Sunrise is a city in central-western Broward County, Florida, United States, and is a principal city located in the Miami metropolitan area. The population was 97,335 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 100,128 in 2024.
History Early history In 1960, Iowa-born developer Norman Johnson paid $9 million for 2,650 acres of land in southwestern Broward County. By 1961 it had fewer than 350 residents.
It has been reported that the community was going to be named Sunset Village, but this did not happen because residents felt that "sunset" was too final, so a change was made to "Sunrise." Mr. Johnson and F.E. Dykstra developed and built an "upside-down house" to lure property buyers. The home was completely furnished. Public interest was aroused through numerous news articles including a feature from Life magazine. It became a national attraction that drew thousands to the Village.
In 1961, Norman Johnson was appointed by Governor C. Farris Bryant as the first Mayor of Sunrise Golf Village.
According to "City of Sunrise Golf Village," a booklet produced by the City in 1969: "On January 10, 1967, (a date called for by City Charter) Sunrise Golf Village emerged from a developer's operation into a free city under complete control of its residents. Also, on this auspicious date, the City elected a Mayor and seven Councilmen to four-year terms of office. The City of Sunrise Golf Village which comprises 3 1/2 square miles, has no air pollution or drainage problems, all paved streets, and street lighting throughout the entire City."
That first elected mayor was John Lomelo Jr., a former Miami nightclub owner who was drawn to Sunrise Golf Village by the Upside-Down House.
Growth Originally known as Sunrise Golf Village, the city had a population of 4,300 and comprised just 1.75 square miles by 1967. Then, during the 1970s, as Broward County began to push west, the city experienced its first real growth.
In 1971, the city, by referendum, changed its name to the City of Sunrise. Through annexation, Sunrise eventually expanded to its current boundaries—encompassing more than 18 square miles, reaching the Everglades and dropping south of I-595/State Road 84. The city is situated approximately six miles west of Fort Lauderdale, and is adjoined by the communities of Weston, Davie, Tamarac, Lauderhill, and Plantation.
By October 1984, the city had reached an estimated population of 50,000. In the mid-1980s, growth gave way to challenges, as the city was faced with financial difficulties, limited economic opportunities and a lack of adequate civic amenities. In the early 1990s, Sunrise worked to put its financial house in order, rebuild its infrastructure and establish itself as a center for business headquarters. It is the site of Sawgrass International Corporate Park, which is on a 612-acre lot, the largest corporate park in South Florida.
In 1990, the first phase of Sawgrass Mills opened in Sunrise. Due to its continued popularity and expansion, the shopping and entertainment center has grown to almost 2.3 million square feet. It features 350 outlet and value retailers; food courts and full-service restaurants; movie theater and family entertainment venues.
The National Car Rental Center, now the Amerant Bank Arena, opened in 1998. The arena is the home of the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers, and hosts top entertainers and events, and is the largest indoor arena in Florida.
Sunrise operates its own utility services, including water, wastewater, and natural gas, as well as municipal fire-rescue and police departments. The city also maintains its own system of parks, as well as a soccer club, golf course, tennis club, playgrounds and swimming pools. The Sunrise Civic Center includes a 300-seat theater, an art gallery, an athletic club, and banquet facilities. Sunrise is also home to eleven public schools.
Google Maps loss incident In September 2010, Sunrise was "lost" by Google Maps. Individuals attempting to get driving directions or locate a business in Sunrise were redirected to Sarasota, Florida.US city erased from Google maps BBC World News America. September 27, 2010. Retrieved on October 1, 2010 This was the third time this occurred in Sunrise's history.Sutter, John D.: Google Maps 'loses' major Florida city CNN.com, September 22, 2010. Last accessed December 31, 2010
Recent history
On February 2, 2021, a shootout occurred between a gunman and several FBI agents at an apartment complex in Sunrise. At the time, the agents were serving a federal warrant related to a child exploitation case. Two FBI agents were fatally shot and three others were injured. The gunman, who was the subject of the warrant, was later found dead after barricading himself inside the apartment. The shootout was the most violent incident in the FBI's history since the 1986 shootout that left two agents dead and five others injured, and it was also the first time an agent was fatally shot in the line of duty since 2008.
On January 20, 2024, The new City Hall was built. Sunrise City Hall is a modern, five-story, 95,000-square-foot building consolidating most City departments and services. Additional enhancements to the Sunrise municipal complex will include the construction of a new 500-space parking garage, as well as an expanded amphitheater.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (10.62%) is water.
