In December 1948, twelve people met at Youngblood’s Filling Station at Walter C. Ohlert’s Tourist Camp to found a town. With a unanimous vote, the little community of 26 registered voters became the incorporated town of Hialeah Gardens. By January, hats were purchased for police officers and a badge for the Town Marshall. February brought the adoption of the first building code, building permit and inspection fee; the first laws regulating hunting, and the first traffic ordinance.

One year later the Land Use and Zoning Master Plan was adopted to plan the growth of a city that until 1968 was primarily a rural community where raising horses was one of the main industries, with only a limited number of small businesses along Okeechobee Road.

Today, the City’s location and proximity to major roadways has allowed Hialeah Gardens to become one of the fastest growing and most vital municipalities in Dade County with a population of over 20,000 residents.

An emphasis on providing and maintaining open spaces for parks and recreational activities, the development of beautiful residential areas combined with a well planned and regulated commercial community, continue to make Hialeah Gardens an ideal place to call home.