Miami-Dade 250
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In 2026, the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding — a historic milestone that invites reflection, learning, and celebration. Miami-Dade 250 is Miami-Dade County’s initiative to commemorate this moment by honoring our nation’s history while uplifting the people, cultures and ideas that shape our community today.
Miami-Dade County’s story is deeply intertwined with the American story. From Indigenous roots and early settlements to waves of immigration, civic leadership, innovation, and cultural expression, our community reflects the enduring ideals of democracy, opportunity, and resilience. Miami-Dade 250 highlights these local contributions and perspectives, recognizing our shared commitment to civic participation and community service.
Throughout the year, Miami-Dade 250 will feature educational programs, public events, cultural initiatives, and community partnerships that encourage residents of all ages to explore history, engage in civic life, and imagine the future. We invite you to participate in a shared celebration — one that honors our past, celebrates our present, and inspires the next generation to carry our democratic values forward.
Throughout the year, Miami-Dade 250 will feature educational programs, public events, cultural initiatives, and community partnerships that encourage residents of all ages to explore history, engage in civic life, and imagine the future. We invite you to participate in a shared celebration — one that honors our past, celebrates our present, and inspires the next generation to carry our democratic values forward.
Be Part of the Commemoration
Share Your Story
Miami-Dade 250 invites residents, families, students, artists, veterans, educators and community members to share stories that capture what this milestone means to you.
Share Your Event
Miami-Dade 250 invites community organizations, cultural institutions, educational partners, municipalities, and residents to submit events for consideration as part of the County’s 2026 commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Our History
Long before Florida became part of the United States in 1821, this land was home to Indigenous peoples, including the Tequesta and later the Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes.
Miami-Dade later emerged as part of the American story as settlement expanded and connections to South Florida deepened. The arrival of the railroad in the 19th century brought people and investment into Miami-Dade and slowly transformed it from a small frontier outpost into a growing community.
Over the decades that followed, immigration transformed Miami-Dade. Immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and many other countries arrived, bringing with them traditions, languages, and new ways of life. Their presence shaped neighborhoods, strengthened institutions, and helped define the civic and cultural life of our community.
In many ways, Miami-Dade’s story reflects the broader American journey. What began as a place where pioneers carved out lives in a challenging landscape has become a global gateway, a place where people from around the world come in search of opportunity, freedom, and a better future.
Ours is a community built by immigrants, refugees, entrepreneurs, artists, educators, and public servants from every corner of the globe. They are people who believed in the promise of America. In Miami-Dade, they found not only a new home, but a place where cultures meet and blend, creating a vibrant tapestry of languages, traditions, and ideas.
Miami-Dade 250 honors this shared history, America’s and our own, and celebrates the people who brought us here and the people who will carry us forward. Throughout the year, residents and visitors are invited to explore the stories that shaped our past, take part in the civic life of our community, and help write the next chapter of a nation still striving to fulfill its founding ideals.
Because the next chapter of the American story is still being written, and Miami-Dade is helping to write it.
Miami-Dade later emerged as part of the American story as settlement expanded and connections to South Florida deepened. The arrival of the railroad in the 19th century brought people and investment into Miami-Dade and slowly transformed it from a small frontier outpost into a growing community.
Over the decades that followed, immigration transformed Miami-Dade. Immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and many other countries arrived, bringing with them traditions, languages, and new ways of life. Their presence shaped neighborhoods, strengthened institutions, and helped define the civic and cultural life of our community.
In many ways, Miami-Dade’s story reflects the broader American journey. What began as a place where pioneers carved out lives in a challenging landscape has become a global gateway, a place where people from around the world come in search of opportunity, freedom, and a better future.
Ours is a community built by immigrants, refugees, entrepreneurs, artists, educators, and public servants from every corner of the globe. They are people who believed in the promise of America. In Miami-Dade, they found not only a new home, but a place where cultures meet and blend, creating a vibrant tapestry of languages, traditions, and ideas.
Miami-Dade 250 honors this shared history, America’s and our own, and celebrates the people who brought us here and the people who will carry us forward. Throughout the year, residents and visitors are invited to explore the stories that shaped our past, take part in the civic life of our community, and help write the next chapter of a nation still striving to fulfill its founding ideals.
Because the next chapter of the American story is still being written, and Miami-Dade is helping to write it.
Miami-Dade 250 Advisory Committee
2026 marks America’s Semi-quincentennial — 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. To ensure Miami-Dade County’s full participation in this milestone, Mayor Levine Cava has established the Miami-Dade 250: We Are America Celebration Advisory Committee.
The Office of the Mayor will provide staff support for the Advisory Committee and will work with committee members to develop a comprehensive framework for Miami-Dade’s participation in America’s 250th celebration.
The Miami-Dade 250 Advisory Committee is charged with making recommendations as to the following:
The Office of the Mayor will provide staff support for the Advisory Committee and will work with committee members to develop a comprehensive framework for Miami-Dade’s participation in America’s 250th celebration.
The Miami-Dade 250 Advisory Committee is charged with making recommendations as to the following:
- Developing a countywide plan of events, programs, activations, and educational initiatives to honor the 250th anniversary
- Coordinating with state and federal partners, cultural institutions, municipalities, and community organizations
- Encouraging civic engagement, historical reflection, and cultural expression across all neighborhoods
- Identifying funding opportunities and partnerships to support public celebrations and legacy projects
- Ensuring Miami-Dade’s participation aligns with national commemoration efforts led by the U.S. Semi-quincentennial Commission.