Keys to the City

Facts & Fundamentals

Although the last census count for Fort Lauderdale was just over 152,000, recent estimates place the current total closer to 185,000. The city ranks as the state's seventh largest and as the county's largest municipality.

The Miami-Fort Lauderdale area is focused heavily on tourism, international trade, and commerce and banking. It's also known as one of the largest cruise ship departure points in the world. With its vast expanse of waterways and many marinas, the area is also a large boating center, with the boating industry factoring heavily into the economy. Well-known companies that call Fort Lauderdale home include AutoNation, Citrix Systems, DHL Express and Spirit Airlines. Major employers include Tenet Healthcare, American Express and Motorola.

Fort Lauderdale sales tax is 6%.

Weather

A semi-tropical climate defines the Fort Lauderdale area. It's basically a two season area, summer and winter only. Average temperatures are in the mid 70s, with highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s. Summers are hot and humid, and winters are mild. Hurricanes do hit the area, and the heavy season for storm activity is September to October.

Holidays & Business Hours

On federal and state holidays, many offices and businesses close or have truncated hours. Naturally, policies vary, but in general, the following holidays are broadly observed:

Coming & Going

Located 15 minutes from downtown, the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport offers non-stop service to more than 55 domestic cities and international flights to Canada, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Mexico, Latin America and South America. The airport has four terminals with inter-terminal complimentary shuttles and parking for about 12,000 cars in relatively close proximity and additional long-term parking lots with accessibility via shuttle.

If you need to rent a car at the airport, options are numerous. The following are a few of the available rental car companies:

Alamo on Level 2, 800-462-5266
Avis on Level 3, 800-331-1212
Budget on Level 4, 800-527-0700

Taxi service is readily available, and fares are regulated by Broward County. You can reach Yellow Cab at 954-777-7777.

For share-ride transportation, contact GO Airport Shuttle.

Additional information regarding transportation and fares can be obtained at the airport's Transportation Podium located outside the baggage claim area on the lower level.

Broward County Transit (BCT) buses and the Tri-Rail commuter train feeder buses are also options. Stops are located at the west end of Terminal 1, between Terminals 2 and 3, and between Terminals 3 and 4. For information about BCT, contact the information line at 954-357-8400; contact the Tri-Rail information line at 800-874-7245.

If you are leaving the area via cruise ship, more than likely your boat will leave from Port Everglades, one of the country's busiest cruise ship ports.

Making Your Way

Fort Lauderdale public buses are a convenient and economical mode of transportation. Single fare is just $1.25 per person, and day passes are $3. Contact 954-357-8400.

Rental cars and taxi cabs are readily available as well. See the Coming and Going section for company contact names and phone numbers.

An unusual alternative to getting around the city is via Water Bus. It's regularly scheduled transportation by way of water taxis that easily navigate the many canals in the area to deliver travelers to their destinations. For more information, contact Water Taxi, Inc. at 954-467-6677, or visit their website at www.watertaxi.com.

For a quick trip to downtown or the beach from many of the city's public parking lots and garages, you can ride the Sun Trolley Community Bus. For more information, call 954-828-3700 or 954-761-3543. Hours are Mon-Fri 7:30am-5:30pm and seasonal hours on the weekend.

If you are needing commuter rail service between major cities and airports in South Florida, you may want to opt for Tri-Rail commuter rail. Contact 800-874-7245.

News & Views

Fort Lauderdale newspaper readers have two major options when choosing a paper, The Miami Herald and the The Fort Lauderdale-Sun Sentinel. As the area has many Spanish speakers, two Spanish language newspapers circulate as well, El Sentinel and El Nuevo Herald. Alternative papers include City Link and the New Times Broward-Palm Beach paper.

Area radio stations include some of the following popular choices:
WKPX 88.5 FM Sunrise Rock Top 40
WDNA 88.9 FM Miami Jazz
WMCU 89.7 FM Miami Christian Contemporary
WLRN 91.3 FM Miami Public Radio
WCMQ 92.3 FM Hialeah Spanish
WFLC 97.3 FM Miami Adult Contemporary
WMXJ 102.7 FM Pompano Beach Oldies

WQAM 560 AM Miami Sports
WIOD 610 AM Miami News/Talk
WWFE 670 AM Miami Spanish
WMYM 990 AM Miami Children's

Quirks & Curiosities

When visiting, it helps to know the names of major area interstates. Broward County has three such, I-75, I-95 and I-595, as well as US 1, US 27 and US 441. The Florida Turnpike and State Highway 869, also known as the Sawgrass Expressway, also make their way through the county.

Fort Lauderdale is known to be a popular destination of gay travelers. In fact, it's been dubbed by many travel publications as "America's top gay resort area." In addition to gay travelers, the city also has a large population of gay residents.

The city also has a large number of "snow birds" – people who winter in the city and head north during summer months.

Broward County has more than 23 miles of beachfront and many more miles of navigable waterways. In fact, the city of Fort Lauderdale has approximately 165 miles of navigable canals and waterways, making it known as the "Venice of America."

The city is proud to host cruise ships in its Port Everglades, the deepest harbor in the state. The port is located near the Fort-Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in nearby Dania Beach. The port is among the busiest in the nation and the world.

Getting Your Bearings

If you have questions, want complimentary literature about the area or need additional help planning your trip to the Fort Lauderdale area, contact the Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau or the nearby Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau
1850 Eller Dr
Suite 303 (off I-95 and I-595 E)
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Phone: 954-765-4466
Fax: 954-765-4467
www.sunny.org

Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
330 N Federal Hwy (at US 1 and Taylor St)
Hollywood, FL 33020
Phone: 954-923-4000
Fax: 954-923-8737
www.hollywoodchamber.org
Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

Mayor's Office
City Hall
100 N Andrews Ave
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Phone: 954-828-5000
E-mail: mayorjames@aol.com

Necessities - Post Offices

A number of post offices are located throughout the city, but a central location in the popular Las Olas area is:

Alridge Station
400 NW 7th Ave
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Phone: 954-764-6501
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am-6pm

Common Courtesies

Although tipping is generally a personal matter, there are some guidelines that prove helpful to travelers. At restaurants, servers typically get 15% of the bill, although 10% acknowledges basic assistance, and 20% awards exceptional service. Taxi drivers usually fit into similar guidelines by receiving a tip equivalent to 15% of the tab.

Often, a dollar tip covers many situations. The exception is a concierge, who generally receives $5-$10 for standard service (additional assistance suggests more).