 Facts at a Glance
Population: 150,000
Area: 31 sq miles (80 sq km)
Elevation: 8ft (2m)
State: Florida
Time Zone: Eastern Time (GMT/UTC minus 5 hours)
Telephone area code: 954
 History
The first inhabitants of the Fort Lauderdale area were Seminole Indians, who arrived in Florida during the 18th and 19th centuries. The city itself got both its start and name from Major William Lauderdale, who in 1838 led his Tennessee Volunteers into the area during the Seminole War. Shortly after they arrived, Lauderdale and his men had cleared the land and raised the New River Fort on the site of the modern city. After a minor battle, Lauderdale and his volunteers left the fort to return to Tennessee, though fighting between the US and the Seminole people continued through the late 1850s.
In 1893, Frank Stranahan arrived and built the first trading post in the area near the site of the fort. Stranahan went on to operate the area's first ferry, became its first postmaster, open its first bank and kickstart the local government. Fort Lauderdale was incorporated as a town in 1911, and in 1915, when Broward County was formed, it was selected as the county seat.
In its early years, Fort Lauderdale was a predominantly agricultural community, raising dairy cows and citrus groves. Its population boomed in the early 1920s but stagnated after a hurricane later in the decade. By the late 1940s and early 1950s, Fort Lauderdale had been rebuilt and its population again began to swell.
Fort Lauderdale found its calling as a tourist destination during the 1960s, when teeny-bopper propaganda films began to hype it as America's Spring Break mecca. Legends of weeklong bacchanalian stumblefests spread during the 1970s and early 1980s, culminating in B-movie stinkers like Spring Break and Where the Boys Are '84, until the local community decided enough was enough. In came the police force, out went the yahoos and so began a remarkably successful barrage of counter-propaganda throughout the nation's universities and colleges.
Over the past decade, the city has worked hard to all but stamp out its Spring Break image, fostering instead a more genteel beachside demeanor and relegating the hellraising to indoor bars and nightclubs. These days, Fort Lauderdale's almost as likely to be seen as a charming berth for wandering yachties as it is to conjure images of wet T-shirt contests. Almost.
 When to Go
To much of America's youth, Fort Lauderdale still revolves around Spring Break, which takes place every year for a week in late March or early April. While the town has managed to crack down on the intensity of Spring Break antics, party legends die hard and the faithful still arrive by the carload. If you love beer-soaked crowds of scantily clad young 'adults,' come to Fort Lauderdale for the week's festivities. For a calmer atmosphere, come any other time. Fort Lauderdale's climate is tropical, with an average year-round temperature of 77°F (25°C) and plenty of sunshine. August is the warmest month but also gets the heaviest rainfall. Winter temperatures don't drop much below 65°F (18°C), with January being the coolest month of the year.
 Orientation
Fort Lauderdale is in southeastern Florida on the Atlantic coast, about 25 miles (40km) north of downtown Miami. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport is about 10 miles (16km) south of downtown. The city is set in a grid wherever physically possible (no mean feat with all that water) and divided into three distinct sections: the beach, on the eastern side of the Intracoastal Waterway; downtown, on the mainland; and Port Everglades, the cruise port south of the city. The main arteries between downtown and the beach are Sunrise Blvd to the north, E Las Olas Blvd in the center and 17th St to the south, which connects the beach to Port Everglades.
Between the beach and the mainland are almost two dozen small finger islands. Millionaire's Row, as this area is called, is on the New River, just west of the Intracoastal Waterway and east of downtown. Here, a mooring and a boat and a half comes with every house - this could well be the yacht capital of North America - and along with yachts, of course, come the millionaires who putter around on them.
 Attractions
Museum of Art
Fort Lauderdale's Museum of Art is one of Florida's best. Reopened in 1985 in brand new (and architecturally impressive) digs just off the New River, the museum's permanent collection includes works by the likes of Picasso, Matisse, Dali and Warhol. Equally impressive are the growing collections of Cuban and ethnographic art, including large African and South American exhibits. You can't ever really know what you're going to see on a particular visit, as the enormity of the collection far outpaces the available space. If you're visiting in the fall, keep an eye out for the Hortt Memorial Exhibition & Competition, which showcases the best of area artists.
The museum is centrally located in downtown Fort Lauderdale, north of the New River.
Fronted by the Great Gravity Clock, Florida's largest kinetic energy sculpture, the Museum of Discovery & Science is one of the best environmentally oriented museums in the state. Exhibits reveal the mysteries of computers, ecology, energy, health, sound and space. The Florida Ecoscapes exhibit introduces visitors to Florida's 10 different ecosystems: you pass through a series of forests, swamps and sloughs - petting friendly sting rays, observing a fascinating synthetic beehive - all the while surrounded by appropriate animal noises. The museum also raises many endangered species, and several times a day the baby crocodile and sea turtle hatchlings are brought out for inspection.
