Fort Lauderdale is a city located 25 miles north of Miami in the U.S. state of Florida. It is Broward County's municipal seat. As of 2018 the town has an estimated 182,595 residents. Fort Lauderdale is the largest metropolitan city of Florida. Fort Lauderdale takes its name from a series of forts constructed during the Second Seminole War by the United States. The forts were named after General William Lauderdale.