter
- Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Politician and lobbyist who represented Florida's 27th congressional district from 1989 to 2019.
- Southern District of Florida
- Scott Maddox, former mayor of Tallahassee, Florida
- 2019 MLB Draft#11 overall selection
- Chrissy Metz, actress and singer
- NFL defensive line backer for the New York Giants
- Lacey Sturm, former lead vocalist of rock band Flyleaf
- Tommy Tate, soul singer and songwriter
- Tom Vasel, podcaster, board game reviewer, and board game designer
- Brent Venables, University of Oklahoma head football coach
- NFL cornerback for the Green Bay Packers
- James Wiggins, former NFL safety for the Arizona Cardinals
- NBC Universal
Education
Public schools
Homestead is within the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district.
Homestead and the region are zoned to the following elementary, middle and K–8 center schools:
- Air Base K–8 Center
- Avocado Elementary School
- Campbell Drive K–8 Center
- Campbell Drive Middle School
- Coconut Palm K–8 Academy
- Gateway Environmental K–8 Learning Center
- It opened with grades Kindergarten through 4 in 2009, making it the first district-operated public school established in Homestead in a period of more than 30 years. It would add an additional grade level per year until it had 8th grade. Its cafeteria is named Croc Café after its mascot, the crocodile. Each class does a different science project each year.[42]
- Homestead Middle School
- Irving & Beatrice Peskoe K–8 Center
- Laura C. Saunders Elementary School
- Leisure City K–8 Center
- Mandarin Lakes K–8 Academy
- Miami MacArthur South
- Neva King Cooper Education
- Redland Elementary School
- Redland Middle School
- Redondo Elementary School
- School for Advanced Studies-Homestead
- South Dade Middle School (Grades 4–8)
- West Homestead Elementary School
- William A. Chapman Elementary School
- MAST (Medical Academy for Science and Technology) @ Homestead
- Somerset Academy South Homestead Middle - High
- Somerset City Arts Conservatory
Most of Homestead is zoned to
Homestead is zoned to South Dade Educational Center.[
Charter schools
Homestead also has the following charter schools:
- Keys Gate Charter School[43]
- Waterstone Charter School
- Advantage Academy of Math and Science at Waterstone
- Everglades Preparatory Academy
- ASPIRA South Youth Leadership Charter School
- Mavericks High of South Miami Dade County
- Somerset City Arts Conservatory
- Somerset Academy Charter Elementary School (South Homestead)
- Somerset Academy (Silver Palms)
- Somerset Oaks Academy
- Summerville Advantage Academy
- School for Integrated Academics and Technologies (SIATech)
Private schools
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami previously operated Sacred Heart School in Homestead.[44] It closed in 2009.[45]
Colleges and universities
Homestead is also home to
Parks and recreation
- Angelo Mistretta Park
- Audubon Park
- Biscado Park
- Blakey Park
- Camp Owaissa Bauer
- Ernestine Jackson Seymore Park
- Harris Field Park
- Homestead Air Reserve Park
- James Archer Smith Park
- JD Redd Park
- Leisure Park
- Leisure Lakes Park
- Losner Park
- Mayor Roscoe Warren Municipal Park
- Modello Wayside Park
- Musselwhite Park
- Naranja Lakes Park
- Palmland Park
- Phicol Williams Community Center
- Roby George Park
- Royal Colonial Park
- Seminole Wayside Park
- South Dade Park
- William F. Dickinson Community Center
- Wittkop Park
References
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Homestead, Florida
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ a b Grunwell, George (2005). The First 100 Years of the Homestead Post Office. Florida City: Florida Pioneer Museum Association. p. 1.
- ^ Grunwell, George (2005). The First 100 Years of the Homestead Florida Post Office. Florida City, Florida. p. 2.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - OCLC 18906834.
- ^ Grunwell, George (2005). The First 100 Years of the Homestead Post Office. Florida City: Florida Pioneer Museum Association. p. 9.
- ^ "F A Q". coralcastle.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2005. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ Weather History for Homestead retrieved August 6, 2006
- ^ "NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ Clark, Cammy (October 25, 2005). "Auto track damaged by Wilma". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ Yanez, Luisa (November 8, 2005). "Dade Hit Hardest as Death Toll Reaches 31 Across the State". Miami Herald. pp. 1B.
- ^ Iannelli, Jerry (September 15, 2017). "Homestead Migrant Farm Workers Neglected After Irma Until Activists Raise Alarm". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on October 31, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT ... - Census Bureau Table". P2 | HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ "P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT ... - Census Bureau Table". P2 | HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ "PL002: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT ... - Census Bureau Table". PL002 | HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE [73]. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ "1990 Census of Population General Population Characteristics Florida Section 1 of 2" (PDF). Florida: 1990, Part 1. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ "General Population Characteristics FLORIDA 1980 Census of Population" (PDF). 07553445v1chA-Cpt11sec1ch002.pdf. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Homestead city, Florida". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Homestead city, Florida". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2020: Homestead city, Florida". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2010: Homestead city, Florida". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "Inside Homestead TV - Homestead, FL - Official Website". www.cityofhomestead.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ "Homestead Correctional Institution Archived May 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
- ^ "Dade Correctional Institution at Homestead."
- ^ "Dade Correctional Institution Archived April 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
- ^ "FACILITIES ON JUNE 30, 2003 Archived February 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine." Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
- ^ "Government releases video showing inside of Florida facility housing undocumented children". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ "Post Office Location – HOMESTEAD Archived 2010-04-29 at the Wayback Machine." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
- ^ "Narrative Summary of Accidents Involving U.S. Nuclear Weapons 1950–1980" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. April 1981. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2010.
- ^ Homestead Trolley Archived March 23, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ City of Homestead: Homestead Trolley Bus Service Archived 2014-03-23 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 3/23/14)
- ^ [http://www.cityofhomestead.com/index.aspx?nid=357 Homestead National Parks Trolley
- ^ The City of Homestead proudly introduces its National Parks Trolley (retrieved 3/21/14)
- ^ The Miami Herald: Trolley service now lets visitors without cars to travel about Everglades and Biscayne National Parks, 1/4/14 (retrieved 3/21/14)
- ^ National Park Service (ENP): Free Homestead National Parks Trolley to Launch at January 4 Celebration, 12/31/13 (retrieved 3/21/14)
- ^ National Park Service (BNP): Celebration of the Launch of the Free Homestead Trolley to Biscayne National Park, 12/31/13 (retrieved 3/21/14)
- ^ Reserve, Air Force. "Air Force Reserve". www.afreserve.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ Mazzei, Patricia; Sampson, Hannah; McGrory, Kathleen (August 25, 2009). "On first day, a very famous visitor". Miami Herald. pp. 1B–2B. - Clipping of first and of second page.
- ^ "Keys Gate Charter School - A tuition-free public charter school". Keys Gate Charter School. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ "Sacred Heart". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami. February 17, 2004. Archived from the original on February 17, 2004. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
300 SE 1st Drive [...] Homestead, Florida 33030
- South Florida Sun Sentinel. Retrieved May 10, 2020.