Hey, Curious305: How do you know if you’re in Miami or another part of the county?
Editor’s Note: This article was inspired by questions submitted through Instagram and by Miami Herald reader Frank Squires through Curious305, our community-powered reporting series that solicits questions from readers about Miami-Dade, Broward, the Florida Keys and the rest of the Sunshine State. Submit your question here or scroll down to fill out our form.
Hey, Curious305: Is all of Miami-Dade considered Miami? And how do you know if you’re in Miami or unincorporated Miami-Dade County?
Ah, Miami. A city known for its picturesque downtown skyline, brightly colored rooster sculptures on Calle Ocho and Instagrammable Wynwood Walls.
The Magic City’s neighborhoods, including Brickell, Little Havana, Wynwood, the Miami Design District, Overtown, Little Haiti and Coconut Grove are all in Miami-Dade County. However, not everyone who lives in Miami-Dade lives in Miami, despite what your post office address says.
Miami-Dade County is made up of 34 incorporated municipalities, and Miami is one of them. The city was incorporated on July 28, 1896, and has its own mayor, city commission, police department and other city services, including garbage pickup.
The county also has unincorporated areas and neighborhoods like Westchester, Kendall and the Redland.
However, sometimes people like to cast everything in South Florida under the term “Miami,” regardless of where they are.
Here are some examples:
For years, national sports telecasters referred to Hard Rock Stadium as being in Miami. The stadium is in Miami Gardens. And in 2010, when LeBron James announced he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat, he said, “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach,” although the Miami Heat’s home, FTX Arena (then known as AmericanAirlines Arena) is in downtown Miami, not Miami Beach.
And in 2021, a Jon Bon Jovi performance that was part of President Joe Biden’s virtual inauguration ceremony had a map showing Miami although permits show he was actually singing at Dania Beach Pier in southern Broward County.
And while you might think Dolphin Mall is in Doral, it’s actually in Sweetwater.
To be fair, it can sometimes be difficult to know where you are. Maybe you’ve just moved to South Florida, have decided to venture out of your neighborhood bubble or are stuck on the border between cities or even counties. You could also be bad with directions.
You are lost. And sometimes Google is wrong.
Are you in Miami, Miami Shores or El Portal just north of 79th Street and Biscayne Boulevard? Are you in North Miami, North Miami Beach or unincorporated Miami-Dade where 163rd Street meets Biscayne Boulevard?
If you want to double-check whether an address is in unincorporated Miami-Dade or within a municipality, the county has an online map you can use. It has a variety of search options, including by address, landmark, intersection, municipality and commission district.
Type in the address and then select “Municipalities” in the Information Layer tab. Then click the blue circle on the map that is marking the location of the address. Unincorporated Miami-Dade or the name of the city, town or village the address belongs to should appear on the result panel, which should be on the left-hand side of the screen.
Now, you can look like a pro with addresses. Not only is that good to impress your friends, but it’s also good for you to know which locality to call for services.
But even with your newfound geographical expertise, let’s be honest: We’re still going to say, “I’m from Miami.”
