The ABSURD Rise Of The Florida Megalopolis

✵ The ABSURD Rise Of The Florida Megalopolis
✵ In 1950, the state of Florida had a population of 2.7 million, a respectable amount for the time, equivalent to that of present-day Arkansas. But the explosive growth that came after that was not expected by anyone, with the state jumping to a population of 21.5 million, making it the third biggest state in the union. Now because of this growth, the major cities of the state have started to connect to form a Florida Peninsula Megalopolis.
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[@yossarian6799]

The first time I saw a gated trailer park in Florida, I took a picture so my friends and colleagues would believe such a thing existed. But the bowling alley with valet parking was the icing on the cake.

[@jeffking4176]

🚗🤣

[@jesdadotcom]

Those are everywhere in parts of America with large populations of retirees.

[@gregoryferraro7379]

I do HVAC work. I'm always surprised by how much money trailer park retirees have. The interiors of these trailers are beautiful and they have the money to renovate and maintain.

[@gregoryferraro7379]

Please cover the Front Range! As a resident of suburban Denver, I would put the borders from Cheyenne, Wyoming to the North to Colorado Springs in the South. Not sure where to put the E or W limits.

[@done3732]

They have them in California to but they’re really nice upscale neighborhoods with only triple and quadruple wide Mobile home completely different to the ones i’ve seen in Florida which were completely trashy and run down

[@garrettb.-gtmkm9850]

There’s a reason they say ‘the further north you go, the further south you go’ when it comes to Florida.

[@mikaels6009]

Omg stop with that hippy bull crap! Southern Florida has many southern culture based areas, as there are gentrified snow bird transplant areas and immigrant populations. So to say it's SE how northern as I'm culture is weird to us native Floridians. We don't know why you people who never even lived down here say stuff like that!

[@caxxx]

@@mikaels6009 As someone who lived in fort Lauderdale area for pretty much my whole life, what garrett said is pretty much true about south Florida. Its pretty much all new yorkers, new englanders, cubans, and jamaicans- There really isn't much southern culture besides New Orleans culture, which has a agruement to be their own culture for sure. But there is a few pockets of southern culture like in homestead / davie- But over all Florida is a melting pot state where there's chums of every flavor of culture. ngl

[@miamihurricane555]

@@mikaels6009 As a Miami resident, I can confirm that I have nothing in common with people from the South. Brickell and Downtown Miami is like a miniature version of Manhattan. I would much rather deal with a New Yorker than someone from Alabama.

[@Sims3MovieNetwork]

@@mikaels6009 ppl in the panhandle say it a ton. not even in the same time zone as the rest of florida

[@anthonybenson2469]

​@@miamihurricane555 Miami isn´t even manhattan-like at this point. Miami literally is Brazil if Brazil was a city

[@nunyadambusiness3530]

As a Pensacola native. This city has exploded in growth, and we’re in the start of the panhandle. I used to live in a trailer for $480/mo, now I live in a studio for $990/mo but that same trailer listed is now $1,300. It’s getting so sad and ridiculous that our locals have to flee to Alabama or godforbid Mississippi just to survive. The cost of living and population growth is just awful.

[@frantzpierre8303]

Yeah me and my friends were PISSED when our rent increased to $575 for a 2/2 lol can't imagine what it is now.

[@jostanvallis3564]

My family bought a 3 bed/2 bath on a neighborhood across Bayou Grande (the neighborhood is considered low-middle class) for 166,000 in 2018 and we sold it for 265,000 in May of this year

[@chocolatechipslime]

I was in Pensacola yesterday( I live in Alabama) and tbh I think it kinda sux compared to other cities in the panhandle. It’s too crowded and not as much to do, too many uppity places in downtown and old folks with money.

[@chocolatechipslime]

@David Garcia yep, I live in southern Alabama, a lot of Florida people over here already

[@YoutubeChanneI]

Parts of southern alabama/mississippi/georgia are now just as expensive as florida

[@Remcoms]

Interesting how a drawing of a mouse could create a city in Florida with 77,000 people

[@miliba]

Didneh wurl

[@zacharythegod3281]

Did you go to Remcoms University or something?

[@Remcoms]

@@zacharythegod3281 Indeed I have

[@yourgooglemeister6745]

It's a little more than that

[@harrisonpayne50]

Tbf, it's much the same way many cities formed in Europe but with Cathedrals. They were massive projects so the builders would move there, people who made food would need to be there for the workers, people needed to be there who provided that food to those people, and so on. The world tends to recycle history quite a bit and it's pretty neat.

[@marsgal42]

Air conditioning has been a big part of the explosive growth of the sun belt...I've driven the I-4 corridor and it feels like city or suburbia all the way. On the map it looks like there are gaps between Tampa and Lakeland but it doesn't feel like it from the highway. Ditto Lakeland/Orlando/Daytona Beach.

[@DOMICH59]

Bingo.... there's a reason the spike started in the 1950s

[@opiumextract2934]

I can completely understand the air conditioning thing. I live outside of Houston and grew up here. I work outside. Our AC was 28 years old, roof is slightly newer but not by much. We chose a new air conditioner because its just hot here

[@kuruhatas]

I feel this way driving between Austin and San Antonio on I-35... on a map it looks like theres gaps but while driving there really isn't. At least not any more than a couple of miles.

[@jeffking4176]

The infamous I-4 corridor ❗️ THE Worst stretch of Highway in the U.S.‼️ ((I’m in Jacksonville, have 3 suppliers in Orlando area)). You are right, driving I-4, certainly seems like driving through a city, all the way across. 🚗😬

[@P-47D_theJug]

Yes air conditioning has changed the USAs population centers for sure

[@doggo543]

It's only a matter of time until Tampa area and Orlando area become one metro (mainly because of lakeland and winter haven growing fast)

[@TheGarmisch]

Tampa's growth has been insane in the past five years. I think it'll rival Miami within my lifetime

[@yossarian6799]

@@TheGarmisch the mere thought of having twice as much Pasco county keeps me up at night

[@OffensiveMiddleFinger]

Orlando is also growing insanely fast as of now, the two metros might merge if the growth continues

[@diobrando6131]

@@OffensiveMiddleFinger fast forward a few years and orlando is gonna be growing with the mackerels and manatees

[@jeffreykregel3821]

This is very true. The way how Kissimmee connected to Davenport through the Four Corners region is insane. Add the insane build up of residential housing along US 27 up until Haines City. Next is Winter Haven which has expanded rapidly over the last 10 years. With for now small Lake Alfred and Auburndale making it a city triangle. Auburndale is only a small leap away from Lakeland, followed by Plant City just over the county border. The only last maybe 10 miles to I-75 is possibly the most rural area between Orlando and Tampa. Quick note: I know also from exit 44 to exit 55 on I-4 is very rural. But about 5 to 7 miles south of the Interstate all of the aforementioned communities connect together along US Highways 27, 17 and 92.

[@VolcyThoughts]

I live in Miami. Video is pretty accurate when they say you don’t really leave the city area. From Miami to West Palm Beach on I-95, you never see any wilderness or rural areas.

[@andresvalentin6924]

I've lived in Orlando and have family in both West Palm Beach and Weston and I totally agree. Between West Palm and Fort Lauderdale it's pretty much continuous suburbia and continuously urban from Miami southward until you get to around Homestead.

[@tjohnson2139]

Miami and LA were one of the few places Ive seen like that (if not only). NYC, Phili, and other cities had a lot of forestry going on that it didn’t match up with Miami and LA.

[@MrAsianPie]

A megacity of Floridians? May God have mercy on us all

[@apextraxx2903]

😂 well TBH there is almost no such as a "Floridian." The people here are not from heat, so technically Florida is "us all".

[@LucidFL]

The Floridian empire rises

[@buttcheese1064]

Tax them so they can help pay for hurricane season.

[@dude185704]

I’m honestly kinda surprised you didn’t mention the Ocala area in this video. It’s closer to Orlando than Gainesville is, and has a larger metro population (375k as of 2020). I will give you that Gainesville is larger in city proper population though, and you can’t get to every city.

[@TheGarmisch]

Yeah and between Ocala and Tampa/Clearwater it's almost entirely developed

[@unfvzedmak]

yeah but gainesville is better

[@dude185704]

@@unfvzedmak Gainesville is just as trash as Ocala, the population is just younger lol. And I say that as someone born in Gainesville.

[@simplebutpowerful]

Beaver: “So, that’s all the cities.” Ocala: “Am I a joke to you?!” Rest of Florida: “Yes” (jk, as y’all have said Ocala is a real city and also growing thanks to boomer migration) Loving the mention of my hometown Haines City! Polk County used to be a rural area but now it’s all built up and traffic sucks lol

[@Crusader1984]

@@unfvzedmak f**** gainsville its liberal trash

[@VomBethel]

I live is the Fort Lauderdale area (Miami metro as the video calls it). There is currently a good amount of empty land between Fort Lauderdale and the Naples area. Thankfully, some of this is protected by the Everglades and other parks/recreation areas. But, farmers continue to sell since the land is so valuable. Hopefully the high-rise buildings remain in/close to the cities. I like the suburban/rural area I live in now. Hopefully it stays this way for 20 years (or more)!

[@DOMICH59]

Sugar farming south of the lake in and around Clewiston but between Everglades NP and Big Cypress, it's all protected land

[@jeffking4176]

Just about the Only place not very populated - except for Gaters, and Pythons. 🚗🙂

[@danz1182]

The only land west of the Sawgrass Expressway that can be developed in Broward County is along US 27. There really is no land in Broward open to development that isn't already developed.

[@1FlyingSolo1]

Agreed. As Dan Z mentioned, with pretty much all available land developed, plus the growth boundary to the west, Broward County will have to tear down existing buildings, increase densities, and build up to keep addressing housing demand.

[@russellseilhamer4552]

More than half of Palm Beach county, the southern half west of 441 is protected because its part of the Arthur Marshall Wildlife preserve. The preserve is massive. That’s all that’s stopping development in PB county. In the northern half of the county, development keeps pushing westward in an unincorporated area called the Acreage

[@cyanpuddle2930]

Thank you so much for making this video Beaver! As a Fort Myers resident I am very happy to see my city in it! Loved the video as always! :)

[@mgriff39]

I was born in Miami in 1959, lived in South Florida, Jacksonville, and North Central Florida (Ocala). I have witnessed the growth. I can see a day Florida will become a solid metropolis, from Jacksonville to Homestead on the east coast, Crystal River to Marco Island on the west coast, across the I-4 corridor, and don't forget The Villages.

[@pfcampos7041]

Having grown up in Naples FL area (my parents immigrated imn 68), I sadly see it too. I understand why so many folks want to live here but the laid-back tropical paradise that I grew up with is turning into a frantic commercial tourist trap that has lost all its southern charm. 😭

[@marytica123]

Yes, and The Villages continues to spread in every direction - couldn't believe how far SOUTH it extends now !

[@jacksonwangensteen6470]

The gap from Deltona to Daytona is due to the St. John’s River being a giant swampland at this point and being basically impossible to build on. The other gap from Daytona to the Titusville-Mims area is due to the swamp of the Indian River lagoon ending. It is also right next to the government owned shore of Cape Canaveral

[@MelShibson]

Having lived in the Tampa Bay area my whole life I feel like my idea of population density and cities are slightly skewed. Whenever we went down to Charlotte County as a kid it would feel like we were in the middle of nowhere in a completely rural area. In reality though it's decently dense itself. And it's so trippy being in those weird planned cities where they projected out miles of roads. And then half of it is a ghost town. The satellite view of it is weird but actually being there in person is like wtf.

[@Cerxts]

Sounds cool ngl

[@flaken9940]

That is the way Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres was back in the 60s and 70s. Miles and miles of empty roads with the occasional house.

[@Phish620]

I was born in Port Charlotte. It was quiet, from what I remember, when I was a kid. We moved to GA, and I haven't been back down to see family in several years, but the last time I was down there, I couldn't believe how much more crowded it was.

