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The history of Miami Beach
Miami Beach is in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The southern part of the city includes Ocean Drive, Art Deco streets and neighborhood dining beyond the beachfront. North Beach offers its own restaurants, parks and neighborhood character north of Mid-Beach.
People who shaped Miami Beach
These milestones are an introduction, not a complete local history. Follow the linked city and museum sources to explore the people and places behind them.Read the local historical account.
Watch the city’s history
FROM THE ARCHIVES
The Man Who Built Miami Beach - A WLRN Original Production
A local history film shared by WLRN Public Television and Radio.
Watch on YouTube ↗Miami Beach in old photos
See all 31 old photos
Famous people born in Miami Beach
See all 48 famous people
- 1912
A planned community
A development plat filed in July enabled subdivision and marked the beginning of Miami Beach as a planned community.
City of Miami Beach ↗ - 1913
The Collins Bridge opens
The Collins Bridge created a road connection between Miami and Miami Beach.
City of Miami Beach ↗ - 1915
Town incorporation
The Town of Miami Beach incorporated on March 26, with John N. Lummus as its first mayor.
City of Miami Beach ↗ - 1917
Miami Beach becomes a city
The town reincorporated as the City of Miami Beach on May 1.
City of Miami Beach ↗ - 1979
Art Deco history is recognized
The Miami Beach Architectural District entered the National Register of Historic Places on May 14.
City of Miami Beach ↗
See the history for yourself.
Walk the Miami Beach Architectural District, better known as the Art Deco District, to see its Streamline and Mediterranean Revival buildings. Check current opening hours before visiting The Bass Museum of Art.
For deeper research, the Miami Beach library resources is a starting point for archival material and research help. Historic photographs have their own permissions; we link to the collection instead of treating every old image as free to reuse.
Selected milestones researched September 13, 2026. This is an introduction, not a complete account of the city’s history.