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Palm Beach County
West Palm Beach, looking northeast
West Palm Beach, looking northeast
Flag of Palm Beach County
Flag
Official seal of Palm Beach County
Seal
Map of Florida highlighting Palm Beach County
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Florida
Founded April 30, 1909
Named for Palm Beach
Seat West Palm Beach
Largest city West Palm Beach
Area
 • Total 2,383 sq mi (6,170 km2)
 • Land 1,970 sq mi (5,100 km2)
 • Water 413 sq mi (1,070 km2)  17.3%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,492,191
 • Density 757/sq mi (292/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts 18th, 20th, 21st, 22nd

Palm Beach County is a county located in the southeastern part of the State of Florida and lies directly north of Broward County and Miami-Dade County. According to a 2019 census report, the county had a population of 1,496,770, making it the third-most populous county in the state of Florida and the 25th-most populous county in the United States. The largest city and county seat is West Palm Beach. Named after one of its oldest settlements, Palm Beach, the county was established in 1909, after being split from Dade County. The county's modern-day boundaries were established in 1963.

Palm Beach County is one of the three counties in South Florida that make up the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,198,782 people in 2018.

The area had been increasing in population since the late 19th century, with the incorporation of West Palm Beach in 1894 and after Henry Flagler extended the Florida East Coast Railway and built the Royal Poinciana Hotel, The Breakers, and Whitehall. In 1928, the Okeechobee hurricane struck Palm Beach County and caused thousands of deaths. More recently, the county acquired national attention during the 2000 presidential election, when a controversial recount occurred.

As of 2004, Palm Beach County is Florida's wealthiest county, with a per capita personal income of $44,518. It leads the state in agricultural productivity; agriculture is Palm Beach County's second-largest industry, after real estate development. In undeveloped (central and western) Palm Beach County there is significant tropical agricultural production, especially nurseries, truck crops (vegetables), and sugar cane. Palm Beach County has been called the "Winter Vegetable Capital" of the nation.

History

Approximately 10,200 years ago, Native Americans began migrating into Florida. The tribes settling in modern-day Palm Beach County included the Ais', Calusas, Jaegas, Mayaimis, and Tequestas. An estimated 20,000 Native Americans lived in South Florida when the Spanish arrived. Their population diminished significantly by the 18th century, due to warfare, enslavement, and diseases from Europe. In 1513, Juan Ponce de León, who led a European expedition to Florida earlier that year, became the first non-Native American to reach Palm Beach County, after landing in the modern day Jupiter area. Among the first non-Native American residents were African Americans, many of whom were former slaves or immediate descendants of former slaves who had escaped to Florida from slave plantations located in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Runaway African slaves started coming to what was then Spanish Florida in the late 17th century and they found refuge among the Seminole Native Americans. During the Seminole Wars, these African-American slaves fought with the Seminoles against White settlers and bounty hunters. Portions of the Second Seminole War occurred in Palm Beach County, including the Battle of Jupiter Inlet in 1838.

The Royal Poinciana, Palm Beach, Florida, 1900
The Royal Poinciana Hotel in 1900

The oldest surviving structure, the Jupiter Lighthouse, was built in 1860, after receiving authorization to the land from President Franklin Pierce in 1854. During the American Civil War, Florida was a member of the Confederate States of America. To aid the cause of their state, Augustus O. Lang and James Paine removed the lighting mechanism, dimming the lighthouse and assisting their blockade runners. Lang was also the first white settler in Palm Beach County. He built a palmetto shack along the eastern shore of Lake Worth in 1863 after abandoning the cause of the Confederacy. After the Civil War ended, the Jupiter Lighthouse was re-lit in 1866. Thirteen years later, a National Weather Service office was established at the lighthouse complex. However, the office was moved to Miami after that city's population began to rapidly grow.

In October 1873, a hurricane caused a shipwreck between Biscayne Bay and the New River. The crew survived, but nearly died due to starvation because of the desolation of the area. An Act of Congress on June 20, 1874, resulted in the establishment of five houses of Houses of Refuge along the east coast of Florida from the Fort Pierce Inlet southward to Biscayne Bay. Orange Grove House of Refuge No. 3 was built near Delray Beach in 1876.

Henry Flagler, who was instrumental in the county's development in the late 19th century and early 20th century, first visited in 1892, describing the area as a "veritable paradise." Flagler subsequently purchased land on both sides of Lake Worth. Other investors followed suit, causing a small boom and bringing in existing businesses or new ones were established. The Royal Poinciana Hotel, constructed by Flagler to accommodate wealthy tourists, opened for business in February 1894. About a month later, the Florida East Coast Railway, owned by Flagler, reached West Palm Beach. On November 5, 1894, Palm Beach County's oldest city, West Palm Beach, was incorporated. In 1896, another hotel built by Flagler was opened, the Palm Beach Inn, later renamed the The Breakers. He also constructed his own winter home beginning in 1900; he and his wife moved in on February 6, 1902. Flagler died there on May 20, 1913, after falling down a flight of marble stairs.

Palm Beach County was created in 1909. It was named for its first settled community, Palm Beach. The County was carved out of what was then the northern portion of Dade County, comprising part of the areas now occupied by Okeechobee and Broward counties, part of Martin and all of Palm Beach county, initially including all of Lake Okeechobee. The southernmost part of Palm Beach County was separated to create the northern portion of Broward County in 1915, the northwestern portion became part of Okeechobee County 1917 and southern Martin County was created from northernmost Palm Beach County in 1925.

1928 Okeechobee Aftermath 17
A montage of images of impact by the Okeechobee hurricane

Early on September 17, 1928, the Okeechobee hurricane made landfall near West Palm Beach and crossed Lake Okeechobee shortly thereafter. Storm surge left severe damage in the city of Palm Beach, and a death toll of 26. In West Palm Beach, more than 1,711 homes were destroyed. Further inland, wind-driven storm surge in Lake Okeechobee inundated adjacent communities, particularly Belle Glade, Pahokee, and South Bay. Hundreds of square miles were flooded, including some areas with up to 20 feet (6.1 m) of water. Numerous houses were swept away and damaged after crashing into other obstacles. Flood waters did not completely subside for several weeks. At least 2,500 deaths occurred, many of whom were black migrant farmers. Damage in South Florida totaled approximately $25 million (1928 USD). In response to the storm, the Herbert Hoover Dike was constructed to prevent a similar disaster. Previously, Lake Okeechobee overflowed in 1926 during the Miami hurricane, though flooding was primarily in Moore Haven in Glades County. As a result of both the Okeechobee and Miami hurricanes, Palm Beach County, along with the rest of South Florida, began suffering economic turmoil and pushed the region into the Great Depression, even before the Wall Street Crash of 1929. Housing prices dropped dramatically in the county, as well as in the rest of the country.

The Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA), then known as Morrison's Field, opened in 1936. After the United States entered World War II, it was converted to an Air Force Base in 1942. During the war, thousands of servicemen arrived in Palm Beach County for training and supporting the war effort. Following the conclusion of World War II, a number of veterans returned to the area for work, vacation, or retirement. The base was closed and became a commercial airport again in 1962. Migration to the county by workers, tourists, and retirees continued into the 21st century.

August 28, 1949, a Category 4 hurricane struck West Palm Beach with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) causing considerable damage.

The area's first television station, WIRK-TV Channel 21, signed on September 13, 1953. It went off the air less than three years later. However, NBC affiliate WPTV-TV and CBS affiliate WPEC first aired in 1954 and 1955, respectively – both of which are still in existence today.

Richard Paul Pavlick nearly attempted to assassinate then President-elect John F. Kennedy in Palm Beach in December 1960. The Kennedys were vacationing at La Guerida, a house originally owned by Rodman Wanamaker and sold to Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. in 1933. Pavlick's anti-Catholic and anti-government views led him to stalk and plot to kill JFK. A resident of New Hampshire, Pavlick loaded-up his car with sticks of dynamite and drove down to Palm Beach. Pavlick sent bizarre postcards to his hometown, which included information that coincided with the Kennedys vacation. The postmaster alerted the Secret Service to be vigilant for Pavlick's vehicle. On December 11, as Kennedy was preparing to leave for Mass, Pavlick forwent his attempt to murder Kennedy because he was with his wife, Jacqueline, and their two children. On December 15, Pavlick's car, which had sticks of dynamite inside, was surrounded by police and he was arrested. Charges against Pavolick were dropped on December 2, 1963, 10 days after Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Additionally, a secret blast shelter built on Peanut Island during his presidency because escalating Cold War tensions.

