Vice City consists of two major islands and three smaller islands; both main islands are separated by a large body of water similar to that of Biscayne Bay, which separates Miami Beach with mainland Miami in real life. Each major island is divided into several districts. The population of Vice City is given at around 1.8 million.[3]
The city has four hospitals (two in each major island) and four police stations (two in each major island) distributed evenly in the city; these facilities serve as respawn points after the player dies or is arrested, respectively. The city also has one fire station and a military base. Unlike Liberty City and the state of San Andreas, however, Vice City has no known railway or rapid transit systems, and all islands are connected by road or pedestrian bridges. While the city contains local taxicabs like other GTA cities, Vice City was the first city in the series to offer functional taxicab services that sends the player directly to a single location for a fee, available in one mission (to a club) or when the player failed a mission as a result of being killed or arrested (to the last mission's trigger point, excluding phone missions). This Trip Skip taxi function has been used in subsequent GTA games, including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
In the beginning of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the western island is off-limits due to hurricane warnings. After the player starts working for Ricardo Diaz, the warnings will subside and the bridges will be open. Conversely, in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the eastern island is off-limits during the first half of the game due to another hurricane warning.
