Karl WP Beyer Fort Lauderdale, the eighth largest city in Florida, is often referred to as "America's Venice" because of its extensive network of canals. The city, which was officially founded on May 27, 1911, has a population of more than 165.500 according to the 2010 US Census. Fort Lauderdale is located in southeast Florida, 40 kilometers north of Miami.
Fort Lauderdale - lush greenery, water and St. Sebastian Church
Fort Lauderdale - good to know
Fort Lauderdale is the administrative center and economic center of Broward County. The city owes its name to Major William Lauderdale, who built three forts to protect the region during the Second Seminole War between 1835 and 1842. The Seminoles were Indian tribes who fought against the United States in the first half of the 19th century.
Fort Lauderdale developed from the fortifications into one of the most beautiful cities in Florida. Well-kept beaches, water in abundance, the annual average temperature of 24 Celsius, 3.000 hours of sunshine and subtropical vegetation offer ideal conditions. The city is one of the top tourist destinations in the country.
In order to offer family-friendly beach areas accessible to visitors all year round, considerable financial resources were invested in the redesign of the urban beach region in the mid-1980s. The guests are grateful: In 2018, more than 13 million hotel overnight stays were recorded in the Greater Fort Lauderdale region.
Fort Lauderdale - skyscrapers on Bayshore Drive
Fort Lauderdale - Boats on the New River
Fort Lauderdale is not only "America's Venice", the city is also dubbed the "world capital of yachts". More than 50.000 pleasure craft are registered in Fort Lauderdale. Seemingly endless waterways, the media speak of more than 300 miles of canals, water arms and the like, as well as over 100 marinas, storage areas and shipyards ensure the well-being of the yachts. For "landlubbers" like us, the many water plots with integrated boat berths or the lifting devices for pleasure boats are overwhelming.
Culture and science
Fort Lauderdale, known for beautiful beaches and a bustling nightlife, is not suspected of being a cultural stronghold. A few museums, including Stranahan House, a few items listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and seven universities or colleges serve culture and science.
Fort Lauderdale - Stranahan House
Economy and transport infrastructure
Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area are Florida's center of the yachting industry. The construction, maintenance and storage of yachts creates more than 100.000 jobs in Broward County. The tourism industry is also worth mentioning. According to statistical surveys, sales of more than ten billion US dollars were already generated in Broward County in 2013. Most of that was in Fort Lauderdale. Other economic pillars of the city are the sectors of financial services, high technology, aviation and space research. Fort Lauderdale is also a media location and transport hub.
The traffic infrastructure is excellent. Several interstates and highways open up the city. Amtrak trains to Miami and New York, tri-rail commuter trains and trains to West Palm Beach stop at Fort Lauderdale Station.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is just a few kilometers from the cruise port or the city center. Around 36,7 million passengers were handled in 2019. Maimi International Airport handled 45,9 million passengers in the same period.
Fort Lauderdales harbor
Broward County operates the Port Everglades deep water port adjacent to Fort Lauderdale. It is named after the nearby Everglades ecosystem. It is one of the largest container ports on the US east coast and a major cruise port. More than 5.000 ships call at the port every year, and over 23 million tons of general cargo, bulk cargo and containers are handled. In addition, Port Everglades has been used as a base for the US Coast Guard for a long time.
Fort Lauderdale - Pier Sixty Six on the Stranahan River
Port Everglades - third largest cruise port in the world
Driven by the cruise boom, Port Everglades has become the world's third largest cruise port after Miami and Port Canaveral. In 2018, Fort Lauderdale handled around 900 cruise ships and 3,89 million cruise passengers.
Fort Lauderdale - Cruise ships in Port Everglades harbor
The cruise port and its terminals are less impressive for their straight lines and elegance than for their efficiency and size. The soberly designed check-in areas extend over the entire port area. According to the port authorities, up to 11 cruise ships are processed at the eight pier facilities at the same time.
The USA strives for top performance. An almost unbelievable record was set on December 1, 2019. On that day, Port Everglades handled 55.964 passengers in one day. In comparison: The Columbuskaje in Bremerhaven expected 250.000 cruise passengers for the whole of 2019. We report on the attractions of this lovely city at: Fort Lauderdale attractions.
Update May 2023