About three-quarters of Lake Okeechobee was removed from Palm Beach County in 1963 and divided up among Glades, Hendry, Martin and Okeechobee counties. This was the final change to the county's boundaries.

Hurricane David struck near West Palm Beach late on September 3, 1979, with sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h). The storm's winds shattered windows in stores near the coast and caused property damage, including blowing the frame off the Palm Beach Jai Alai and downing the 186-foot (57-m) WJNO AM radio tower in West Palm Beach into the Intracoastal Waterway. A few roofs were torn off, and numerous buildings were flooded from over 6 inches (150 mm) of rainfall. Damage in the county reached $30 million (1979 USD), most of which was incurred to agriculture.

Butterfly Ballot, Florida 2000 (large)
The "butterfly ballot" used during the 2000 election in Palm Beach County

The county became the center of controversy during presidential election on November 7, 2000. Allegedly, the "butterfly ballot", designed by Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore, led to an unexpectedly large number of votes for Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan, rather than for Democrat Al Gore. Due to the aforementioned "butterfly ballot" and the closeness of the statewide results between Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush, manual recounts were conducted. On December 8, The Florida Supreme Court voted 4-3 to mandate manual recounts in all counties with disputed results. However, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the decision in Bush v. Gore on December 12, allowing Florida Secretary of the State Katherine Harris to award the 25 electoral votes to Bush, as Harris's tally prior to the state-ordered recounts placed him ahead of Gore by 537 popular votes. In turn, this gave Bush victory in the national election.

Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, an FBI investigation revealed that 12 of the 19 terrorists trained or resided in Palm Beach County during the months prior to the attacks, including Ahmed al-Ghamdi, Ahmed al-Haznawi, Marwan al-Shehhi, Waleed and Wail Alshehri, Satam al-Suqami, Mohamed Atta, and Ziad Jarrah. Later that month, during the anthrax attacks, a letter containing spores of this substance was mailed to the American Media, Inc. building in Boca Raton. Three people were exposed to the anthrax, including Robert Stevens, a photo editor who died after an infection induced by the anthrax.

Hurricane Frances 05 sept 2004 1815Z
Satellite imagery of Hurricane Frances making landfall in Martin County

Palm Beach County was impacted by several tropical cyclones in 2004 and 2005, most severely by hurricanes Frances, Jeanne, and Wilma, which resulted in at least a few billion dollars in damage. Early on September 5, 2004, Frances made landfall in Martin County as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). Although the county recorded tropical storm-force winds, a wind gust of 91 mph (146 km/h) was observed at the Jupiter Inlet. The strong winds caused about 659,000 power outages, according to Florida Power & Light (FPL). Structural damage in Palm Beach County included 15,000 houses and 2,400 businesses. Additionally, crops suffered severely, with $70 million (2004 USD) in damage dealt to sugar cane. Six deaths occurred in Palm Beach County due to storm-related vehicle accidents or drownings.

About three weeks after Frances, Hurricane Jeanne struck near the same location as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph (195 km/h). Despite Jeanne being more intense than Frances, the overall impact was slightly lesser. Storm surge of 2 to 4 ft (0.61 to 1.22 m) along the coast resulted in moderate beach erosion in Palm Beach County. Jeanne also brought strong winds, with a wind gust of 94 mph (151 km/h) recorded at the C-MAN station at the Lake Worth pier. Unofficially, a wind gust of 125 mph (201 km/h) was observed in West Palm Beach. FPL reported 591,300 electrical outages in the county after Jeanne. About 4,160 homes were damaged and 60 were destroyed. Severe local flooding occurred in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, and rural areas of western Palm Beach County. Agricultural losses reached about $30 million. Overall, Jeanne wrought $260 million in damage, but caused no deaths.

Wilma05FLLandfallRadar
Radar imagery of Hurricane Wilma making landfall in Florida

On October 24, 2005, Hurricane Wilma made landfall near Cape Romano, Florida, as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph (195 km/h). The storm headed northwestward and moved directly across Palm Beach County. At PBIA, sustained winds reached 82 mph (132 km/h), while a wind gust as strong as 101 mph (163 km/h) was observed. Winds damaged 52,385  Palm Beach County homes and destroyed 2,669 others.[1]