Also on hand, the Manned Maneuvering Unit simulates weightlessness; you sit in a high-tech NASA chair and use air jets to launch up to a satellite and aim it correctly at earth - and then get scored in how you do. The Blockbuster IMAX 3-D theater in house offers virtual-reality-type helmets and goggles (no more red and blue plastic glasses!) to compound the amazement of watching their five-story movie screen.
The Discovery museum is in northwestern downtown Fort Lauderdale, north of the New River.
One of Florida's oldest residences and now a registered historic landmark, the Stranahan House is on the New River in the southeastern section of town. It was constructed as the home and store for Ohio transplant Frank Stranahan, a trader who built up a small empire through dealings with the Seminole Indians. Eventually, Stranahan became despondent over losses in the land and stock market busts of the late 1920s and over the collapse of his Fort Lauderdale Bank, and he committed suicide by jumping into the New River. The house, originally constructed in 1901 and expanded several times over the years, is a perfect example of Florida frontier design. Constructed from local pine, the house features wide porches, exceptionally tall windows and a Victorian parlor, as well as tropical gardens.
Bonnet House
Another of Fort Lauderdale's historic residences, the Bonnet House is a beautiful estate filled with native southern Florida and imported tropical plants, including an extensive orchid collection. To see the house and grounds you have to be on one of the tours, which are offered twice a day Wednesday through Sunday and last a little over an hour. The house is in northern Fort Lauderdale, between the beach and the Intracoastal Waterway, an easy walk from downtown.
International Swimming Hall of Fame
Quick: How many gallons of water does it take to fill a competition pool? If you said 573,000, you're enough of a swimming wonk to really enjoy the International Swimming Hall of Fame Museum. There are thousands of photographs, medals, uniforms (including those embarrassing USA warm-up suits from the 1984 Olympics), paintings, sculptures (a great one of Johnny 'Tarzan' Weissmuller with anatomically accurate hands designed by a prosthetic corporation) - the list goes on. An automated theater shows footage of swimming films, including old newsreels, on a huge TV - it's worth the ticket price in itself.
 Off the Beaten Track
Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Area
Where there's nature left in southeast Florida, it's best to see it fast, and the Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Area is one of the spots to see. For almost a mile in the middle of the beach (north of East Sunrise Blvd), the state-protected park contains one of the last significant maritime hammocks left around Fort Lauderdale, mangroves, a freshwater lagoon system and several species of endangered flora and fauna, including the gopher tortoise and golden leather fern. Oh yeah - there's luscious peace and quiet here as well. The park allows beach access, and within the grounds you can fish in the Intracoastal Waterway, picnic, hike, bike or canoe.
Delray Beach
Delray Beach is a lively town with an interesting history that's far more welcoming and affordable than much of the rest of southeastern Florida. The area was first peopled by settlers Michigan (the land was bought by the postmaster of Saginaw, Michigan, who brought friends) and blacks from the Florida Panhandle. A local company began extending the railway south and lured in about a hundred Japanese farmers to work on a farm settlement called Yamato. The Japanese workers planted a number of crops, but chiefly they were here to farm pineapples. The settlement never amounted to much: crop yeilds failed to reach expectation and, with added competition from Cuban fruit companies, pineapple farming in the entire area dried up. Today, Delray Beach is a small but very pleasant resort town - energetic but not full of itself - with pleasant restaurants, beaches and museums. Among the better ones is Morikami Gardens, dedicated to the lives of the Japanese settlers at Yamato. It's a lovely and serene place worth spending a couple of hours, if only for the Cornell Cafe, which serves tasty homestyle Japanese food.
Delray Beach is about 20 miles (32km) north of Fort Lauderdale and is easily accessed by bus, train or car.
National Enquirer Headquarters
If you're driving past the town of Lantana, almost 30 miles (50km) north of Fort Lauderdale, a pilgrimage to the headquarters of National Enquirer is almost a must - though, sad to say, there are no tours per se. The Enquirer's tasteless but (the industry grudgingly admits) accurate airing of the dirty laundry of celebrities - and their heroic tales of blind jugglers and miracle diets - have given it the largest circulation of any newspaper in the USA. The headquarters are on SE Coast Ave in Lantana; if you're traveling on Hwy 1, you can't miss the enormous National Enquirer sign on the west side of the railroad tracks. If you call and ask for the marketing department (and sound awfully convincing), maybe they'll bring you through on a VIP tour.
 Activities
Fort Lauderdale offers over 20 miles (32km) of Atlantic coast, perfect for snorkeling or diving. There are tons of dive shops along the beach, which can point you toward the reefs and wrecks. Pompano Beach, about 10 miles (16km) north of Fort Lauderdale, has some challenges for experienced divers. Water skiing is possible on the ocean, but equipment rental is usually outrageously expensive. You can fish in the Intracoastal Waterway; a particularly pleasant spot is from Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Area. The recreation area is also a good place to head to hike and camp. Outside of the ocean, there's no better place to swim in all of Fort Lauderdale than the Aquatic Complex at the International Swimming Hall of Fame. For an otherworldly experience, go on a swim with the dolphins trip to the Florida Keys; tour operators leave from Fort Lauderdale.
