West Palm Beach (WPB) is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lagoon.
It is the largest city in Palm Beach County, and at the time of the 2020 census, its population was 117,415. West Palm Beach is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to 6.14 million people in 2020. It is the oldest incorporated municipality in the South Florida area, incorporated as a city two years before Miami in November 1894. West Palm Beach is located approximately north of Downtown Miami.
History
The area that became West Palm Beach was settled in the late 1870s and 1880s by a few hundred settlers who called the vicinity Lake Worth Country. These settlers were a diverse community from different parts of the United States and the rest of the world. They included founding families such as the Potters and the Lainharts, who later became leading members of the business community in the fledgling city. The first white settlers in Palm Beach County lived around Lake Worth, which was then an enclosed freshwater lake, named after Colonel William Jenkins Worth, who fought in the Second Seminole War in Florida in 1842. Most settlers engaged in the growing of tropical fruits and vegetables for shipment to the north via Lake Worth and the Indian River. By 1890, the U.S. Census counted over 200 people settled along Lake Worth in the vicinity of what later became West Palm Beach. The area at this time also boasted a hotel, the "Cocoanut House", a church, and a post office. The city was platted by Henry Flagler as a community to house the servants working in the two grand hotels on the neighboring island of Palm Beach, across Lake Worth in 1893, coinciding with the arrival of the Florida East Coast railroad. Flagler paid two area settlers, Captain Porter and Louie Hillhouse, a combined sum of $45,000 for the original town's site, stretching from Clear Lake to Lake Worth.
The city was incorporated on November 5, 1894. This made West Palm Beach the first incorporated municipality in Dade County and in South Florida. The town council quickly addressed the building codes, and the tents and shanties were replaced by brick, brick veneer, and stone buildings. The city grew steadily during the 1890s and the first two decades of the 20th century; most residents were engaged in the tourist industry and related services or winter vegetable market and tropical fruit trade. In 1909, the Florida legislature formed Palm Beach County and West Palm Beach became its county seat. In 1916, a new neoclassical courthouse was opened. It has been painstakingly restored to its original condition and is now a local history museum.
The city grew rapidly as part of the 1920s Florida land boom. The population of West Palm Beach quadrupled from 1920 to 1927, and all kinds of businesses and public services grew along with it. Many landmark structures and preserved neighborhoods were constructed during this period. Originally, Flagler intended his Florida East Coast Railway to have its terminus in West Palm, but after the area experienced a deep freeze, he chose to extend the railroad to Miami instead.
The land boom was already faltering when the city was devastated by the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. The Depression years of the 1930s were a quiet time for the area, which saw slight population growth and property values lower than during the 1920s. The city only recovered with the onset of World War II, which saw the construction of Palm Beach Air Force Base, which brought thousands of military personnel to the city. The base was vital to the allied war effort, as it provided an excellent training facility and had unparalleled access to North Africa for a North American city. Also during World War II, German U-boats sank two dozen merchant ships and oil tankers off the coast of West Palm Beach. Nearby Palm Beach was under blackout conditions to minimize night visibility to German U-boats.When German U-boats attacked Palm Beach County, westpalmbeach.com. Accessed June 22, 2023.
The 1950s saw another boom in population, partly due to the return of many soldiers and airmen who served nearby during the war. Also, the advent of air conditioning encouraged growth, as year-round living in a tropical climate became more acceptable to northerners. West Palm Beach became one of the nation's fastest-growing metropolitan areas during the 1950s; the city's borders spread west of Military Trail and south to Lake Clarke Shores. However, many city residents still lived in a narrow six-block wide strip from the south to north end. The neighborhoods were strictly segregated between White and African-American populations, a legacy that the city still struggles with today. The primary shopping district remained downtown, centered around Clematis Street.
In the 1967s, Palm Beach County's first enclosed shopping mall, the Palm Beach Mall, and an indoor arena were completed. These projects led to a brief revival for the city, but in the 1970s and 1980s crime continued to be a serious issue and suburban sprawl continued to drain resources and business away from the old downtown area. By the early 1990s there were very high vacancy rates downtown, and serious levels of urban blight.
The 2008 financial crisis hit the region particularly hard, and some neighborhoods are still struggling. Developments such as CityPlace and the preservation and renovation of 1920s architecture in the nightlife hub of Clematis Street have seen a downtown resurgence in the entertainment and shopping district. The city has also placed emphasis on neighborhood development and revitalization in historic districts such as Northwood, Flamingo Park, and El Cid. The Palm Beach Mall was again redeveloped into the Palm Beach Fashion Outlets in February 2014. The West Palm Beach station for Brightline, a high speed passenger rail service serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, was opened in 2018.