Since Hurricane Wilma in 2005, several other tropical cyclones have impacted Palm Beach County. In August 2008, Tropical Storm Fay brought generally minor flooding, with 7 to 9 in (180 to 230 mm) of rain over the eastern portions of the county. Fay spawned an EF2 over Wellington, which deroofed stables and knocked over electrical poles and several trees at the Palm Beach Equine Clinic. Additionally, the Equine Veterinary lost more than 95% of its roof tiles and a heavy trailer was tossed about 120 ft (37 m) from its original location. An apartment building also suffered minor roof damage. About four years later, in August 2012, the outerbands of Hurricane Isaac dropped at least 15.86 in (403 mm) of rain near Lion Country Safari. The consequent flooding left neighborhoods, in The Acreage, Loxahatchee, Royal Palm Beach and Wellington, stranded for up to several days. One man died after crashing into a concrete wall along Interstate 95 during the storm. Overall, damage in the county totaled approximately $71.59 million (2012 USD).

The name Palm Beach

The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is not native to Florida (nor anywhere else in the United States). Its presence in what is today Palm Beach County is due to the shipwreck of the Spanish ship Providencia in 1878, near today's Mar-a-Lago. It was traveling from Havana to Cádiz, Spain with a cargo of coconuts. The shipwreck was within walking distance of the shore — the Florida State Archives conserves a picture — and a deliberate grounding so as to obtain an insurance payout has been proposed. The coconuts were salvaged, too many to be eaten, and thousands were planted. A lush grove of palm trees soon grew on what was later named Palm Beach.

Geography

Lake Okeechobee
View of Lake Okeechobee from Pahokee.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,383 square miles (6,170 km2), of which 1,970 square miles (5,100 km2) is land and 413 square miles (1,070 km2) (17.3%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Florida by land area and third-largest by total area. Much of the water is the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Okeechobee. The county has approximately 526,000 acres (213,000 ha) of farmland.

Adjacent counties

Palm Beach County borders Martin County to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Broward County to the south, Hendry County to the west, and extends into Lake Okeechobee in the northwest, where it borders Okeechobee County and Glades County at one point in the center of the lake.

Natural areas

  • Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, a 147,392 acres (59,647 ha) refuge in Boynton Beach
  • DuPuis Management Area, a 21,875 acres (8,852 ha) area of protected lands.
  • J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area, a 60,348 acres (24,422 ha) area of protected lands.
  • Jupiter Ridge Natural Area, a 271 acres (110 ha) preserve in Jupiter, Florida.
  • Juno Dunes Natural Area, a 576 acres (233 ha) preserve in Juno Beach.
  • Frenchman's Forest Natural Area, a 158 acres (64 ha) preserve in Palm Beach Gardens.
  • Sweetbay Natural Area, a 1,094 acres (443 ha) preserve in Palm Beach Gardens.
  • Royal Palm Beach Pines Natural Area, a 773 acres (313 ha) preserve in Royal Palm Beach.
  • Hypoluxo Scrub Natural Area, a 97 acres (39 ha) preserve in Hypoluxo.
  • Rosemary Scrub Natural Area, a 14 acres (5.7 ha) preserve in Boynton Beach.
  • Seacrest Scrub Natural Area, a 54 acres (22 ha) preserve in Boynton Beach.
  • Delray Oaks Natural Area a 25 acres (10 ha) prairie and xeric hammock preserve with a small strand swamp and areas of flatwoods in Delray Beach.
  • Leon M. Weekes Environmental Preserve, a 12 acres (4.9 ha) preserve in Delray Beach.

In addition the county has many coral reef patches along its coastline. The county has put in a lot of effort to preserve the reefs.

Demographics

2020 census

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 5,577
1920 18,654 234.5%
1930 51,781 177.6%
1940 79,989 54.5%
1950 114,688 43.4%
1960 228,106 98.9%
1970 348,753 52.9%
1980 576,863 65.4%
1990 863,518 49.7%
2000 1,131,184 31.0%
2010 1,320,134 16.7%
2020 1,492,191 13.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2019
Palm Beach County racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White (NH) 793,571 779,759 60.11% 52.26%
Black or African American (NH) 221,209 255,724 16.76% 17.14%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 2,171 1,536 0.16% 0.1%
Asian (NH) 30,549 43,356 2.31% 2.91%
Pacific Islander (NH) 511 494 0.04% 0.03%
Some Other Race (NH) 4,079 10,766 0.31% 0.72%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 17,221 50,623 1.3% 3.39%
Hispanic or Latino 250,823 349,933 19.0% 23.45%
Total 1,320,134 1,492,191

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,492,191 people, 568,915 households, and 354,512 families residing in the county.

