Tamarac, FL Area Guide

Developer Ken Behring arrived from the Midwest in the early 1960s with a plan to build a self-contained community in western Broward County. He named the city after the nearby Tamarac Country Club in Oakland Park, and the first development, Tamarac Lakes Section One and Section Two, broke ground east of State Road 7 in 1963. Subsequent phases spread across a former orange grove to become Tamarac Lakes North, Tamarac Lakes Boulevard, and eventually the Mainlands of Tamarac Lakes.

As Broward County grew through the 1970s and 1980s, Tamarac's leaders chose to let Fort Lauderdale annex commercially zoned portions of the city. This was a decision that preserved Tamarac's residential identity and produced the city's famously narrow boundaries, which pinch to about a quarter-mile wide in the middle of the county. The golf-centered Kings Point community was added in the 1980s and 1990s, and the city's annual Turkey Trot 5K before Thanksgiving has since become a civic tradition.

Most restaurants are on University Drive and Commercial Boulevard, with strip mall plazas concentrating an array of cuisines, including Thai, Japanese, Peruvian, Italian, and Colombian. Locally rooted favorites include authentic Colombian cooking at El Buen Gusto Restaurant & Bakery and red-sauce Italian classics at Mannino's Pizza, both of which have become familiar stops for residents. For an evening out beyond the city's quieter pace, Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale is a short drive east, and South Beach is roughly 45 minutes away.

Getting around Tamarac relies mainly on personal vehicles, with direct access to the Sawgrass Expressway on the west side and Florida's Turnpike on the east side making regional commutes straightforward. Commercial Boulevard runs straight east to Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, roughly 10 miles away, while University Drive serves as the main north-south commercial corridor alongside State Route 7.

Broward County Transit bus service stops along the main thoroughfares, and the city runs its own community bus on defined routes within city limits. For commuter rail, Cypress Creek Station is about an 11-minute drive, and Pompano Beach Station is roughly 20 minutes away. Most residential streets are calm enough for comfortable walking, jogging, or cycling within individual neighborhoods.

Sunset Park stands out for its exercise stations along a winding walking and jogging trail, a wetlands observation kiosk, an amphitheater, covered picnic areas, and grills. Caporella Park adds a fishing pier and a covered pavilion large enough for groups of 25 or more, while Gary B. Jones Park for People and Pups provides fenced dog runs for large and small dogs along the Stranahan River.

The Conservation Levee Greenway stretches 27 miles along the city's west side, looping around a protected section of the Everglades where walkers, joggers, and cyclists can observe native plant and animal life. Veterans' Memorial Park hosts the Tamarac Community Farmers Market every Sunday and offers a boat ramp for water access. Nearby, Fern Forest Nature Center is an 11-minute drive away, and Butterfly World is reachable in about 19 minutes.

The cost of living in Tamarac varies depending on your housing choice. One-bedroom apartments typically rent for around $1,772 per month, two-bedroom apartments for $2,212, and three-bedroom apartments for $3,142. Rent for townhouses and single-family houses ranges from $3,000 to $5,000 or more, depending on size and location. The average cost to buy a house in Tamarac hovers around $350,000.

Everyday errands stay close to home along Commercial Boulevard and North University Drive, where Publix and Walmart anchor the main corridors alongside a string of strip mall plazas. The Tamarac Community Farmers Market runs every Sunday at Veterans' Memorial Park for a local alternative to chain stores.

For broader retail, Coral Square Mall in Coral Springs covers big-box retailers and name-brand stores, while Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise ranks among the largest shopping centers in the country. Whole Foods, Sam's Club, and Macy's are all within about six miles of the city center.

From the 27-mile Conservation Levee Greenway bordering the Everglades to the Sunday farmers market at Veterans' Memorial Park, Tamarac balances outdoor access with suburban convenience, all while sitting minutes from Fort Lauderdale and within easy reach of two major airports and some of South Florida's largest shopping destinations.