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Palm Beach County Interesting Facts and Figures
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County History (Back to Top)
- A U.S. Army fort built in Jupiter in 1838 is believed to be the first permanent non-Indian settlement in the area. The fort was followed by the first civilian residents who cared for the Jupiter Lighthouse beginning in 1860.
- In the late 1800’s, the Jupiter and Lake Worth Celestial Railroad and Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railroad (FEC) began service, opening up Palm Beach County to tourism and interstate trade.
- Also in 1889, a heavy turnout at the voting polls forced Dade County, which included Palm Beach County at the time, to move its center of government from Miami to Juno where it remained until 1899. The Oakbrook Square Shopping Center is located where the former Juno Courthouse once stood.
- In 1894, West Palm Beach became incorporated making it the oldest municipality in the county.
- Palm Beach County was carved out of Dade County in 1909 becoming Florida’s 47th county. The first county government meetings were held in an old four-room schoolhouse at the corner of Clematis Street and Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach. At the time, only about 5,300 people lived in the new county comprised of portions of what are now Broward, Martin and Okeechobee counties. Broward County was established in 1915, Okeechobee County in 1917 and Martin County in 1925.
- Until 1963, Palm Beach County’s borders incorporated all of Lake Okeechobee. The lake now is partitioned among the five counties that surround it.
- In 1905, Joseph Sakai began the Yamato Colony in present-day Boca Raton. Sakai attracted fellow Japanese to the area with the promise of farmland. One Japanese immigrant farmer who prospered at the colony was George Morikami. In the mid-1970s, Morikami donated his home and part of his land to Palm Beach County for a museum and park.
- Palm Beach International Airport, formerly known as Morrison Field, opened in 1936. The current PBIA 24-gate jetway opened in October 1988.
Economics (Back to Top)
- The three major multibillion-dollar industries in Palm Beach County are tourism, construction and agriculture. There are also many high-tech industries such as bioscience that contribute to the growing economy.
- Tourism accounts for more than 53,530 jobs in Palm Beach County; in excess of 7 percent of the county’s workforce earns a living from tourism-related businesses such as hotels, restaurants, stores and transportation services and others.
- According to a 2004 study, 7.2 million people visited Palm Beach County, and they spent $2.83 billion while they were here. Lodging accounted for $80 million; food and beverage $353 million.
- Passenger traffic at Palm Beach International Airport totaled 6.8 million in 2006.
- Palm Beach County leads the nation in the production of sugar and fresh sweet corn. It is also Florida’s leading producer of rice, bell peppers, lettuce, radishes, Chinese vegetables, specialty leaf and celery.
- Palm Beach County produces roughly 18 percent of all sugar in the United States. It is the largest sugar-producing county in the nation and has roughly 400,000 acres of sugar cane, about 32 percent of the county’s overall land.
- According to Enterprise Florida, Palm Beach County had the state’s highest per capita annual income, $55,311, compared with a statewide average of $36,720.
- Palm Beach County is the only county in Florida awarded “AAA” bond ratings by Fitch, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s.
- The Palm Beach County School District is the largest employer in Palm Beach County with approximately 22,144 employees. For the 2008–2009 school year, 169,454 students enrolled in public elementary, middle and high schools in the county.
- Florida’s Enterprise Zone Program provides tax incentives to businesses located within or hiring from within the zones. The state currently has 19 enterprise zones with two in Palm Beach County.
- Palm Beach County’s Office of Small Business Assistance maintains a banking consortium with local lenders to make millions of dollars in low-interest loans available for small businesses.
Demographics (Back to Top)
The average winter daytime temperature in Palm Beach County is 74 degrees and 90 degrees in the summer. The average rainfall is 62 inches per year. The last time it snowed in the county was 1978.
According to the 2010 Census, Palm Beach County has a base population of 1,320,134, making it the third largest county in Florida behind Miami-Dade (2.49 million) and Broward (1.74 million). About 55 percent of Palm Beach County residents live in one of 38 municipalities, the remaining 587,844 living in unincorporated areas. The largest city both in area and population is West Palm Beach, which covers 52 square miles and has an incorporated population of 99,919. Boca Raton is second with 84,392 residents, followed by Boynton Beach, 68,217, Delray Beach, 60,522, and Wellington, 56,508. The county’s smallest town in population is Cloud Lake with 135 residents. The smallest in area is Briny Breezes at just under one-half square mile.
Geography (Back to Top)
- Not counting Lake Okeechobee, Palm Beach County covers 1,971 square miles of land, second to Collier County’s 2,025 square miles. Palm Beach County is larger than two states: Rhode Island and Delaware.
- Palm Beach County’s 45-mile stretch of Atlantic shoreline was nicknamed Florida’s Gold Coast after the gold recovered from Spanish galleons that sank offshore.
