Coral Gables, Florida

Coral Gables
City
Coral Gables (in foreground) with Downtown Miamibarely visible (in background) in 2010
Seal
Nicknames: "The City Beautiful", "The Gables"
Location of Coral Gables in Miami-Dade County, Florida(left) and of Miami-Dade County in Florida(right)
U.S. Census Bureaumap showing city limits
Coordinates:25°43′00″N80°16′20″W / 25.71667°N 80.27222°W /25.71667; -80.27222
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Miami-Dade
Incorporated	April 29, 1925[1]
Government
• Type	Commission-Manager
•Mayor	Vince C. Lago[2]
•Vice Mayor	Rhonda A. Anderson
•Commissioners	Melissa Castro, Kirk R. Menendez, and Ariel Fernandez
•City Manager	Amos Rojas, Jr.
•City Clerk	Billy Y. Urquia
Area [3]
• Total	37.31 sq mi (96.64 km2)
• Land	12.93 sq mi (33.48 km2)
• Water	24.38 sq mi (63.16 km2)
Elevation	10 ft (2.8 m)
Population ( 2020) [4]
• Total	49,248
• Estimate (2022) [5]	49,193
• Rank	61stin Florida
• Density	3,804.56/sq mi (1,469.32/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5(EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4(EDT)
Area codes	305,786,645
FIPS code	12-14250[6]
GNISfeature ID	0280801[7]
Website	www.coralgables.com

Coral Gablesis a city inMiami-Dade County,Florida, United States. The city is part of theMiami metropolitan areaofSouth Floridaand is located 7 miles (11 km) southwest ofDowntown Miami. As of the2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248.^[4]

Coral Gables is known globally due to being home to theUniversity of Miami, one of the nation'sprivateresearch universitieswhose main campus spans 240 acres (0.97 km²) in the city.^[8]With 16,479 faculty and staff as of 2021, the University of Miami is the largest employer in Coral Gables and second-largest employer in all of Miami-Dade County.^[9]

The city is aMediterranean-themedplanned community^[10][11]known for its historic and affluent character reinforced by its strict zoning, popular landmarks, and tourist sights.^{[12][13][14][15][16]}

Coral Gables was formally incorporated as a city on April 29, 1925. It was and remains aplanned communitybased on the popular early twentieth centuryCity Beautiful Movementand is known for its strict zoning regulations.^[17]The city was developed byGeorge Merrick, a real estate developer fromPennsylvania, during theFlorida land boom of the 1920s. The city's architecture is almost entirelyMediterranean Revival style, mandated in the original plan,^[18]with an emphasis on Spanish influence in particular, such as theCoral Gables Congregational Church, donated by Merrick. The domed CatholicChurch of the Little Flowerwas built somewhat later, in a similarSpanish Renaissancestyle.

Early in the city's planning and development, Merrick shared his vision for Coral Gables as "a most extraordinary opportunity for the building of 'Castles in Spain'," as explored in Coral Gables historianArva Moore Parks' 2006 bookGeorge Merrick's Coral Gables: Where Your 'Castles in Spain' are Made Real.^[19]Merrick's success in executing this vision for the city would catch the attention ofSpain's King,Alfonso XIII, who awarded Merrick theOrder of Isabella the Catholicfor his support of Spanish culture in Coral Gables.^[20][21]

By 1926, the city covered 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) and had netted $150 million in sales, with over $100 million spent on development.^[22]That year also saw the opening of theBiltmore Hotel and Golf Course, a major landmark in city.

Merrick meticulously designed the city with distinct zones. For example, he designed the Downtown commercial district to be only four blocks wide and more than 2 miles (3.2 km) long. The main artery, now known asMiracle Mile, bisected the business district. Merrick could boast that every business in Coral Gables was less than a two-block walk. The city used to have an electrictrolley system, which was ended as a result of the growing usage of automobiles,^[23]but now a new free circulatortrolleysystem, initiated in November 2003, runs down Ponce de León Boulevard. Another distinctive and character-defining feature of the city planned by Merrick are the themedCoral Gables Villagesthat date to the 1920s and were designed to expand the city's architecture beyond Spanish influence to include Italian, French, and Dutch South African among others.

