West Park, Florida

For the former census-designated place in Hillsborough County, see Leto, Florida.

West Park, Florida
City
City of West Park
Motto:  "The City of Positive Progression"
Location of West Park in Broward County, Florida
Coordinates: 25°59′00″N80°11′11″W / 25.98333°N 80.18639°W / 25.98333; -80.18639
Country	United States of America
State	Florida
County	Broward
Incorporated	March 1, 2005 [1]
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
•  Mayor	Felicia M. Brunson
•  Vice Mayor	Brandon Smith
•  Commissioners	Marvin Price, Brandon Smith, Joy B. Smith, and Dr. Katrina V. Touchstone
•  City Manager	W. Ajibola Balogun
•  City Clerk	Alexandra Grant
Area [2]
• Total	2.26 sq mi (5.86 km2)
• Land	2.20 sq mi (5.69 km2)
• Water	0.06 sq mi (0.17 km2)  2.85%
Population  (2020)
• Total	15,130
• Density	6,700/sq mi (2,600/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	33021-33023, 33009
Area code(s)	754, 954
FIPS code	12-76658 [3]
GNIS feature ID	2062996 [4]
Website	www.cityofwestpark.org

West Park, officially the City of West Park, is a municipality in Broward County, Florida, United States. It was created on March 1, 2005. West Park is part of Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. It is located in the southeastern part of the county and consists of the neighborhoods of Carver Ranches, Lake Forest, Miami Gardens (Broward County), and Utopia. A large portion of the city lies west of the town of Pembroke Park, so the new city was called "West Park". The city has a population of 15,130 as of the 2020 census. ^[5]

History

The previously unincorporated neighborhoods of West Park embarked on the road to incorporation in 2004, after the Florida Legislature approved House Bill 1491, which provided for an election on November 2, 2004. Following a vote of 3,400 to 956 for incorporation, West Park was on its way to becoming Broward County's 31st city. After the election, residents elected an interim transition committee and held a series of workshops to gain input on the level of municipal-type services to be provided. It was decided that the new municipality would be known as West Park until a consensus was reached on a permanent name; this name was subsequently retained. On March 8, 2005, Eric H. Jones, Jr., was elected Mayor and four Commissioners were elected: Felicia M. Brunson, Thomas W. Dorsett, Sharon Fyffe and Rita "Peaches" Mack. They were sworn-in as the municipality's first elected leaders on March 10, 2005.

In 2011 West Park, received acknowledgement from the national non-profit organization KaBOOM! ^[6] As the city garnered the designation of a 2011 Playful City USA community. This recognition was given the city's effort to “increase play opportunities for children”. ^[7]

Geography

The city is bordered by Miami-Dade County on the south, Pembroke Park on the east, Hollywood on the north and Miramar on the west.

Media

The city of West Park has its own newspaper, "The West Park News", which is published by and part of Miami Community Newspapers.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2000	12,713		—
2010	14,156		11.4%
2020	15,130		6.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [8]

2020 census

West Park, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2010 [9]	Pop 2020 [10]	% 2010	% 2020
White (NH)	1,805	1,214	12.75%	8.02%
Black or African American (NH)	7,828	8,365	55.30%	55.29%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	37	38	0.26%	0.25%
Asian (NH)	140	165	0.99%	1.09%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)	5	5	0.04%	0.03%
Some Other Race (NH)	50	141	0.35%	0.93%
Mixed-race or Multiracial (NH)	200	313	1.41%	2.07%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	4,091	4,889	28.90%	32.31%
Total	14,156	15,130	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,130 people, 4,260 households, and 3,274 families residing in the city. ^[11]

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 14,156 people, 4,340 households, and 3,219 families residing in the city. ^[12]

2010 Census

West Park Demographics
2010 Census	West Park	Broward County	Florida
Total population	14,156	1,748,066	18,801,310
Population density	6,462.3/sq mi	1,444.9/sq mi	350.6/sq mi
White or Caucasian (including White Hispanic)	32.8%	63.1%	75.0%
(Non-Hispanic White or Caucasian)	12.8%	43.5%	57.9%
Black or African-American	57.9%	26.7%	16.0%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	28.9%	25.1%	22.5%
Asian	1.0%	3.2%	2.4%
Native American or Native Alaskan	0.4%	0.3%	0.4%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian	0.0%	0.1%	0.1%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.3%	2.9%	2.5%
Some Other Race	4.6%	3.7%	3.6%

