Homestead, Florida : Ask Biography

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Homestead is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States nestled between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west. Homestead is primarily a Miami suburb and a major agricultural area.

Homestead was incorporated in 1913 and is the second oldest city in Miami-Dade County next to the city of Miami. It is located approximately 35 mi (56.3 km) southwest of Miami, and 25 mi (40.2 km) northwest of Key Largo. The name originates from when the Florida East Coast Railway extension to Key West was being built. The rail line was passing through an area opened up for homesteading, and as the construction camp at the end of the line did not have a particular name, construction materials and supplies for the workers were consigned to "Homestead Country", shortened to "Homestead" by the engineers who mapped the area. The population was 31,909 at the 2000 census.

The city of Homestead is located near the southern terminus of the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike where it ends at its junction with U.S. 1. Homestead is immediately north and east of Florida City, and these two cities comprise the greater Homestead-Florida City area. Some of the notable unincorporated communities in the area are Redland, Leisure City, Naranja, and Princeton.

Homestead bore the brunt of Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 hurricane, which hit South Florida on August 24, 1992. The city of Homestead made national headlines due to the sheer devastation wrought by Hurricane Andrew. Since 2002, the city has experienced a building and housing boom due to the scarcity of developable land elsewhere in Miami-Dade County.