Miami-Dade’s Hidden Treasure: Limestone

Beneath Miami-Dade’s landscape lies a resource essential to everyday life: limestone. 

Often overlooked, limestone plays a critical role in building Florida’s roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals, forming the backbone of the state’s infrastructure. The Lake Belt region supplies approximately half of Florida’s construction aggregates, processing nearly 50 million tons each year for concrete, asphalt, and cement—contributing $1 billion to the economy and helping keep construction costs among the lowest in the nation.

Limestone manufacturing provides jobs for 10,000 quarry workers and generates a $550 million payroll that supports local families. It also contributes $32 million in local sales and property taxes, funding public projects throughout Miami-Dade County.

Limestone operations act as a buffer between urban development and the Everglades, contributing millions to environmental reclamation efforts, preserving land, and storing millions of gallons of water for local use while safeguarding the region’s water supply.

Since 1999, Miami-Dade’s limestone quarries have invested over $126 million in Everglades restoration programs. By ensuring access to affordable building materials and supporting conservation, the limestone industry plays a vital role in maintaining Florida’s infrastructure and quality of life for generations to come.

Learn more at the M-DLPA Science Center: https://mdlpa.org/science-center/