12 Fun Facts about Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is a city on the southeastern coast of the state of Florida. Known for its elaborate boating canals, cruise port, and beautiful beaches, the city has quickly developed into a must-see tourist destination. Learn the facts about Fort Lauderdale before your next trip!

The Facts about Fort Lauderdale

1. Nicknamed ‘The Venice of America’.

Widely known as “the Venice of America” and the “Yacht Capital of the World”, Fort Lauderdale has 300+ miles of navigable waterways. An elaborate system of rivers, canals, and the intracoastal waterway make this city a boater’s dream. Not to mention, it’s great for paddling!

2. The city started as a military fort and trading post.

Fort Lauderdale was originally not one, but THREE forts during the Second Seminole War. Although the forts are not standing today, the name obviously stuck.

After the war, the Stranahan House, Fort Lauderdale’s oldest building, was built in the 1890s. The house served as a trading post for the area and quickly developed into the city center along the New River.

3. Greater Fort Lauderdale is more than one city.

Greater Fort Lauderdale refers to Broward County in its entirety. The county which, according to the 2019 census, is the 17th most populated county in the US, consists of 31 municipalities.

4. Spring Break helped build the city.

Fort Lauderdale was featured in a popular 1960s movie, “Where the Boys Are”. The raucous movie was about (you guessed it) spring break. Soon after the movie released, college students flocked to the area en masse for a sun and sand filled getaway.

Today, Fort Lauderdale is still a popular spring break destination but has severely toned down the college craziness. We promise!!

5. Fort Lauderdale is home to one of the busiest cruise ports in the world.

Port Everglades, just south of Fort Lauderdale, is the 3rd busiest cruise port in the world. Accommodating almost 4 million passengers a year, the port sits just behind Port of Miami and Port Canaveral in terms of passengers.

The Port is conveniently located near Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood Airport (FLL) where you are shuttled directly from the airport to the cruise.

6. Fort Lauderdale enjoys a year round subtropical climate.

Fort Lauderdale has nearly 250 days of sunshine per year and a yearly average of 74.45°F. Not a bad place to be, if you ask us.

7. You can find some of the world’s most beautiful beaches here.

The Greater Fort Lauderdale area consists of 24 miles of coastline – all lined with world-class beaches.

From Hillsboro Beach in the north to Hallandale Beach in the south, it’s hard NOT to find a beautiful plot of sand here.

8. Home to the only coral reef found in the continental United States.

Just offshore, following the 24 miles of beach, is a coral reef tract. These coral reefs are apart of the Florida Reef Tract that run from Dry Tortugas to St Lucie Inlet (360 miles), the third longest barrier reef system in the world.

In Fort Lauderdale, this coral reef tract consists of three tiers:

1. The inner reef: close to shore at ~15 feet deep, perfect for beach diving.
2. The middle reef: a second tier at ~20 – 30 feet. Fish or dive here with a local dive shop or fishing charter.
3. The outer reef (third reef): the final tier at ~ 40 – 60 feet before the offshore drop off. Great area for diving, spearfishing, and fishing.

It all makes for a great destination for scuba diving!

9. Dozens of ship wrecks rest offshore.

In the 1980s, Broward County enacted the Artificial Reef Program. This program sunk dozens of ships in sandy patches to give coral reef an attachment site.

Years later, these shipwrecks now attract marine life and serve as great areas for fishing or diving.

10. Just off the beach, two million tires were dumped into the ocean in the 1970s.

Why? For the same reason we put shipwrecks down there: artificial reef. Little did the county know, tires are not a conducive material for coral! You think they would have double checked that one, right?

Today, these tires are being removed via a marine debris removal program funded by federal, state, and local agencies. One company has scored the contract and gets paid $18 per tire removed!

11. The beach is one of the busiest nesting sites for sea turtles in the world.

South Florida, in general, serves as the nesting site for thousands of endangered sea turtles. Three of the seven species, worldwide, nest here between the months of March and October: Loggerhead, Green, and Leatherback.

Related Posts:

• Meet the Sea Turtles of Florida
• How to Help Save Sea Turtles

12. Fort Lauderdale is secretly a great city for outdoor adventures!

Particularly, if you love the ocean. Diving, fishing, paddling, beach days, sailing, and even some nice cycling routes can all be found in this beautiful city! You can even enjoy free or cheap outdoor activities!

What facts about Fort Lauderdale did we miss?

We know we can’t include all the facts about Fort Lauderdale’s history and adventure! Anything that we missed that we should add? Let us know some facts about the city below or contact us with any questions!

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