Hialeah, Florida

History

The city's name is most commonly attributed to Muskogee origin, "Haiyakpo" (prairie) and "hili" (pretty) combining in "Hialeah" to mean "pretty prairie". Alternatively, the word is of Seminole origin meaning "Upland Prairie". The city is located upon a large prairie between Biscayne Bay and the Everglades.

This "high prairie" caught the eye of pioneer aviator Glenn Curtiss and Missouri cattleman James H. Bright in 1921. Together, they developed not only the town of Hialeah but also Hialeah Park Race Track. In 1921, the first plat was drawn up, and the town was named.

In the early "Roaring '20s", Hialeah produced significant entertainment contributions. Sporting included the Spanish sport of jai alai and greyhound racing, and media included silent movies like D.W. Griffith's The White Rose which was made at the Miami Movie Studios located in Hialeah. However, the 1926 Miami hurricane brought many of these activities to an end.

In the years since its incorporation in 1925, many historical events and people have been associated with Hialeah. The opening of the horse racing course at Hialeah Park Race Track in 1925 (which was nicknamed the "Grand Dame") received more coverage in the Miami media than any other sporting event in the history of Dade County up to that time and since then there have been countless horse racing histories played out at the world-famous 220 acre park. It was considered one of the most grand thoroughbred horse racing parks with its majestic Mediterranean style architecture and was considered the Jewel of Hialeah at the time.

The park's grandeur has attracted millions, included among them are names known around the world such as the Kennedy family, Harry Truman, General Omar Bradley, Winston Churchill, and J.P. Morgan. The Hialeah Park Race Track also holds the dual distinction of being an Audubon Bird Sanctuary due to its famous pink flamingos and being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The famous aviator Amelia Earhart in 1937 said her final good-byes to the continental U.S. from Hialeah as she left on her ill-fated flight around the world in 1937.

While Hialeah was once envisioned as a playground for the elite, Cuban exiles fleeing Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, as well as World War II veterans and city planners, transformed the city into a working-class community. Hialeah historian Patricia Fernández-Kelly explained, "It became an affordable Eden." She further describes the city as "a place where different groups have left their imprint while trying to create a sample of what life should be like." Several waves of Cuban exiles, starting after the Cuban Revolution in 1959 and continuing through to the Freedom Flights from 1965 to 1973, the Mariel boatlift in 1980, and the Balseros or boat people of the late 1990s, created what at least one expert has considered the most economically successful immigrant enclave in U.S. history as Hialeah is the only American industrial city that continues to grow.

From a population of 1,500 in 1925, Hialeah has grown faster than most of the 10 larger cities in the state of Florida since the 1960s and holds the rank of Florida's sixth-largest city, with more than 224,000 residents. The city is also one of the largest employers in Dade County.

In January 2009, Forbes magazine listed Hialeah as one of the most "boring" cities in the United States; Forbes defined this by low media presence in the city.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.7 sqmi. 19.2 sqmi of it is land and 0.5 sqmi of it (2.53%) is water.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, Hialeah has a tropical monsoon climate (Am).

|Jan avg record high F = 84.2 |Feb avg record high F = 86.4 |Mar avg record high F = 88.7 |Apr avg record high F = 90.7 |May avg record high F = 92.9 |Jun avg record high F = 93.7 |Jul avg record high F = 94.9 |Aug avg record high F = 94.3 |Sep avg record high F = 93.0 |Oct avg record high F = 91.5 |Nov avg record high F = 87.4 |Dec avg record high F = 85.5 |year avg record high F = 96.2

|Jan avg record low F = 44.8 |Feb avg record low F = 48.0 |Mar avg record low F = 52.0 |Apr avg record low F = 58.9 |May avg record low F = 65.4 |Jun avg record low F = 70.3 |Jul avg record low F = 71.2 |Aug avg record low F = 71.5 |Sep avg record low F = 71.4 |Oct avg record low F = 63.9 |Nov avg record low F = 55.3 |Dec avg record low F = 48.7 |year avg record low F = 41.9