[@flaken9940]

@@Phish620 Growing like mad here! Too many people and crowded roads with idiot drivers. I have lived in N. Ft Myers for 53 years and the amount of growth is unreal with property values sky high. Decent priced/vacant rentals are scarce too.

[@MelShibson]

@@Phish620 Millions have moved to Florida in the past decade. I haven't been to Port Charlotte since about 2010 so it's probably night and day the way you're saying it is.

[@Will0398]

I’m also guessing the high amount of conservative minorities like Cubans and Venezuelans shifting to the GOP. Miami Dade County swung heavily to the right in the 2020 election because of this.

[@natenae8635]

I would think the majority of minorities are social conservatives but are more economically liberal except if they came from Cuba or Venezuela etc.

[@mannyvega5032]

Not only that but conservatives moving here from blue states that heavily locked down. We tend to vote (R), which is why Florida is moving further right and heavier red. Desantis is GOAT governor too

[@jonathank5289]

South Florida is hiring cops like crazy. Crime and murders at record lows. Either Miami or Ft. Lauderdale just hired 200 cops from Chicago that quit. LOL! The woke protests lasted one day here with cops arresting people. They all went to other cities. LOL!

[@greensorrel6860]

@@natenae8635 many Minorities have conservative values

[@geografisica]

I am Venezuelan living in FL and I don’t have a political party yet, but please do not mention to us anything that sounds like “Socialism” that’s all what we avoid. Thanks.

[@stevenroshni1228]

Finally somebody admitting how much of a stretch it is to put the Northeast Megalopolis to Boston. I think a ten mile gap is fine if the gap is unsuitable for development. Also any growing megalopolis without a governmental restriction, will absorb such a small gap by people wanting to live in outer suburbs.

[@bruhbutwhytho2301]

It really isn't much of a stretch to put it in the megalopolis.

[@SuperJolla84]

@@bruhbutwhytho2301 Right. Go up 95 and it's almost all built up.

[@perfectallycromulent]

there's no gap in development, those areas are full of fancy schools, vacation houses, resorts, governmental facilities, and things like that.

[@JJarosze9595]

It's def not a stretch. In the same way it's described that you can drive all around Florida without leaving development for more than 10 minutes you can do the same from Boston to Washington DC. You just wouldn't go from Boston to Hartford- you would go down to Providence and then swing around the coast hitting New Haven, the NYC metro, all across NJ, through Philly and Delaware, where you would find the closest stretch of "remote" driving between Wilmington and Baltimore (but you would still see development), before continuing on to the nation's capital and Alexandria. Google Maps estimates this ~480 mile trip would take about 10.5 hours to drive. That's ignoring the "branch" of this megalopolis that goes to Hartford completely- the development sticks to the coastline rather than connecting further inland. With that said, I think it is silly to exclude Hartford from the megalopolis. People here commute to Boston, Providence, and even NYC regularly. Just because the NE megalopolis "unravels" (if it could) to have two branches at the northern end, doesn't mean it isn't fully connected. If you think 10 miles is enough to disconnect it, I think you just haven't experienced the commute that goes on there daily. Geographical distance is not the sole definer of what makes a megalopolis. Something to note is that trains make up a significant portion of commute in this region, especially more than any other. You can be in Alexandria outside of DC in the morning and make it to Boston by the late afternoon. Indeed, people do travel such a commute like this relatively often in the NE as compared to any other part of the country. The cities where people regularly fluctuate between is more important than just how the bird flies between cities in a megalopolis.

[@jesseleeward2359]

I feel like there are 2 Megalopolises in Florida. Miami and the west coast seem seperate

[@Blathers]

Interesting video! Never realized just how much connected urbanization is on the peninsula

[@jamesnotfound]

Another great video Beaver! I’ve visited Florida a few times, been to Tampa, Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami and the explosive growth of that region never ceases to amaze me. I’d say my favorite city was a tie between Ft. Lauderdale & Jacksonville. They’re both great, lively places that are close to the beach and aren’t as expensive to live in as Miami. Ft. Lauderdale especially feels like a dialed back version of Miami and Jacksonville has some of the friendliest people and best food I’ve ever had. Plus with the growth of Brightline rail, soon you’ll be able to travel from Orlando to Miami on a comfortable and fast journey!

[@jbar_85]

I live in Fort Lauderdale and I agree with you. My bestie moved to Jacksonville a few years ago. I visit her like every 4 months. It’s got it’s own cute charm.

[@1FlyingSolo1]

From what I read on the blogs, Broward county sometimes gets a bad rap, but I've visited several times to several different cities and I kind of like it. I've been to Pompano, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Dania, and Hallandale. It's busy, but as The OP said, still dialed back compared to Miami. I can't comment on areas inland much, but all these places, at least closest to A1A were decent. There were some sketchy places I passed through in Hollywood and also just south of the Fort Lauderdale airport that were rough.

[@Jab_Reel]

DUUUUVVVVAAAALLLLLLLLLL

[@fuxan]

Why do people say "growth" as if it's a good thing? I would rather be broke and barely getting by compared to having to deal with the anxiety of biodiversity and economic collapse and all those desperate people needing food. It's a matter of when.

[@1FlyingSolo1]

@@fuxan I think the common thought is that growth is generally viewed as a good thing in that It is associated with increased economic opportunities which typically means more jobs for more people. Where you typically get criticism of growth is Florida- style growth where cities and counties don't widen roads and don't address other growth related issues.

[@Alex_Mercer_The_PROTOTYPE]

Awesome vid, learned a lot more on my home state and hello from Palm bay :D

[@jamescondotta5396]

Another great video. Can’t wait for the next one.

[@cgirl111]

I moved to SE Florida in Jan of 1980 and the state population was just over 9 million, today it's over 22 million.

[@xoxxobob61]

When I moved to Florida the population of the State was around 6 Million. Now that is the population of the Miami metro alone!