2010 census

Of 664,594 households, 24.35% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.28% were married couples living together, 11.68% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.40% were not families. Around 30.11% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.70% (4.02% male and 10.68% female) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.97.

The age distribution was 20.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.

Ethnicity

U.S. Census Bureau 2010 ethnic/race demographics:

  • White (73.5% when including White Hispanics) White (non-Hispanic): 60.1% (10.8% German, 10.2% Irish, 9.4% Italian, 7.4% English, 4.7% Polish, 4.7% Russian, 2.4% French, 1.6% Scottish, 1.1% Scotch-Irish, 1.0% Dutch, 1.0% Hungarian, 0.8% Swedish, 0.7% Greek, 0.6% Norwegian, 0.6% French Canadian)
  • Hispanic or Latino of any race: 19.0% (3.7% Mexican, 3.3% Cuban, 3.0% Puerto Rican, 1.7% Colombian, 1.5% Guatemalan, 0.8% Dominican, 0.6% Honduran, 0.6% Peruvian, 0.5% Salvadoran)
  • Black (non-Hispanic) (17.3% when including Black Hispanics): 16.8% (7.2% West Indian/Afro-Caribbean American [4.6% Haitian, 1.8% Jamaican, 0.2% Bahamian, 0.2% Other or Unspecified West Indian, 0.2% Trinidadian and Tobagonian, 0.1% British West Indian (from colonies in the Caribbean), and 0.8% Subsaharan African)
  • Asian: 2.4% (0.7% Asian Indian, 0.4% Chinese, 0.4% Other Asian, 0.3% Filipino, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.1% Korean, 0.1% Japanese)
  • Two or more races: 2.3%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native: 0.5%
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
  • Other races: 4.0% (0.5% Arab)

In 2010, 4.5% of the population considered themselves to be of only "American" ancestry (regardless of race or ethnicity).

As of 2010, Haitians made up the largest population of immigrants, with Cuban exiled refugees second, Mexicans third, followed by Colombians fourth, then Jamaicans, Guatemalans, Canadians, Hondurans, ninth being Peruvians, and Brazilians being the 10th-highest group of expatriates. British, Germans, and Polish, which had held spots in Palm Beach County's top-10 immigrant list of 2000, dropped off the 2010 list, which now no longer has any European countries in its top 10.

In 2010, 22.3% of the county's population was foreign born, with 43.7% being naturalized American citizens. Of foreign-born residents, 71.3% were born in Latin America, 13.6% were born in Europe, 9.2% born in Asia, 4.0% in North America, 1.8% born in Africa, and 0.1% were born in Oceania.

Language

As of 2010, 73.13% of all residents spoke English as a primary language, while 15.69% spoke Spanish, 4.03% French Creole (mainly Haitian Creole), 1.06% French, 0.94% Portuguese, and 0.54% of the population spoke Italian.

Personal income

For 2010 the median income for a household in the county was $53,242, and the median income for a family was $64,445. Males had a median income of $44,324 versus $37,337 for females. The per capita income for the county was $33,610. About 8.6% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those aged 65 or over.

Tourism

Tourists visit during these annual events:

Tourists patronize these sites:

Transportation

Roadways

An advocacy group has criticized Palm Beach County's roadways for being dangerous for non-motorized users. Local municipalities are working to increase safety, but county and state authorities have been hesitant to modify designs.

Expressways

I-95 and Florida's Turnpike are controlled-access expressways that serve Palm Beach county. Southern Boulevard (signed SR 80/US 98), which runs east–west through central Palm Beach County, is a partial freeway from Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach to US 441/SR 7 in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach. In the late 1980s, there were plans to construct two additional expressways in Palm Beach County. One was to be an 11.5 miles (18.5 km) toll freeway from Royal Palm Beach to downtown West Palm Beach. It would have run between Belvedere Road and Okeechobee Boulevard; necessitating the destruction of several homes and churches along its path. The other proposed route was a northern extension of the Sawgrass Expressway which was to be called "University Parkway". The University Parkway would have snaked around suburban developments west of Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Boynton Beach; its path bordering the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Ultimately, both expressways were canceled due to opposition from county residents.