|Jan record high F = 89 |Feb record high F = 96 |Mar record high F = 98 |Apr record high F = 96 |May record high F = 99 |Jun record high F = 99 |Jul record high F = 100 |Aug record high F = 99 |Sep record high F = 97 |Oct record high F = 97 |Nov record high F = 92 |Dec record high F = 90 |year record high F = |Jan record low F = 28 |Feb record low F = 30 |Mar record low F = 32 |Apr record low F = 38 |May record low F = 44 |Jun record low F = 52 |Jul record low F = 62 |Aug record low F = 57 |Sep record low F = 55 |Oct record low F = 45 |Nov record low F = 37 |Dec record low F = 29 |year record low F = | archive-date = May 20, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230520212446/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=mfl | url-status = dead

Surrounding areas

: Miami Lakes, Opa-locka : Unincorporated Miami-Dade County [[File:Up arrow left.svg|20px]] [[File:Up-1.svg|32px]] [[File:Up arrow right.svg|20px]] Westview : Hialeah Gardens, Medley, Miami Springs [[File:Left.svg|29px]] [[File:Right.svg|30px]] Westview, West Little River, Gladeview, Brownsville : Miami Springs [[File:Down arrow left.svg|20px]] [[File:Down arrow.svg|30px]] [[File:Down arrow right.svg|20px]] Miami : Hialeah Gardens, Medley, Miami Springs

Demographics

|align-fn=center

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 223,109 people, 76,459 households, and 56,047 families residing in the city.

2010 census

In 2015 through 2016, the population in Hialeah grew from 234,714 to 235,626, a 0.4% increase. The median household income grew from $29,249 to $29,817, a 1.9% increase.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 224,669 people, 73,826 households, and 56,896 families residing in the city.

In 2010, Hialeah was the tenth-largest city in the United States among cities with a population density of more than 10000 PD/sqmi.

Census data

As of 2000, 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.7% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.15 and the average family size was 3.39.

In 2000, the age distribution of the population showed 23.0% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $29,492, and the median income for a family was $31,621. Males had a median income of $23,133 versus $17,886 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,402. About 16.0% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 22.4% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2022, 89.5% of the population spoke Spanish at home, while those who spoke only English made up 9.0% of the population. All other languages spoken were below 1% of the population.

Economy

The city of Hialeah is a commercial center in Miami-Dade County. The city is host to many national retailers.

Hialeah is also home to vibrant community of mom-and-pop stores. These shops have successfully competed against national name brand retailers, outfitters, and franchises.

While most of the manufacturing and cloth industries that made Hialeah an industrial city in the 1970s–1980s have disappeared, new electronics and technology businesses have reinvigorated the local economy. Westland Mall contains over 100 stores and several restaurants. Telemundo, the second largest Spanish-language TV network in the United States, was headquartered at 2340 West 8th Avenue in Hialeah until 2018.

Parks and recreation

In March 2009, it was announced that a $40–$90 million restoration project was set to begin within the year on the Hialeah Park Race Track. On May 7, 2009, the Florida legislature agreed to a deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida that allowed Hialeah Park to operate slot machines and run Quarter Horse races. The historic racetrack reopened on November 28, 2009, but only for Quarter Horse races. The park installed slot machines in January 2010 as part of a deal to allow for two calendar seasons of racing. The races went on all the way until February 2, 2010. Only a portion of the park has been restored, and an additional $30 million will be needed to complete this first phase of the project. The full transformation is expected to cost $1 billion since the plan includes a complete redevelopment of the surrounding area including the construction of an entertainment complex to include a hotel, restaurants, casinos, stores and a theater. In June 2010 concerns were raised over the preservation of Hialeah Park's historical status, as the planned development threatens to hurt Hialeah Park's status as a National Historic Landmark.

