Top 5 Things You May Not Know About Hialeah

What's in a Name

Did you know that this Spanish neighborhood's name is attributed to Muskogee origin, "Haiyakpo" (prairie) and "hili" (pretty) combining into "Hialeah" to mean "pretty prairie?"

Alternatively, the word is also of Seminole origin, which means "Upland Prairie," fitting the city perfectly, as it is located upon a large prairie between Biscayne Bay and the Everglades.

One-Part Cuban, One-Part Spanish

Welcome to Hialeah, more known to tourists as a Miami neighborhood boasting a dominant Hispanic population and one of America's most politically conservative communities. 

But one could say it's a melting pot of cultures, as the area also features the second-highest percentage of Cuban American and Cuban residents of any city in America! 

In fact, Hialeah's overall vibe only shows how much the city has been immensely influenced by its Cuban exile past and Hispanic population. 

Tourists will see tributes, including statues and events, to Hispanic culture and history throughout the city. 

The neighborhood is also peppered with ventanitas that promise hearty plates of Latin cuisine at cheap prices and bodegas serving cafecito and croquetta!

A City with Dual Distinction

One of the highlights of Hialeah would have to be the Hialeah Park Race Track, a historic racetrack converted to a casino and events place that hosts concerts, boxing matches, and special events like wedding shows. 

Its site covers 40 square blocks of central-east side Hialeah from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenue and East 22nd Street on the south to East 32nd Street on the north. 

It holds the dual distinction of being an Audubon Bird Sanctuary due to its famous pink flamingos and being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

No Skyscraper in Sight

Yes, folks! Despite being one of the country's densest cities, and one within Dade County that offers the largest employers, Hialeah does not have a skyscraper in sight!

Nevertheless, the neighborhood is considered the most economically successful immigrant enclave in U.S. history and the only American industrial city that continues to grow.

Indeed, "A City of Progress" shines brightly as ever!

Amelia Earhart and Her Ill-Fated Flight

In 1937, during her final attempt to circumnavigate the world at its equator, Amelia Earhart spent eight days in Miami to repair her Lockheed Electra. 

This last "stunt," as she called it, would be a test of grit and hubris, something never before done by a woman or man. 

One month later, 22,000 miles into the trip, she would disappear.

The said takeoff, the last one she'll ever make, was at Hialeah.

Today, a park named in honor of the pioneering, boundary-breaking aviator sits on land that was previously an undeveloped portion of a decades-old Naval Air Station, just north of the airport where Earhart took off, the Amelia Earhart Park.