Forbes reported in 2017 that Palm Beach had at least 30 billionaires, with the town ranking as the 27th-wealthiest place in the United States in 2016, according toBloomberg News. Many high-profile individuals have resided in the town, including United States presidentsJohn F. Kennedy andDonald Trump. Palm Beach is known for upscale shopping districts, such asWorth Avenue, Royal Poinciana Plaza, and theRoyal Poinciana Way Historic District.
Native Americans previously inhabited the island of Palm Beach, with theJaega people arriving at least 3,000 years ago.[10] Evidence for their inhabitation of the island are three pre-Columbian archaeological complexes.[11][12] These complexes include a burial mound, six unmarked Native American cemeteries, and a more recent burial site which suggested interaction between indigenous people and Europeans.[13]
White settlers began arriving in modern-day Palm Beach by 1872.[4] Hiram F. Hammon made the firsthomestead claim in 1873 alongLake Worth. At the time, the lake area had fewer than 12 people. By 1877, the Tustenegee Post Office was established in modern-day Palm Beach, becoming the lake area's first post office.[1] Along the coast of Palm Beach, theProvidencia wrecked in 1878 with a cargo of 20,000 coconuts, which were quickly planted.[4] In 1880,Elisha Newton "Cap" Dimick converted his private residence to a hotel known as the Cocoanut Grove House. At the time of its opening, the Cocoanut Grove House was the only hotel along Florida's east coast betweenTitusville andKey West. A fire destroyed the hotel in October 1893.[14] The Star Route, also known as theBarefoot Mailman route, began serving the area in 1885.[15] Carriers delivered mail by foot or boat from Palm Beach and other nearby communities to as far south as Miami, a round trip of 136 miles (219 km).[16] The first schoolhouse in southeast Florida (also known as the Little Red Schoolhouse) opened in Palm Beach in 1886.[15]
Henry Flagler, a Standard Oil tycoon, made his first visit to Palm Beach in 1893, and described the area as a "veritable paradise".[17] That same year, Flagler hired George W. Potter to plot 48 blocks forWest Palm Beach, a city to house workers at his hotels, and construction began on theRoyal Poinciana Hotel.[18][19] The Royal Poinciana Hotel opened for business on February 11, 1894.[18] Flagler, also the owner of theFlorida East Coast Railway, extended the railroad southward to West Palm Beach by the following month.[20] In 1896, Flagler opened a second hotel originally known as Wayside Inn, before being renamed Palm Beach Inn, and later becomingThe Breakers.[21] Fires later burned down the hotel in 1903 and 1925, but it was rebuilt each time. ThePalm Beach Daily News began publication in 1897 originally under the nameDaily Lake Worth News.[22]
The first pedestrian bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway opened near the modern-day Flagler Bridge in 1901, replacing the original railroad spur.[22] Flagler's house lots were bought by the beneficiaries of theGilded Age,[20] and in 1902, Flagler himself built aBeaux-Arts mansion,Whitehall, designed by the New York-based firmCarrère and Hastings and helped establish the Palm Beach "winter season".[23] Telephone service was established in Palm Beach in 1908, with 18 customers initially.[24] Prior to the 1910s, many African Americans in the area lived in a segregated section of Palm Beach called the "Styx",[25] with an estimated population of 2,000 at its peak. Between 1910 and 1912, though, African Americans were evicted from the Styx.[26] Most of the displaced residents relocated to the northern West Palm Beach neighborhoods of Freshwater,Northwest, andPleasant City.[25]
In January 1911, it became known West Palm Beach intended to annex the island of Palm Beach in the upcomingFlorida legislative session. Residents objected and hired an attorney from Miami to officially become incorporated.[27] Dimick,Louis Semple Clarke, and 31 other male property owners met at Clarke's house and signed a charter to officially incorporate the town of Palm Beach on April 17, 1911.[28] Dimick became the first mayor, John McKenna became town clerk, and Joseph Borman became town marshal, while J. B. Donnelly, William Fremd, John Doe, Enoch Root, and J.J. Ryman served as the first council members.[27] Also in 1911, Dimick built theRoyal Park Bridge, with its first incarnation being a wooden structure. Passage from West Palm Beach to Palm Beach on the bridge originally required a toll – 25 cents per vehicle and 5 cents per pedestrian.[28]
In February 1924, the town council allotted $100,000 to construct a new municipal building.Harvey and Clarke architectural firm designed the building, while Newlon and Stephens built the structure after bidding $160,200 for the contract. ThePalm Beach Town Hall opened on December 18, 1925, and is still used for town council meetings. Before its completion, the council meetings took place in a one-story wooden building onRoyal Poinciana Way.[34] Also in 1925, citywide construction revenue reached $14 million, attributed to theFlorida land boom.[22]
The1928 Okeechobee hurricane madelandfall in the town of Palm Beach, with sustained winds of 145 mph (235 km/h).[35] High winds and storm surge damaged 610 businesses, 60 homes, and 10 hotels, as well as to the Public Service Corporation and Ocean Boulevard. Damage in 1928 dollars totaled $10 million in Palm Beach.[36]
The Biltmore Hotel (now the Palm Beach Biltmore Condominiums), converted into a U.S. Naval Special Hospital andSPARS training school duringWorld War II
