Fort Lauderdale

About Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, 30 miles (48 km) north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the seat of government of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth-most populous city in Florida. After Miami and Hialeah, Fort Lauderdale is the third-most populous city in the Miami metro area, which had a population of 6,166,488 in 2019.

Built in 1838 and first incorporated in 1911, Fort Lauderdale is named after a series of forts built by the United States during the Second Seminole War. The forts took their name from Major William Lauderdale (1782–1838), younger brother of Lieutenant Colonel James Lauderdale. Development of the city did not begin until 50 years after the forts were abandoned at the end of the conflict. Three forts named "Fort Lauderdale" were constructed, including the first at the fork of the New River, the second at Tarpon Bend on the New River between the present-day Colee Hammock and Rio Vista neighborhoods, and the third near the site of the Bahia Mar Marina.

Known as the "Venice of America", Fort Lauderdale has 165 miles of inland waterways across the city. In addition to tourism, Fort Lauderdale has a diversified economy including marine, manufacturing, finance, insurance, real estate, high technology, avionics/aerospace, film, and television production. The city is a popular tourist destination with an average year-round temperature of 75.5 °F (24.2 °C) and 3,000 hours of sunshine per year. Greater Fort Lauderdale, encompassing all of Broward County, hosted more than 13 million overnight visitors in 2018. Nearly four million cruise passengers annually pass through its Port Everglades, making it the world's third-busiest cruise port. With over 50,000 registered yachts and 100 marinas, Fort Lauderdale is also known as the "yachting capital of the world."

Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Fort Lauderdale weather: 7-day forecast

Source: National Weather Service (NOAA).

Live webcams in Fort Lauderdale

Webcams: Windy.com

Living in Fort Lauderdale

Median household income

$83,130

Median home value

$486,700

Median rent

$1,854/mo

Median age

42.8

Map of Fort Lauderdale

Tap any street on the map to see it in Street View below. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Fort Lauderdale Street View

Drag the image to look around and tap the arrows on the ground to move. If it says there is no imagery, tap a nearby street on the map above.

Fort Lauderdale, FL population

Fort Lauderdale had 182,760 residents in the 2020 Census.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census.

Fort Lauderdale at a glance

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Gazetteer, ZCTA), USGS GNIS, Wikidata.

Towns near Fort Lauderdale

• Lazy Lake1.1 mi N
• Wilton Manors1.3 mi N
• Franklin Park1.9 mi W
• Roosevelt Gardens2.1 mi W
• Washington Park2.3 mi W
• Boulevard Gardens2.3 mi SW
• Oakland Park2.6 mi N
• Lauderdale Lakes3.8 mi NW
• Lauderdale-by-the-Sea4.5 mi NE
• Broadview Park4.8 mi SW
• Sea Ranch Lakes5.0 mi NE
• Lauderhill5.1 mi W

Straight-line distance between town centers.

Frequently asked questions about Fort Lauderdale