New River Webcam – Watch Boats in Fort Lauderdale

The New River Webcam looks across the South Fork of the New River in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from an upper-floor balcony on a residential stretch of the river. A lawn and a seawall walkway fill the foreground. On the far bank, a row of waterfront homes sits behind private docks with center-console boats, jet ski lifts and a swimming pool, and a large motor yacht is often moored at the left edge of the frame. Tall oaks and palms close off the skyline. Boats pass close to the camera through the day, their wakes rolling across the dark water to the opposite seawall, and around sunset the camera has caught a superyacht gliding by with its deck lights on. The operator places the camera between the Wiggles and Davie Boulevard, and the current broadcast began in December 2024.

About the New River in Fort Lauderdale

The New River runs through the middle of Fort Lauderdale and reaches the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean at the Port Everglades cut. It began as two streams, the North Fork and the South Fork, and the first of the Army posts called Fort Lauderdale, built during the Second Seminole War, stood where the two forks join. In 1893 Frank Stranahan was running a ferry across the river, and his trading post at the crossing became the nucleus of the city. Ivy Stranahan later recalled that the water was then clear enough to see fish and even large sharks. Today the city is known as the Venice of America, with 265 kilometers (165 miles) of inland waterways, and it had 182,760 residents at the 2020 census. Downtown, the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel carries U.S. 1 under the river.

The South Fork is the working end of the river. The U.S. Coast Guard lists the Davie Boulevard bridge, which carries SW 12th Street, at mile 0.9 of the fork and the State Road 84 drawbridge at mile 4.4. Between quiet residential banks like the one on camera, the fork is lined with boatyards. Lauderdale Marine Center, on its south side, bills itself as the largest yacht repair facility in the United States. A 2015 sale announcement put the yard at about 20 hectares (50 acres), and it has since added a travel lift that can haul boats of up to 440 tonnes (485 tons). Summerfield Boat Works stood across the water from 1930 to 2006. Yachts heading to and from those yards use the fork, which helps explain the size of some of the boats that pass the New River Webcam.

Weather and Climate in Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale has a tropical climate with no real cold season, so the far bank stays green all year. January is the coolest month, with average highs of 24°C (76°F) and lows of 16°C (61°F). By April the highs reach 28°C (83°F), with lows of 21°C (70°F). Summer is hot and humid: July averages 32°C (90°F) by day and 25°C (78°F) at night, and October still runs about 30°C (85°F) and 24°C (74°F).

About 1,550 millimeters (61 inches) of rain falls in a typical year, most of it in the wet season from May through October. The forecast ticker along the top of the stream carries the local outlook, including storm and flood warnings, together with the day’s sunrise and sunset times. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and major hurricanes are most likely in September and October.

Things to Do Near the New River

Downstream, the river runs through downtown Fort Lauderdale and the Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District, which follows Las Olas Boulevard from the heart of downtown toward the beach. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts anchors its western end. The district also takes in the Museum of Discovery and Science, with its AutoNation 3D IMAX Theater, the Museum of Art, the Fort Lauderdale Historical Center and the Florida Grand Opera.

Stranahan House, the oldest building in the city, began life as Frank Stranahan’s trading post at the old ferry crossing and is part of the same district. The district runs on to the point where Las Olas Boulevard meets A1A, at Las Olas Beach on the Atlantic. To see where the river traffic ends up, head south to Port Everglades, where the channel meets the Intracoastal Waterway and the ocean.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More boats, waterways and Fort Lauderdale views from around the site:

• Port Everglades Webcam
• Aventura Webcam
• Las Olas Beach Webcam
• Cuyahoga River Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the New River webcam in Fort Lauderdale?

The camera is on the South Fork of the New River in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida, southwest of downtown. The operator places it between the Wiggles and Davie Boulevard. The South Fork joins the main river a short way downstream, and the river reaches the Atlantic through the Port Everglades cut.

What can you see on the New River Webcam?

The camera faces across the river from a balcony above a lawn and seawall walkway. The opposite bank is lined with homes, docks, boat lifts and a pool, often with a large motor yacht moored at the left edge of the frame. Center-console boats and the occasional superyacht pass through the middle of the shot.

Does the webcam show the New River train bridge or downtown?

No. The camera looks across a residential section of the South Fork, and the trees on the far bank fill the skyline. The downtown towers, the Riverwalk and the bridges on the main river are all out of sight, and no bridge appears in the frame.

Is this the New River Gorge webcam?

No. This camera is on the New River in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The New River Gorge is in West Virginia, on a different river that shares the name.

When does the Davie Boulevard bridge open for boats?

The drawbridge opens on signal. From 7:30 to 9 a.m. and from 4:30 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday except federal holidays, it does not have to open, although U.S. government vessels, tugs with tows and vessels in distress are passed at any time. Farther up the South Fork, the State Road 84 drawbridge opens on signal with 24 hours notice.

Why is it called the New River?

A Seminole legend, recorded by writers on the Florida Writers’ Program in 1940, says the river appeared suddenly after a night of strong winds, loud noises and shaking ground, so the Seminoles called it Himmarshee, meaning new water. Early maps noted the stream simply as new river, and the name stuck.

What is the weather like in Fort Lauderdale?

Warm all year. Average highs run from 24°C (76°F) in January to 32°C (90°F) in July, and even January lows average 16°C (61°F). The wet season lasts from May through October, and hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.

Source: Steffi Schiffer