Miami is a city located in southeastern Miami-Dade County, Florida, within the United States. It serves as the cultural, economic, and financial center of South Florida and functions as a principal city in the Miami metropolitan area. Geographically, it sits along the coast of Biscayne Bay, with boundaries stretching from the Atlantic Ocean and Miami Beach to the east, to the suburbs and the Everglades to the west. The city extends from Dade County's northern boundary near Biscayne Park down to the southern reaches near Coconut Grove and Brickell.

The area was historically inhabited by the Tequesta people before its incorporation as a city on July 28, 1896, largely stimulated by the arrival of Julia Tuttle's Florida East Coast Railway. In the 20th century, following the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the region experienced a massive influx of Cuban immigrants, transforming it into a vibrant, bilingual gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean. The city's name is derived from the Mayaimi, a historic Native American tribe that lived around Lake Okeechobee.

The city is defined by its diverse neighborhoods, including downtown Miami, Brickell, the Design District, Wynwood, Little Havana, Overtown, and Coconut Grove. While Hard Rock Stadium (where the Miami Dolphins and Miami Open play) is actually located just north in Miami Gardens, the city proper is home to major venues like Kaseya Center, home of the Miami Heat, and loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins.

Miami offers significant cultural and financial attractions, including the Port of Miami—known as the "Cruise Capital of the World"—and the annual Art Basel Miami Beach international art fair. The city is noted for its demographic character, having a majority Hispanic and Latino population, which shapes its distinct cultural identity, cuisine, and arts scene. It also features a booming skyline, major international banking hubs, and world-class healthcare facilities serving the wider region.

As of recent U.S. Census estimates, the population of the city proper was recorded at over 440,000 people residing in a dense urban core, while the broader metropolitan area houses nearly 6 million residents. The city covers a land area of about 36 square miles and is governed by a mayor-commissioner system. As a global city and a major hub for international trade, commerce, and tourism, Miami stands as one of the most influential metropolitan centers in the nation.