Coral Springs, Florida

Coral Springs is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, Coral Springs had a population of 134,394. Approximately 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Fort Lauderdale, it is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area in South Florida. It has an arts center, history museum, is home to the Florida Panthers hockey team, hosts the "Our Town" annual festival and has Florida's only covered bridge.

The city, officially chartered on July 10, 1963, was master-planned and primarily developed by Coral Ridge Properties, Inc., which was acquired by Westinghouse in 1966. The city's name is derived from the company's name, and was selected after several earlier proposals had been considered and rejected. Despite the name, there are no natural springs in the city; Florida's springs are found in the central and northern portions of the state.

During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s the young city grew rapidly, adding over 35,000 residents each decade. Coral Springs has strict building codes designed to maintain the city's distinctive aesthetic appeal. The city government's effective fiscal management has maintained high bond ratings, and the city has won accolades for its overall livability, its low crime rate, and its family-friendly orientation.

Coral Springs is a planned community. Prior to its incorporation as a city in July 1963, the area which is now Coral Springs was part of 20,000 acres (81 km²) of marshy lands bought by Henry Lyons between 1911 and 1939. After several floods in 1947, Florida created the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control District (now the South Florida Water Management District). Canals and levees drained much of the area upon which Coral Springs was built. After the land was drained and cleared, most of the area was used as a bean farm. After Lyons' death in 1952, his heirs changed the focus to cattle.

A post-World War II real estate boom in South Florida attracted the interest of developers. Coral Ridge Properties, which already had several developments in Broward County, bought 3,869 acres (16 km²) of land from the Lyons family on December 14, 1961, for $1 million. The City of Coral Springs was chartered on July 10, 1963. Other names that were considered for the new city included "Curran Village", "Pompano Springs" and "Quartermore". By 1964, the company had developed a master plan for a city of 50,000 residents. On July 22, 1964, the first sale of 536 building lots netted $1.6 million. The landmark covered bridge was built that same year to promote the town. In 1965, Coral Ridge Properties bought an additional 6,000 acres (24 km²) from the Lyons family, increasing the city's land area to 16 square miles (41 km²). The first city government elections were held in 1967.

The city added 19 public schools, a regional mall, shopping centers and parks between 1970 and 2000 in response to rapid population growth. The biggest shopping mall in the city is Coral Square, which opened in October 1984 with 945,000 square feet (87,800 m²) of retail space and more than 120 stores. The construction of the Sawgrass Expressway in 1986 brought even more growth. A museum and a theater opened in the 1990s. The city reached residential build-out in 2003 and is very close to a commercial build-out.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.0 square miles (62.1 km²), 23.8 square miles (61.6 km²) of which is land and 0.19 square miles (0.5 km²) of which is water (0.83%). Coral Springs is bordered by the cities of Parkland to the north, Coconut Creek to the east, Margate and North Lauderdale to the southeast and Tamarac to the south. To the west lie The Everglades.

Coral Springs is a sprawling city, with few tall or prominent structures. The tallest building in the city is a 12-story condominium (Country Club Tower), with five more buildings topping out at or near 10 stories, including four office buildings lining University Drive, one of the city's main roads. Buildings include the University Place at City Center, Coral Springs Executive Tower, Bank of America Center, and the Briarwood Towers. The Coral Springs Financial Plaza was the first major office building in the city; built in 1974 as the Bank of Coral Springs Building, it had 10 floors and 123,469 sq ft of office space; it was demolished in 2021. University Place at City Center, at 3111 N. University Drive, is the largest office building in the city in terms of office space—it has 10 floors and 203,000 sq ft (18,900 m²). It opened as the Preferred Exchange Tower in 1985.