Palm Beach's population grew from 1,707 in 1930 to 3,747 in 1940, a 119.5% increase. The Royal Poinciana Hotel, damaged heavily in the 1928 hurricane, also suffered greatly during theGreat Depression, and was demolished in 1935. Around 4,000 people purchased the salvageable remains of the hotel.The Palm Beach-Post Times estimated some 500 homes could be built from the scraps of the hotel.[37] Residents of Palm Beach established theSociety of the Four Arts on January 14, 1936, with Hugh Dillman as the first president.[38] The 1930s decade also saw the construction of the Flagler Memorial Bridge, the northernmost bridge linking Palm Beach and West Palm Beach, completed on July 1, 1938.[39] Palm Beach mayor James M. Owens acted as master of ceremonies for the bridge's opening, while then–U.S. senatorCharles O. Andrews and former U.S. senatorScott Loftin gave speeches during the event.[40]
Early inWorld War II, theUnited States Army established a Ranger camp at the northern tip of the island, which could accommodate 200 men.[41] The Palm Beach Civilian Defense Council ordered blackouts in Palm Beach beginning on April 11, 1942.[42] Throughout the war, German U-boats sank 24 ships off Florida, with eight capsized off Palm Beach County between February and May 1942.[43] The Army converted The Breakers into the Ream General Army Hospital, while theNavy converted the Palm Beach Biltmore Hotel into a U.S. Naval Special Hospital. The Biltmore Hotel would also become a training school forSPARS, theUnited States Coast Guard Women's Reserve.[41]
On September 15, 1950, the Southern Boulevard Bridge opened,[38] the third and southernmost bridge linking Palm Beach and West Palm Beach.[44] Palm Beach residents elected Claude Dimick Reese (son of former mayor T.T. Reese and grandson of Dimick) as mayor in 1953. He became the only native-born mayor of Palm Beach in its history. In the 1950s, the town's population grew around 56%, from 3,866 in 1950 to 6,055 in 1960.[38]
John F. Kennedy was elected President of the United Statesin 1960, and selected as hisWinter White HouseLa Querida,[38] whichhis father bought in 1933.[30] In December 1960, police in Palm Beach averted a retired postal worker's attempt to assassinate then president-elect Kennedy. The president also spent the last weekend of his life in Palm Beach, several days beforehis assassination in November 1963. Yvelyne "Deedy" Marix became the first woman elected to the town council in February 1970, and later became the first woman elected mayor of Palm Beach in 1983.[38] Between 1971 and 1977,Earl E.T. Smith served as mayor of Palm Beach. He was previously anAmbassador of the United States to Cuba.[24]
Preservationist Barbara Hoffstot published a book titledLandmark Architecture in Palm Beach in 1974. She personally photographed and summarized many older buildings in the town. The book also called for more awareness of and improvements to a system for protecting historic landmarks.[45] The town council responded in 1979 by approving an ordinance establishing the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which identifies and works to protect historic structures.[46]
General Foods andPost Cereals heiressMarjorie Merriweather Post bequeathedMar-a-Lago to the United States upon her death in 1973,[47] hoping it would be used as a Winter White House.[48] The residence was returned to the Post family in 1981, before being purchased byDonald Trump in 1985 for roughly $10 million.[49] He converted the estate into a club by 1995 and would later use Mar-a-Lago as a Winter White House duringhis presidency from 2017 to 2021, and again during hissecond term.[47][50][51] Anor'easter in November 1984 caused theMercedes I to crash into the seawall ofMollie Wilmot's estate.[38] Wilmot's staff served the 10 sailors sandwiches and freshly brewed coffee in her gazebo and offered martinis to journalists reporting on the incident.[52]
On October 31, 1991, thePerfect Storm produced waves 20 feet (6.1 m) in height in Palm Beach. About 1,200 feet (370 m) of seawall at Worth Avenue were destroyed, while some parts of the town experiencedcoastal flooding, especially along Ocean Boulevard.[53] By that afternoon, police allowed only residents to enter the town.[38] The trial ofWilliam Kennedy Smith, a member of theKennedy family, drew international media attention in 1991. Smith had been accused of committing rape at La Querida, but a trial at the Palm Beach County Court resulted in his acquittal on December 11, 1991. Another notable mayor,Paul Ilyinsky, son ofGrand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia andheiressAudrey Emery, was elected to the office in February 1993.[38] The town's population peaked at 10,468 people in the 2000 census.[54] In March 2005, thePalm Beach Police Department – under the guidance of Police ChiefMichael Reiter – began the first inquiry into the crimes committed bysex traffickerJeffrey Epstein, leading to his arrest and indictment in July 2006. Despite anFBI investigation discovering at least 40 victims, the state attorney of Palm Beach County only charged Epstein with soliciting a prostitute andsoliciting a minor for prostitution in June 2008. He pleaded guilty on both counts and received a controversialplea deal.[55]
The town had a population of 8,348 people in 2010, a decrease of 20.3% from the previous census.[54] Palm Beach celebrated its centennial on April 17, 2011. About 1,200 people attended a parade that began at the Flagler Museum (Whitehall).[56] Between February and December 2015, the Town Square, which includes the Addison Mizner Memorial Fountain and the town hall, underwent a $5.7 million restoration. The fountain's restoration was named "project of the year" by theAmerican Public Works Association's Florida chapter.[57]
The January 1878 wreck of theProvidencia is credited with giving Palm Beach its name. TheProvidencia was traveling fromHavana toCádiz, Spain, with a cargo of coconuts harvested in theCrown Colony of Trinidad and Tobago in theBritish West Indies, when the ship wrecked near Palm Beach. Many of the coconuts naturalized or were planted along the Palm Beach coast.[3][59] A lush grove of palm trees soon grew on what was later named Palm Beach.[4]
An aerial view of Palm Beach, looking northeast from downtownWest Palm Beach in November 2014
Palm Beach is one of the easternmost towns in Florida, though the state's easternmost point is inPalm Beach Shores, just north ofLake Worth Inlet.[60] The town is on an 18-mile (29 km) longbarrier island between theIntracoastal Waterway (locally known as theLake Worth Lagoon) on the west and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. At no point is the island wider than three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km), and in places it is only 500 feet (150 m) wide.[61] The northern boundary of Palm Beach is the Lake Worth Inlet, though it adjoined withSinger Island until the permanent dredging of the inlet in 1918.[62] To the south, a section ofLake Worth Beach occupies the island in the vicinity ofState Road 802, though an exclave of Palm Beach extends farther southward until the northern limits ofSouth Palm Beach.[63] According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the town has an area of 8.12 sq mi (21.0 km2), with land accounting for 4.20 sq mi (10.9 km2) and water covering the remaining 3.92 sq mi (10.2 km2).[64] The average elevation of the town is 7 ft (2.1 m);[9] the highest point is 30 ft (9.1 m) above sea level on the golf course at the Palm Beach Country Club.[65]: IX-4
Clarke Avenue Beach in Palm Beach, Florida
Geologically, the island is a sand-covered ridge ofcoquina rock.[65]: I-7 Before settlement, the island was a pronounced coastal ridge bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The Intracoastal Waterway coast was primarily low-lying and swampy; marshy sloughs generally lay between the two features,[65]: IX-4 though anoolitic limestone ridge stood along some parts of the island's westward side. Since 1883, the environment has been significantly altered by developing land, the filling of the sloughs, and a receding coastline due to erosion, but the Atlantic ridge is still the dominating topographical feature of the island and acts as a seaward barrier. The former slough areas are flood-prone.[65]: I-8
The town and entire barrier island are within Evacuation Zone B, and evacuations are often ordered if a hurricane is forecast to impact the area, most recently in anticipation ofHurricane Dorian in 2019.[66] Palm Beach town officials may deploy law enforcement officers to strategically place roadblocks to limit access to the island during unsafe conditions.[67]
As of 2016, land use of the town is 60% residential, 13%rights-of-way, 10% private group uses, 3% recreational, 3% commercial, 2% public uses, 1% hotels (not including The Breakers), and less than 1% conservation, while The Breakers is aplanned unit development accounting for 6% of land use. The remaining 2% of land was vacant.[65]: I-9 Palm Beach does not have any land dedicated to agricultural or industrial purposes. The town is essentially built out and cannot extend its boundaries.[65]: I-11
Conservation is mainly confined to Bingham Island, Fishermen's Island, and Hunter's Island. Functioning as bird sanctuaries androokeries, the islands are leased by theNational Audubon Society, though state trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund and the Blossom Estate hold the titles to the islands. A part of Blossom Estate Subdivision just south ofSouthern Boulevard is also designated a conservation area.[65]: I-11
According to theKöppen climate classification, Palm Beach has atropical rainforest climate (Af) with hot, humid summers and warm, drier winters. The annual average precipitation is 62.3 in (1,580 mm), most of which occurs from May through October.[68] In the wet summer season, short-lived heavy afternoon thunderstorms are common.[69] Palm Beach reports more than 2,900 hours of sunshine annually. Although tropical cyclones can impact Palm Beach, strikes are rare, with the last direct hit in1928.[68][70]
The wet season is from May to October, when convective thunderstorms and downpours are common.[69] Average high temperatures in Palm Beach are 83 to 91 °F (28 to 33 °C) with lows of 68 to 76 °F (20 to 24 °C),[71] though low temperatures at or above 80 °F (27 °C) are not uncommon.[72] During this period, more than half of the summer days bring occasional afternoon thunderstorms and seabreezes that somewhat cool the rest of the day. The dry season (winter) brings dryer, sunny, and much less humid weather.[69] Between December and March, average high temperatures range from 74 to 82 °F (23 to 28 °C) and low temperatures average between 57 and 68 °F (14 and 20 °C).[71] High temperatures occasionally drop below 70 °F (21 °C), while at other times highs occasionally reach 90 °F (32 °C) in mid-winter. The highest recorded temperature, 101 °F (38 °C), occurred on July 21, 1941, while the lowest observed temperature, 24 °F (−4 °C), occurred on December 29, 1894,[72] during theGreat Freeze. In some years, the dry season can become quite dry, and water restrictions are imposed.[73]
Climate data for Palm Beach International Airport (West Palm Beach, Florida)
The town's population peaked at 10,468 people in the 2000 census but fell by 20.3% to 8,348 people in 2010.[54] However, during the "winter season", defined as November through April, the population of Palm Beach swells to around 25,000.[81][82] The town's affluence and its recreational facilities, shops, restaurants, social scene, and "community-oriented sensibility" were cited when it was selected in June 2003 as America's "Best Place to Live" byRobb Report magazine.[83]
Palm Beach ranked as the 27th-wealthiest place in the United States in 2016 according toBloomberg News.[110] In the following year,Forbes reported the town had 30-plus billionaires.[111]
Palm Beach had the 40th-highest percentage of Russian residents in the United States in 2000, with 10.30% of the populace – tied withPomona, New York, and the township ofLower Merion, Pennsylvania.[112] It also had the 26th highest percentage of Austrian residents in the United States, at 2.10% of the town's population, tied with 19 other municipalities in the United States.[113]
In 2000, the town's household income was $109,219. Males had a median income of $71,685 versus $42,875 for females; 5.3% of the population and 2.4% of families were below the poverty line. About 4.6% of those under the age of 18 and 2.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Palm Beach had a median household income of $124,562 and a median family income of $137,867.[114]
In 2018, the town of Palm Beach had an estimated labor force of 2,788 people. Palm Beach had an unemployment rate of just 2.3%, although 66% of the town's population was not in the labor force. The most common professions among the town's labor force are finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing (24.1%); professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services (23.6%); retail (12.2%); and educational services, health care, and social assistance (10.5%).[115] However, as of 2017, only 4.1% of jobs in Palm Beach were held by residents of the town, with the most common other home destinations being West Palm Beach (15.4%),Palm Beach Gardens (3.9%),Lake Worth Beach (3.7%),Wellington (3.3%), andGreenacres (3.1%).[116]
Tourism is a major industry in the town, bringing in around $5 billion in annual revenue.[117] Palm Beach has several historical and luxurious hotels and lodgings, most notablyThe Brazilian Court,The Breakers,[118] thePalm Beach Hotel (now the Palm Beach Hotel Condominium),[119] theTideline Ocean Resort & Spa, and theVineta Hotel.[118] The Breakers alone employs more than 2,200 people from around the world.[120] The town of Palm Beach also containsWorth Avenue, an upscale shopping and dining district. Known for selling high-quality merchandise since the 1920s, Worth Avenue includes about 250 high-end shops, boutiques, restaurants, and art galleries.[121] Other commercial districts of note include Royal Poinciana Plaza andRoyal Poinciana Way Historic District, with the latter being listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 2015 due to its status as "the town's originalMain Street", as noted by thePalm Beach Daily News.[122][123]
TheSociety of the Four Arts is a nonprofit charity organization established in 1936. Located on the north side of Royal Palm Way near theRoyal Park Bridge, the Four Arts Plaza has an art gallery, a concert hall auditorium, two libraries, a botanical garden, and a sculpture garden. The two libraries serve as public libraries for the town of Palm Beach, one achildren's library and the other a general public library. Officially named the Gioconda and Joseph King Library, the town's general public library has more than 70,000 items, including books, audiobooks, DVDs, and periodicals. The Dixon Education Building features art studio and classrooms, as well as an apartment for an artist visiting the Society of the Four Arts.[124]
Royal Poinciana Playhouse, near Cocoanut Row and Royal Poinciana Way, formerly hosted ballets, Broadway plays, opera, and other cultural events.[65]: VI-8 Although the venue has been closed since 2004, it remains structurally sound. Up Markets acquired control of the playhouse in 2014 via a long-term lease.[125] In December 2022, extensive renovations began on the building's interior, which will have a capacity of about 400 people upon its expected completion in 2024.[126]
Worth Avenue and its vicinity also has several art galleries, including DTR Modern Galleries, Evey Fine Art Gallery, Galeria of Sculpture, Gallerie Y, and the John H. Surovek Gallery. Additionally, theNorton Museum of Art and its sculpture gardens are just across the Intracoastal Waterway in West Palm Beach.[127]
The Hope for Depression Research Foundation hosts an annual 5K run/walk known as the Race of Hope to Defeat Depression. In 2020, the event raised about $400,000 for depression research.[128] ThePalm Beach International Film Festival had been hosted in the town in the months of March and April since 1996. However, the festival has been on hiatus since 2018, following the resignation of CEO Jeff Davis.[129] Various events are hosted on Worth Avenue, including historical walking tours held year-round.[130] Once a year, thePalm Beach Charity Register magazine publishes a guide to charitable events held in the town and other nearby localities. The magazine promoted 186 charity galas, luncheons, and parties scheduled between the fall of 2019 and summer of 2020.[131]
Whitehall reopened as the Flagler Museum on February 6, 1960, after Henry Flagler's granddaughter, Jean Flagler Matthews, purchased the property in 1959 to prevent its demolition.[23] Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and the National Historic Landmark list in 2000,[132] the museum replicates the original appearance of the house and has exhibits about Flagler himself,[133] Flagler's personal railcar (built in 1886),[23] theFlorida East Coast Railway, life in theGilded Age, and the early history of Palm Beach.[133] Almost 100,000 people visit the museum annually.[23] Adjacent to the Flagler Museum and behind the Royal Poinciana Chapel is a giant, almost 200-year oldkapok tree, which also attracts visitors.[134]
ThePreservation Foundation of Palm Beach established Pan's Garden in 1994 along Hibiscus Avenue between Chilean Avenue and Peruvian Avenue. The garden has a statue ofPan (originally designed in 1890 byFrederick William MacMonnies), theancient Greek god who protects and guards flocks. Another significant feature is the Casa Apava wall, a 1920s tile wall from the remnants of the Casa Apava estate. Encompassing approximately 0.5 acres (0.20 ha), the garden also features many endangered species of native vegetation.[135]
Bethesda-by-the-Sea, originally a mostly wooden structure built from lumber from the beach in April 1889, is the oldest church in Palm Beach. The church opened at its current location by Christmas 1926.[136] Bethesda-by-the-Sea has hosted the weddings of a few notable individuals, including Donald and Melania Trump in 2005 andMichael Jordan andYvette Prieto in 2013.[137]
The Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce identifies several other points of interest in the town, including:[138]
Major Alley - Located on Peruvian Avenue just one block north of the western terminus of Worth Avenue, Major Alley (named after architect Howard Major) has sixGeorgian revival-style cottages built in the 1920s.[139]
Royal Poinciana Chapel - Built in 1897 by Henry Flagler, he intended for theinterdenominational chapel to be used by guests at his hotels. The chapel expanded to 400 seats about a year later. It is adjacent to the Whitehall property.[140]
Seagull Cottage - Situated between the Royal Poinciana Chapel and Whitehall, Seagull Cottage is the oldest surviving home in the Palm Beach, constructed in 1886 by R.R. McCormick, a railroad and land developer fromDenver. Flagler purchased Seagull Cottage from McCormick in 1893 for $75,000, and it remained his winter residence until 1902, when Whitehall was completed.[141]
Phipps Plaza Historic District - Described by thePalm Beach Daily News as a "picturesque ensemble" of buildings, the Phipps Plaza Historic District is a tight ring of structures built between the 1920s and the 1940s. Located just north of the intersection of Royal Palm Way and South County Road, the buildings at Phipps Plaza were mostly constructed by the Palm Beach Company, with the assistance of Addison Mizner andMarion Sims Wyeth.[142]
The Colony Hotel Palm Beach - ABritish Colonial-style hotel at South County Road and Hammond Avenue, just one block south of Worth Avenue. Opened in 1947, the six floor hotel has eighty-nine rooms and three penthouses.[143]
Addison Mizner Memorial Fountain - Erected by Mizner himself in 1929, the fountain is in the middle of South County Road directly north of thetown hall and to the west of the police department headquarters. The fountain is constructed of double-bowl cast stone. In 2017, the restoration of the fountain was named the project of the year by theAmerican Public Works Association's Florida chapter.[57]
Clock tower at the municipal beach and east end of Worth Avenue
The Recreation Department of Palm Beach oversees several public recreation facilities, including the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Palm Beach Docks, Par 3 Golf Course, and many tennis centers.[144] The only public marina in the town, the Palm Beach Docks opened in the 1940s and is along the Intracoastal Waterway between the Royal Palm Bridge and Worth Avenue.[145] Palm Beach Docks has three main docks and eighty-eight boat slips, along with many accommodations for boaters.[144]
There are three public beaches in the town, the Palm Beach Municipal Beach,Phipps Ocean Park, and R. G. Kreusler Park.[146] The former, also known as Midtown Beach,[147] has metered parking spots along South Ocean Boulevard from Royal Palm Way southward to Hammon Avenue.[148] Phipps Ocean Park includes the Little Red Schoolhouse, the first school building in southeast Florida (built in 1886), restored and moved from its original location near where the Flagler Memorial Bridge stands today.[149] The town also has many private beaches, while R. G. Kreusler Park (owned and operated by Palm Beach County) lies directly north of theLake Worth Municipal Beach.[147] In addition to Pan's Garden, the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach also owns theAmbassador Earl T. Smith Memorial Park and Fountain, a small, 0.24 acre (0.097 ha) park near the town hall.[65]: VI-8
The town has three bicycling and pedestrian paths. The Lake Trail is a 4.7 mile (7.6 km) path along theIntracoastal Waterway from Worth Avenue to near the Lake Worth Inlet. Another trail, the County Road Pedestrian Path/Bicycle Lane is around 1.1 miles (1.8 km) in length from Kawama Lane to Bahama Lane along North County Road. The third path is the Southern Pedestrian/Bicycle Path, running from Sloan's Curve to the town's southern boundaries alongState Road A1A, a distance of roughly 3.5 miles (5.6 km).[65]: VI-7
Palm Beach has severalsocial and golf clubs, most notably theEverglades Club andMar-a-Lago. The former, built by Addison Mizner and Paris Singer in 1918, had the original purpose of being a hospital for soldiers injured inWorld War I. However, the war soon ended and the facilities were restructured into a private club which opened in January 1919.[150] Some of the amenities include a golf course, tennis courts, and reception halls. Everglades Club has nearly 1,000 members. The club, which is very exclusive, does not have a website and prohibits cellphones.[151] Mar-a-Lago is 126-room, 62,500-square-foot (5,810 m2) mansion that features many hotel-style amenities.[49][50] Built between 1924 and 1927,General Foods andPost Cereals heiressMarjorie Merriweather Post originally owned the estate,[47] but willed it to the United States government prior to her death in 1973 in hopes the residence would be used as aWinter White House.[48] Mar-a-Lago was returned to the Post family in 1981, before being sold to future United States president Donald Trump in 1985 for approximately $10 million.[49]
Palm Beach operates under acouncil–manager form of government. The town's legislative body, the town council, is composed of five members, who serve two-year terms and seek office in staggered, at-large, non-partisan elections. Once a month, the town council meets at thePalm Beach Town Hall, though special meetings may be conducted as needed. The mayor, also elected to two year terms, acts asombudsman and an intergovernmental figure.[152] Danielle Moore, a former three-term member of the town council,[153] has served as mayor since April 13, 2021.[154] Additionally, a town manager has the authority to appoint and supervise the senior management team, including the deputy town manager and department directors. The officeholder of town manager is appointed annually by the town council.[152] Kirk Blouin, a former Palm Beach chief of police and later Director of Public Safety, has served as town manager since February 13, 2018.[155]
