When was Miami-Dade County founded?

Miami-Dade County was founded in 1836, formed from Monroe County, and named after Francis Langhorne Dade and Miami, Florida.

What is the county seat of Miami-Dade County?

The county seat of Miami-Dade County is Miami.

Is there an online parcel map for Miami-Dade County?

Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 596,677 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Miami-Dade County's boundary or name changed?

Miami-Dade County was created in 1836 from Monroe County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Monroe County, Brevard County and Broward County. It was formerly called Dade.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Miami-Dade County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 12086

Miami-Dade CountyFlorida

Miami-Dade County is a county in Florida with its seat in Miami, formed on February 4, 1836.

Founded1836
County seatMiami
Named forFrancis Langhorne Dade and Miami, Florida
Land area1,900 sq mi + 489 sq mi water
Population2,701,767 2020 Census
Parcels mapped596,677 checked 16 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Miami-Dade County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1836 from Monroe County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Originally called Dade and created from Monroe County by the Florida Territory in 1836, the county was named after Francis Langhorne Dade and the city of Miami. Dade was disorganized in 1851 and attached to Monroe County for administration and justice, but was fully organized and detached in 1872. The county lost territory with the creation of Palm Beach County in 1909 and Broward County in 1915, and gained a small area from Monroe County in 1961. In 1997, Dade County was renamed Miami-Dade County.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1836
Miami-Dade County created Dade (now Miami-Dade) created by Florida Territory from Monroe.
from Monroe
4 February 1836 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1836, 14th sess., ch. 937/p. 19
1874
Gained territory Dade (now Miami-Dade) gained from Brevard, lost to Monroe.
from Brevard from Monroe
19 February 1874 · Fla. Laws 1874, 7th sess., ch. 1998/p. 63
1909
Lost territory Dade (now Miami-Dade) lost to creation of Palm Beach.
to Palm Beach
1 July 1909 · Fla. Laws 1909, 12th sess., ch. 5970, sec. 1/p. 174
1915
Lost territory Dade (now Miami-Dade) lost to creation of Broward.
to Broward
1 October 1915 · Fla. Laws 1915, 15th sess., gen., ch. 6934, secs. 1, 23/pp. 285, 292
1997
Renamed Dade renamed Miami-Dade.
formerly Dade
13 November 1997 · Florida Department, Miami-Dade Public Library, telephone conversation, 27 October 2006

Show all 11 changes (6 more, mostly small adjustments)

1836
Miami-Dade County created Dade (now Miami-Dade) created by Florida Territory from Monroe.
from Monroe
4 February 1836 · Fla. Terr. Acts 1836, 14th sess., ch. 937/p. 19
1851
Changed Dade (now Miami-Dade) no longer fully organized, attached to Monroe for administrative and judicial purposes.
Monroe
7 January 1851 · Fla. Laws 1850, 5th sess., ch. 400/p. 140; Hudson, 14-15
1866
Gained territory Dade (now Miami-Dade) gained from Brevard, exchanged with Monroe. Dade continued to be attached to Monroe.
from Brevard from Monroe
8 December 1866 · Fla. Laws 1866, 14th sess., ch. 1592/p. 62
1872
Changed In 1872, Dade (now Miami-Dade) was fully organized, detached from Monroe.
Monroe
31 December 1872 · Hudson, 18-21
1874
Gained territory Dade (now Miami-Dade) gained from Brevard, lost to Monroe.
from Brevard from Monroe
19 February 1874 · Fla. Laws 1874, 7th sess., ch. 1998/p. 63
1909
Lost territory Dade (now Miami-Dade) lost to creation of Palm Beach.
to Palm Beach
1 July 1909 · Fla. Laws 1909, 12th sess., ch. 5970, sec. 1/p. 174
1913
Changed Legislature authorized creation of Broward (proposed) from Dade (now Miami-Dade), dependent on local referendum that failed (no change).
Broward
6 June 1913 · Fla. Laws 1913, 14th sess., gen., ch. 6504, secs. 1, 22/pp. 341, 346; McIver, 64
1915
Lost territory Dade (now Miami-Dade) lost to creation of Broward.
to Broward
1 October 1915 · Fla. Laws 1915, 15th sess., gen., ch. 6934, secs. 1, 23/pp. 285, 292
1961
Gained territory Dade (now Miami-Dade) gained small area on Barnes Sound from Monroe.
from Monroe
13 May 1961 · Fla. Laws 1961, 38th sess., gen., ch. 61-16/p. 44
1978
Lost territory Dade (now Miami-Dade) lost small area at Golden Beach to Broward.
to Broward
1 October 1978 · Fla. Laws 1978, 2d reg. sess., gen., ch. 78-119, secs. 1-3/pp. 447-449
1997
Renamed Dade renamed Miami-Dade.
formerly Dade
13 November 1997 · Florida Department, Miami-Dade Public Library, telephone conversation, 27 October 2006

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Miami-Dade

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 596,677 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 12 October 2026 · checked 16 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Miami-Dade County yet.
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Miami-Dade by the Census

Population

2,701,767 2020 Census count

Housing units

1,074,685 2020 Census count

Land area

1,900 square miles

Water area

489 square miles

People per sq mi

1,422 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Miami-Dade County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

County government
The official website of Miami-Dade County.
miamidade.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Miami-Dade County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Miami-Dade County

When was Miami-Dade County founded?: Miami-Dade County was founded in 1836, formed from Monroe County, and named after Francis Langhorne Dade and Miami, Florida.
What is the county seat of Miami-Dade County?: The county seat of Miami-Dade County is Miami.
Is there an online parcel map for Miami-Dade County?: Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 596,677 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Miami-Dade County's boundary or name changed?: Miami-Dade County was created in 1836 from Monroe County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Monroe County, Brevard County and Broward County. It was formerly called Dade.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Miami-Dade County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby