El Portal is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, occupying a small, leafy rectangle along the north bank of the Little River Canal in the northeastern part of the Miami metropolitan area. Its population is roughly 2,000, making it one of the smaller incorporated municipalities in the county. The name is Spanish for "the gate," a reference to two large wooden gates that once stood on Northeast Second Avenue as a ceremonial entrance to the community before being removed in the 1940s. The village's history is unusually deep for a Miami suburb. Settlement in the area is traced to the mid-nineteenth century, and El Portal was incorporated in 1937. Long before that, the banks of the Little River were home to the Tequesta people, and the El Portal Archaeological Zone — designated in 1983 — preserves artifacts and settlement remains more than 1,400 years old, including the El Portal Burial Mound. A historic seawall built between the 1920s and 1940s still lines part of the river, adding to the village's layered heritage. El Portal is notable for its environmental character as well as its history. The State of Florida has designated the village a bird sanctuary, and its canopy of mature trees and garden-like lots distinguishes it from the denser development that surrounds much of Miami. The village borders Miami Shores to the north and the Little River and Upper Eastside neighborhoods to the south. Public schools are provided by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, one of the nation's largest districts. With its historic homes, quiet streets, and central location, El Portal appeals to those who want a small-village atmosphere and distinctive character within minutes of downtown Miami, Biscayne Bay, and the region's major employment and cultural centers.