The City of Hialeah is home to three tennis centers, five public swimming pools and aquatic centers, and more than 14 public parks totaling more than 100 acre combined. Milander Park features a municipal auditorium and a 10,000 seat football stadium.

Amelia Earhart Park also serves the Hialeah community. Located just south of the Opa Locka Airport, the park consists of 515 acres, including a five-acre Bark Park for dogs. It offers a variety of amenities, programs and activities including mountain biking, soccer, Tom Sawyer's Play Island and Bill Graham Farm Village. It also houses the new Miami Watersports Complex, which offers cable and boat wakeboarding, waterskiing, wake surfing, kneeboarding and paddleboarding.

Starting in 2022 the city has worked on developing the "Leah Arts district" centered around the Factory Town concert venue including bars, music venues, and other entertainment themed businesses.

Government and infrastructure

The University of Florida College of Dentistry operates the Hialeah Dental Clinic. It opened in 1997 to serve Hispanic populations in South Florida.

Politics

Hialeah is located within Florida's 26th congressional district. It is currently represented in the House of Representatives by Mario Díaz-Balart, a Republican. A 2005 study by the nonpartisan Bay Area Center for Voting Research (BACVR) ranked Hialeah, Florida as the fourth most conservative city in the United States. The current mayor of Hialeah is Bryan Calvo.

As of 2020, Hialeah leaned towards Republican politics. In the 2016 United States presidential election in Florida each of the two major candidates received about half of the vote. For the 2020 United States presidential election in Florida, about two thirds of residents of Hialeah voted for Trump. In 2024, that number increased as 76% of Hialeah voters voted for Trump.

Education

Public primary and secondary schools

Miami-Dade County Public Schools serves Hialeah.

Two high schools serving the Hialeah community, Mater Academy Charter High School and Miami Lakes Tech, were named as "Silver" award winners in U.S. News & World Reports "Best High Schools 2008 Search".

Private schools

• Champagnat Catholic School – serves mainly southern and south-central Hialeah
• Edison Private School
• Horeb Christian School
• Immaculate Conception School
• Our Lady of Charity School – a private Catholic school not formally associated with the Roman Catholic Church, located in Hialeah
• St. John the Apostle School – serves mainly southern and south-central Hialeah

Post-secondary

Public colleges

• Miami-Dade College Hialeah Campus has served as the city's academic center since 1980. Besides its academic mission, the campus also sponsors numerous cultural and community events.

Private colleges and universities

• ASA College
• College of Business and Technology
• Florida National University

Public library

Hialeah's public library was founded in 1924, one year prior to the incorporation of the city. While over the years the county-wide Miami-Dade Public Library System has taken over the libraries of most of the cities in the county, Hialeah public libraries function independently from the county-wide system. The first branch was a donation by the Hialeah Women's Club. It was actually located in the house of one of the Hialeah Women's Club's home. The home of Ms. J Sommers Garwood. The club was founded by Ms. Lua Adams Curtiss, who was the late mother of the famous aviator Glenn Curtiss. The club asked for donations to get the library started and was fortunate enough to receive enough to get the system started. The latest branch, John F. Kennedy Library is now the main library for Hialeah and is easily recognizable for its grand murals. In 2017, the branch set out to renovate the entire library and they added new furniture, the art murals, polished terrazzo floors, and new sculptures. The library hosts a print collection, digital resources, and a Hialeah History Collection which collects, preserves and provides access to information about the City of Hialeah's history.

Transportation

In 2013, Hialeah was named a top five city with the worst drivers by Slate and Allstate.