Timeline
1893 "Town platted on Lake Worth." Florida East Coast Railway begins operating. 1894 West Palm Beach incorporated. John S. Earman becomes mayor. 1896 – Fire. 1900 – Population: 564. 1903 – "City of West Palm Beach" established. 1905 – Population: 1,280. 1907 – Flagler Park established. 1908 – Palm Beach Post newspaper begins publication. 1909 – West Palm Beach designated seat of newly created Palm Beach County. 1912 – Palm Beach County Fair begins. 1916 – County courthouse constructed. 1917 – Beaux Arts Theatre in business. 1919 Office of city manager created. City Hall built. 1923 – Kettler Theatre in business. 1924 – Public Library building opens. 1925 – Seaboard Air Line Railway begins operating; West Palm Beach station opens. 1926 West Palm Beach Canal (to Lake Okeechobee) constructed. September: 1926 Miami hurricane occurs. 1928 – September: 1928 Okeechobee hurricane occurs. 1930 – Population: 26,610. 1933 – Palm Beach Junior College opens. 1936 Morrison Field (airport) begins operating. WJNO radio begins broadcasting. 1937 – Historical Society of Palm Beach County founded. 1941 – Norton Museum of Art established. 1942 April 17: City gets "8.35 inches of rain in just two hours." U.S. military Palm Beach Air Force Base begins operating near West Palm Beach. 1947 – WIRK radio begins broadcasting. 1948 Palm Beach International Airport active. WEAT radio begins broadcasting. 1951 – Beach Drive-In cinema in business. 1954 – WPTV (television) begins broadcasting. 1955 – WEAT-TV (television) begins broadcasting. 1961 – Cardinal Newman High School established. 1962 – West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium opens. 1964 – Palm Beach County Genealogical Society formed. 1967 – Palm Beach County Library System established. 1967 – Palm Beach Mall opens. 1967 – West Palm Beach Auditorium opens (capacity: 5,000). It would later be sold in 1998 to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc (Jehovah's Witnesses) It was renovated and renamed the West Palm Beach Christian Convention Center. 1967-- stuff happened 1968 – Palm Beach Atlantic College established. 1977 – Snow is reported on January 19 at Palm Beach International Airport from 6:10 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. 1979 – Cross County Mall in business. 1980 – Population: 63,305. 1985 – Plaza hi-rise built. 1991 Yesteryear Village (museum) opens. March 12: Strong mayor referendum succeeds. November 19: Nancy M. Graham elected first strong mayor of West Palm Beach. 1994 – "County Judicial Complex" built. 1997 – West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium closes. 1999 – Trump International Golf Club in business. 2000 May: Lake Worth Middle School shooting occurs. October 27: CityPlace opens December 4: Bush v. Palm Beach County Canvassing Board lawsuit decided during the 2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida. City website online (approximate date). 2010 – Population: 99,919. 2011 – Jeri Muoio becomes mayor. 2014 – Palm Beach Outlets opens on the former site of the Palm Beach Mall which closed in 2010. 2017 – Ballpark of the Palm Beaches opens (renamed FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in 2018) 2017 – Lois Frankel becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 21st congressional district. 2024 – Donald Trump, a former president of the United States and nominee of the Republican Party in the 2024 presidential election, survives an assassination attempt while golfing at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
Environment West Palm Beach Canal (C51) According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the West Palm Beach Canal (C-51)/Stormwater Treatment Area (STA)1 East project was authorized by the U.S. Congress under the Flood Control Acts of 1948, 1954, 1962, 1968, and the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1996. The project is located in Palm Beach County and runs east to west from West Palm Beach at Lake Worth to Water Conservation Area (WCA) No. 1 (Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge). The authorized project will provide 30-year flood protection to the urbanized eastern basin and 10-year flood protection to the western basin. All eastern basin features have been completed.
During mediation of the Everglades water quality litigation, a technical plan was developed for resolution of the litigation. The technical plan included a substantially modified C-51 project. The modified plan expands the original 1,600-acre floodwater detention area into a 6,500-acre stormwater detention area. In addition to the flood damage reduction benefits provided by the original project, the modified plan provides water treatment, reduction of damaging freshwater discharges to Lake Worth, and increased water supply for the Everglades and other users.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the total estimated cost of the West Palm Beach Canal (C51) is $375.47 million, with an estimated $345.04 million as the Federal Government's cost share. A total of $1.05 million was appropriated for this project by the U.S. Congress in Fiscal Year 2015. The Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request from the U.S. President to the U.S. Congress was for $1 million.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, this city has a total area of , of which is land and (5.26%) is water.
Due to vast areas of wetland immediately west of the city's downtown, growth occurred north and south in a linear fashion. Until the 1960s, the city was only several blocks wide but over 100 blocks in length. Large scale development finally expanded westward with improved access and drainage in the 1960s. However, the city boundaries were not expanded much with the exception of the "Water Catchment Area," an uninhabited area in the northwest part of the city. Known as Grassy Waters, it serves as a reservoir for the city drinking water and a nature preserve.
Places Historic neighborhoods and communities