In 1925, roughly simultaneous to the founding of Coral Gables, theUniversity of Miamiwas constructed on 240 acres (97 ha) of land just west ofU.S. Route 1, approximately two miles south of Downtown Coral Gables. By the fall of 1926, the first class of 372 students enrolled at the university.^[24]

DuringWorld War II, many Navy pilots and mechanics were trained and housed in Coral Gables.

Coral Gables has traditionally placed high priority on historic preservation. The city passed its first preservation ordinance in 1973 as many of its founding structures from the 1920s began to reach their 50th anniversaries.^[26]Further ordinances were enacted in the 1980s establishing the Historic Preservation Board and in the 1990s establishing the Historic Preservation Department, now called the Historical Resources & Cultural Arts Department.^[26]As part of the city's historic preservation program the Historical Resources Department is tasked with researching and identifying significant properties and local landmarks for listing in the Coral Gables Registry of Historic Places as well as on national historic registers. The department also reviews modifications to locally designated landmarks and initiates grant proposals. The Historic Preservation Board is a quasi-judicial body that votes on local landmark designations and other issues pertaining to the historic character of the city.

Coral Gables is located at25°43′42″N80°16′16″W / 25.728228°N 80.270986°W /25.728228; -80.270986.^[27]It is bordered on the west byRed Road(West 57th Avenue) north ofSunset Drive(South 72nd Street) and West 49th Avenue andOld Cutler Roadssouth of Sunset Drive. It is bordered on the north byTamiami Trail/U.S. Route 41(South 8th Street), except for a small section that extends north of 8th Street for eight blocks between Ponce de Leon Boulevard andDouglas Road(West 37th Avenue).

On the east, it is bordered by Douglas Road (West 37th Avenue) north of South 26th Street, Monegro Street south of South 26th Street to Cadima Avenue, Ponce De Leon Boulevard south of Cadima Avenue toSouth Dixie Highway(U.S. Route 1),LeJeune Road(West 42nd Avenue) south of U.S. 1 to Battersea Road, and byBiscayne Baysouth of Battersea Road. On the south, it is bordered by theCharles Deering Estate.

According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 37.2 square miles (96 km²) of which 13.1 square miles (34 km²) is land and 24.0 square miles (62 km²) (64.64%) is water.

Coral Gables has atropical climate, similar to the climate found in much of theCaribbean. It is part of the only region in the48 contiguous statesthat falls under that category. More specifically, it generally has atropical monsoon climate(Köppen climate classification,Am).^[28]

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1930	5,697		—
1940	8,294		45.6%
1950	19,837		139.2%
1960	34,793		75.4%
1970	42,494		22.1%
1980	43,241		1.8%
1990	40,091		−7.3%
2000	42,249		5.4%
2010	46,780		10.7%
2020	49,248		5.3%
2022 (est.)	49,193		−0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[29] 1930–1970[30]1980[31]1990[32] 2000[33]2010[34]2020[4]2022[5]

Historical demographics	2020[4]	2010[34]	2000[33]	1990[32]	1980[31]
White(Non-Hispanic)	30.6%	40.1%	47.7%	53.2%	65.1%
Hispanic or Latino	58.8%	53.6%	46.6%	41.8%	29.6%
Black or African American(Non-Hispanic)	4.8%	2.5%	3.1%	3.1%	4.0%
AsianandPacific Islander(Non-Hispanic)	2.6%	2.7%	1.7%	1.7%	1.3%
Native American(Non-Hispanic)	< 0.1%	< 0.1%	0.1%	0.1%
Some other race(Non-Hispanic)	0.7%	0.2%	0.2%	0.1%
Two or more races(Non-Hispanic)	2.5%	0.9%	0.7%	N/A	N/A
Population	49,248	46,780	42,249	40,091	43,241