Palm Beach is part ofFlorida's 22nd congressional district, which has been represented by DemocratLois Frankel since 2023.[156] The town at the state level is part of the 89th district of theFlorida House of Representatives, which covers many of the immediate coastal cities in Palm Beach County fromPalm Beach Shores southward.[157] Palm Beach is also part of the 30th district of theFlorida Senate, which includes northeastern and some of east-central Palm Beach County.[158] Two districts represent the town at the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners. The town north of Worth Avenue is part of the 1st district,[159] while the 7th district covers areas south of Worth Avenue.[160] Palm Beach is a generally Republican town. In 2016, Donald Trump received 3,231 votes and Hillary Clinton received 2,612 votes.[161]
TheSchool District of Palm Beach County operates one school in the town, Palm Beach Public Elementary School, on Cocoanut Row between Seaview Avenue and Royal Palm Beach and directly east of the Society of the Four Arts. Opened in 1929, Palm Beach Public Elementary School has a school grade of A and an attendance of 362.[162]Palm Beach Day Academy is a private school in the area. It was formed in 2006 from a merger between Palm Beach Day School and the Academy of the Palm Beaches. The school has one campus in Palm Beach and another in West Palm Beach.[163] Most public middle school students attend Conniston Community Middle School in West Palm Beach, while students who live in the southern portions of the town attend Lake Worth Middle School.[164] Public high school students in northern Palm Beach attendPalm Beach Gardens Community High School and students residing elsewhere in the town attendForest Hill Community High School. Palm Beach is also nearDreyfoos School of the Arts, though that school has no attendance boundaries.[165]
The town is served by thePalm Beach Daily News, with a daily circulation of approximately 4,500.[167] ThePalm Beach Daily News began publishing in 1897 under the nameDaily Lake Worth News.[168] Between 1925 and 1974, the newspaper was published ina building that has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1985. Owned byCox Enterprises since 1969,GateHouse Media purchased the newspaper andThe Palm Beach Post in May 2018.[167] ThePalm Beach Daily News is also known as "The Shiny Sheet" due to its former heavy, slick newsprint stock.[168]
Residents of the town are also served byThe Palm Beach Post, which is actually published in West Palm Beach.[169]The Palm Beach Post had the 5th largest circulation for a newspaper in Florida as of November 2017 and is served to subscribers throughout Palm Beach County and theTreasure Coast.[169][170]
The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), established by an ordinance approved by the town council in 1979, studies and protects historic structures in Palm Beach. The LPC has a list of 328 properties, sites, and vistas it works to protect under the 1979 ordinance.[46] Similarly, the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach is "dedicated to preserving the architectural and cultural heritage and the unique scenic quality of the Town of Palm Beach", according to its mission statement.[176] The town of Palm Beach also conducts historic sites surveys in collaboration with preservation organizations, historians, and local officials, with the most recent survey completed in December 2020.[177] The 2010 survey identified 50 structures that had been demolished since the previous survey in 2004 and others that had been altered significantly.[178]: 52
Federally, thirteen structures and one historic district have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[123][178]: 24 However, two of the designated buildings have since been destroyed.[178]: 24 A fire and subsequent burglaries at theBingham-Blossom House likely contributed to the owner's decision to have it demolished in 1974,[179] while construction crews razed theBrelsford House in 1975 after trustees at the Royal Poinciana Chapel (the property where the building was located) believed "the aging structure was more of a liability than an asset" and also cited its high costs of renovation for public use, according toThe Palm Beach Post.[180]
Three bridges traverse theIntracoastal Waterway, linking Palm Beach and West Palm Beach by roadway.[181] The northernmost bridge, the Flagler Memorial Bridge, is alongState Road A1A,[181] which is locally known as Royal Poinciana Way in Palm Beach and Quadrille Boulevard in West Palm Beach.[182] First opening in 1938,[24] the bridge underwent a 5-year reconstruction and renovation between 2012 and 2017 at a cost of $106 million.[183]State Road 704, also known as Royal Palm Way in Palm Beach and Lakeview Avenue and Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach is the location of the middle bridge.[182] Named theRoyal Park Bridge, it first opened in 1911 and was most recently replaced in 2005.[24] The Southern Boulevard Bridge at the conjunction ofU.S. Route 98 andState Road 80 (locally known as Southern Boulevard) is the southernmost bridge.[184] First completed in 1950,[185] the bridge underwent a $97 million replacement project between April 2017 and September 2022.[186]
State Road A1A also runs northward through much of Palm Beach, beginning at the southern limits of the town as South Ocean Boulevard until being redirected onto South County Road, which later becomes North County Road. At Royal Poinciana Way, A1A turns westward onto that road and across the Flagler Memorial Bridge.[187] State Roads 80 and 704 and U.S. Route 98 all terminate shortly after entering the town after intersecting with A1A.[182][184] The town has no interstate highways,[182][184] thoughInterstate 95 passes through the nearby city of West Palm Beach.[188] Private vehicles and taxis are the predominant means of transport in Palm Beach. Incidents of profiling of lower-cost cars and minorities have occurred, sometimes resulting in tense relations between visitors and the town.[189]