Rail

Hialeah is served by Miami-Dade Transit along major thoroughfares by Metrobus, and by the Miami Metrorail, Tri-Rail, and Amtrak at:

Metrorail:

• Tri-Rail/Metrorail Transfer (North 79th Street and West 37th Avenue)
• Hialeah (East 21st Street and East 1st Avenue)
• Okeechobee (West 19th Street and South Okeechobee Road)

Tri-Rail:

• Tri-Rail/Metrorail Transfer (North 79th Street and West 37th Avenue)
• Hialeah Market (North 41st Street and West 38th Avenue)

Amtrak:

• Amtrak-Miami: Silver Star and Silver Meteor service (North 79th Street and West 37th Avenue)

Road

"All Ways Lead to Hialeah" was one of the city's first slogans. At the time, Glenn Curtiss and James Bright could not have imagined the important link in the transportation chain provided by Hialeah's location. Sitting in the heart of northwest Dade, Hialeah has access to several major thoroughfares, linked by:

• [[File:I-75.svg|23px]] Interstate 75
• [[File:Florida 826.svg|25px]] State Road 826 (Palmetto Expressway)
• [[File:Florida's Turnpike shield.svg|25px]] Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike
• [[File:US 27.svg|23px]] U.S. Route 27 (Okeechobee Road)
• [[File:Toll Florida 924.svg|23px]] State Road 924 (Gratigny Parkway) In November 2023, the Hialeah City Council voted to rename Palm Avenue as President Donald J. Trump Avenue, causing major controversy.

Notable people

• Agustin Anello, soccer player
• Alex Avila, Major League Baseball player for Arizona Diamondbacks
• Jacqueline Becerra, federal judge
• Terry Borcheller, racing driver
• Esteban Bovo, mayor of Hialeah, Florida (2021–2025)
• Devin Bush, NFL free safety for three teams
• Maria Canals-Barrera, actress
• Rene Capo, U.S. Olympic representative as a judoka
• Harry Wayne Casey, lead singer of KC and the Sunshine Band
• Chris Corchiani, NBA guard for three teams
• Nestor Cortes, MLB pitcher for the New York Yankees
• Erik Courtney, Bravo TV personality on Newlyweds: The First Year
• Jack Daugherty, MLB first baseman for three teams
• Rohan Davey, NFL quarterback for three teams
• Bucky Dent, professional baseball player for MLB New York Yankees
• Vincent D'Onofrio, actor and producer of stage, film and television
• Nick Esasky, MLB infielder for three teams
• J.C. Escarra, MLB Catcher for the New York Yankees
• Bobby Estalella, MLB catcher for six teams
• Luis Exposito, former Major League Baseball player
• Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. attorney for Southern District of Florida
• René García, Hialeah city councilman and Florida State House representative
• Gio González, MLB pitcher for two teams
• Luchi Gonzalez, coach of FC Dallas
• Ted Hendricks, former professional NFL football player
• Charlie Hough, former professional baseball player, Hialeah High graduate
• Richard Hough, former professional baseball player, Hialeah High graduate
• Greg Jackson, professional football player
• Catherine Keener, Oscar-nominated actress
• Barbara Lagoa, judge
• Corey Lemonier, Auburn University and NFL defensive end
• Manny Machado, Major League Baseball third baseman for the San Diego Padres
• Kiel Martin, played J. D. LaRue on Hill Street Blues, Hialeah High graduate
• Lizbet Martínez, Cuban violinist and teacher at M.A. Milam K-8 Center
• Raúl L. Martínez, longest-seated mayor in Hialeah history (1981–2005)
• Maria Molina, meteorologist
• Oscar Múñoz, MLB pitcher for Minnesota Twins
• Roell Preston, professional football player
• Mike Rio, professional mixed martial arts fighter
• Julio Robaina, mayor of Hialeah
• Rick Sánchez, CNN anchor/correspondent
• Jon Secada, Grammy Award–winning musician
• Michael Timpson, NFL wide receiver Wine, Steven. "Vet WR Timpson returns home to play for Dolphins", Associated Press, July 28, 2007. Accessed December 23, 2007. "That was in 1985, when Timpson was a highly sought prospect from Hialeah-Miami Lakes High School."
• Ariel Torres, U.S. Olympic bronze medalist as a karateka
• Rocco Valdes, music producer, songwriter, music manager
• Pedro Zamora, HIV/AIDS educator, public speaker

Notes

References

Works cited

Bibliography

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