Demographic characteristics	2020[35][36][37]	2010[38][39][40]	2000[41][42][43]	1990[32]	1980[31][44]
Households	21,868	20,266	17,849	15,460	16,429
Persons per household	2.25	2.31	2.37	2.59	2.63
Sex Ratio	87.6	89.7	87.6	90.0	88.0
Ages 0–17	16.6%	17.9%	17.4%	15.5%	17.2%
Ages 18–64	63.3%	66.5%	66.8%	67.1%	66.0%
Ages 65 +	20.1%	15.6%	15.8%	17.4%	16.8%
Median age	41.9	38.8	38.1	37.0	36.1
Population	49,248	46,780	42,249	40,091	43,241

Economic indicators
2017–21American Community Survey	Coral Gables	Miami-Dade County	Florida
Median income[45]	$63,061	$32,513	$34,367
Median household income[46]	$113,623	$57,815	$61,777
Poverty Rate[47]	7.5%	15.7%	13.1%
High school diploma[48]	97.2%	82.5%	89.0%
Bachelor's degree[48]	71.5%	31.7%	31.5%
Advanced degree[48]	37.8%	11.9%	11.7%

Language spoken at home[note 1]	2015[note 2]	2010[note 3]	2000[51]	1990[52]	1980[53]
English	40.0%	39.4%	43.1%	51.8%	63.4%
SpanishorSpanish Creole	53.5%	54.7%	50.2%	42.8%	30.3%
Other Languages	6.5%	5.9%	6.7%	5.4%	6.3%

Nativity	2015[note 4]	2010[note 5]	2000[58][59]	1990[60][52]	1980[53]
% populationnative-born	61.5%	62.3%	62.1%	64.4%	69.9%
... born in theUnited States	57.5%	58.3%	58.8%	61.2%	67.9%
... born inPuerto RicoorIsland Areas	2.0%	2.0%	1.8%	1.6%	2.0%
... born toAmerican parents abroad	2.0%	2.0%	1.5%	1.7%
% populationforeign-born[note 6]	38.5%	37.7%	37.9%	35.6%	30.1%
... born inCuba	15.0%	16.4%	19.2%	20.3%	15.1%
... born in other countries	23.5%	21.3%	18.7%	15.3%	15.0%

As of the2020 United States census, there were 49,248 people, 18,457 households, and 11,087 families residing in the city.^[61]

In 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the median household income in the city was $118,203; the estimated per capita income, $74,780. Some 9.5 of citizens were estimated to be living below the poverty line.^[62]

As of the2010 United States census, there were 46,780 people, 16,453 households, and 10,377 families residing in the city.^[63]In 2010, 11.4% of households were vacant.

In 2000, 24.45% had children under the age of 18 living with them. As of 2000, in Coral Gables, 61.11% were family households, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.89% were non-families. The average household size was 2.36, and the average household had 1.68 vehicles.

Coral Gables is apedestrian-friendlydestination. Located four miles fromMiami International Airport, the "City Beautiful" has around 140 dining establishments and gourmet shops, and many notable international retailers. Among Coral Gables landmarks are theVenetian Pool,Douglas Entrance, andMiami Biltmorehotel.

TheMiami Heraldis the region's predominant daily newspaper. Coral Gables has one newspaper,Coral Gables News Tribune, which is published twice monthly and covers local and regional news and one weekly newspaper that is part of the portfolio of Miami Community Newspapers publications.^[64]

At theUniversity of Miamiin Coral Gables,The Miami Hurricane, the official student newspaper, is published weekly each Tuesday.

Coral Gables is part of theMiami-area media market.

Numerous movies have been filmed fully or partially in Coral Gables, includingNude on the Moon(1961),Goldilocks and the Three Bares(1963),Jimmy, the Boy Wonder(1966),I Eat Your Skin(1971),Shock Waves(1977),Absence of Malice(1981),The Mean Season(1985),Miami Rhapsody(1995),Bad Boys(1995),The Perez Family(1995),Fair Game(1995),Two Much(1995),Blood and Wine(1996),Curdled(1996),Wild Things(1998),The Hours(2002),My Sexiest Year(2007),Dostna(2008),Posthumous(2012), and others.^[65]

The city also is featured in television and video games, including:

• The 2014 indie point-and-click adventure gameA Golden Wakeis based on the founding and development of Coral Gables in the 1920s.^[66]
• Also, in 2014, thecomedy-dramatelevision seriesLookingfeatures a character named Augustin who is from Coral Gables.
• Coral Gables is the birthplace ofScott Lang(Ant-Man) andDr. Curt ConnorsinMarvel Universe.^[67]

Coral Gables holds several of the wealthiestZip Codes(33156, 33143, 33133, and 33146)^[68]and neighborhoods^[69]in the United States, such as Hammock Oaks, Old Cutler Bay, Gables Estates, Tahiti Beach, Snapper Creek and Lakes, Cocoplum, and Gables By The Sea.^[70]

Major economic contributors to Coral Gables include:

• TheUniversity of Miami, the largest employer in Coral Gables since the city's founding (16,479 faculty and staff employees as of 2022).^[71]
• Baptist Hospital of Miami, the second-largest employer in Coral Gables.
• Bacardi, which has its United States headquarters with 300 employees at 2701 Le Jeune Road.^[72]
• Capital Bank Financial
• Intelsathas its Latin American headquarters in Suite 1100 at One Alhambra Plaza.^[73]
• Fresh Del Monte Producehas its headquarters in Coral Gables.^[74]
• ExxonMobilhas marine fuels operations in Suite 900 at One Alhambra Plaza in Coral Gables.^[75]
• MasTec, Inc., the second-largest Hispanic-owned company in the nation,^[76]is located at 800 South Douglas Road.^[77]
• Odebrechthas over 300 employees at its location at 201 Alhambra Circle.^[78]
• American Airlinesmaintains Ponce de Leon Travel Center at 901 Ponce De Leon Boulevard.^[79]
• Dolphin Entertainmentis an independentfilm studiothat is located in Coral Gables.^[80]
• FIFAopened up its North American headquarters in Coral Gables to help prepare for the2026 FIFA World Cup, which will include Miami.^[81]

Coral Gables is served byMetrobusthroughout the area, and byMiami Metrorailat:

• Douglas Road(SW 37th Avenue and U.S. 1)
• University(Stanford Drive and U.S. 1)

Coral Gables provides a free trolley service, with a trolley running a continuous circuit up and down Ponce de Leon Boulevard during the day.

Coral Gables is served byrapid transitonDouglas RoadatDouglas Road stationat theUniversity of MiamiatUniversity StationnearSunset DriveandRed RoadatSouth Miami station, which connects the city withDowntown MiamiandMiami International Airport.

Several countries operate consulates in Coral Gables, includingBarbados,Colombia,^[82]El Salvador,^[83]Italy,^[84]Peru,Spain,^[85]Monaco,St. Lucia, andUruguay.^[86]

Several countries have honorary consulates located in Coral Gables, includingAustralia,Belize,Hungary,Senegal,St. Kitts & Nevis,Togo, andThailand. TheTaipei Economic and Cultural OfficemaintainsTaiwan's diplomatic missionat 2333 Ponce De Leon Boulevard in Coral Gables.^[87]

TheUniversity of Miami, a private university ranked in the top tier of national universities,^[88]with particular national status in the fields of business, engineering, law,marine science, medicine, communications, and music, is located in Coral Gables.^[89]

Coral Gables schools are part ofMiami-Dade County Public Schools, which serves Miami-Dade County. The district has several high schools in Coral Gables, most notablyCoral Gables Senior High Schooland International Studies Preparatory Academy, both of which educate students in grades nine through 12. It also has a K–8 school,Coral Gables Preparatory Academy(formerly Coral Gables Elementary School), with two campuses, including a historic campus located on Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Henry S. West Laboratory Elementary is another school for K–6. Finally it has two middle schools:George Washington Carver Middle Schoollocated on Lincoln Drive and Ponce de Leon Middle School located across from the University of Miami on the east side ofU.S. Route 1on Augusto Street. Present day George Washington Carver Middle was moved to the current location on Grand Avenue on land donated byGeorge Merrick. When Carver died in 1942, the school was renamed in his honor.^[90]

Gulliver Academy, Marian C. Krutulis Campus, a PreK–8 school that is a member ofGulliver Schools, is within Coral Gables.^[91]The management offices of Gulliver Schools were formerly located in Coral Gables.^[92]The lower campus ofRiviera Schoolsis located in Coral Gables.

