Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County | |
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![]() Location within the U.S. state of Florida | |
![]() Florida's location within the U.S. | |
Coordinates: 26°43′N 80°03′W / 26.71°N 80.05°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Founded | April 30, 1909 |
Named for | Palm Beach, Florida |
Seat | West Palm Beach |
Area | |
• Total | 2,386 sq mi (6,180 km2) |
• Land | 1,974 sq mi (5,110 km2) |
• Water | 412 sq mi (1,070 km2) 17.27% |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 1,320,134 |
• Density | 669/sq mi (258.2/km2) |
Website | www |
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in area. As of 2010, the rapidly-growing county's estimated population was 1,320,134,[1] making it the third most populous in the state and the twenty ninth most populous in the United States. Over 40 percent of the county's population lives in unincorporated areas near the Atlantic coast.
Palm Beach County is one of three counties comprising the South Florida metropolitan area, and having been formed in 1909, is the area's second oldest. Its largest city and county seat is West Palm Beach (Central County), which has an incorporated population of over 105,000 and an unincorporated population of 250,000. 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.[2]
With wealthy coastal towns such as Palm Beach, Jupiter, Manalapan, and Boca Raton within its limits, as well as equestrian mecca Wellington and golfing haven Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach County is Florida's wealthiest county, with a per capita personal income of $44,518 as of 2004.[3]
History
Among the first residents in Palm Beach County were African Americans and many of whom were former slaves or immediate descendants of formers slaves who had escaped to the State of Florida from slave plantations located in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Runaway African slaves started coming to what was then named Spanish Florida in the late 17th century and they found refuge among the Seminole Native Americans.
Henry Flagler, who made his home in Palm Beach, was instrumental in the county's development in the early 20th century with the extension of the Florida East Coast Railway through the county from Jacksonville to Key West.
Palm Beach County was created in 1909. It was named for its first settled community, Palm Beach, in turn named for the palm trees and beaches in the area. 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. About three-quarters of Lake Okeechobee was removed from Palm Beach County in 1963 and divided up among Glades, Hendry, Martin and Okeechobee counties.[4]
The African American population provided significant labor for the building of the county, its hotels, houses and Flagler's railroad.
Palm Beach County was among the last school districts in the nation to integrate, in 1971.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,386 square miles (6,181 km²).1,974 square miles (5,113 km²) of it is land (making it the second-largest Florida county by land area, after Collier County) and 412 square miles (1,068 km²) of it is water, much of it in the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Okeechobee. The total area, which is the largest in Florida, is 17.27% water.
The boundaries of area code 561 exactly match the county's. Originally, it was part of area code 305, and later area code 407.
Municipalities and census-designated places
Incorporated
The county has 38 municipalities in total. The municipalities are numbered corresponding to the attached image.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Cities_of_Palm_Beach_County.svg/400px-Cities_of_Palm_Beach_County.svg.png)
# | Incorporated Community | Designation | Date incorporated | Population |
---|---|---|---|---|
24 | Atlantis | City | 1959 | 2,005 |
2 | Belle Glade | City | April 9, 1928 | 16,739 |
37 | Boca Raton | City | May 1925 | 86,396 |
30 | Boynton Beach | City | 1920 | 66,714 |
33 | Briny Breezes | Town | March 19, 1963 | 411 |
18 | Cloud Lake | Town | 1947 | 167 |
35 | Delray Beach | City | 1911 | 64,112 |
17 | Glen Ridge | Town | 1948 | 276 |
32 | Golf | Village | 1957 | 230 |
23 | Greenacres | City | 1926 | 27,569 |
34 | Gulf Stream | Town | 1925 | 777 |
16 | Haverhill | Town | 1950 | 1,454 |
36 | Highland Beach | Town | 1949 | 3,988 |
29 | Hypoluxo | Town | 1955 | 2,015 |
7 | Juno Beach | Town | June 4, 1953 | 3,262 |
6 | Jupiter | Town | February 9, 1925 | 39,328 |
5 | Jupiter Inlet Colony | Town | 1959 | 368 |
20 | Lake Clarke Shores | Town | 1957 | 3,451 |
10 | Lake Park | Town | 1923 | 8,721 |
25 | Lake Worth | City | 1912 | 36,342 |
27 | Lantana | Town | 1921 | 9,437 |
38 | Loxahatchee Groves | Town | November 1, 2006 | 3,232 |
28 | Manalapan | Town | 1931 | 321 |
13 | Mangonia Park | Town | 1947 | 1,283 |
9 | North Palm Beach | Village | 1956 | 12,064 |
31 | Ocean Ridge | Town | 1931 | 1,636 |
1 | Pahokee | City | 1922 | 6,617 |
14 | Palm Beach | Town | April 17, 1911 | 10,468 |
8 | Palm Beach Gardens | City | 1959 | 44,315 |
12 | Palm Beach Shores | Town | 1951 | 1,269 |
19 | Palm Springs | Village | 1957 | 11,699 |
11 | Riviera Beach | City | September 29, 1922 | 29,884 |
21 | Royal Palm Beach | Village | June 18, 1959 | 31,864 |
3 | South Bay | City | 1941 | 4,506 |
26 | South Palm Beach | Town | 1955 | 699 |
4 | Tequesta | Village | 1957 | 5,273 |
22 | Wellington | Village | December 31, 1995 | 55,584 |
15 | West Palm Beach | City | November 5, 1894 | 103,663 |
Unincorporated census-designated places
- Belle Glade Camp(l)
- Boca Del Mar(c)
- Boca Pointe(a)
- Canal Point(bb)
- Century Village(u)
- Cypress Lakes(w)
- Dunes Road(cc)
- Fremd Village-Padgett Island(aa)
- Golden Lakes(r)
- Gun Club Estates(m)
- Hamptons at Boca Raton(e)
- High Point(i)
- Juno Ridge(z)
- Kings Point(g)
- Lake Belvedere Estates(o)
- Lake Harbor(p)
- Lake Worth Corridor(k)
- Lakeside Green(x)
- Limestone Creek(y)
- Mission Bay(d)
- Plantation Mobile Home Park(s)
- Royal Palm Estates(n)
- Sandalfoot Cove(b)
- Schall Circle(v)
- Seminole Manor(j)
- Stacey Street(q)
- Villages of Oriole(h)
- Westgate-Belvedere Homes(t)
- Whisper Walk(f)
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.
National protected area
Demographics
2000 Census
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
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% |
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 1,131,184 people, 474,175 households, and 303,946 families residing in the county. The population density was 573 people per square mile (221/km²). Approximately 41% of Palm Beach County's population resides in unincorporated areas within the county. There were 556,428 housing units at an average density of 282 per square mile (109/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.05% White (70.6% were Non-Hispanic White,)[5] 13.80% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.51% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.98% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. 12.44% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. In relation to ancestry (excluding the various Hispanic and Latino ancestries), 10% were Italian, 9% German, 8% Irish, 8% American, 6% English, 4% Russian, and 4% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000.[6]
196,852 of Palm Beach County residents, or 17.4% percent of the total population, were foreign-born (43% of whom were naturalized U.S. citizens).[6] The most common countries of foreign-born residents included Haiti (14%), Cuba (10%), Mexico (9%), Jamaica (6%), Canada (5%), Colombia (5%), and the United Kingdom (3%).[6]
There were 474,175 households out of which 24.90% reported children under the living in the household, 50.80% were married couples living together without children, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.90% were non-related individuals. 29.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.89.
Age ranges found in the county were 21.30% under the , 6.60% aged 18 to 24, 27.00% aged 25 to 44, 22.00% aged 45 to 64, and 23.20% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. Overall, the female to male ratio was 100:93. The female to male ratio for those over the was 100:91.
The median household income was $45,062, and the median income for a family was $53,701. Males had a median income of $36,931 versus $28,674 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,801. About 6.90% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.30% of those under age 18 and 6.60% of those age 65 or over.
2008 Census Report
U.S. Census Bureau 2008 Ethnic/Race Demographics:[7]
- White (non-Hispanic): 63.3%
- Hispanic or Latino of any race: 17.8%
- Black (non-Hispanic): 16.5%
- Some other race: 7.4%[8]
- Asian: 2.2%
- Two or more races: 1.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native: 0.6%
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
The median price of an existing home in Palm Beach County as of September 2006 is $380,900.[9]
Languages
As of 2000, 78.36% of all residents spoke English as a primary language, while 11.89% spoke Spanish, 2.81% French Creole, 1.12% French, 0.76% Italian, 0.68% German, and 0.52% of the population spoke Yiddish. In total, 78.36% spoke English as a primary language, while 21.64% spoke languages other than English.[10]
Politics
Palm Beach County has trended heavily towards Democrats in recent presidential elections. It was the center of a worldwide media storm in 2000, when it appeared to have made a difference in the balloting for the election between eventual winner George W. Bush over Al Gore. A major source of controversy was the butterfly ballot used in Palm Beach County, which prompted many voters to later claim that they mistakenly voted for Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan instead of Al Gore because of the design of the ballot. In the end, Gore carried the county, but Bush captured the state by just 537 votes (out of nearly 5 million cast, a difference of .009%) after the recount was effectively halted by the US Supreme Court. (Bush vs. Gore)
Year | Democrat | Republican |
---|---|---|
2008 | 61.50% 342,527 | 37.90% 211,163 |
2004 | 60.35% 328,687 | 39.05% 212,688 |
2000 | 62.27% 269,754 | 35.31% 152,964 |
1996 | 58.06% 230,687 | 33.68% 133,811 |
1992 | 46.36% 187,869 | 34.63% 140,350 |
1988 | 44.07% 144,199 | 55.47% 181,495 |
1984 | 38.32% 116,091 | 61.67% 186,811 |
1980 | 36.37% 91,991 | 56.79% 143,639 |
1976 | 48.68% 96,705 | 49.45% 98,236 |
1972 | 27.18% 40,825 | 72.35% 108,670 |
1968 | 28.08% 32,837 | 53.19% 62,191 |
1964 | 46.91% 43,836 | 53.09% 49,614 |
1960 | 39.72% 29,871 | 60.28% 45,337 |
Transportation
Expressways
I-95 and Florida's Turnpike are controlled-access expressways that serve Palm Beach county. Southern Boulevard (signed FL 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/FL 7 in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach. In the late 1980s, there were plans to construct 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. Opposition from local residents eventually killed the project.[11][12][13]
Major Highways
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 98
U.S. Route 441
U.S. Route 27
State Road 80
State Road 7
Bee Line Highway/FL 710
Railroads
- Tri-Rail runs along eastern Palm Beach county, adjacent to Interstate 95 for most of its length. It has stops in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, West Palm Beach, and Mangonia Park.
Airports
- Palm Beach International Airport
- Palm Beach County Park Airport
- North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport
- Boca Raton 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.
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.[14] 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.[15]
Colleges/Universities
- Florida Atlantic University
- Lynn University
- Northwood University
- Nova Southeastern University
- Palm Beach Atlantic University
- Palm Beach State College
Public libraries
Palm Beach County Library System operates public libraries.
Sports
The Palm Beach Imperials are an American Basketball Association 2006 expansion franchise.
The Jupiter Hammerheads are a Single-A affiliate of the Florida Marlins and the Palm Beach Cardinals are a Single High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Both teams play their games at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter.
Currently, the St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins conduct their spring training at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter.
Prior to the construction of Roger Dean Stadium, the Montreal Expos and Atlanta Braves held their spring training at Municipal Stadium in West Palm Beach. The West Palm Beach Expos, a Single-A affiliate of the Montreal Expos, also played their games there.
Annual events of interest
Places of interest
- American Orchid Society Visitors Center and Botanical Garden
- Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
- Lion Country Safari
- Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, including the Roji-en Japanese Gardens
- Mounts Botanical Garden
- Norton Museum of Art
- Palm Beach Maritime Museum [1]
- Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park
- South Florida Science Museum
Media
- The Palm Beach Post
- South Florida Sun-Sentinel'
- WPEC-TV 12 News
- Palm Beach Daily News
- New Times Broward-Palm Beach - an alternative weekly
See also
References
- ^ http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/
- ^ Twenty most populous counties in America
- ^ "Florida Fun Facts Q&A". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
- ^ Palm Beach County - County history - Accessed August 14, 2009
- ^ "Demographics of Palm Beach County, FL". MuniNetGuide.com. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
- ^ a b c "Palm Beach County, FL Detailed Profile". city-data.com. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ 2008 Palm Beach County Demographics
- ^ 2006-2008 Demographics of Some Other Race
- ^ "Home sales continue plunge". 2006-11-21. Retrieved 2006-12-05. [dead link]
- ^ "MLA Data Center Results for Palm Beach County, Florida". Modern Language Association. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
- ^ http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-03-17/news/8601160782_1_corridor-study-central-county-authority-members
- ^ http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-10-16/news/8603020944_1_authority-members-routes-sansbury/2
- ^ http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-03-06/news/0503050284_1_new-interchange-lanes-palm-beach-county
- ^ School District of Palm Beach County "Just the Facts" 2006-2007 - retrieved August 11, 2006 Template:Wayback
- ^ The Complete List: 1,200 Top U.S. Schools - Newsweek America's Best High Schools - retrieved December 9, 2006 Template:Wayback
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
Government links/Constitutional offices
- Palm Beach County Government / Board of County Commissioners official website
- Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections
- Palm Beach County Property Appraiser
- Palm Beach County Tax Collector
- Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office
- Clerk & Comptroller, Palm Beach County
Special districts
Emergency services
Judicial branch
- Palm Beach County Public Defender
- Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office, 15th Judicial Circuit
- 15th Judicial Circuit of Florida