In Broward County, just minutes from Fort Lauderdale’s glass towers and expressways, lies a town that still smells like saddle leather on a hot afternoon. Davie, Florida isn’t like the rest of South Florida—and it doesn’t want to be.
Here, you’re more likely to see horses at a traffic light than Teslas. Feed stores outnumber nightclubs. And locals keep boots by the front door—just in case.
Founded in the early 1900s as a swampy settlement called Zona, Davie was drained and tamed by settlers who laid out canals and built homes on raised land. But it never lost its wild streak. Over the next century, Davie grew—not into a city, but into something tougher to define: a cowboy college town in the suburbs, where you can trail ride in the morning and attend a lecture in the afternoon.
Today, Davie is home to over 100,000 residents, miles of equestrian trails, five colleges, and a personality that refuses to smooth its edges.
🐎 The Western Vibe
Davie’s identity starts with its horses. The town maintains over 165 miles of public trails, weaving through parks, canals, and wooded greenbelts that connect neighborhoods like arteries. You don’t need a truck and trailer—just saddle up in your backyard, and ride.
Locals use the Pine Island Ridge Trail, the Long Key Natural Area, and even canal-side fire roads as daily training grounds. You’ll pass sabal palms, egrets, and maybe an iguana sunbathing on the fence.
Don’t have your own horse? No problem. Visit Bar-B-Ranch, a family-owned outfit offering guided trail rides, riding lessons, and summer camps for kids. Rides start at just an hour and take you through shaded pine hammocks, open meadows, and cypress swamp—all while teaching proper horsemanship.
Come in winter, and you’ll catch the Davie Pro Rodeo at Bergeron Rodeo Grounds, where barrel racers, bronco riders, and flag-waving kids turn dirt into dust under the lights. It’s loud, proud, and entirely Davie.
🌿 The Wild Side
Beyond the cowboy persona, Davie holds onto something wilder.
The Flamingo Gardens botanical garden and wildlife sanctuary is a hidden jewel. Part zoo, part Everglades preserve, part storybook forest, it spans 60 acres and houses injured and rescued native wildlife—including black bears, panthers, otters, and dozens of free-roaming flamingos that honk like geese and strut like drag queens.
There’s a butterfly aviary, a historic 1930s house, and some of the oldest trees in South Florida. Kids love the tram tour, which winds through citrus groves and hammock forest where alligators lurk in the sloughs. Adults tend to linger near the shaded bamboo gardens and the old banyan tree that looks like a natural cathedral.
Nearby, Long Key Natural Area offers miles of elevated boardwalk trails through wetland restoration zones, with fishing spots, birdwatching platforms, and interpretive signage that turns every walk into a nature lesson.
And if you want off-the-grid, hit Tree Tops Park—a 243-acre sprawl of lake trails, horseback routes, paddle launches, and a 28-foot observation tower that peeks above the oaks. There’s camping here, canoe rentals, and weekend birthday parties with bounce houses—and yet, somehow, you can still find a corner where the only sound is wind through pine needles.
🎓 The College Town You Didn’t See Coming
Surprise: Davie isn’t just horses and hammocks. It’s also home to a cluster of major universities known as the South Florida Education Center.
On one sprawling campus, you’ll find:
- Nova Southeastern University (health, law, oceanography)
- Broward College
- University of Florida extension programs
- Florida Atlantic University satellite classes
- McFatter Technical College
That means Davie pulses with students—nursing majors at cafés, forestry students in muck boots, and law students decompressing at local breweries. It’s a brainy town that doesn’t brag about it.
🥪 Where to Eat and Refuel
Davie isn’t about fine dining. It’s about satisfying, unpretentious meals served with a side of sweet tea and Southern hospitality.
Start your day at Grampa’s Bakery, a roadside favorite for cinnamon buns the size of softballs and buttery croissants that flake like paper.
For lunch, swing by Laspada’s Original Hoagies, where the subs are stuffed with Boar’s Head meats, layered vertically, and wrapped with surgical precision. Locals argue about mayo vs. oil and vinegar like it’s a family feud.
Craving BBQ? Rob’s BBQ on the Go serves smoky pulled pork and chicken out of a trailer that draws regulars like clockwork. No frills. Just fire and flavor.
Dinner? Go local at Vienna Café & Wine Bar, a cozy Austrian-influenced spot hidden in a strip mall. Think schnitzel, spaetzle, and house-made desserts that disappear fast.
For dessert, hit Jaxson’s Ice Cream nearby (technically in Dania, but close enough). It’s a South Florida icon—with antique license plates on the walls, banana splits as big as your face, and scoops you’ll regret not splitting.
🛍️ And If You’re Sticking Around…
Davie is close to everything but manages to feel a little removed—a suburb with secrets.
Shop for boots at Bootz Culture Camp, or wander through Yellow Green Farmers Market in nearby Hollywood, where 300 vendors sell everything from empanadas to air plants.
Catch a horse show. Paddle the canal. Buy a hat you never thought you’d wear. Stay at a horse-friendly Airbnb, or book a nearby suite in Plantation if you need more modernity.
🌅 Local Tips
- Sunrise at Tree Tops Park is worth setting an alarm. The fog over the lakes and the pink sky behind the trees feel cinematic.
- Come for the Orange Blossom Festival (late February), Davie’s version of Mardi Gras: floats, line dancing, orange juice tastings, and hayrides through history.
- Look for peacocks in residential zones west of Flamingo Road. They’re noisy, rude, and completely protected by law.
Davie doesn’t fit in. And that’s its strength. It’s not Miami. Not Fort Lauderdale. Not the Keys. It’s a place that clings to its identity with boots on the ground and spurs still jangling.
A little country. A little swamp. A little college town. A lot of heart.
