What is the name of the city in Need for Speed: Heat?

The city in Need for Speed: Heat is Palm City. It is the game's fictional open-world setting, modeled largely on Miami, Florida, and its surrounding region.

Palm City combines several environments, including beaches, downtown streets, industrial districts, forests, mountains, and open countryside. This variety supports the game's different driving activities, from sanctioned daytime races to illegal nighttime events and police pursuits.

The day-and-night structure is central to the setting. Day events award cash for buying cars and upgrades, while nighttime racing builds Rep and raises the player's Heat level with the police. The city is therefore more than a backdrop: its layout and changing conditions shape the risk-and-reward system.

Palm City is sometimes confused with locations from other Need for Speed games. Los Santos belongs to Grand Theft Auto V, while Bayview and Rockport are settings from earlier Need for Speed titles.