Miami

Miami is the only major U.S. city founded by a woman, Julia Tuttle, who convinced Henry Flagler to extend his Florida East Coast Railway south in the late 19th century.

Little Havana's Calle Ocho, originally a Jewish neighborhood, was transformed into a vibrant Cuban cultural heartland after 1959, becoming a global symbol of Cuban exile and resilience.

PortMiami consistently holds the title of the "Cruise Capital of the World," handling more cruise passengers than any other port globally, welcoming millions each year.

Over 60% of Miami-Dade County residents speak Spanish at home, making it the highest percentage of Spanish speakers in a major U.S. metropolitan area.

The annual Calle Ocho Music Festival in Little Havana is the largest street festival in the world, celebrating Latin American cultures with over a million attendees and multiple stages of live music.

Miami is the only major U.S. city bordered by two distinct national parks: Everglades National Park to its west and Biscayne National Park, an aquatic preserve, to its east.

The "Miami Sound" genre, pioneered by artists like Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine in the 1980s, fused Latin rhythms with pop and disco, achieving global music prominence.

The Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, a historic public swimming pool, was created in 1923 from an excavated coral rock quarry and is fed by natural spring water, making it a unique grotto-style oasis.