Miami Gardens

Miami Gardens is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, north of Miami near the border with Broward County. Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins and the Miami Hurricanes, stands in the city and has hosted several Super Bowls.

The area was farmland and pine forest until the middle of the 20th century, when suburbs were built for families moving to South Florida. Neighborhoods such as Carol City and Scott Lake grew with small houses and schools in the 1950s and 1960s. In 2003 a vote of its people joined several of these communities into one city. Many of the families who bought homes in its neighborhoods came from the Caribbean and the American South. Much of its population is African American and Caribbean American, and the city has a large Black middle class.

The Miami Open tennis tournament each spring and the Formula One Miami Grand Prix, run since 2022 on a street circuit, bring crowds from around the world to the city.

Florida Memorial University, a historically black university, has its campus in the city and traces its history to the 19th century. St. Thomas University, a Catholic university, has its campus on the west side of the city. Each spring the Jazz in the Gardens festival brings soul, jazz and hip-hop stars to the city. Miami Gardens is also the home town of the rapper Rick Ross and of many professional football players. The Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex, named after a county commissioner, has pools, sports fields and a community center.