About Palm Beach

Palm Beach is an upscale incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth. As of 2000, Palm Beach had a year-round population of 10,468, with an estimated seasonal population of 30,000. As of 2004, the year-round population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 9,860.

History

Palm Beach was established as a resort by Henry Morrison Flagler, a founder of Standard Oil, who made the Atlantic coast barrier island accessible via his Florida East Coast Railway. The nucleus of the community was established by Flagler's two luxury resort hotels, the Royal Poinciana Hotel and The Breakers Hotel. West Palm Beach was built across Lake Worth as a service town, and has become a major city in its own right.
Flagler's houselots were bought by the beneficiaries of the Gilded Age, and in 1902 Flagler himself built a Beaux-Arts mansion, Whitehall, designed by the New York-based firm Carrère and Hastings and helped establish the Palm Beach winter "season" by constant entertaining. The town was incorporated on April 17, 1911.

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Geography

Palm Beach is the easternmost town in Florida, located on a 16-mile (26 km) long barrier island.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.0 km² (10.4 mi²). 10.2 km² (3.9 mi²) of it is land and 16.9 km² (6.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 62.45% water.

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Demographics

As of the 2000 census, over half the population (52.6%) are 65 years of age or older, with a median age of 67 years. 9.4% are under the age of 18, 1.5% are from 18 to 24, 11.5% are from 25 to 44, and 25.0% from 45 to 64. For every 100 females there are 79.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 77.0 males.

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