Homestead sits in southern Miami-Dade County, roughly 26 miles southwest of downtown Miami and 25 miles northwest of Key Largo, on the mainland's last stretch before the Florida Keys. Its position between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west makes it the Miami area's gateway to two of the country's most distinctive protected landscapes. Incorporated in 1913, Homestead is the second-oldest city in Miami-Dade County, and it grew as an agricultural town along the Florida East Coast Railway, shipping winter vegetables and tropical fruit to markets across the country. That farming heritage still defines much of the area. The Redland, the rural agricultural district surrounding the city, remains dotted with groves, nurseries, fruit stands and u-pick farms, and attractions such as Fruit and Spice Park and Schnebly Redland's Winery celebrate the region's crops. Homestead also carries a military legacy: Homestead Air Reserve Base, just east of the city, has long been an economic anchor, and the Homestead-Miami Speedway draws motorsports crowds. Tourism tied to the two national parks adds a further layer to the local economy. Residentially, Homestead is a patchwork. Older neighborhoods cluster near the historic downtown and along U.S. 1, while newer master-planned and gated communities by national builders have expanded the city's housing stock on former farmland. The result is a mix of modest older homes, new single-family subdivisions and townhome developments, plus rural acreage in the surrounding Redland. Families, agricultural workers, military personnel and commuters seeking more attainable housing than coastal Miami-Dade all call Homestead home. For homebuyers, Homestead offers space, newer construction and relative affordability within Miami-Dade, at the cost of a longer commute into Miami and a location exposed to hurricane-season weather. Its proximity to the national parks, the Keys and the Redland's open landscapes gives the city a distinctly less urban feel than the rest of South Florida.