2000 census

As of 2000, before being annexed to West Park, the Carver Ranches neighborhood had English as a first language accounted for 96.90% of all residents, while Spanish accounted for 2.19%, and French Creole as a mother tongue made up 0.90% of the population. ^[13]

As of 2000, before being annexed to West Park, the Lake Forest neighborhood had English as a first language accounted for 60.49% of all residents, while Spanish accounted for 34.79%, French Creole at 4.04%, and French as a mother tongue made up 0.67% of the population. ^[14]

As of 2000, the Miami Gardens neighborhood, before being annexed to West Park, had Spanish as a first language accounted for 51.09% of all residents, while English accounted for 45.17%, and French Creole as a mother tongue made up 3.72% of the population. ^[15]

As of 2000, before being annexed to West Park, the neighborhood of Utopia had English as a first language accounted for 80.62% of all residents, while Spanish as a mother tongue made up 19.37% of the population. ^[16]

As of 2000, before West Park annexed it, the Miami Gardens neighborhood had the 103rd-highest percentage of Colombian residents in the US, with 1.63% of the US populace. ^[17] The forty-fourth-highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US, at 9.76% of the city's population (tied with Key Largo,) ^[18] the twenty-fourth-highest percentage of Dominicans in the US, with 4.62%, ^[19] and the fifteenth-highest percentage of Jamaican residents in the US, at 6.3% of the city's population. ^[20] It also had the forty-fourth-most Peruvians in the US, at 1.26% (tied with North Plainfield, New Jersey,) ^[21] while it had the forty-fifth-highest percentage of Haitians (tied with Leisure City), at 3.6% of all residents. ^[22] Also, West Park's Miami Gardens neighborhood had the sixty-first-highest percentage of Puerto Ricans, which was at an 11.2% populace. ^[23] As of 2010, there were 4,711 households, out of which 8.0% were vacant.

Education

Residents are zoned to schools in Broward County Public Schools: ^[24]

• A portion of the town is zoned to Lake Forest Elementary School, ^[25] and a portion is zoned to Watkins Elementary School. ^[26]
• McNichol Middle School ^[27]
• Hallandale High School ^[28]

References

1. "Broward-by-the-Numbers (pages 3-5)" (PDF). www.broward.org. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. "QuickFacts West Park city, Florida". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
6. "Making Play a Priority: Non-Profit Organization KaBOOM! Announces List of 151 "Playful City USA" Communities | KaBOOM!". kaboom.org. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016.
7. "City Of West Park | The City of Positive Progression". Archived from the original on September 19, 2016.
8. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
9. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - West Park, Florida". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 19, 2022.
10. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - West Park, Florida". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 19, 2022.
11. "S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2020: West Park city, Florida". United States Census Bureau .
12. "S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2010: West Park city, Florida". United States Census Bureau .
13. "MLA Data Center Results of Carver Ranches, FL". Modern Language Association . Retrieved January 2, 2015.
14. "MLA Data Center Results for Lake Forest, FL". Modern Language Association . Retrieved January 2, 2015.
15. "MLA Data Center Results for Miami Gardens (Broward,) FL". Modern Language Association . Retrieved January 2, 2015.
16. "MLA Data Center Results for Utopia, FL". Modern Language Association . Retrieved January 2, 2015.
17. "Ancestry Map of Colombian Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
18. "Ancestry Map of Cuban Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
19. "Ancestry Map of Dominican Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
20. "Ancestry Map of Jamaican Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
21. "Ancestry Map of Peruvian Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
22. "Ancestry Map of Haitian Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
23. "Ancestry Map of Puerto Rican Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
24. "Zoning Map." West Park. Retrieved on September 23, 2018. Alternate link.
25. "Lake Forest." Broward County Public Schools. Retrieved on September 23, 2018.
26. "Watkins." Broward County Public Schools. Retrieved on September 23, 2018.
27. "McNicol." Broward County Public Schools. Retrieved on September 23, 2018.
28. "Hallandale High." Broward County Public Schools. Retrieved on September 23, 2018.

External links

• City of West Park official website