Sunrise is located approximately 30 miles northwest of Miami and 12 miles west of Fort Lauderdale. It is on the edge of the Miami urban development boundary.
Climate Sunrise has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) with hot, humid summers and warm winters.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Sunrise, Florida – racial and ethnic composition Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) Pop. 1980 Pop. 1990 Pop. 2000 Pop. 2010 White alone (NH) 37,701(95.01%) 52,969(82.24%) 48,863(56.96%) 31,016(36.73%) 24,490(25.16%) Black or African American alone (NH) 295(0.74%) 4,545(7.06%) 17,176(20.02%) 25,950(30.73%) 30,270(31.10%) Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) — 46(0.07%) 113(0.13%) 159(0.19%) 109(0.11%) Asian alone (NH) — 1,210(1.88%) 2,602(3.03%) 3,374(4.00%) 3,929(4.04%) Pacific Islander alone (NH) — — 55(0.06%) 65(0.08%) 70(0.07%) Other race alone (NH) 311(0.78%) 72(0.11%) 460(0.54%) 543(0.64%) 1,010(1.04%) Mixed race or multiracial (NH) — — 1,855(2.16%) 1,711(2.03%) 3,420(3.51%) Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,374(3.46%) 5,565(8.64%) 14,655(17.08%) 21,621(25.61%) 34,037(34.97%) Total 39,681(100.00%) 64,407(100.00%) 85,779(100.00%) 84,439(100.00%) 97,335(100.00%)
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Sunrise had a population of 97,335, with 37,348 households and 25,331 families. The population density was .
The median age was 41.0 years. 20.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 87.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.3 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
Of these households, 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. 43.2% were married-couple households, 16.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 40,490 housing units, of which 7.8% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.9%. The average housing unit density was .
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 31,836 32.7% Black or African American 31,167 32.0% American Indian and Alaska Native 237 0.2% Asian 4,046 4.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 79 0.1% Some other race 9,184 9.4% Two or more races 20,786 21.4% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 34,037 35.0%
2010 census As of the 2010 census, there were 84,439 people, 32,493 households, and _ families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 37,609 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 56.40% White, 31.81% African American, 0.30% Native American, 4.07% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 4.05% from some other races and 3.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 25.61% of the population.
2000 census As of 2000, 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.12.
In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $40,998, and the median income for a family was $47,908. Males had a median income of $35,706 versus $28,147 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,713. About 7.3% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 71.92%, while Spanish was 16.75%, French Creole was at 2.53%, Yiddish at 1.14%, Portuguese at 1.01%, Italian at 0.84%, French at 0.83%, Hebrew at 0.61%, and Chinese at 0.59% of the population.
As of 2000, Sunrise had the 107th highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US, at 2.29% of the city's population, and the sixtieth highest percentage of Colombian residents in the US, at 2.44% of the city's population (tied with Weehawken, New Jersey.) It also had the fourteenth most Jamaican-populated area in the US, with 7.6% of all residents, and the fifty-third highest concentration of Haitians (tied with Lake Alfred and Miami Gardens' Bunche Park neighborhood) at 2.8% of the population. Economy
Sunrise's tax base includes Amerant Bank Arena, Sawgrass Mills, Sawgrass International Corporate Park, IKEA and other commercial developments. Quality job creation through corporate attraction has long been a priority in the city.
Air France's United States reservations call center is located in the Sawgrass Technology Park in Sunrise."Welcome to Air France career opportunities." Air France. Retrieved on February 13, 2010."The Broward Alliance E-Newsletter." The Broward Alliance. January 30, 2008. Retrieved on February 13, 2010.
CIGNA Healthcare has a large service and operations center in Sunrise.
Jazwares, a toy manufacturer, is headquartered here.
Emerson Electric Company announced on July 26, 2011, that it would locate its Latin America headquarters at Sawgrass International Corporate Park.
The City of Sunrise announced a New Homebuyer Incentive Program on January 20, 2012. Under this innovative new program, The City of Sunrise will reimburse homebuyers up to $2,000 for select improvements to a newly purchased single-family foreclosure or short sale home. The new program is an effort to attract new residents to Sunrise - and benefit existing residents by helping to improve the appearance and property values in Sunrise neighborhoods.
Arts and culture Sunrise hosts events throughout the year in celebration of holidays, seasons and other occasions. Highlights include: