Even as city founder George Merrick was in the beginning stages of creating Coral Gables he dreamed of it as an international city. He was inspired by the great Mediterranean cities and hoped the city would serve as a gateway to the Americas. 

To further establish international ties, the city has forged relationships with cities around the world through Sister Cities International. When the first Sister City relationship was established with Cartagena, Colombia, in 1957, the program focused mainly on cultural exchange. Since then, the scope of these relationships has expanded to further promote understanding through educational, technological, and economic links as well.

Coral Gables currently has Sister City agreements with the following: