Royal Palm Beach, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Royal Palm Beach, Florida
Village
Village of Royal Palm Beach
Location of Royal Palm Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida
Country	United States of America
State	Florida
County	Palm Beach
Incorporated	June 18, 1959
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
Area
• Total	11.70 sq mi (30.29 km2)
• Land	11.34 sq mi (29.38 km2)
• Water	0.35 sq mi (0.91 km2)
Elevation	16 ft (5 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	38,932
• Density	3,431.95/sq mi (1,325.03/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	33411, 33414, 33470
Area codes	561, 728
FIPS code	12-62100
GNIS feature ID	0302697
Website	http://www.royalpalmbeach.com/

Royal Palm Beach is a village located in southeast Florida. It is part of Palm Beach County. Even though it has "Beach" in its name, the village is about 15 miles away from the Atlantic Ocean. It is also part of the larger Miami metropolitan area. In 2020, about 38,932 people lived there.

Royal Palm Beach is famous for its many parks and its goal to protect green spaces. For example, the village recently bought 190 acres (0.77 km²) to create a large central park. They also made a 25-acre (100,000 m²) park for bird watching and enjoying nature.

The village offers many activities for people who love sports and the outdoors. You can play soccer, basketball, and tennis. There are also youth football and cheerleading programs. Seniors have their own activities, and golf programs run all year. The public schools in Royal Palm Beach are highly rated. There are also many private schools for all ages, from pre-kindergarten to high school.

History of Royal Palm Beach

Royal Palm Beach became an official village on June 18, 1959. Before that, it was mostly an empty swamp and a natural area. It was also a former Seminole hunting ground. Over time, it grew into a busy village.

Early Development in the 1950s

In the 1950s, Sam and Hattie Friedland bought 65,000 acres (260 km²) of land. They owned a supermarket chain called Food Fair in Philadelphia. They paid about $1.25 million for the land. This area now includes Royal Palm Beach and The Acreage. The Friedlands later sold their land to Arthur Desser. He was a developer from Miami and started Lefcourt Realty Group. About 4,200 acres (17 km²) were set aside for Desser's Royal Palm Beach project.

Arthur Desser had a big dream for the village. He started the first major development. A huge project to drain the land began. In 1959, the state government officially named the new development Royal Palm Beach. A former engineer said Desser wanted "Palm Beach" in the name. He also liked the tall royal palm trees. So, he decided to call his new place "Royal Palm Beach."

Village Growth and Milestones

On June 30, 1959, a special ceremony was held. Officials from the Seminole tribe were there. They gave up their old claims to the land. Engineers then started planning the village's many waterways and roads. A sales and recreation center was built, which included a motel. Small homes with two bedrooms and one bathroom were built. They started at $8,250.

At first, a council chosen by the developer ran the village government. But in 1964, people started electing their own council members. In 1977, the Village Council moved into its permanent home, the Village Hall. Many mayors have served the village since then. Some served for one term, while others, like Sam Lamstein and Tony Masilotti, served for many years. David Lodwick has been the mayor since 1998.

Arthur Desser's dream for a "new" Palm Beach did not last long. His company, Lefcourt, went bankrupt in 1961. The Friedlands bought back his share. They then started Royal Palm Beach Colony Inc. to keep developing the village. Even though Friedland was a grocery store owner, he was a smart businessman. He put together a team of experts. They created a plan to sell land, develop it, and build homes. The town grew slowly from 1960 to 1967. It first grew in the "Colony" section. Then, it expanded into the Willows and LaMancha areas.

Community Expansion

In 1979, the village started offering land to builders. This led to a big growth spurt over the next 15 years. In 1983, Crestwood Middle School opened. It was the first community school. H.L. Johnson and Cypress Trails Elementary schools opened in 1985 and 1989. Royal Palm Beach High School opened in 1997 with 1,100 students. New schools in the western communities often open with many students right away. In 2002–2003, the village's third elementary school opened on Okeechobee Blvd..

In 1986, two hospitals opened: Palms West Hospital and Wellington Regional Medical Center. Both started with over 100 beds. They are still growing to serve the health needs of local people. Many medical offices were built near the hospitals. A health center was also built by Good Samaritan Medical Center.

Public Safety Services

Since the village started, public safety has been very important. In June 1960, Joseph Klopp became the first police chief. He was the only full-time officer that year. Today, the police department has nearly 50 officers. They also have dispatchers, school crossing guards, and detectives. In 2007, the village hired the Palm Beach County Sheriff's department to handle policing. This saved money for the village residents.

Royal Palm Beach has also had a local fire department since 1963. At first, it was a group of eight volunteers. In 1969, the department moved to a bigger building. In 1976, they moved to their current building on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. This allowed them to have more firefighters and equipment.

Firefighters did not get paid until 1972. The first two full-time firefighters earned about $6,000 a year. In 1975, Karl Combs became the first full-time chief. As the population grew, the fire department also started offering emergency medical treatment. Firefighters became trained as paramedics. In 1994, a second fire station opened to help residents in the State Road 7 area. In 1999, the village decided to combine its fire department with Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue.

Parks and Recreation

The village also focused on recreation as it grew. Since 1974, the recreation department has managed about 325 acres (1.32 km²) of parks and green space. The village's 6,300 square foot (585 m²) Cultural Center opened in 1993.

Since 1990, Royal Palm Beach has been recognized as a Tree City USA. This means it works to plant and care for trees. The entire village is also a designated bird sanctuary.

Geography of Royal Palm Beach

Royal Palm Beach is located at 26°42′21″N 80°13′36″W / 26.70583°N 80.22667°W / 26.70583; -80.22667.

The United States Census Bureau says the village covers 10.1 square miles (26.1 km²) in total. Most of this area, 9.9 square miles (25.6 km²), is land. Only 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) is water.

Climate

Royal Palm Beach has a tropical climate. This is similar to the weather found in many parts of the Caribbean. It is one of the few places in the United States with this type of climate. It usually has a tropical monsoon climate.

Population and Demographics

Population Changes (2010 and 2020)

In 2020, there were 38,932 people living in the village. There were 12,398 households and 9,708 families.

In 2010, the village had 34,140 people. There were 10,856 households and 8,453 families living there.

See also

In Spanish: Royal Palm Beach para niños