[@Brock_Corb]

Not quite sure how ... But I'm glad this vid was recommended. As someone who moved to the tampa Bay area when I was 4 in the mid/late 90s; this was very interesting in a sort of odd / unexpected way. I was always mesmerized by all the old aerial land photography that local businesses had that showed the drastic geographical chances over the years... Typically these can be found in libraries/post offices / local (non-chain) grocery stores....Although admittedly, I have even seen some interesting historical pictures in Publix.

[@miketoronto8308]

much love from uptown orlando on the great video

[@jeffreyrozanski]

Glad you saw my comment on your other video on the altanta line mega. Sorry I am commenting late

[@Techmonies92]

I live just 30 min north of Gainesville in Lake City. The growth here has been explosive 35,000 in 1980 to 75,000 to today. Theres multiple SQUARE MILES of industrial property for sale for millions of dollars, multiple pending, there’s a 3.75 square mile industrial park under planning, multiple shopping centers and neighborhoods are under plans and construction. It’s been utterly insane.

[@kaaronhudson8112]

Thanks beaver I'm from Florida so you know you got me excited haven't even watched it yet

[@BeaverGeography]

Hope you enjoyed!

[@Jonpey]

Spent one year in High School in Lakeland and was super excited when you brought up the city!

[@pancen2799]

Pretty well made! Insightful comments towards the end.

[@gnome9167]

thank you for doing this vid ! im from miami and i kinda feel florida is looked past on most geography channels.

[@oogami256]

Great video of a state I recently left for greener pastures but I remain connected to through family and friends! (Also, I can’t believe I lived to see the day where I’d hear a KZbin mention my old hometown of Deltona.) BTW, there’s a good reason why US 1 is relatively undeveloped in that segment: It borders the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge!

[@ChrisStargazer]

GREAT video, so informative. Looking forward to more content as new sub. Thanks!

[@Homer4prez]

Great video, thank you.

[@BeaverGeography]

Glad you liked it!

[@TheGarmisch]

The drive from Jupiter to Miami on I-95 and the hundreds of miles of pure city is a great experience! The only other long city drive that compares is Southern California from LA to San Diego on the 405 which I'd love to see a video on. Awesome video!! I'm so happy you made a video on my home megalopolis! Keep it up man!

[@yourgooglemeister6745]

Are you insane? That traffic makes you suicidal

[@TheGarmisch]

@@yourgooglemeister6745 Yeah I should've said it's an "interesting" experience

[@Drewhink]

You should do a video on the proposed roadways to increasingly connect the Florida megalopolis.

[@danieldaniels7571]

I'd like to see this too

[@apextraxx2903]

Well we have a high speed rail being built as we speak to Miami. They are supposed to be expanding it to go to Tampa afterwards.

[@JeromeWoody7]

Fantastic video!

[@johnmitchell8925]

This video was very well put together and accurate

[@J-Wolf17FTW]

Something to note about the State's more Republican shift is that there are a lot of Cuban refugees who have established themselves in Florida. When Bernie Sanders (someone very adjacent to the Democrats) praised Fidel Castro, it irked a lot of Cubans who lived in the area. Not only that, but a lot of Hispanics live there too, and they've been swinging pretty hard to the right as well.

[@georgemckenna462]

Sanders praised among other things Castro's highly effective literacy program. But condemned all authoritarian regimes around the world including Castro's. This was of course spun by FOX.

[@kaiseriv8483]

@@georgemckenna462 mhm whatever. Ill be voting Desantis this November and trump in 2024

[@alx8571]

It’s all the “no sabo” Cubans 💀

[@criSOME1]

Florida has the largest independent voter base. That’s mostly why. There’s also many libertarians

[@baronobeefdip7092]

@@kaiseriv8483 thanks now my rent can’t triple and he’ll bring more people in from other states

[@donabaypro6782]

Great job. I live in SWFL. I have been saying something similar for years, you gave it details. I call it the inverted beltway city. Take Atlanta: you have a urban core, a freeway with suburban/industrial around it, then Georgia. The loop of 75, 4, and 95 with suburban/industrial connecting Tampa, Orlando, and Miami. Put those three together and you would have a huge city. The center is the rule and farms. I also say the South ends at I-4. Above 4 is the Old South, going as far back as the first European settlement to stay. Below 4 basically got started in the 20s then hit hard in the 30’s. Because the Army figure out we were the best place to fly they built an airport base in almost any town with a train stop. It is an amazing history. This introduced Florida to a lot of people and the growth started. Then affordable AC made the population explode. I understand your inclusion of Gainesville and Jacksonville. One place to look at is the Villages just below Gainesville. It is very new, however it has a lot of influence on the state. They created our new golf cart culture.

[@steveeuphrates-river7342]

Good work!

[@chepis7893]

Nice vid 💯👋🏻

[@googleaccount6931]

We’re gonna turn into another California. (Urban planning wise not politically) Most of the new developments are single family homes that revolve around the car. The traffic is only going to get worse and worse with no escape since you cant do much with out a car.

[@yossarian6799]

crap, I can't find it offhand, but there's a famous example in the Orlando area of insane bad planning. There are two houses in two developments that share a rear property line, but it's something like an 11 mile drive from one's driveway to the other.

[@danieldaniels7571]

@@yossarian6799 that's insane.

[@siricm9647]

@@yossarian6799 ah, beautiful suburban sprawl. The American Dream.

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

I would prefer a walkable city or town and also bikeable.

[@networth00]

But you don't have to drive far for anything. So many grocery stores, schools, shops, parks, etc.

[@WorldCitizen47]

Awesome job! I absolutely love Florida, It's my favorite state!

[@marknewton6984]

Me too!

[@MrChilili]

Honestly, I could never stand their climate but it would be fun to visit there

[@jakem6720]

You definitely could stand it in the winter; I was in Sarasota in early March. Warm but not very humid, lovely.

[@lik7953]

Yea the summers are not for me. If I had the money, I'd love to live their in the winter

[@miliba]

Thats why homes have air conditioning. The reason why so many people moved there in the first place

[@yourgooglemeister6745]

It keeps out the weak

[@yossarian6799]

Save your money. Just spend time in front of any convenience store in the poorest part of town.

