Miami is a coastal city on Biscayne Bay in South Florida, the seat of Miami-Dade County and the center of a metropolitan area of more than six million people. The city itself had about 442,000 residents at the 2020 census, a large majority of them Hispanic or Latino, and its deep ties with Latin America and the Caribbean have earned it the nickname Gateway to Latin America.
Visitors come for a skyline of glass towers on the bay, the Cuban culture of Little Havana, the murals of Wynwood, the leafy streets of Coconut Grove and the museums of Downtown, as well as for warm winters and easy access to the sea. Miami Beach, with South Beach and the Art Deco District, is a separate city across the bay, and Key Biscayne and the Everglades are close by. Vacation rentals range from high-rise apartments to houses, but city zoning and building rules limit where short stays are allowed.
Brickell, the financial district just south of the Miami River, is a dense neighborhood of residential towers on the bay, with restaurants, nightlife and the free Metromover people mover. Downtown, to the north, holds Bayfront Park, the waterfront museums and the arena, as well as PortMiami, where cruise ships dock. Edgewater and Midtown, farther up the bay, have newer apartment towers close to Wynwood's galleries and murals and the Design District.
Coconut Grove, the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood of the city, is greener and quieter, with parks, marinas and Metrorail stations, and suits families and longer stays. Little Havana, west of Downtown, offers a strong neighborhood character around Calle Ocho. For beach time, many visitors stay across the bay in Miami Beach or on Key Biscayne, which are separate municipalities with their own rules, while Coral Gables, also a separate city, borders the Grove to the west.
The City of Miami treats short-term rental as a lodging use, so it is allowed only in zoning districts where lodging is permitted under the Miami 21 code. A host needs a certificate of use from the city, and the building itself must be approved for lodging; a property without that approval cannot be used for short stays. Florida also requires a vacation rental licence from the state Division of Hotels and Restaurants.
In practice, many condominium towers and homeowners' associations set their own minimum stays or ban short rentals altogether, even where zoning allows them. Miami Beach, Key Biscayne and Coral Gables are separate cities with different, often stricter, rules. Before booking, check that the property shows the required city and state numbers and confirm the current official rules for the exact address.
Little Havana, named after the Cuban capital, is a center of Cuban and wider Latin American life. Along Calle Ocho, the old Tamiami Trail, Máximo Gómez Park, known as Domino Park, draws players every day, and the neighborhood hosts the Calle Ocho Festival and the Three Kings Parade. Wynwood, a former warehouse district north of Downtown, is covered in large murals and filled with galleries and studios.
In Coconut Grove, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, the early 20th-century bayfront estate of James Deering, has Italian Renaissance-style gardens and is owned by Miami-Dade County. Downtown's Museum Park holds the Pérez Art Museum Miami and the Frost Museum of Science, next to Bayfront Park, and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts stands in Edgewater. The city's skyline, among the largest in the country, is best seen from the causeways and the water.
The City of Miami itself faces the calm waters of Biscayne Bay rather than open ocean. The nearest Atlantic beaches are on Key Biscayne, reached by the Rickenbacker Causeway from Brickell, where Crandon Park and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, with its historic lighthouse, have long sandy shores. Virginia Key, on the way, has parkland and a beach, and the causeways to Miami Beach lead to South Beach and the long Atlantic strand beyond.
West and south of the city, Everglades National Park protects the southern part of the original Everglades wetlands, with boardwalks, alligators and wading birds, and Biscayne National Park guards the bay's reefs and mangrove islands. The Florida Keys begin about an hour or more south of the city, and Overseas Highway runs all the way to Key West. Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach are within easy reach to the north.
The Tequesta people lived at the mouth of the Miami River for around 2,000 years before European contact. Spain claimed the area in 1566, and Florida passed to the United States in 1821. Miami is often described as the only major American city founded by a woman: the citrus grower Julia Tuttle persuaded Henry Flagler to extend his railroad south after the Great Freeze of 1894 to 1895, and the city was incorporated on July 28, 1896, with just over 300 residents.
