South Florida

Why are a dozen South Florida cities turning 100 at nearly the same time?

Coral Gables is among the South Florida cities celebrating its centennial this year.
Coral Gables is among the South Florida cities celebrating its centennial this year. Miami Herald file

According to historians, there’s something remarkable going on in South Florida — a dozen cities will celebrate their 100-year birthdays in 2025 and 2026.

This curious phenomenon has its roots in the land boom of the roaring ’20s, when large groups of people flocked to South Florida to purchase land and immerse themselves in what was sold to them as a “tropical paradise.”

In 1925, the cities of Boca Raton, Deerfield, Hollywood, Coral Gables, Hialeah, Gulf Stream and Jupiter would incorporate. By the following year, so would Miami Springs, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Opa-locka and Greenacres.

Read more at the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

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