[@apextraxx2903]

Im from Melbourne FL and i remember when my parents moved us to the woods to keep us out of trouble in palm bay. Back then it had about 3-5 houses per street and TBH it was fun playing manhunt in the woods. Back then you could buy a lot for $1500. It's crazy to see rush our traffic in a place that other people in Florida didn't even know existed...Not only are all of these metro areas connected by roads they are already being connected with high speed rails.

[@JoeyGarcia914009]

A lot of times when I explain where I'm from, I usually say, "a small city under Melbourne, Florida," and completely forget that Palm Bay has a population of 120k people.

[@chocolatechipslime]

I’ve never even heard of Palm Bay Florida and I live 30 minutes north of Florida and I’ve been to Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Pensacola and Panama City Beach

[@1ryan273]

its cause palm bays city limit is so big it has a lot of people

[@hazevthewolf178]

Hey! Thanks for the shout out! No worries. I live in a modestly sized city in California's Central Valley, east of the mega-opolis that is San Francisco, Oakland, & San Jose. We host a fairly sizable number of refugees from out of control housing prices, commuters that grimly make the 90 something mile march into SF, Oakland, or San Jose, or wherever... You get the idea. The all news radio station out of SF speaks of the Greater Bay Area which, apparently includes my little city, although I haven't the faintest idea as to what makes it so great. There is still some open countryside between outlying parts of the Greater Bay Area, but given the adverts I hear on the radio, real estate developers are doing their best to wipe out these open spaces with "affordable" housing which starts at a median price of just $500,000 or so as opposed to the 1 to 2 million that it would cost you to buy a home in San Francisco. To my mind, this is all the obscene result of greed, but who gives a shit about what I think? The northern San Joaquin Valley was once a very pleasant place, but now it's being turned into a paved over urban jungle, tentacles of a sprawling urban octopus.

[@hazevthewolf178]

@@clivegregory8511 You were close. I'm in Modesto, actually.

[@danieldaniels7571]

@@hazevthewolf178 I have family in Modesto as well as Elk Grove and Fresno. One of my distant uncles founded one of the largest grocery store chains in the area, which still carries my mother's maiden name.

[@networth00]

Please, Californians stay TF away from Florida. We don't want your insanity here.

[@Imp_Order]

Great job 👏, this is a very well put together! One critique though, Gainesville does not have a pop of 339,000 not even alachua county has a pop that high. But it is still well put together as I previously mentioned!

[@Matty002]

great algorithm recommendation. joined the pre 30k subs club and cant wait for more vids

[@BeaverGeography]

Welcome to the community Matt!

[@BlackTomorrowMusic]

I moved to Palm Coast in 1989. This is about 30 miles north of Daytona. Back then, the entire county (Flagler) had a population of about 20k. Now Palm Coast alone has about 90k. Not quite the numbers of these other cities you mentioned, but it was enough to convince me to leave.

[@Alex_From_Florida]

Our goals are beyond your understanding, Beaver.

[@cabasse_music]

cool video! one more is the sarasota metro between tampa and cape coral. another 700k+ area

[@nosac1230]

I've looked at Florida properties for a decade. What has happened is insane, but it has happened to before - - prior to the Great Depression. What I see are hair-raising increases in real estate prices, but I'm also seeing hair-raising increases in insurance costs, etc. In short, Florida is becoming a very expensive place to live. When I was down there last year I couldn't believe the price of groceries in some areas - - simply stunning. What I do know for sure, without a doubt, is that in a bad hurricane season, it's going to be absolute hell going north out of that giant peninsula. I don't want to see that, but two of my friends down there are worried about the same thing.

[@TummySticks0110]

Loved the video. You failed to mention The Villages at all, which i would argue is the actual pre-planned capital of Florida, not Fort Myers as youve mentioned in the video. The place is an ever-expanding paradise for the elderly and its construction mirrors that of a disney neighborhood....created to be pristinely and practical for its population. It's also a huge red political hotspot

[@smashing_data4292]

Like always, this is an interesting video. I have a suggestion for a video just because I am from Virginia. Maybe come up with a video about independent cities. I think it is interesting that Fairfax County has an enclave called Fairfax City that is a separate entity. And Fairfax City has an enclave of Fairfax County where the county's government offices are located.

[@dreadinajeep]

great vid.keep it up

[@BeaverGeography]

Thanks, will do!

[@tonytee.1864]

Nice Beaver!

[@TheJust22az]

Grew up in South Florida in the 70's. It was a great time to be a kid. Left after college and never looked back. Could not imagine living there now.

[@randommonkey4900]

Where’d you go

[@networth00]

I'm sure you're double masked and triple boosted now lol.

[@mongo_chris4177]

You mentioned Lake Ashby which i love visiting considering i live in Deltona. I honestly consider Deltona a suburb of Orlando and really anything past Deltona or Deland is pretty sparsely populated until you reach Daytona.

[@neoskyline2879]

In South Florida, there are a lot of empty farm land from an old dairy farm that the cities and suburbs grew around. Now those are being sold to build up more housing. I’m interested to see how it all grows the next decade or two

[@ToothlesstheNightFury510]

It’ll grow just underwater 🤯, some land needs to be preserved/transformed not just built upon😪

[@jonathank5289]

@@ToothlesstheNightFury510 Where? LOL! The Everglades is a national park and the Atlantic ocean is a ocean. Tell me where? The only way is up and and higher up. Friends family will probably get the electrical contract for the tallest building in Miami. Close to 100 stories!!!!

[@ToothlesstheNightFury510]

@@jonathank5289 you’re right we do need to build up, but I don’t think that’s what the op meant. Maybe tho🦕

[@anthonybenson2469]

@@ToothlesstheNightFury510 Everglades and swampland needs to be preserved As for it being underwater, that´s entirely the fault of Asia (and everyone else) for having more old people than Florida that keep reprouding Don´t believe me: Search up China/South Korea air quality

[@haweater1555]

@@jonathank5289 The tallest building in Miami is projected to reach 1050 ft. The highest 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 point in Florida, in the panhandle very close to Alabama, is a piddling 345 ft. So from the top of the building you can see the whole state!

