Cooper City, Florida
Cooper City grew from founder Morris Cooper’s vision of a carefully planned, family-oriented community. In Broward County, about 15 miles southwest of Fort Lauderdale, the city is known for quiet neighborhoods, strong schools, and plentiful parks that help explain its longtime nickname, “Someplace Special.”
About Cooper City
Home to roughly 35,000 residents across about 8 square miles, Cooper City is a small but well-established city in western Broward County. Incorporated in 1959, it has a reputation for being orderly, residential, and family-friendly, with local government placing a strong emphasis on parks, recreation, and community services.
Public schools serving Cooper City include Cooper City Elementary, Griffin Elementary, Embassy Creek Elementary, Pioneer Middle School, and Cooper City High School, along with private options such as Cooper City Christian Academy. The city also maintains more than two dozen parks and recreation areas with ball fields, playgrounds, courts, and community facilities. Cooper City has also been recognized as a Tree City USA community for its ongoing planting and urban-forestry efforts.
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While Cooper City is primarily residential rather than a traditional tourist stop, visitors will find neighborhood parks, youth sports venues, local shopping plazas, and casual restaurants throughout the area. Seasonal celebrations, recreation programs, and family-focused community events are held during the year, and park hours, event dates, and program availability may change, so it is best to confirm details on the city’s official website before visiting.
Map of Cooper City
Before modern development, this part of South Florida was home to Indigenous peoples and later supported farming, ranching, and citrus growing. Much of the surrounding land was wet and marshy, and travel across western Broward County was far more difficult before today’s roads, bridges, and drainage systems were built. The area that became Cooper City was once known as Wacico Groves, short for the Walsh Citrus Company, and canal routes helped move people, produce, and supplies to and from Fort Lauderdale.
After damaging floods in the late 1940s, Morris Cooper acquired Wacico Groves and helped guide the area’s transformation. His vision for a well-zoned community led to the creation of Cooper City in 1959. Today, the city continues to balance growth with the neighborhood character, public services, and community pride that made Cooper’s original idea endure.