Bahamian immigrants and African Americans built much of the early city. The 1920s land boom ended with the 1926 hurricane, and after the 1959 Cuban Revolution hundreds of thousands of Cubans settled here, followed by arrivals from Haiti, Central and South America. Today Spanish is heard everywhere, Cuban coffee and pastries are a daily ritual, and the city is a hub for Latin American business, music and art.
Miami International Airport (MIA), about 13 kilometers west-northwest of Downtown, is the main gateway and a major hub for flights to Latin America and the Caribbean; the Miami Intermodal Center beside it connects to Metrorail, Tri-Rail commuter trains and buses. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), to the north, is an alternative. PortMiami, on islands off Downtown, is one of the world's busiest cruise ports.
Metrorail links the airport, Downtown, Brickell, Coconut Grove and the southern suburbs, and the free Metromover loops through Downtown and Brickell. Metrobus routes cross the causeways to Miami Beach, and an intercity rail service runs from Downtown north to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando. A car helps for the Everglades and the Keys, but traffic is heavy at rush hour and parking in Brickell and Downtown can be costly.
Miami has a tropical monsoon climate with two clear seasons. From November to April the weather is warm and dry, with winter highs of about 25 to 27 °C, and this is the main visitor season. From May to October it is hot and humid, with highs in the low 30s Celsius and afternoon thundershowers on many days; most of the year's roughly 1,570 millimeters of rain falls then. Cold fronts occasionally bring a few cool nights in winter.
The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June to November, and the city is most at risk from mid-August to the end of September; about 40 percent of homes are on floodplains, and heavy rain or high tides can flood low streets. Spring, from March to May, often combines pleasant weather with fewer winter crowds. In any season, sunscreen and plenty of water are essential.
Brickell suits travelers who want a high-rise apartment with bay views, restaurants and the free Metromover. Downtown and Edgewater are central for museums and the port, Wynwood and Midtown for art and nightlife, and Coconut Grove for a greener, quieter base. For the beach, many visitors stay in Miami Beach or on Key Biscayne.
No. Miami is the mainland city on Biscayne Bay, with Downtown, Brickell, Little Havana and Coconut Grove. Miami Beach is a separate city on barrier islands across the bay, home to South Beach and the Art Deco District, linked by several causeways. Each has its own government and its own short-term rental rules.
In the City of Miami, short-term rental counts as a lodging use and is allowed only in zones that permit lodging, with a city certificate of use and a building approved for lodging. A Florida state vacation rental licence is also required, and many condo buildings ban short stays. Check the current rules for the exact address before booking.
Miami International Airport (MIA) is about 13 kilometers west-northwest of Downtown, usually around 20 to 30 minutes by car depending on traffic. Metrorail runs from the airport to Downtown and Brickell. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), farther north, is an alternative with its own road and rail links.
November to April is the dry season, with warm, sunny days and lower humidity, and it is the busiest time of year. May to October is hot, humid and stormy, and the hurricane season runs from June to November, peaking from mid-August to late September. March to May often offers good weather with fewer crowds.
Not if you stay in Brickell, Downtown or Coconut Grove, where Metrorail, the free Metromover, buses and ride-hailing cover most needs. A car is useful for the Everglades, the Florida Keys and some beaches, but rush-hour traffic is heavy and parking in the central districts can be expensive.
The City of Miami faces calm Biscayne Bay, and its nearest ocean beaches are on Key Biscayne, at Crandon Park and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, and on Virginia Key. South Beach and the other beaches of Miami Beach are just across the causeways. Swim near lifeguards and follow the warning flags.
Miami is known for its bayfront skyline, its Cuban and Latin American culture centered on Little Havana, the street art of Wynwood, its busy cruise port and international airport, warm winters and its closeness to Miami Beach, the Everglades and the Florida Keys. It is also a major center of Latin American business and music.
Researched and written with AI assistance, then fact-checked against the sources below. Last checked .