Major highways

  • US 441 / SR 7 (Range Line Road)
  • Jog Road
  • SR 809 / CR 809 (Military Trail)
  • SR 807 / CR 807 (Congress Avenue)
  • US 1 (Federal Highway) / SR 5 / SR 805
  • SR A1A (Ocean Boulevard)
  • US 98 (Southern Boulevard) / SR 80 / SR 700
  • SR 710 (Bee Line Highway)

Railroads

Tri-Rail train at West Palm Beach station
Tri-Rail Commuter Train at West Palm Beach Amtrak/Tri-Rail Station

The national intercity train system, Amtrak, offers the Silver Meteor and the Silver Star in West Palm Beach and Delray Beach.

  • Brightline connects Palm Beach County to its southward neighboring counties of Broward and Dade via their station located in downtown West Palm Beach, with stops in both Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

Airports

Palm Beach County Park Lantana Airport photo D Ramey Logan
Palm Beach County Park Lantana Airport
  • Palm Beach International Airport
  • Palm Beach County Park Airport
  • North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport
  • Boca Raton Airport
  • Palm Beach County Glades Airport

Public transit

  • PalmTran provides bus service throughout Palm Beach county.

Seaport

The Port of Palm Beach is located in Riviera Beach, where Celebration Cruise Line operates 2-day cruises to the Bahamas.

Trails

The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, a segment of the Florida National Scenic Trail, passes through the county.

Communities

Cities of Palm Beach County
Map of incorporated cities.\
BoyntonBeach&BocaRatonFromTheISS
Southeastern Palm Beach County (from Boca Raton to Boynton Beach), seen from the International Space Station

The largest city and county seat is West Palm Beach, with an estimated population of over 105,000. Additionally, the approximate urban population is 250,000, when including adjacent unincorporated neighborhoods. Boca Raton (South County), is the second largest, having a population approaching 90,000. Boynton Beach (South County), is the third largest city, with a population nearing 70,000 residents.

The county has 38 municipalities in total. The municipalities are numbered corresponding to the attached image. Municipality populations are based on the 2010 Census.

# Incorporated Community Designation Date incorporated Population
24 Atlantis City 1959 2,005
2 Belle Glade City April 9, 1928 17,467
37 Boca Raton City May 26, 1925 84,392
30 Boynton Beach City 1920 68,217
33 Briny Breezes Town March 19, 1963 601
18 Cloud Lake Town 1947 135
35 Delray Beach City October 9, 1911 60,522
17 Glen Ridge Town 1948 219
32 Golf Village 1957 252
23 Greenacres City May 24, 1926 37,573
34 Gulf Stream Town 1925 786
16 Haverhill Town 1950 1,873
36 Highland Beach Town 1949 3,539
29 Hypoluxo Town 1955 2,588
7 Juno Beach Town June 4, 1953 3,176
6 Jupiter Town February 9, 1925 55,156
5 Jupiter Inlet Colony Town 1959 400
20 Lake Clarke Shores Town 1957 3,376
10 Lake Park Town 1923 8,155
25 Lake Worth City June 14, 1913 34,910
27 Lantana Town 1921 10,423
38 Loxahatchee Groves Town November 1, 2006 3,180
28 Manalapan Town 1931 406
13 Mangonia Park Town 1947 1,888
9 North Palm Beach Village 1956 12,015
31 Ocean Ridge Town 1931 1,786
1 Pahokee City 1922 5,649
14 Palm Beach Town April 17, 1911 8,348
8 Palm Beach Gardens City June 20, 1959 48,452
12 Palm Beach Shores Town 1951 1,142
19 Palm Springs Village 1957 18,928
11 Riviera Beach City September 29, 1922 32,488
21 Royal Palm Beach Village June 18, 1959 34,140
3 South Bay City 1941 4,876
26 South Palm Beach Town 1955 1,171
4 Tequesta Village 1957 5,629
22 Wellington Village December 31, 1995 56,508
15 West Palm Beach City November 5, 1894 99,919

Census-designated places

Former census-designated places

Several unincorporated parts of Palm Beach County were listed as census-designated places for the 2000 census but were not listed for the 2010 census:

Other unincorporated area

Economy

Companies headquartered in Palm Beach County include Office Depot, The ADT Corporation, TBC Corporation, G4S Secure Solutions, BIOMET 3i, Campus Management Corp., Cross Match Technologies, NextEra Energy, The GEO Group, Globalsat Group, Bluegreen Vacations and Florida Crystals.

