Homestead, FL

Homestead is a city at the southern edge of mainland Miami-Dade County and the gateway to two national parks, Everglades and Biscayne. It is a farming town at heart, surrounded by nurseries and fruit groves, and a natural stop for anyone heading to the parks or down US 1 to the Florida Keys.

Where is Homestead?

Homestead is about 26 miles southwest of downtown Miami and about 25 miles from Key Largo. Miami International Airport is roughly 45 minutes away by car, depending on traffic. The Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike ends just south of the city where it meets US 1, the only road into the Keys. Biscayne National Park lies to the east and Everglades National Park to the west, and the city officially calls itself the Gateway to Everglades and Biscayne National Parks. See our Greater Miami guide for the rest of the county.

Things to do in Homestead

Everglades National Park is a short drive west of town. Its Homestead entrance leads to the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center and the Main Park Road toward Royal Palm and Flamingo, with boardwalk trails and good odds of seeing alligators and wading birds in the dry season. To the east, the Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point, about 9 miles from the city, is the mainland base for Biscayne National Park, which is mostly open water and reef explored by boat, kayak or snorkel.

In and around town, Coral Castle is a stone structure built single-handedly by Edward Leedskalnin between 1923 and 1951. The county-run Fruit and Spice Park in the Redland grows hundreds of tropical fruits, herbs and spices. Homestead-Miami Speedway hosts NASCAR and other racing, and the Homestead Historic Downtown District has the city’s early 20th century buildings.

When to visit Homestead

November through April is the best time, with dry weather, fewer mosquitoes and peak wildlife viewing in the Everglades. Winter weekends can bring congestion at the Everglades entrance, so arrive before 10 a.m. Summer is hot, wet and buggy.