The nearby city of West Palm Beach has two train stations.Tri-Rail andAmtrak serve theTamarind Avenue station,[190] while thehigher speedBrightline serves theEvernia Street station.[191] Palm Beach is about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) east of thePalm Beach International Airport.[192] The northern and central portions of Palm Beach are served byPalm Tran Route 41, which travels to places in the town such as the Lake Worth Inlet, North County Road and Wells Road,Publix (Bradley Place and Sunrise Avenue), Royal Palm Way (State Road 704) and South County Road (State Road A1A), and various points between. The route returns to the Intermodal Transit Center in West Palm Beach, which connects to several other bus routes and is adjacent to the train station on Tamarind Avenue.[193]
The town has its own police department, established on October 17, 1922. Prior to then, town marshal Joseph Borman served in the capacity of chief law enforcer as outlined in the 1911 charter.[194] The department employed 61 officers in 2018. With a population of 8,295 people in 2018 according to the Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research, this translated to 7.35 officers per 1,000 people, compared to the Florida average of 2.49 officers per 1,000 people. In the same year, the department made 2,039 arrests – equal to about 24,581 arrests per 100,000 people, the highest arrest rate in Florida and over sevenfold the state average. However, many arrests were in relation to non-violent crimes, such as those involving auto theft, criminal traffic citations, fraud, and scams. The police department reported no rapes or homicides in Palm Beach in 2018.[195]
In its early days, the town of Palm Beach depended heavily on the city of West Palm Beach for firefighting efforts. The Flagler Alerts, a volunteer firefighting group which later became the West Palm Beach Fire Department, responded to fires in Palm Beach by traversing the Intracoastal Waterway via ferry or railroad. Delayed response times and high insurance rates eventually led Palm Beach to establish its own fire-rescue department in December 1921.[196] Today, the Palm Beach Fire Rescue has three stations, retains 82 employees – 75 full-time and 7 part-time, and annually responds to approximately 2,600 calls.[197]
Florida Power & Light (FPL) provides electricity to the town of Palm Beach, along with much of the state's east coast. As of December 31, 2019, FPL serves 5 million customers statewide, which is approximately 10 million people.[198]: 5 Much of the electricity supplied by FPL is sourced from natural gas, followed bynuclear energy.[198]: 8 The nearest FPL power plant is inRiviera Beach,[199] while the closest nuclear power station is theSt. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant, onHutchinson Island.[198]: 8 Palm Beach officials have consideredundergrounding at least since commissioning a 2006 study on the burial of electrical lines. In the subsequent years, undergrounding projects were initially performed by neighborhood on a "as requested" basis. However, following a 2014 town council meeting with FPL workers and a related voter-approved ballot question in 2016, it was decided a town-wide undergrounding project would be undertaken at a cost of approximately $90 million.[200] The project is ongoing as of March 2020.[201]
The town government provides and oversees sewage systems and wastewater treatment. Sewage is collected via 41 miles (66 km) of mainline pipes at the more than 40 pumping stations, which are capable of transporting over 100,000 US gallons (380,000 L; 83,000 imp gal) of water each minute. The sewage is then pumped into a regional wastewater treatment facility in West Palm Beach.[202] Tap water has been supplied by the city of West Palm Beach since 1955, when the city purchased Palm Beach's water system, then owned by the Flagler Water Company. West Palm Beach provided tap water services to the town at no cost until the beginning of 1995.[203]
Recycling and garbage collection services are also provided by the town of Palm Beach. The former is taken to a transfer station, where the Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority transports the garbage to a landfill in West Palm Beach.[65]: IV-3–IV-4 Vegetative yard trash is taken to two different sites in West Palm Beach.[65]: IV-5
Two United States Presidents have been part-time residents,John F. Kennedy andDonald Trump, with both designating their respective Palm Beach properties as a Winter White House.[22][50] Kennedy's Winter White House,La Querida, was built byAddison Mizner in 1923 and previously owned by department store magnateRodman Wanamaker ofPhiladelphia beforeJoseph P. Kennedy Sr. purchased the property in 1933.[204] Trump has ownedMar-a-Lago since 1985, purchasing the property from the family of the lateMarjorie Merriweather Post, heiress ofPost cereal.[49] In October 2019, Trump andfirst ladyMelania Trump filed to switch their primary domicile from New York City to Mar-a-Lago, officially establishing residency in Palm Beach.[205] Following the conclusion of his first term as president in January 2021, Donald and Melania Trump resided at Mar-a-Lago amidst a dispute from some neighbors about the legality of them taking up permanent residence at the club.[206] Donald Trump used Mar-a-Lago as a Winter White House again when his second, non-consecutive term as President of the United States began in January 2025.[207] Additionally, former Canadian prime ministerBrian Mulroney was a resident of Palm Beach from 1997 until his death in 2024.[208][209]
^Language spoken at home among residents at least five years old; only languages (or language groups) which at least 2% of residents have spoken at any time since 1980 are mentioned
^Only countries of birth which at least 7% of residents were born in at any time since 1980 are mentioned; no countries meet this criterion for the town of Palm Beach so none of them are mentioned
^Block, Dorothy (Fall 2013)."Pre-Columbian Palm Beachers"(PDF).The Tustenegee. Historical Society of Palm Beach County:30–31.Archived(PDF) from the original on March 9, 2021. RetrievedJanuary 18, 2021.
^"Cocoanut Grove House". Waymarking.com. August 8, 2016.Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. RetrievedApril 17, 2020.
^ab"1880 - 1889". Historical Society of Palm Beach County. Archived fromthe original on April 9, 2023. RetrievedOctober 12, 2023.
^abcde"Timeline".Palm Beach Daily News. February 9, 1997. p. B6.Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. RetrievedApril 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^abcd"Whitehall". Flagler Museum.Archived from the original on May 12, 2020. RetrievedApril 17, 2020.
^abPiland, Sherry; Stillings, Emily; Bowers, Ednasha (2005).Historic Preservation: A Design Guidelines Handbook(PDF) (Report). Historic Preservation Board, City of West Palm Beach.Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. RetrievedMarch 28, 2019.
^Waresh, Julie (May 30, 1999)."Profiting from failure".The Palm Beach Post. p. 1F.Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. RetrievedApril 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^abcdefgh"Timeline".Palm Beach Daily News. February 9, 1997. p. B7.Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. RetrievedJune 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Census Counts: 1890-2020".Florida Municipal Population Census Counts: 1890 to 2020. Office of Economic and Demographic Research, The Florida Legislature. 2023.Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. RetrievedJune 11, 2023.
^"H1 | OCCUPANCY STATUS".H1: OCCUPANCY STATUS - Census Bureau Table. U.S. Census Bureau.Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. RetrievedJune 12, 2023.
^"P13 | MEDIAN AGE BY SEX".P13: MEDIAN AGE BY SEX - Census Bureau Table. U.S. Census Bureau.Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. RetrievedJune 12, 2023.
^"H1 | OCCUPANCY STATUS".H1: OCCUPANCY STATUS - Census Bureau Table. U.S. Census Bureau.Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. RetrievedJune 12, 2023.
^"P12 | SEX BY AGE".P12: SEX BY AGE - Census Bureau Table. U.S. Census Bureau.Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. RetrievedJune 12, 2023.
^"P13 | MEDIAN AGE BY SEX".P13: MEDIAN AGE BY SEX - Census Bureau Table. U.S. Census Bureau.Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. RetrievedJune 12, 2023.
^"H003 | OCCUPANCY STATUS [3]".H003: OCCUPANCY STATUS [3] - Census Bureau Table. U.S. Census Bureau.Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. RetrievedJune 12, 2023.
^"P012 | SEX BY AGE [49]".P012: SEX BY AGE [49] - Census Bureau Table. U.S. Census Bureau.Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. RetrievedJune 12, 2023.
^"P013 | MEDIAN AGE BY SEX [3]".P13: MEDIAN AGE BY SEX [3] - Census Bureau Table. U.S. Census Bureau.Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. RetrievedJune 12, 2023.
^"Points of Interest".A Visitor's Map of Palm Beach. Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce. p. 4.Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. RetrievedMay 9, 2020.
^"Historic Crash".The Palm Beach Post. August 22, 1975. p. C1.Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. RetrievedApril 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^abcd"Roadway Atlas (Page 60)"(PDF). Palm Beach County Engineering and Public Works.Archived(PDF) from the original on March 16, 2021. RetrievedMay 11, 2020.
^abc"Roadway Atlas (Page 72)"(PDF). Palm Beach County Engineering and Public Works.Archived(PDF) from the original on March 16, 2021. RetrievedMay 11, 2020.
^"New Bridge Open To Traffic".The Palm Beach Post. September 15, 1950. p. 1.Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. RetrievedSeptember 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Roadway Atlas (Page 59)"(PDF). Palm Beach County Engineering and Public Works.Archived(PDF) from the original on March 16, 2021. RetrievedMay 11, 2020.
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