 Events
Bikini contests, volleyball tournaments and drinking events abound during Spring Break, the annual college student pilgrimage to Fort Lauderdale that occurs each year in late March or early April. Locals take over partying duties in early May for the Cajun/Zydeco Crawfish Festival, a celebration marked by great Cajun seafood and the best of Louisiana music. The culturati will appreciate the city's International Film Festival in late October.
Public Holidays:
1 January - New Year's Day
Third Monday in January - Martin Luther King Jr Day
Third Monday in February - Presidents' Day
Late March or April - Easter
Last Monday in May - Memorial Day
4 July - Independence Day
First Monday in September - Labor Day
Second Monday in October - Columbus Day
11 November - Veterans' Day
Fourth Thursday in November - Thanksgiving
25 December - Christmas Day
 Getting There & Away
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport is home to some three dozen airlines, including a few with nonstop flights from Europe. Miami International, a much larger but less 'friendly' airport, is about 30 miles south of Fort Lauderdale.
Fort Lauderdale's Greyhound bus station is on NE 3rd St at Federal Hwy, just north of downtown. There are frequent buses to Miami, from where you can catch buses to most parts of the US.
Tri-Rail trains run between Miami and Palm Beach with stops in Fort Lauderdale. They provide transportation to the Miami Arena for basketball and hockey games, to Joe Robbie Stadium (for Miami Dolphins and Florida Marlins games) and to several other tourist attractions. The station is on SW 21st Terrace, east of central Fort Lauderdale, west of I-95.
Florida's Turnpike, the state's main toll road, runs north and south, from Miami to Longwood, a few miles east of town. I-595, the major east-west artery, connects the western suburbs with Port Everglades, the airport and downtown Fort Lauderdale. It also connects with I-95, Florida's Turnpike and the Sawgrass Expressway. The Sawgrass Expressway, a north-south toll expressway, links western suburbs and ties into I-95, the Turnpike and I-75. I-75 runs to Florida's west coast.
Port Everglades Authority runs the city's enormous cruise port, the second busiest in the world after Miami. If you're arriving in your own boat, head for the Bahia Mar Yachting Center.
 Getting Around
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport is about 10 miles (16km) south of downtown. Shuttles, buses and taxis are always around for rides between the airport and downtown, or you can pick up a rental car upon arrival.
Frequent Broward County Transit (BCt) buses run between downtown and the beach, Port Everglades and surrounding towns and beaches, leaving from Broward Central Terminal, right in the heart of town. BCt's free Downtown Trolley loops through downtown, while the Wave Trolley Company's trolley service travels between downtown, Port Everglades and the beach.
Having a car is the easiest way to go, though parking is especially tight during Spring Break and you usually have to pay for it. Speed limits are enforced to such an extent that you may wonder if the local cops get a commission. Driving is on the right.
Fort Lauderdale's flatness makes it a great place to get around by bike or inline skates, and plenty of places rent them out. Water taxis are a full-fledged transportation option in the canals and waterways of Fort Lauderdale. You can call from any place with a dock, and they'll swing by and pick you up.
 Recommended Reading
- The New History of Florida, edited by Michael Gannon, is a beautifully written history book that reads like a novel in many chapters - a concise and complete masterpiece.
- The African American Heritage of Florida by David R Colburn is a scholarly work about the state's black residents and their history.
- Frank Zoretich's Cheap Thrills Florida - The Bottom Half, written by an admittedly very stingy man, is your best bet for bargain-basement distractions.
- If you're coming with kids, Places to Go with Children in Miami & South Florida by Cheryl Lani Juárez and Deborah Ann Johnson is indispensable for keeping the little darlings calm and entertained.
- For getting out in nature, Marjory Stoneman Douglas' classic The Everglades: River of Grass should be required reading. Also check out Susan D Jewell's excellent Exploring Wild South Florida.
- The Green Guide: Florida by Marty Klinkenbergh and Elizabeth Leach is a good resource for travel in state parks and wilderness.
- If you're sailing or boating around Florida, two books stand out: A Gunkholer's Cruising Guide to Florida's West Coast by Tom Lefenstey and Florida Under Sail by Janey and Gordon Groene.
- A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to the Streams of Florida by Elizabeth F Carter and John L Pearce is well written and has lots of maps.
- Mystery and detective novel buffs will thrill to retracing the steps of Travis McGee, the hardboiled Fort Lauderdale sleuth in John D MacDonald's popular series.
 Lonely Planet Guides
 Travelers' Reports
 On-line Info
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