Miami-Dade County Florida map — Miami-Dade combines the metropolitan corridor around Biscayne Bay, the Homestead–Florida City agricultural district, and the Everglades wetlands in one county. Population and highways are concentrated in a relatively narrow eastern strip, while conservation lands and water account for much of the remaining area.
Miami and Miami Beach are separate cities, and a trip from Homestead to the Florida Keys crosses the county line. This guide addresses those common points of confusion while placing Hialeah, Doral, Coral Gables, Kendall, and Aventura within the road network formed by I-95, SR 826, SR 836, Florida’s Turnpike, and U.S. 1.
Download the Miami-Dade County map
- Map file: County reference map
- File format: ZIP
Table of Contents
Quick Facts
- State: Florida
- County: Miami-Dade County
- County seat: Miami
- FIPS code: 12086
- Land area: 1,899.90 square miles (2020 U.S. Census basis)
- Local governments: 34 incorporated cities, towns, and villages
- Major municipalities: Miami, Hialeah, Miami Gardens, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Doral, Homestead, and Aventura
- Prominent unincorporated areas: Kendall, Westchester, Tamiami, and South Miami Heights
- Major natural features: Biscayne Bay, Atlantic coastal islands, the Everglades, and Florida Bay
- Major roads: I-95, I-75, Florida’s Turnpike, U.S. 1, U.S. 27, U.S. 41, SR 826, SR 836, and SR 997
What the Map Shows
Miami is the primary reference point on the western shore of Biscayne Bay. Miami Beach is a separate municipality on the barrier-island coast, and Key Biscayne occupies another island farther south. North Miami and Miami Gardens are north of the central city, Aventura is near the northeastern county line, and Hialeah and Miami International Airport sit west and northwest of downtown.
Doral forms a major business and residential district west of the airport, Coral Gables lies southwest of Miami, and Kendall is a large unincorporated area farther southwest. Municipal and unincorporated boundaries interlock throughout the metropolitan area, so a mailing address using “Miami” does not necessarily indicate a location inside the City of Miami. The county contains 34 municipalities as well as an extensive unincorporated service area.
Homestead and Florida City form the southern urban center, surrounded by the agricultural Redland district. Southbound U.S. 1 crosses into Monroe County toward Key Largo, while SR 9336 leads southwest to the main entrance of Everglades National Park. The two cities therefore mark the overland split between routes to the Florida Keys and routes into the Everglades.
County Layout and Location
Miami-Dade borders Broward County on the north, Collier County on the west, and Monroe County on the south and southwest, with the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Development is compressed along the Atlantic and Biscayne Bay side, then drops sharply west of the metropolitan area. The county’s Urban Development Boundary is an important dividing line between urban land and agricultural or conservation areas.
Biscayne Bay is the shallow water body between mainland Miami and coastal islands such as Miami Beach and Key Biscayne. Southern Biscayne Bay, mangrove shoreline, northern Florida Keys, and offshore reefs are protected within Biscayne National Park, which is about 95 percent water. The southeastern county may therefore look lightly labeled on a land map even though it contains a large bay-and-island landscape.
The western and southwestern county opens into the sawgrass marshes, sloughs, and mangrove waterways of the Everglades. Everglades National Park also extends into Monroe and Collier counties, so its boundary does not match the Miami-Dade line. Its Homestead main entrance and the Shark Valley entrance on U.S. 41 are reached by separate roads and do not connect to each other inside the park.
Local Context
I-95 follows the eastern metropolitan corridor south from Broward County and terminates in central Miami, where U.S. 1 becomes the principal route continuing south. SR 826, the Palmetto Expressway, makes a broad arc through the northern and western urban area and connects I-95, the Turnpike, and airport-area roads. SR 836, the Dolphin Expressway, is the main east–west link between downtown, Miami International Airport, and western suburbs; SR 112 connects the north side of the airport with I-95.
SR 821, the Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike, runs along the western suburbs toward Homestead and Florida City. U.S. 1 continues through South Dade and onward to the Florida Keys. U.S. 41, the Tamiami Trail, and U.S. 27 provide westward and northwestward routes near the Everglades, while SR 997, Krome Avenue, follows the western edge of development through agricultural areas.
Miami International Airport is inland west of the central city, whereas PortMiami is east of downtown on Dodge Island in Biscayne Bay. Trips to Miami Beach funnel onto a limited number of crossings, including the MacArthur and Julia Tuttle causeways. For commuting or evacuation, these bridges and expressway interchanges matter more than straight-line distance across the bay and canal network.
Ways to Use This Map
- Compare Miami, Miami Beach, and Key Biscayne on opposite sides of Biscayne Bay
- Place Hialeah, the airport, Doral, and Kendall within the western metropolitan corridor
- Distinguish the roles and intersections of I-95, SR 826, SR 836, and the Turnpike extension
- Follow U.S. 1 from Homestead and Florida City toward the Florida Keys
- Separate the Homestead and Shark Valley approaches to Everglades National Park
- Compare the developed east with western wetlands and the South Dade agricultural district
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Miami and Miami Beach the same city?
No. Miami is on the mainland west of Biscayne Bay, while Miami Beach is a separate city on the barrier-island coast east of the bay. Causeways connect them, but they have different municipal boundaries and street systems.
Is Key Largo in Miami-Dade County?
No. Key Largo is in Monroe County. Miami-Dade includes Key Biscayne and northern Florida Keys islands within Biscayne National Park, such as Elliott Key and Boca Chita Key, but U.S. 1 crosses the county line shortly after leaving Florida City.
Why are there so few cities and roads in western Miami-Dade?
Much of the west consists of Everglades wetlands, water-management areas, and protected land, while urban development is concentrated mainly inside the eastern Urban Development Boundary. The lightly labeled space is a core part of South Florida’s water and ecological system rather than vacant land awaiting a city grid.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts
- Miami-Dade County municipalities
- Miami-Dade Comprehensive Development Master Plan and UDB
- Miami-Dade roads, bridges, and canals
- Florida Department of Transportation I-95 exits
- National Park Service: Biscayne National Park
- National Park Service: Everglades entrances
- Greater Miami tourism bureau: South Dade
Related County Maps
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