Much of what is now Kendall was purchased from the State of Florida in 1883 by the Florida Land and Mortgage Company. It was named for Henry John Broughton Kendall, a director of the company, who moved to the area in the 1900s to manage the company's land. As the land was not open to homesteading, development was slow well into the 20th century. A post office opened in 1914, and the first school opened in 1929. After the end of the land boom in 1926, some residents left. Two Seminole camps were in the Kendall area, and Seminoles continued to live there into the 1940s.[5]
Prior to the 1950s, the term "Kendall" was used to describe a region centered around U.S. Route 1, bounded by Snapper Creek to the north, the Everglades to the west, Old Cutler Road to the east, and the former community of Rockdale to the south. This area was largely uninhabited, generally consisting of pine rockland interspersed with fields and groves. As the region experienced rapid development in the 1950s, the moniker "Kendall" came to refer to the various communities built in the vicinity of present-day Pinecrest and the eastern half of the current Kendall CDP. When growth shifted west in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, the usage of the term steadily shifted west concurrently, and today it is most often applied to the area more formally known as West Kendall. Prior to incorporation in 1996, the Village of Pinecrest was still included in the official boundaries of Kendall CDP.
Dadeland Mobile Home Park neighborhood near Kendall destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
In August 1992, Kendall and the surrounding South Dade area were severely damaged by Hurricane Andrew. Many of the homes and businesses in the area were destroyed. In the subsequent years, the area was slowly rebuilt.[6]
U.S. Route 1 forms the eastern boundary of Kendall; it leads northeast to Miami and southwest 16 miles (26 km) to Homestead. The Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike forms the western boundary of Kendall, leading north 10 miles (16 km) to Doral and south 18 miles (29 km) to its southern terminus at Florida City. The Don Shula Expressway (Florida State Road 874) crosses Kendall from northeast to southwest.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Kendall CDP has a total area of 16.6 square miles (43 km2); 16.1 square miles (42 km2) of it are land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) of it (3.03%) are water.[1]
Climate
Kendall has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) which is similar to the remainder of Miami-Dade County, although its inland location does make it cooler at night and warmer during the day compared to coastal areas such as Miami Beach.
Climate data for Kendall, Florida (Miami Executive Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1998–present
Kendall CDP, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 80,241 people, 27,691 households, and 19,077 families residing in the CDP.[13]
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 75,371 people, 27,287 households, and 18,812 families residing in the CDP.[14]
2000 census
In 2000, 33.4% households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.14.
In 2000, 23.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.
In 2000, the median household income was $51,330 and the median family income was $61,241. Males had a median income of $42,875 and females $31,416. The per capita income was $27,914. About 5.7% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.
In 2000, 52.46% of residents spoke Spanish at home, while those who spoke only English comprised 40.38%. Speakers of Portuguese were 1.49% of the population, French 1.12%, and French Creole 0.95%.[15]
The first public school in Kendall was Kendall School, now renamed Kenwood K-8 Center. Kenwood is the site of the Kenwoods Hammock, a native forest planting which has become a world-renowned stop for bird watchers.
Kendall is served by the Miami market for local radio and television. Kendall has its own newspaper, The Kendall Gazette, which is published twice monthly and is part of Miami Community Newspapers.
^ ab"About Us." Pollo Tropical. Retrieved on February 2, 2012. "Brothers Larry and Stuart Harris open first Pollo Tropical® in Miami at 741 NW 37th Avenue."
^Home. Miami Killian High School. Retrieved on January 8, 2017. "Miami Killian Senior High School | 10655 SW 97TH AVENUE MIAMI, FL 33176" - Put the whole address in a map program and you will see it is in Kendall CDP.
2022: "Home". Kendall United Methodist Church. Retrieved February 25, 2022. 7600 SW 104th Street, Miami, Fl 33156
2001: "Map & Location". Kendall United Methodist Church. April 6, 2001. Archived from the original on April 6, 2001. Retrieved February 25, 2022. 7600 SW 104th Street Miami, FL 33156
