- April 15, 2025
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Pembroke Pines, Florida, is in southern Broward County. It is 22 miles (35 km) north of Miami. Pembroke Pines' 2020 census population was 171,178. It is a suburb of and the fourth-most populous city in the Miami metropolitan area, which had 6,012,331 residents in 2015.
On January 16, 1960, Pembroke Pines incorporated. Sir Edward J. Reed, a member of Britain's Parliament for the County of Pembroke from 1874 to 1880, founded the Florida Land and Mortgage Company in 1882 to buy 2 million acres of mostly swampland in the southern half of Florida from Hamilton Disston. The city's name comes from this purchase. Pembroke Road ran through one tract. Walter Smith Kipnis, the city's first mayor, named the city Pembroke Pines after the pine trees near Pembroke Road.
American Indians settled the area 4,000 years ago. Skeletal remains of animal hunters from 10,000 years ago were found in Broward County, suggesting humans lived there even earlier.
The town began as dairy farm land and grew after World War II as service members retired, including large eastern sections of the Waldrep Dairy Farm, which is now Pembroke Lakes Mall. First two subdivisions were Pembroke Pines. The city's first mayor, Kipnis, built his 1956 home. "Village of Pembroke Pines" was incorporated in 1959. Builders opposed incorporation, so the new municipality's boundaries were contested in court. The first fire department building near North Perry Airport added city services in the 1960s. University Drive was the westernmost habitable land.
Pembroke Pines became a city in January 1960 after another election. Hollywood Boulevard, SW 72nd Avenue, and the Florida Turnpike bordered this small property. Pembroke Pines created the Civic Association to involve residents. North Perry Airport and South Florida State Hospital prevented the square-mile city from expanding. Developer Joseph LaCroix had 320 acres (1.3 km2) north of Pines Boulevard annexed to the city. This allowed westward travel. The Broward Correctional Institution, a maximum-security prison, was built in 1977 in the northwest. 2012. From Flamingo Road to U.S. 27, Pembroke Pines doubled in size in 1980. This expansion included C.B. Smith Park, Hollywood Sportatorium, and Miami-Hollywood Motorsports Park. In 1980, construction began on Interstate 75 from U.S. 27 to Miami through the new western part of the city. The expressway reached Pines Boulevard in 1984.
Grateful Dead played the Sportatorium in May 1977. Many Deadheads think the band's first-set "Sugaree"—especially guitarist Jerry Garcia's—is the best.
Hurricane Andrew in 1992 contributed to the city's rapid population growth. Thousands of southern Miami-Dade residents moved north to Broward County, many to Pembroke Pines. The boom made Pembroke Pines the third "Fastest Growing City" in the US in 1999. Population growth necessitates schools. Charles W. Flanagan High School was Florida's most populated high school in 2003 with nearly 6,000 students.
Mayor Alex Fekete and City Manager Charles Dodge created a charter school system to meet Broward County's demands. Pembroke Pines had the largest county charter school system in 2006. Broward Community College and Florida International University have campuses here. In 2011, the city's population was 157,594.
According to State Farm Insurance, Pines Boulevard and Flamingo Road in Pembroke Pines was the most dangerous intersection in the US in 2001. Residents approved a bond to start intersection reconstruction. The intersection now has east/west Pines Boulevard lanes.
Hurricanes have increased as developers expanded Pembroke Pines westward. Hurricane Irene rained 16 inches (410 mm) in 1999. Chapel Trail and Silver Lakes got 19 in the west (480 mm). In 2004, Hurricane Frances and Jeanne hit Palm Beach County with tropical storm-force winds and minor tree and shrub damage. The 2005 hurricane season affected the city. Category-one Hurricane Katrina directly overpassed the city. In Chapel Trail and Silver Lakes, it downed power lines and trees.
Hurricane Wilma's eye passed 20 miles (32 km) north of the city in late October, bringing decades-strong winds. The city's highest sustained wind was 92 mph (148 km/h) and its highest gust was 101 mph (163 km/h). Most of the city was without power for days, intersection lights were destroyed, a gas station riot closed it, most landscaping was destroyed or damaged beyond repair, and roof and screen damage occurred. Schools closed for two weeks.
The city is one of Broward County's largest, with 34.8 square miles (90.2 km2) of land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) of water, according to the US Census Bureau.
With 116,000 residents in FEMA's coastal floodplain, the city ranked third most vulnerable to coastal flooding in the US in 2017.
Commission-Manager governs Pembroke Pines. A mayor and four commissioners from single-member districts make up the city commission.
Broward County's Pembroke Pines. It ranks 11th in Florida and 161st in the US with 176,107 residents in 2023. Pembroke Pines is growing at 0.94% annually and has grown by 2.88% since the 2020 census, which recorded a population of 171,178. Pembroke Pines has 5,390 people per square mile over 35 miles.
Pembroke Pines has a 12.45% poverty rate and a $88,044 average household income. In recent years, the median rent was and the median house value was. Pembroke Pines' median age is 42.2, 40.1 for men and 43.9 for women.
