Welcome To Ft. Lauderdale!

With 3,000 hours of sunshine per year and unfailingly warm weather, "Ft. Lauderdale has been reinvented as a sophisticated community with year-round vitality, " according to the New York Times. This sun-drenched city with 23 miles of seaside beaches, has received a top national prize for its beautiful parks, two national awards for neighborhood improvements, and a spot on Money Magazine's 1995 list of 10 best communities in the United States. Who would want to live anywhere else?
 

Geography

Ft. Lauderdale and Broward County are located in the center of Southeast Florida's "Gold Coast:" A strong, stable economy has made the area one of the fastest growing metropolitan communities in the nation. Many of the nation's leading businesses in high technology, tourism and real estate development are located here giving us a wide diversity of industry.

Ft. Lauderdale, county seat of Broward County, is the largest of 28 municipalities. Referred to as the "Venice of America;" the city has 165 miles of navigable waterway. Broward offers a recreation paradise with endless hours of sunshine and warm winter days. Click on the map for a larger view. (Large File)

Climate

It's no secret that this is one of the sunniest places in the world to live. The average annual temperature in South Florida is 75 degrees - ranging from an average of 67 degrees in January to around 83 degrees in summer. Click on the image at right for a complete weather forecast.

Normal rainfall is 64.9 inches, from a monthly low of 1.78 inches in December to a high of 8.67 in June. The relative humidity hovers year round near 72%, and changes rapidly throughout the course of the day by as much as 23 percentage points.

Naturally, South Florida's temperate climate encourages outdoor activities year round. Smog and pollution are almost non-existent here which contributes greatly to a happy, healthy lifestyle.

Taxes

Welcome news from the Sunshine State. Florida has no state tax on personal income or lifetime gifts, no additional estate taxes, and the state sales tax does not apply to groceries or medical items.

Furthermore, Florida currently offers a $25,000 homestead exemption to legal residents who own and occupy their homes prior to January 1st of the year in which exemption is claimed. Widows, widowers and disabled persons are eligible for additional exemptions as well.

Housing

Greater Ft. Lauderdale stretches its diversity from the shining sea to the mysterious Everglades. Here 29 municipalities flow effortlessly. together--each merging seamlessly into its neighbors yet maintaining its own identity--to form a cosmopolitan urban center sprinkled with parks and waterways, sailboats and seagulls.

Greater Ft. Lauderdale Major Communities
with Population

Coconut Creek Cooper City Coral Springs Dania Davie Deerfield Beach Ft. Lauderdale Hallandale Hollywood Lauderdale Lakes Lauderhill Lighthouse Point

35,000 28,000 100,000 17,100 54,611 47,771 146,812 42,000 124,000 27,300 50,689 12,500

Margate Miramar North Lauderdale Oakland Park Parkland Pembroke Pines Plantation Pompano Beach Sunrise Tamarac Weston Wilton Manors

28,000 28,095 10,500 91,000 75,184 73,950 73,456 51,126 18,600 13,000 47685 44,600

Average Housing Cost in Greater Ft. Lauderdale Ft. Lauderdale Data Book, January 1996
New House	$154,125
Resale House	$105,300
New Condominium	$92,473
Resale Condominium	$60,984

Transportation

Broward County transportation facilities have grown dramatically to meet the needs of visitors and residents alike. The Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport serves major regional, national and international carriers. In addition, three regional airports serve the Broward County area: Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport, Hollywood/North Perry Airport and Pompano Beach/Pompano Airport. Palm Beach International Airport and Miami International

Seaboard Coastline Railway and Florida East Coast Railroad provide daily freight service, with Amtrak offering daily passenger service.

The Tri-County Rail System commuter trains operate weekdays and weekends between Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.

Greyhound Bus Lines and Trailways Bus Systems provide frequent long distance daily service to all parts of the state and nation. Local bus transportation is provided by Broward County Mass Transit.

There are approximately 20 taxi cab companies operating in Broward County. Consult your local phone book for complete information.

Port Everglades, Broward County's seaport, also plays a major factor in the county's area of transportation. The Port has the ability to service the entire shipping industry, including customs brokers, freight forwarding, importers/exporters, steamship lines, trucking lines and U.S. government agencies. Port Everglades is the second largest cruise port in the world, with 42 cruise lines carrying passengers to the Caribbean, South America, Mexico and Europe.

Dining

Dining is a favorite pastime of Broward County residents. With more than 2,500 establishments to choose from, there is an atmosphere to suit every taste. Although seafood is among the favorite specialties, one can also find Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Italian, French, Swiss, Mexican, German, Cuban and Indian restaurants in abundance.

Among the local favorites are many waterfront restaurants which offer a relaxed dining experience on the water. You can arrive by boat or yacht, as most have dockage available for their patrons.

Find Top Restaurants in the city you choose!

Ft. Lauderdale On The Web

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• The Florida Weather Bureau -- Marine Forecasts and Surfing Reports
• Yahoo Maps
• Convention and Visitors Bureau
• The Sun-Sentinel Digital Edition
• NBC6, WTVJ