Our District
Florida’s 18th Congressional District spans from Little Havana to Miami Beach to Key Biscayne all the way south to Key West. My district contains approximately 265 miles of pristine Florida coastline and includes the largest coral reef system in the Continental United States.
Here you can learn more about our district, browse the map, find local resources and contact my District Offices.
http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/18th District of Florida - Interactive Map
South Florida is home to several highly regarded higher education institutions including:
- Barry University
- Florida International University
- Miami-Dade College
- St. Thomas University
- University of Miami
The 18th District has several historic districts:
- Coral Way – Residential neighborhood connecting Downtown Miami to Coral Gables since 1922
- Coral Gables – Home of the University of Miami
- Coconut Grove – Miami’s City Hall since 1825
- Coconut Grove Playhouse – Built in 1926 designed to resemble a Spanish Rococo Palace.
- Coral Gables Venetian Pool – Formed from a coral rock quarry in 1923, this 820,000 gallon pool is fed with cool spring water daily and features two waterfalls, coral caves and grottos.
- First Coconut Grove Schoolhouse – Built in 1887, this frame vernacular structure originally was used as a Sunday School for pioneers.
- Flagler Station Oversea Railway Historeum – Built from 1905-1912, the overseas railroad served as a route from New York all the way to Key West commenced by Henry Flagler, partner of John D. Rockefeller. The railroad built by Flagler began in Homestead, Florida and cost about $30 million.
- Freedom Tower – Built in 1925, this was originally known as the Miami Daily News Tower and served as the Cuban Refugee Emergency Center in the 1960’s.
- Hindu Temple – Built in 1920, this unusual house was a site of the filming of Miami’s first motion picture called The Jungle Trial.
- Matheson Hammock County Park – Visitors dine inside the historic coral rock building or outside, overlooking the beach and Biscayne Bay.
- Stiltsville – Located on Biscayne Bay, roughly one mile south of Cape Florida at the tip of Key Biscayne, this area is home to seven remaining houses standing on pilings in shallow water.
- The Alamo – Miami’s oldest surviving hospital building built in 1918, and its architectural design is the same as that of the Texas landmark.
- The Barnacle – Overlooking Biscayne Bay, this house stands as a great example of the vernacular architecture constructed during the late 19th century and is the former home of local pioneer Commodore Ralph Munroe.
- Virginia Key Beach Park – In 1945, this historic beach is an example of discrimination and segregation because it was established for the “exclusive use of the Negroes,” and it is preserved for the public’s use today.
- Vizcaya Museum and Gardens - Built by agricultural industrialist James Deering in 1916, Vizcaya features a main house, ten acres of formal gardens, a hardwood hammock, and soon-to-be-restored historic village.
- United States Richmond Naval Air Station – Now the site of the Miami Metro Zoo’s parking lot, this 2,000-acre station once served as a blimp base for the Navy that detected German submarines during World War II but was later destroyed by a hurricane in 1943.
- Miami Children’s Museum - Dedicated to enriching the lives of all children, this museum fosters a love of learning and enables children to realize their highest potential.
The 18th District also contains:
- Historical Museum of Southern Florida
- Jewish Museum of Florida
- Largest concentration of international banks in the United States
- Zoo Miami
- Miami Science Museum
- Miami Seaquarium
- Over 80 parks hosting various events
Miami Beach - This island city east of the mainland separates Biscayne Bay from the pristine waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
- The Beach – Miami Beach boasts seven miles of beautiful turquoise waters and sand perfect for beach volleyball, snorkeling, jet skiing, and soaking up the sun.
- Miami Beach is an entertainment and cultural destination – home to Art Deco architecture, popular shopping, and nightlife.
- Bass Museum of Art – The first public fine arts exhibition in the region, this museum is now the centerpiece of the city’s Cultural Arts Neighborhood.
- Wolfsonian-FIU Museum– A fascinating collection of objects that focuses on how art and design shape and reflect the human experience.
- Jewish Museum of Florida – Houses a Collections & Research Center reflecting nearly 250 years of Florida Jewish history.
- Holocaust Memorial – Opened in 1990, the Holocaust Memorial underscores the rich cultural influence of Miami Beach's Jewish population, as well as the history of Miami as a place of refuge.
- Art Deco Colony Theater – In the heart of Miami Beach, this recently renovated theater displays the Art Deco architecture for which the city is well-known.
- Byron Carlyle Theatre – This premier performing arts venue in North Miami Beach is home to one-of-a-kind local theater and dance programs.
- New World Symphony – Featuring distinguished musicians from around the world, this prestigious classical music academy performs a wide variety of music from October to May at the New World Center.
- The Fillmore at the Jackie Gleason Theater – This auditorium has been a venue for legendaries since 1950, including everything from contemporary to rock, Latin and country music, comedy and awards shows.
The Florida Keys
About 15 miles south of Miami is where the Florida Keys begin, an archipelago of about 1,700 islands that are exposed portions of an ancient coral reef. The Keys attract tourists every year for its naturally beautiful locations:
- Audubon House and Tropical Gardens – Chosen as South Florida Magazine’s Best Museum in the Florida Keys, its beautiful art and gardens are certainly a sight to see.