- The four largest lakes in Palm Beach County are Lake Okeechobee, 488,000 acres; Lake Mangonia, 540 acres; Clear Lake, 401 acres; and Lake Osborne, 356 acres.
- Eastern Palm Beach County is a thriving urban area while the central and western areas are more suburban and rural.
- The Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is part of the famed Florida Everglades. The refuge covers 221 square miles and is located west of Boynton Beach off State Road 7.
Colleges and Universities (Back to Top)
Palm Beach County offers numerous opportunities to pursue higher education. Palm Beach Community College has five campus locations that offer associate and vocational/technical degrees, noncredit courses and workshops.
Florida Atlantic University offers undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs. Palm Beach Atlantic University is a Christian-based four-year liberal arts school. Northwood University specializes in business and management degrees.
Other colleges in the area include Barry University, Lynn University, College of the Palm Beaches, Nova University, South University and Strayer University.
Sports/Recreation (Back to Top)
- Palm Beach County‘s Parks and Recreation Department operates 79 parks, including two water parks. Many county parks feature athletic facilities, camp sites, trails and beaches. For specific amenities and park locations, please see the Parks & Recreation publication Park Facility Guide. County parks include more than 8,000 acres of land for residents to explore.
- The Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management manages 35 natural areas encompassing more than 30,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands. Thirteen of these natural areas have public-use facilities including a small parking lot, an informational kiosk and hiking trails. They are: Delray Oaks, Frenchman's Forest, High Ridge Scrub, Hypoluxo Scrub, Juno Dunes, Jupiter Ridge, Leon M. Weekes, Ocean Ridge, Rosemary Scrub, Royal Palm Beach
Pines, Seacrest Scrub, Sweetbay and Yamato Scrub.
- Palm Beach County is often referred to as “The Golf Capital of the World™” with more than 150 public and private golf courses.
- It is the Spring Training home of the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals, who train at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. Professional baseball continues through the summer with the Class A Florida State League.
- Saltwater and freshwater fishing enthusiasts alike enjoy some of the best fishing opportunities in North America.
- Polo and equestrian events are very popular in Palm Beach County. Polo tournaments such as the $100,000 World Cup and the Winter Equestrian Festival bring large crowds and international celebrities. The county-owned Jim Brandon Equestrian Center at Okeeheelee Park South hosts western and English horse shows throughout the year.
- Other outdoor sports enjoyed year-round are tennis, softball, soccer, bicycling, in-line skating, shuffleboard, croquet, boating, swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving, surfing, wind surfing and kite boarding, beach volleyball, water skiing, kayaking and canoeing. Endurance runners can compete in the annual Marathon of the Palm Beaches and numerous charity runs/walks throughout the year.
- People of all ages and abilities can train and compete in sports, participate in rehabilitation and fitness programs, and experience a wide variety of visual and performing arts programs at Palm Beach County’s Therapeutic Recreation Complex. Programs include, but are not limited to: wheelchair sports, adapted aquatics, social skills training, leisure activities, teambuilding, special events, sailing, and Special Olympics training.
Entertainment and Leisure (Back to Top)
Palm Beach County offers a multitude of cultural attractions such as classical concerts, live theater, opera and ballet. Venues include:
- Royal Poinciana Playhouse
- Delray Beach Playhouse
- Watson B. Duncan Theater
- Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center
- Florida Ballet and the Palm Beach Opera.
The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach provides some of the finest professional cultural productions anywhere in South Florida, while the Cruzan Amphitheatre draws big-name pop, rock and country performers.
History buffs will enjoy touring the many museums and gardens located throughout Palm Beach County, including the:
- American Orchid Society Visitors Center and Botanical Garden
- Bink Glisson Historical Museum
- Boca Centre for the Arts in Mizner Park
- Boca Raton Museum of Art
- Burt Reynolds Museum
- DuBois Pioneer Home
- Henry Morrison Flagler Museum
- Loxahatchee River Historical Museum
- Jupiter Lighthouse
- Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
- Mounts Botanical Garden
- Norton Museum of Art
- Old School Square Cultural Arts Center
- Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum (1916 Court House)
- S.D. Spady Museum
The Palm Beach County Library System and local municipal libraries provide the foremost services and materials for educational and entertainment reading needs.
The South Florida Fairgrounds is home of the South Florida Fair and Exposition, an annual 17-day event held in late January.
Lion Country Safari, located on State Road 80 near Wellington, is one of the oldest and most popular tourist attractions in the county, offering close-up views of wild animals from other continents.
Weather (Back to Top)
The average winter daytime temperature in Palm Beach County is 74 degrees and 90 degrees in the summer. The average rainfall is 62 inches per year. The last time it snowed in the county was 1978.
Last Updated: 10/06/11
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