Coral Gables

Sister cities

• Aix-en-Provence
• Pisa
• Granada
• Quito
• Antigua Guatemala
• El Puerto de Santa María

History

Coral Gables was formally incorporated as a city on April 29, 1925. It is a planned community based on the popular early 20th-century City Beautiful Movement and is known for its strict zoning regulations. The city was developed by George Merrick, a real estate developer from Pennsylvania, during the Florida land boom of the 1920s. Merrick named the development after his family's home, a plantation built in the early 1900s. The main building of their estate had been named Coral Gables because it was built with Miami Limestone (commonly called "coral rock") and coral-colored Ludowici tile. Much of the early construction in Coral Gables was carried out by Bahamian immigrant laborers, many of whom were skilled stonemasons experienced in working with the local coral rock used in many of the city’s early buildings and infrastructure. The city's architecture is almost entirely Mediterranean Revival style, mandated in the original plan, with an emphasis on Spanish influence in particular, such as the Coral Gables Congregational Church, donated by Merrick. The domed Catholic Church of the Little Flower was built later, in a similar Spanish Renaissance style. Early in the city's planning and development, Merrick shared his vision for Coral Gables as "a most extraordinary opportunity for the building of 'Castles in Spain'," according to Coral Gables historian Arva Moore Parks. Merrick's success in executing this vision for the city would catch the attention of Spain's king, Alfonso XIII, who awarded Merrick the Order of Isabella the Catholic for his support of Spanish culture in Coral Gables. By 1926, the city covered and had netted $150 million in sales, with over $100 million spent on development. That year also had the opening of the Biltmore Hotel and Golf…

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which (64.64%) are covered by water. Coral Gables has a tropical climate, similar to that found in much of the Caribbean. It is part of the only region in the 48 contiguous states that falls under that category. More specifically, it generally has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am).

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• CORAL REEF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  High · MIAMI · 3,243 students · 25.7:1 ratio
• MIAMI SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  High · MIAMI · 2,905 students · 24.2:1 ratio
• CORAL GABLES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  High · CORAL GABLES · 2,824 students · 23.5:1 ratio
• MIAMI PALMETTO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  High · MIAMI · 2,671 students · 25.4:1 ratio
• SOUTHWEST MIAMI SENIOR HIGH
  High · MIAMI · 2,415 students · 23.7:1 ratio
• MIAMI CORAL PARK SENIOR HIGH
  High · MIAMI · 2,190 students · 22.3:1 ratio
• MIAMI SOUTHRIDGE SENIOR HIGH
  High · MIAMI · 2,085 students · 21.5:1 ratio
• ROBERT MORGAN EDUCATIONAL CENTER
  High · MIAMI · 1,845 students · 24.3:1 ratio