[@agustincenteno5750]

Thanks!

[@arislopes1924]

I’ve lived in Miami my whole life. Life here feels so fast Paced and overwhelming it also feels really crowded idk how ppl can live downtown even the suburbs feel crowded now. I live in a neighborhood in west Dade county built in the late 80s everything here feels more newer compared to eastern Dade county which is where the major bulk of the population is and where the population growth started. driving around here feels like u live in huge city where urbanization never seems to end

[@stephentthomas]

I think it's kind of cool that my hometown, Deltona, and my pizza delivery area, Lake Ashby, made it into one of your videos. Osteen/Lake Ashby is definitely not urban or even suburban; but it is rural/ag as opposed to undeveloped wilderness, which is probably your point. Interstate 4 goes through 20 miles of forest. Side note: Deltona was founded by the Mackle Brothers, who are responsible for quite a few cookie-cutter residential monstrosities in Florida. In Spring Hill, over on the west coast, they recycled dozens of street names and even have one named "Deltona." You could probably do a whole episode on the Mackle brothers.

[@Salopettesftw]

Yeah Deltona is so awfully designed that its just insane how Deltona as a city grew to what it is, and continues to grow.

[@SerryJeinfeld]

Love the lisp 🙏🏻

[@davidnovak707]

Thank you for mentioning Lakeland. Totally deserved and underrated, but with the growth we are seeing here, I wouldn't mind it being kept secret.

[@biggyboi1233]

As a Floridian from north Florida who hasn’t visited much of south Florida yet, I found this very educational

[@Dman9fp]

North Florida is very nice (quiet, good scenery) still at the moment, compared to suburban sprawl and out of state invader hell of Central & a lot of South FL. I may fear it is only a matter of time before that expands too to most outlying areas of FL to varying degrees. Already I've seen them expanding highways in Citrus and Pasco counties for seemingly no reason other than anticipating more communities. The proposed Northern turnpike toll road extension (from Wildwood to potential Chiefland near the Suwannee) has had huge public backlash as its an unnecessary toll route that would displace a bunch of residents and nature and put our resources at risk. And for what, spending billions just to anticipate traffic demands that might not even haopen? They paused plans for it, but I'm sure after elections or some time random they'll keep pushing for it. Absolutely blew my mind how guns ablazing to get a proposed route chosen the department of transportation was, when that area of FL Does Not have huge traffic issues. Maybe around I-75 near Gainesville, but anything west of that at the moment is super rural. For how long who knows, in my 30 year life time the vast majority of Hillsborough county near Tampa has become a bland suburban metropolis. Maybe I'm a nature nut, but this isn't sustainable, and I don't blame people getting out of the state before it gets too sad and crammed and even more expensive Def. Have a plan if you come to south FL, Lots to choose from sure. Many beaches are crowded even during the week sometimes. Lots of tourist traps. Disney isn't worth visiting any longer. Some museums, restaurants, nature spots are decent. Just probably saying this in general, FL is overall not a paradise people imagine. Not when everybody moves here and thinks they cam somehow keep it a secret/ deter other hordes of people from moving here too, somehow some way. More like NY part 2 with some swamps and alligators and no snow (not saying FL is the gosh darn most awful thing ever, but it can't stay nice and tranquil forever with unsustainable no limit to how many people are allowed to move here and mess up housing market and infrastructure that just cannot keep pace)

[@yourgooglemeister6745]

Without AC Florida would be unlivable

[@chadleach6009]

Humans inventing Technology to help them live in climates they may not otherwise, is that new?

[@networth00]

Without a HEATER the whole north USA would be unlivable.

[@kingsand999]

Great video. You might want to highlight the places you are talking about when showing us the map. As someone who is unfamiliar with the geography of Florida, I had to pause and look around the map just to figure out what places you were referring to

[@BeaverGeography]

Sorry about that! When I watch videos like this, I love pulling up the topics on google maps to follow along better, so if you want to get more out of it, I suggest you do that!

[@kingsand999]

@@BeaverGeography that's a good solution but doesn't work when I'm eating or doing something else

[@beb6c2a]

That’s very cool!

[@giants_]

Love the video but I'm kinda curious why the sarasota area wasn't included in this. Especially considering the growth the Sarasota & Manatee County areas have been expanding.

[@mrlego152]

I thought the same thing, I guess he included them with the Tampa area? Strange considering that the SRQ area is consistently referred to as its own metro.

[@Gabster1990]

As much as Sarasota likes not to be associated with Tampa, they are.

[@nategrandusky172]

I agree with this. Being from Sarasota, the amount of people moving here since 2020 has been crazy!

[@jrivademarjr]

Good video. It’s crazy the amount of continuous density along the Florida coastline. That’s why Florida is so fortunate to get a passenger rail service like Brightline connecting several of the major metropolitan areas in the state. It’s definitely the future of traveling between cities 200 to 400 miles apart. One thing I do need to point out is that the Texas triangle definitely has more than 17 million people as of the 2020 census. Just the Houston metro and Dallas metroplex areas together have over 15 million now. And then the San Antonio and Austin metro areas add another 5+ million people.

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

!! I’m looking forward to ride in the Brightline train from Orlando to further south in Florida without having to deal with the huge traffic and stress of driving on the toll road. Actually I avoid driving on the toll road entirely anyway.

[@Alex-mm7tb]

this right here!!! florida would benefit tremendously if rail would be properly introduced

[@kevinjomes5753]

Florida has no need for expensive barely used high speed rail.

[@Alex-mm7tb]

@@kevinjomes5753 looks like someone doesn't deal with i4 everyday

[@daharos]

That's cute. LA's Metro area by itself is 16-18M depending on estimates... and in reality there's nonstop population from here to San Diego...

[@austinfisher1015]

As a Florida native and fan of your channel, I'm surprised you didn't talk about the road ways. We have I-4, I-75, I-95, all the spur routes that connects them like 595, Florida Turnpike, Sawgrass Expressway, Reagan Turnpike, etc. Please make a video about all of it also.