The historicSt. Theresa Catholic School, a Pre-K–8 school is located nearCoral Gables Biltmore Hotel. St. Philip's Episcopal School, French-American School of Miami, and St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School, all Pre-K–5 schools, are also located in Coral Gables.Coral Gables Preparatory Academy, a private K-8 school, is located in Coral Gables.

Miami-Dade Public Library SystemoperatesCoral Gables Branch Libraryin Coral Gables.^[93]

• Marc Anthony, salsa singer
• Juan Alvarez, former professional pitcher forAnaheim Angels,Florida Marlins, andTexas Rangers
• Zach Banks, racing driver
• Dave Barry,Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist^[94]
• Shane Battier, former professional basketball player,Houston Rockets,Memphis Grizzlies, andMiami Heat
• Bruce R. Berkowitz, mutual fund manager^[95]
• Columba Bush, former First Lady of Florida
• Jeb Bush, 43rdGovernor of Florida
• Marty Bystrom, former professional pitcher for theNew York YankeesandPhiladelphia Phillies
• Maxine Clark, founder ofBuild-a-Bear Workshop
• Colleen Corby, model
• Alice Dixson, actress, commercial model and former beauty queen
• Gail Edwards, actress,It's a Living,Blossom,Full House
• Gus Gandarillas, former professional pitcher forMilwaukee Brewers
• Juan Ramón Jiménez, Nobel Prize-winning author
• Dane Johnson, former professional pitcher forChicago White Sox,Oakland Athletics, andToronto Blue Jays
• José José, pop singer^[96]
• Nancy Kopp, former Treasurer of Maryland
• Soia Mentschikoff, legal scholar and law professor atHarvard Law School
• Marilyn Milian, judge,The People's Court
• Thurston Moore, singer, songwriter and guitarist ofSonic Youth
• Alonzo Mourning, former basketball player forCharlotte Hornets,Miami Heat, andNew Jersey Nets
• Jesús Permuy, architect, human rights advocate, businessman and radio host
• Mimi Rogers, actress
• Jon Secada, Latin pop singer
• Roy Sekoff, founding editorHuffington Post
• George D. Shea, U.S. Army major general^[97]
• Pamela Smart, murderer convicted in notorious case
• Oliver Sollitt, Illinois state representative and businessman
• Jonathan Vilma, former professional football player,New Orleans SaintsandNew York Jets^[98]
• Lester J. Whitlock, U.S. Army major general^[99]
• Dewing Woodward, artist, philanthropist and first art professor at theUniversity of Miami

• Coral Gables Villages
• Coral Way
• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
• Miami Biltmore Hotel
• Miracle Mile
• Riviera Schools
• Shops at Merrick Park
• University of Miami
• Venetian Pool

• Festival of Art,University of Miami, held in January^[100]
• Carnival on the Mile,Miracle Mile, held in February/March^[101]
• Junior Orange Bowl Festival, held in December–January^[102]

• 
  Miracle Mile in Downtown Coral Gables
• 
  Miracle Theater on Miracle Mile
• 
  Typical residential street in Coral Gables
• 
  DeSoto Fountain
• 
  Coral Gables City Hall with its statue of Merrick
• 
  Venetian Poolis a Coral Gables public swimming pool.
• 
  Giralda Avenue in Coral Gables
• 
  Giralda Plaza
• 
  Shops at Merrick Park
• 
  Alhambra Water Tower
• 
  Miami Biltmore Hotel
• 
  Miracle Theater on Miracle Mile
• 
  Gardens at Merrick Park
• 
  Ponce de Leon Boulevard
• 
  Downtown Coral Gables along Alhambra Circle

Coral Gables'sister citiesare:^[103]

• Aix-en-Provence, France
• Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
• Cartagena, Colombia
• Quito, Ecuador
• San Isidro, Argentina
• Santa Tecla, El Salvador
• Seville, Spain

• Official website
• "Coral Gables Smart City Hub".ArcGIS.
• City of Coral GablesatTwitter