- Ernest Hemingway House – Old house that is home to polydactyl cats that have more than the usual number of toes on one or all paws.
- Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortuga National Park – Built in 1846, this structure became obsolete in 1862 due to the technological advancement of weaponry and was used as a federal prison in which several of the “Lincoln Conspirators” were imprisoned.
- Fort Zachary Taylor – Built in 1860, this is Fort Jefferson’s companion fort which helped strengthen the strategic importance of the Florida Keys in military operations.
- Harry S. Truman’s Little White House – Built in 1890, this structure functioned as the first officer’s naval station and later housed former President Truman, Thomas Edison during World War I, and former President Eisenhower when he was recuperating from his heart attack in 1956.
- John Bartlum Bahama House – Located on Eaton Street, this house is a great example of the distinctive vernacular designed homes particular to Key West.
- Key West Botanical Garden –The only “frost-free” botanical garden in the continental United States, this garden is home to many endangered and threatened flora and fauna.
- Key West Inns – Bed and Breakfast Inns date back to the mid-1800’s.
- Biscayne National Park – Near downtown Miami, this park boasts snorkeling, boating, and camping facilities alongsides its clear waters, pristine islands, and stunning coral reef.
- Dry Tortugas National Park – A group of seven islands, almost 70 miles west of Key West lies a cluster of seven islands composed of coral reefs and sand.
- Everglades National Park – The largest subtropical wilderness in the United States; full of rare and endangered species.
- Bahia Honda State Park – One of Florida's southernmost state parks located in Big Pine Key, this park is known for beautiful beaches, magnificent sunsets and excellent snorkeling.
- Curry Hammock State Park – Formed from group of islands in the Middle Keys, this state park hosts swimming, a playground, picnic tables, grills, and one of the largest populations of thatch palms in the United States.
- Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park – This park contains one of the largest tracts of West Indian tropical hardwood hammock in the United States and is home to rare plant and animal diversity.
- Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park – Completed in 1866, Fort Zachary Taylor played crucial roles in the Civil War and the Spanish-American War and now houses opportunities for pickning, swimming, snorkeling, and fishing.
- Indian Key Historic State Park – Before becoming a state park, this tiny island was the site of a lucrative business-salvaging cargo from shipwrecks in the Florida Keys. It is only accessible by boat, and visitors come here to swim, sunbathe, and hike.
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park – The Key Largo park is the nation's first underwater state park. It encompasses more than 100 square miles of water including a vast array of coral, more than 600 species of tropical fish, and other marine life such as dolphins, eagle rays, sea turtles, eels, and many more.
- Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park – Only accessible by boat, this park houses virgin tropical hardwood hammock.
- Long Key State Park – Nicknamed "Cayo Vivora" (Rattlesnake Key) because it resembles a snake with its jaws open, this island has some of the best bonefishing in the Keys.
- San Pedro Underwater Archeological Preserve State Park – This underwater archaeological preserve features a submerged shipwreck available for diving and snorkeling.
- Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park – Formed of Key Largo limestone, or fossilized coral, this land became a quarry to produce "Keystone."
The Florida Keys is also home to the site of the southernmost point of continental United States in Key West and an assortment of activities to experience:
- Diving and snorkeling
- Dolphin encounters
- Kayak/Eco tours
- Sport-fishing
- Theater of the Sea
- Visiting Art Galleries and Museums
Important stations:
- Florida International University – houses the National Hurricane Center, which works as the National Weather Service’s Tropical Prediction Center.
- Homestead Air Reserve Base – stations the Air Force Reserve Command which is one of ten Major Commands (MAJCOMS) in the U.S. Air Force.
- Port of Miami – Site of the largest volume of cruise ships in the world and largest container port in the state of Florida.
- Naval Air Station Key West – Located in Key West, this station is equipped with a sophisticated Tactical Combat Training System (TCTS) and is host to many tenant activities including Joint Interagency Task Force South, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Army Special Forces.
- United States Coast Guard Sector Miami – USCG station in Miami, responsible for protecting the maritime and the enviornment and defending America's maritime borders
- United States Coast Guard Sector Key West – USCG sector in Key West, with a unified command consisting of two patrol boats, eight dual crews, three small boat stations, an Aids to Navigation Team (ANT) and three staff departments.
In the 18th District, the Port of Miami is in an important position:
- “Cargo Gateway of the Americas” – Largest container port in the state of Florida and ninth in the United States making this seaport accommodative to both cargo and passengers.
- “Cruise Capital of the World” – Focal point for cruise ship companies by accommodating the largest volume of cruise ships in the world.
- Both the cargo and cruise ship industries provide approximately 98,000 jobs.
- Economic impact on Miami-Dade County is over $12 billion.
For more information about Miami or the Florida Keys, visit the websites of Greater Miami’s Chamber of Commerce or Florida Keys’ Chamber of Commerce
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Coral Terrace