[@emiwoo9355]

This is spot on other than your speculation on building up on a swamp, too much weight. I want to see videos on each state now.

[@AdrianArmbruster]

Hundreds of square miles of parking lot, populated by extras from Mad Max, just one particularly bad hurricane away from being Atlantis. Truly, there's a bright future ahead.

[@TheSkyGuy77]

No. You're wrong on the "one bad hurricane" part.

[@danieldaniels7571]

lol... "Florida Man"

[@JL-sm6cg]

That's why like I always say about California; "California is California." My saying for Florida is, "Let Florida be Florida."

[@chrism3784]

is why i moved and get the heck out of there

[@chadleach6009]

Lol acting like we dont deal with hurricanes every year. But yeah the parking thing can be annoying especially if you want to develop commercial land, nearly a quarter of it has to be devoted to parking.

[@russellseilhamer4552]

I loved in West Palm Beach FL for 25 years between 1983 and 2007. Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties were THE major Florida megalopolis growing up. 1-95 wasn’t even completed in Florida when we came there. Every road was 2 lanes and by the time I left for central PA all the main roads were 6 and 8 lanes. Development was largely limited to 5 miles from the coast in 1983, by 2007 development expanded 15 to 20 miles west of the the coastline. There were probably 400k ppl in Palm Beach county in 1983; there were almost 2 million by 2007.

[@networth00]

Now they consider all of that Miami Metro.

[@unseenadventures8130]

This is the first video I have seen of yours. Great job I love stuff like this. If you ever get a chance to make one of Wyoming would be cool as I moved to chugwater wy 8 years ago from upstate NY. I live outside of the town witch has around 200 people. The only neighbors I have fore miles is bucking horses and cow's 🤠

[@MichaelC1245]

As someone who grew up in Detroit, MI, but most of my adult life was in Florida (almost 40 now) there is a huge housing crisis there now. It is such a huge megalopolis that landlords dont even realize where the real property value is and just extend it to the entire area.

[@michaeltharrington6378]

Lakeland native, glad you included us. Lakeland is pretty big and we don’t get the attention we deserve😂 I work in Tampa, have lived in Tampa and visited every city listed. Miami is the only one with any kid of public transport, but that drive would take forever.

[@VestedUTuber]

Year-round warm climate, everywhere is reasonable driving distance from a coastline, recent major infrastructure upgrades for both highways and rail transit, a LOT of tech jobs thanks to NASA and the USSF and their various contractors, decently affordable cost of living (even Miami isn't too bad compared to similar cities), and a lot of open land. Honestly they should have seen this coming.

[@andreseh87]

Miami isnt too bad? Are you kidding me?

[@VestedUTuber]

@@andreseh87 Compared to NYC or literally all of coastal California? Seriously, why the fuck do people flat-out ignore context these days?

[@jesdadotcom]

@@VestedUTuber People like to feel like they're right or they're too stupid to read.

[@GabiN64]

Where are these tech jobs? Must be in Miami since Orlando has a small tech job market

[@VestedUTuber]

@@GabiN64 Cape Canaveral and the surrounding area. They're primarily aerospace and robotics related, not consumer devices or software.

[@Jetski_Journals]

It's funny you posted this video. I'm actually moving to the suburbs of Tampa the first of Oct lol. Yes alot of people are moving to FL. Another place you could have mentioned was Ocala FL. I remember as a little kid it was just a tiny little farm town, now it's booming. Not as large as Tampa by no means, but still much much bigger than it was.

[@BeaverGeography]

Good luck lol

[@Jetski_Journals]

@@BeaverGeography Thanks!

[@frankhammond9909]

Being from Florida, but having lived in many places, this video is on point.

[@kohaku_amba]

I was astonished to see how long the Miami area actually is; The distance is longer than Milwaukee to Chicago!

[@ymeynot0405]

I wish you would cover what the 10 inches of sea level rise from the Greenland Glacier would do to those numbers.

[@networth00]

Elite liberals love talking about "sea level rise", then Obama, Zuckerburg, and Gates all recently buy oceanfront properties. Looks like you believe anything.

[@ChicoPinguino]

Melbourne and Palm Bay is growing crazy right now because it is becoming a Major Tech Hub on Florida's East Coast. Harris started it, but now we have a lot of companies using this area as a main hub for them

[@commadercarl2541]

This is your best video yet

[@BeaverGeography]

Thanks, these are comments I really appreciate

[@commadercarl2541]

@@BeaverGeography just an idea here but maybe you should make a video about the weird sprawling metro of Atlanta

[@SavageScientist]

connectivity , you need to also look at the connection between New Orleans , Baton Rouge, And the Mississippi Gulf Coast through Mobile its all connected an it is its own mega metro that never been recognized.

[@5roundsrapid263]

It was all British West Florida about 200 years ago. It still has a unified culture in a lot of ways.

[@networth00]

Those places are unsafe dumps. Nobody that goes there comes home alive.

[@SavageScientist]

@@networth00 im not going to even lie to you, that you are 100% correct.

[@andrewtaylor3167]

Florida has one major "advantage" when it comes to connecting its cities: It's an extremely flat state. I don't think it'd take much for the panhandle to get more connected. Tallahassee was selected as the capital as a reason, and it would be the link between the Panhandle and the rest of the state. That being said, the main catalyst I could see for this happening rapidfire doesn't lie primarily within the state itself. Florida only has two North/South interstates coming into the state, and they're pretty far on the eastern side. If there were an I-65B from Montgomery to Dothan to Panama City, the panhandle would be much more accessible from outside the state (primarily to the midwest) and development would skyrocket (as well as not make FL more interconnected, but the FL/GA/AL tri-state region more connected as well. Those three states combined are roughly about the size of CA in terms in land and population).

[@wwsciffsww3748]

The problem with connecting to Georgia and Alabama is that there are few large cities in the southern regions of those states. The most likely connection imo is Savannah and the other coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina.

