1962 Map of Opa-locka

About this map

Opa-locka Airport and the surrounding urban expansion of northern Miami-Dade County define this era of rapid residential growth. While the core of Opa-locka and Carol City show established street grids, significant purple-tinted revisions from 1969 and 1973 reveal a landscape in transition, where previous open spaces are being filled with housing developments and artificial lakes. These man-made water bodies, such as Lake Steven and Lake Catalina, illustrate the drainage and landfill patterns common to South Florida's mid-century suburbanization. Aviation history is particularly prominent here, featuring both the active airport and the Amelia Earhart Field (Abandoned). The northern boundary is marked by the South Florida State Hospital and Snake Creek, while the western edge remains relatively undeveloped around Pennsuco and Graham Mission. Local institutional history is captured through numerous churches like St Anthony Ch and educational centers such as Biscayne College.