Miami-Dade’s Hidden Treasure: Limestone
November 4, 2024
The Foundation of Florida: How Miami-Dade Limestone Powers Infrastructure and Jobs
Limestone isn’t just a construction material—it’s the foundation beneath nearly every road, bridge, school, and hospital in Florida.
Much of it starts in one place: Miami-Dade County.
According to the 2025 Aggregates Industry Scorecard, natural aggregates like crushed stone and sand generate $171 billion in total U.S. economic output and support nearly 730,000 jobs nationwide. Florida plays a leading role in this industry, and Miami-Dade is at its center. Local quarries supply over half of the construction aggregates used statewide, including the limestone that forms the base of Florida’s 12,000+ miles of highways.
For every one job in limestone production, nearly six more are created across the economy—in trucking, equipment, construction, and other industries. These are skilled, local, high-paying jobs that cannot be outsourced.
Miami-Dade limestone doesn’t just build Florida—it stays in Florida.
One often-overlooked fact: 94% of the materials used to build highways are natural aggregates. That means the rock pulled from the Lake Belt region becomes the surface you drive on every day. Nationally, about 90% of aggregates are consumed within 50 miles of where they’re produced. Miami-Dade is a notable exception. Its large-scale operations and rail connections allow local quarries to efficiently supply regions far beyond South Florida, making it a strategic resource for the entire state.
Beyond construction, limestone operations contribute millions annually in tax revenues and support environmental stewardship through land reclamation and water storage projects.
So next time you pass a road crew, drive over a bridge, or walk into a school, remember: the materials that make it possible likely came from Miami-Dade’s limestone quarries—powering Florida’s infrastructure from the ground up.
