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 Fort Lauderdale is a destination that will satisfy the well-traveled with a discriminating taste. The year-round mild temperatures make its sandy beaches an ideal relaxing spot during the daytime. At night, however, the long boulevard turns into a vibrant party mile with clubs, bars and pubs as far as the eye can see. With some of the best restaurants, shops, and boutique hotels in the state, this city is a hip explorer's paradise.

currency

US Dollar, 1 USD = 100 cents

phone

911

newspaper

The Sun Sentinel — www.sun-sentinel.com
The Promenade Magazine — www.ftlauderdalenews.net
WPLG (channel 10) — www.local10.com

population

181,668 (2021)

info

Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau
101 Northeast 3rd Avenue, #100, Fort Lauderdale
+1 954 765 4466
Open Mon–Fri 8:30am–5pm

website

www.visitlauderdale.com

Fort Lauderdale pisaphotography / Shutterstock.com

The City

Besides its former reputation as a Spring Break hotspot, today’s Fort Lauderdale is an affluent international business center. Moreover, it is well-known for its boat manufacturing and leisure time industry, which have earned it the nickname “Venice of America.”

Whether you like to relax in luxury spas, or rather go second-hand shopping at big flea markets, the place has offers for everyone and every pocket. Moreover, Fort Lauderdale hosts one of the world’s largest drive-in cinemas for the perfect retro experience.

Centrally located between Miami and Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale was originally named after Major Lauderdale, as were the three forts in the city. While none of these forts exist today, the place is now a desirable location for new or relocating businesses. It supports a diverse range of industries, such as film and television production, finance, marine, manufacturing, aerospace, insurance, and real estate.

Riverwalk, the foundation of the city’s art and historic district, features the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the Museum of Science and Discovery, among others.

Fort Lauderdale Ruth Peterkin / Shutterstock.com

Do & See

There are many options for the adventure-seeker as well as the relaxed traveller. With museums, historical mansions, architecture, and even alligator-spotting swamp rides, all types of visitors will be entertained in Fort Lauderdale.

Bimini4u/CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia

International Swimming Hall of Fame

Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com

NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale

Dirk M. de Boer/Shutterstock.com

Billie Swamp Safari

Ebyabe/Wikimedia Commons

Museum of Discovery & Science

Robert Linder/Unsplash

Swap Shop & Thunderbird Drive-In Theater

SFAJane/CC BY 2.0/Flickr

Butterfly World

ddmirt/Shutterstock.com

Las Olas Beach & Boulevard

Elvert Barnes/CC BY-SA 2.0/Flickr

Fort Lauderdale Historical Society

Wankach/Public domain/Wikimedia

Fire & Safety Museum

Miguel Navaza/CC BY 2.0/Flickr

EZride Surf School

Xuan Nguyen/Unsplash.com

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

CHUTTERSNAP/Unsplash

Flamingo Gardens

ka2rina/CC BY 2.0/Flickr

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

Vince Alongi/Flickr

Jungle Queen Cruises

Doug Waldron/CC BY-SA 2.0/Flickr

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park

Leonard J. DeFrancisci/Wikimedia Commons

Bonnet House Museum & Gardens

Smoked Marlin Foccacia with Avocado and Tomato Kelsey Hamaguchi / Shutterstock.com

Dining

Some of the finest Florida dining is in this area of the state, where seafood meets creativity and fusion possibilities are endless.

Hugo Brizard - YouGoPhoto/Shutterstock.com

Chima Steakhouse

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Canyon Restaurant

Manuela Durson/Shutterstock.com

Thai Spice

71/Shutterstock.com

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings

MZA_Photography/Shutterstock.com

Steak 954

FrauTori/Shutterstock.com

Casa Sensei

Dragon Images/Shutterstock.com

Pirate Republic Seafood Restaurant

TravnikovStudio/Shutterstock.com

Casablanca Cafe

Coffee Shop Bar Counter Cafe Restaurant Relaxation Concept Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock.com

Cafes

For either lingering over coffee and a scone or grabbing a quick sandwich on a busy day of sightseeing, these cafes could fill every afternoon of your trip.

Andrei Salavei/Shutterstock.com

Stork’s Bakery & Coffee House

Rawpixel.com/Unsplash.com

Coconuts

Rosalind Chang/Unsplash.com

El Guanaco Taqueria Y Antojitos

Goran Bogicevic/Shutterstock.com

Gilbert's 17th Street Grill

Fort Lauderdale night CrackerClips Stock Media / Shutterstock.com

Bars & Nightlife

Kzenon/Shutterstock.com

Poorhouse

Markus Spiske/Unsplash.com

Culture Room

Hernán Piñera/Flickr

McSorley's Beach Pub

Steve Snodgrass/CC BY 2.0/Flickr

American Social Bar

Quinn Dombrowski/Flickr

Tap 42 Craft Kitchen & Bar

DisobeyArt/Shutterstock.com

Lulu's Bait Shack

qwasder1987/Shutterstock.com

Parrot Lounge

ILIA NEZNAEV/Shutterstock.com

Bamboo Beach Tiki Bar & Cafe

Maxim Blinkov/Shutterstock.com

Blue Martini

Carla Oliveira/Unsplash.com

Scandals Saloon

Elevate/Unspalsh.com

LauderAle Brewery

View Apart/Shutterstock.com

Stache Drinking Den + Coffee Bar

Elevate/Unsplash.com

Funky Buddha Brewery

Slavko Sereda/Shutterstock.com

Posh Lounge

Couple shopping in the free time in the sun with shopping bag Kzenon / Shutterstock.com