Although not headquartered in Palm Beach County there is a significant number of aerospace focused facilities operating in the northern part of the county. Aerospace companies with facilities located within the county include United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Sikorsky Aircraft, General Dynamics, Belcan Engineering Group and Lockheed Martin. Many of these companies rank among the top 100 employers for the county. The largest employer in Palm Beach County is The School District of Palm Beach County, with 27,168 employees, including more than 12,800 teachers.

Previously W. R. Grace and Company had its headquarters in unincorporated Palm Beach County, near Boca Raton. Prior to its closing, the Boca Raton headquarters had about 130 employees. On January 27, 2011, it announced it was closing the Boca headquarters and moving its administrative staff out of state along with some employees.

Previously, American Media, publisher of the National Enquirer, was headquartered in the Boca Raton. It still maintains an office there, but moved the National Enquirer to New York in 2014.

For 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $53,242, and for a family was $64,445. Males had a median income of $44,324 versus $37,337 for females. The per capita income for the county was $33,610. About 8.6% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those aged 65 or over.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

All of Palm Beach County is served by the School District of Palm Beach County. As of 2006, it was the 4th largest school district in Florida and the 11th largest school district in the United States. As of August 2006, the district operated 164 schools, including 25 high schools, and, as of July 22, 2006, had an additional 33 charter schools, with seven more scheduled to open in August 2006. Newsweek listed three Palm Beach County high schools in the top 50 schools in the list 1200 Top U.S. Schools - Atlantic Community High School, Suncoast High School and the Alexander Dreyfoos School of the Arts, all public magnet schools. Private schools in the county include American Heritage School, Cardinal Newman High School, Jupiter Christian School, The King's Academy, The Benjamin School, Oxbridge Academy, Palm Beach Day Academy, Pope John Paul II High School, St Andrew's School and Weinbaum Yeshiva High School.

Colleges and universities

  • Florida Atlantic University
  • Florida International University
  • Lynn University
  • Nova Southeastern University
  • South University
  • Palm Beach Atlantic University
  • Palm Beach State College
  • Keiser University
  • Roosevelt Junior College (closed)
  • Southeastern College

Public libraries

Palm Beach County is served by the Palm Beach County Library System, established in 1967 through a Special Act of the Florida Legislature, and operates as a department of county government. It is currently made up of 17 library branches, as well as a bookmobile which travels to more than 40 stops each month. As Palm Beach County continues to see population growth, the library system will also need to plan for continued expansion. Presently, the county plans to build a new 30,000-square-foot branch in the Canyon Town Center, located in western Boynton Beach. This new branch is projected to be completed in 2021. The system's Main Library is located on Summit Boulevard in an unincorporated section of West Palm Beach. It is the largest provider of library services in the county, serving an area that is comparable to the size of the state of Delaware, with holdings of over 1.88 million items.

Unlike many county library systems, including neighboring Broward and Miami-Dade counties, several municipalities continue to operate their own libraries. The county library systems works together in a cooperative system model which allows interoperation between the county system and the 13 city libraries in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, Lake Park, Lake Worth Beach, Lantana, Manalapan (J. Turner Moore Public Library), North Palm Beach, Palm Springs, Palm Beach (Society of the Four Arts), Riviera Beach, and West Palm Beach (Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach).

The county's first library began as a Free Reading Room in 1895 in West Palm Beach's first church, the Union Congregational Church, when Reverend Asbury Caldwell began collecting books for a reading club he hoped would keep construction workers out of the city's many drinking establishments located along First Street, or “Thirst Street” as it was known. The reading club floundered when Caldwell left West Palm Beach, but in 1899, the West Palm Beach Public Library got its official start, housed in a two-story former Palm Beach Yacht Club building donated by Commodore Charles John Clarke, a Palm Beach yachtsman, with the collection of books from the Reading Room and a $100 donation from Henry Flagler. A permanent building was constructed in 1924 in Flagler Park along the Intracoastal Waterway. Two additional buildings have also housed the library – one at 100 Clematis Street, a state-of-art building complete with a 250-seat auditorium that opened to much fanfare in 1964. The second, located at 411 Clematis Street, is a four-story building in the West Palm Beach City Center complex, which houses both city hall and the library, is two and one-half times the size of the previous building. In 2012, the West Palm Beach Public Library Foundation formally changed its name to the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach after receiving a $5 million grant from the Mandel Foundation.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Palm Beach para niños

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