Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County, located in southeastern Florida, is part of the vibrant Miami metropolitan area. With a population of 1,492,191 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in the state and the 26th in the nation. The county seat and largest city, West Palm Beach, had 117,415 residents in 2020. Established in 1909, Palm Beach County was originally part of Miami-Dade before gaining its own identity.

As one of the three counties making up the Miami metro area, Palm Beach County contributes to a region that was home to 6.14 million people in 2020. Its growth dates back to the late 19th century when Henry Flagler extended the Florida East Coast Railway and built luxurious hotels like The Breakers and the Royal Poinciana Hotel. The county faced a major disaster in 1928 when the Okeechobee hurricane struck, causing thousands of deaths. More recently, it gained national attention during the 2000 presidential election due to a controversial recount.

Palm Beach County has long been an economic powerhouse. In 2004, it was the wealthiest county in Florida, with a per capita income of $44,518. Agriculture is a major industry, ranking second only to real estate development. The county leads the state in farming, particularly in the central and western areas, where nurseries, vegetable crops, and sugarcane thrive. Known as the "Winter Vegetable Capital" of the nation, the region plays a key role in food production.

The area’s history dates back thousands of years when Native Americans first settled here. By the time Spanish explorers arrived in 1513, around 20,000 Indigenous people lived in South Florida. Their population declined significantly due to disease, enslavement, and conflict. Early non-Native settlers included African Americans who found refuge with the Seminoles and fought alongside them during the Seminole Wars.

One of the county’s most iconic landmarks, the Jupiter Lighthouse, was built in 1860. It played a role in the Civil War when Confederate sympathizers removed its lighting mechanism. Augustus O. Lang, one of these men, later became the county’s first white settler. In the late 1800s, shipwrecks off the coast led to the construction of Houses of Refuge for stranded sailors, including the Orange Grove House of Refuge near Delray Beach.

Henry Flagler’s arrival in the 1890s transformed the area. He purchased land, sparked a development boom, and extended the railway to West Palm Beach in 1894. That same year, West Palm Beach became the county’s first incorporated city. Soon after, Flagler opened the Palm Beach Inn, later renamed The Breakers, and built Whitehall, his grand winter estate. Other early pioneers, like Major Nathan Boynton and Congressman William S. Linton, helped establish towns that would become Boynton Beach and Delray Beach.

Palm Beach County officially formed in 1909, initially encompassing all of Lake Okeechobee. Over time, parts of the county were carved out to create Broward (1915), Okeechobee (1917), and Martin (1925) counties. The county’s share of Lake Okeechobee was reduced in 1963 to distribute state funding more fairly, and a final boundary adjustment occurred in 2009 when a small area was transferred to Broward County.

The 1920s brought rapid growth and prosperity, with property values soaring in West Palm Beach from $13.6 million in 1920 to $89 million in 1929. However, the boom ended with the Great Depression. The devastating Okeechobee hurricane of 1928 further strained the region, causing catastrophic flooding and over 2,500 deaths, primarily among Black migrant workers. This tragedy led to the construction of the Herbert Hoover Dike to prevent future disasters.

During World War II, Morrison Field (now Palm Beach International Airport) became a military base, training thousands of servicemen. After the war, many veterans returned to the area, fueling growth. The county continued to expand into the 21st century, attracting workers, retirees, and tourists.

The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) is not native to Florida or anywhere else in the United States. Its presence in Palm Beach County dates back to 1878 when the Spanish ship Providencia wrecked near what is now Mar-a-Lago while traveling from Havana to Cádiz, Spain, carrying a cargo of coconuts. The ship ran aground close to shore, and some speculate it may have been deliberately grounded for an insurance payout. The salvaged coconuts, far too many to consume, were planted across the area, eventually sprouting into a thriving grove of palm trees on what was later named Palm Beach.

Today, Palm Beach County remains a dynamic and diverse region, blending rich history, economic strength, and natural beauty.