Little Havana lies immediately west of downtown Miami and Brickell, running from about SW 37th Avenue east to SW 3rd Avenue, and from the Miami River and NW 7th Street south to Coral Way. Its main street, SW 8th Street, is universally known as Calle Ocho. The eastern, denser half is called East Little Havana, and the Latin Quarter is a designated sub-district along Calle Ocho.
Development
A middle-class neighborhood of Jewish and southern transplants in the 1930s, Little Havana was transformed by Cuban exile arrivals after 1959; by 1970 it was more than 85 percent Cuban, and the name comes from Havana. Nicaraguan, Honduran and other Central American families have settled here since. The Calle Ocho Festival began in 1977 and its 1988 edition set a record for the world’s longest conga line. The South River Drive Historic District was designated in 1987. The National Trust for Historic Preservation placed Little Havana on its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2015 and named it a National Treasure in 2017. Redevelopment pressure has grown with it: in April 2026 the City of Miami agreed to transfer or lease city-owned parcels to three developers for roughly 500 affordable and workforce apartments.
Parks & Recreation
Maximo Gomez Park, the domino park on Calle Ocho, is the best known public space, along with Jose Marti Park on the Miami River, Cuban Memorial Boulevard Park on SW 13th Avenue, Riverside Park and Henderson Park. The Tower Theater, Ball and Chain, the Cubaocho Museum and the Calle Ocho Walk of Fame line the main street, and Viernes Culturales has brought art and music to Calle Ocho on the last Friday of the month since 2000.
Transit
There is no Metrorail station inside Little Havana; Brickell and Culmer are closest to the east and northeast, and Vizcaya to the southeast. Bus service is heavy, running the length of Calle Ocho and West Flagler Street, including a Flagler express and a Little Havana connector. The City of Miami Trolley runs a Little Havana route, with the Health District, Brickell, Flagami and Coral Way routes nearby. Metromover, Brightline and Tri-Rail are all reached in downtown Miami.