[@gregorycerven3484]

If the pan handle didn't get hit by hurricanes every other year wiping everything off the map, that might make a bit of a difference too

[@andrewtaylor3167]

@@wwsciffsww3748 Savannah is almost a given as the most likely way for future growth. I was more talking the panhandle joining. Which is why I said Dothan, as a Dothan boom period could do the bulk of the work (A Valdosta boom would help too, but not as needed), and a possible trigger for that is something Dothan's wanted for years: an interstate. It conveniently would hit the 300+ mile stretch on I-10 somewhat near the halfway point between I-65 and I-75. A boom to around 300-400k would probably make the MSA absorb Enterprise and Ozark, and possibly Jackson county, Florida, with Eufaula and Troy in the CSA. In which case, Montgomery and Columbus, GA are already on the border. It's a bit of an ask considering Alabama stigma, but Dothan has enough other handicaps from lack of state support (not hated, but out the way and not obviously dying, so it tends to get ignored) that a sudden switch in state support could make a massive difference.

[@chocolatechipslime]

An interstate would be nice from Dothan Al to PCB or Destin or Tallahassee. So many tourists come down from up north and the bordering southern states to the gulf coast beaches. I live in near the Dothan area, it would be nice to go down to the coast on an interstate instead of country back roads most of the way

[@chocolatechipslime]

@@johnperic6860 I guess you missed the part about all the tourists and locals that frequent the area. It’s one of the most popular vacations destinations in the country. And did you say the same about every other interstate? Like it or not the land will be used for something eventually

[@sledgehogsoftware]

Great overview, I've lived in the Daytona Beach area for most of my life. I hope to get out; The environment and 'vibe' of everything has changed immensely. My parents moved to Daytona in 1996, used to be a quiet town! Not anymore. I think Florida will only continue to develop and expand. One thing you didn't mention is house prices and rent. They have gone up tremendously, with the past couple of years ballooning prices especially. Orlando is especially terrible at these increases, with housing not expanding to meet demand. Hopefully we'll get some nice High Speed Rail, though they just put express lanes in the middle of I4 near Orlando where HSR was supposed to go. SunRail is nice, I've been on it once, though all it's good for is a vanity trip sadly. Climate Change will certainly mix things up a bit. More frequent and intense hurricanes (and potentially tornadoes) will absolutely rip up most of those Trailer homes, and the communities near the East Coast do not have any adequate preparations for intense flooding.

[@networth00]

Gawd you climate change people really believe that mess? Gates, Obama, and Zuckerburg just bought ocean front property while preaching sea rising... look it up.

[@seanspeltwrong4402]

I was happy my man mentioned Gainesville as its the closest city next to me being a rural county like right next to it. And it's still constantly growing

[@Tested333]

BEAVER BEAVER BEAVER!!!

[@jacknoles9080]

Actually Pinellus County is losing a lot of our mobile home parks a lot of them are being turned into apartment complexes

[@redbonetony22]

same in hillsborough

[@chrism3784]

Hey Beaver, in the Ft Myers, Lehigh Acres map you were showing, there was a spot labeled Alabama. Far as I know, no city, or any area in Florida is called Alabama and neither in that area that label is over. There is an Alabama Rd there, but that is it. I checked google earth and sure enough that label is still there. Any explanation that you know of?

[@Landis_Grant]

People don’t realize that Florida is sinking and is prone to devastating tsunamis when asteroids hit the Atlantic Ocean.

[@Jkoziol72577]

Thank you forgot a few like Ocala and Leesburg for example which by the way is the main connecting cities between Gainesville and The villages. And if you go west of there you'll realize the so-called Tampa Bay area goes all the way up towards the Big bend about three or four counties up including citrus county which citrus Hernando and Pasco have been growing for quite some time but those counties are considered part of the Tampa Bay area

[@compromisedssh]

I find it stunning that I just watched a ten minute video about Florida’s explosive growth that didn’t once mention air conditioning. That’s the reason for the growth. The growth perfectly corresponds with the widespread availability of air conditioning. Also, as a native Floridian, you should know that your political diagnosis is wrong. Voter registration here is irrelevant because lots of people who vote GOP registered as democrats decades ago and never bothered to change. You’re right that lots of old white people move here. Many more immigrate here though. First generation immigrants generally cannot vote. Their kids can though, and lots of them turn 18 every day. I actually recommend doing this video over. I’m not trying to be a jerk in any way, and would be happy to discuss any of these things with you.

[@georgemckenna462]

This video seems to be more sociology from the some what limited perspective of a young person. Your cantankerous historical take on the modern out come of Dr. John Gorrie's amazing invention can not possibly be disputed! Although with the advent of the railroad, Florida was having a land boom even before the widespread use of air conditioning. That was the era of the high ceiling fans and Mint Juleps. Well before Travis McGee showed up on the scene.

[@networth00]

@@thzene4967 I moved here to be in the land of the free... and will vote SOLID REPUBLICAN in every election. I don't have time for racism, trans anything, or wearing masks. VOTE RED

[@Freakingbean]

Hey everyone! I live by Daytona Beach and can explain the small gaps we see in urbanization. The gap between Deltona and Daytona has the Tiger Bay state Forest between them. We love Tiger Bay and it's here to stay, and holds a few protected species. That gap is very intentional, and should remain. The jump to Oak hill is because it's a big fishing spot for the locals. Since the gap to Oak hill adds to the economy I think it's ok to count it.

[@editorcj]

Back in the 80’s the Lakeland civic center was the starting or ending place for every major musical tour located between Tampa and Orlando. I made many road trips to shows in Lakeland from Pinellas where I lived

[@lousyacrobat]

it needs high speed rail bady

[@E-stylz-1967]

The land between Daytona and Deltona will not be urbanized because that is where Volusia county replenish it's fresh water. I know because I'm a life long resident of Daytona beach. And being 55 I have seen the meteoric growth go from just the major cities to almost everywhere.

[@joshuastarkloff9602]

As someone who lives in the Cape Coral Fort Myers area seeing someone mention our small slice of hell is very moving. Just don't move here! We have awful traffic.

[@MarsheaDugans]

This was a very informative vid… and I am a life long Floridian!