Shopping

Those with a taste for design will have a hard time choosing how to spend their time shopping in Fort Lauderdale.

MOSO IMAGE/Shutterstock.com

West Palm Beach Antique Row Art & Design District

Kam Idris/Unsplash

Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA)

michaeljung/Shutterstock.com

The Gallery at Beach Place

Fotoluminate LLC/Shutterstock.com

Las Olas Boulevard & Las Olas Riverfront

adriaticfoto/Shutterstock.com

The Galleria

Sara Kurfeß/Unsplash

Harbor Shops

fiphoto/Shutterstock.com

Coral Ridge Mall

ESB Professional/Shutterstock.com

Ross Dress for Less

auremar/Shutterstock.com

Westfield Broward Mall

Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com

Pompano Citi Centre

Mr.Nikon/Shutterstock.com

Radio-Active Records

View Apart/Shutterstock.com

The Colonnade Outlets

Boris-B/Shutterstock.com

Gateway Shopping Center

Elena Rostunova/Shutterstock.com

Couture Upscale Consign

optimarc/Shutterstock.com

Dania Historic Antiques District

EpicStockMedia/Shutterstock.com

Adventure Sports

Fort Lauderdale holbox / Shutterstock.com

Tourist Information

Passport / Visa

Citizens of the Schengen countries, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Kingdom of Brunei can visit the United States for up to 90 days without applying for a visa (as well as citizens of Andorra, Lichtenstein, Monaco and San Marino). Citizens of these countries must obtain an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) before traveling. All other travelers must obtain a visa before visiting the United States. International travelers need a passport that is valid for at least 3 months after the end of their intended trip in order to enter the country.

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Best Time to Visit

Fort Lauderdale comes alive during winter, from December to mid-spring when temperatures are at their warmest and snowbirds flock south to escape cold winters. Weather can be unpredictable during the summer and fall months (June-November), which are also when the risk of hurricanes is at its highest.

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Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)

Hollywood International Airport is the main airport for the Fort Lauderdale area. There are four main terminals serving a number of airlines, including domestic carriers Continental, American, JetBlue, Delta, Southwest, Northwest, AirTran, Spirit, and US Airways, as well as international carriers like Air Canada, Air Jamaica, and Finnair.

Just a few miles from downtown Fort Lauderdale, the airport offers easy access to major roadways including I-95, I-75, I-595, U.S. 1, and Florida’s Turnpike to destinations in South and Central Florida. The airport is also in a prime location for those taking cruises, just two miles from Port Everglades, from where most cruise ships leave.

There is a commuter train (Tri-Rail) that connects the airport to Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County. BCT bus route 1 runs through Broward County.

There are plenty of rental car companies offering over 5,400 cars in one accessible location. As of recently, Uber cars also have access to the pick-up areas of the airport.

Address: Hollywood International Airport, Fort Lauderdale

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Website: www.broward.org/airport

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Public Transport

There is a number of bus and rail services available in the area of Fort Lauderdale. For selected destinations, you can also get on a shuttle.

Palm Tran
Palm Beach County’s public bus transportation offers regular services throughout Palm Beach County.

Tri-Rail
A commuter rail line linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, with stops at many locations in between. The Palm Beach International Airport is accessible by Tri-Rail from the West Palm Beach Tri-Rail station located at 203 South Tamarind Avenue. A Palm Tran shuttle carries passengers to/from the Tri-Rail station to PBIA.

Amtrak
Long- and short-distance rail service throughout the United States.

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Taxi

Various taxicab options are available. Fort Lauderdale Taxi Cab is one of the better options. Ride-sharing apps, such as Uber and Lyft, are also commonly used.

Fort Lauderdale Taxi Cab
+1 954 591 3282

Address: Fort Lauderdale Taxi Cab

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Phone: +1 954 591 3282

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Post

The main Fort Lauderdale Post Office is located at 400 Northwest 7th Avenue and there are numerous mailboxes around the city.

Address: 400 Northwest 7th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale

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Phone: +1 800 275 8777

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Pharmacy

Numerous locations at CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Rite-Aid, most grocery stores, and various independent and chain store retailers.

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Telephone

Country code: +1
Area code: 954

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Electricity

Flat 2 or 3-prong plugs are standard, with 110-115 volt adapters available in many electrical shops and discount variety stores.

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