UWPB: US West Palm Beach
UWPB: Urban West Palm Beach
UWPB: uninhabited West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, also known as West Palm, is a city in Palm Beach County,
Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the incorporated part of the city had a
total population of 82,103 but, according to the University of Florida's 2006
estimates, the incorporated city had a population of 107,617.
It is the county seat of Palm Beach CountyGR6, the northernmost county in the
South Florida metropolitan area. The West Palm Beach designated market area,
which includes all of Palm Beach County as well as nearby Martin, St. Lucie,
Okeechobee and Indian River Counties has a total population of 1,771,940.
According to the 2006 Morgan Quinto Poll, West Palm Beach is the 14th most
dangerous city in the United States.
Geography and Climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, this city has a total area of
150.7 km˛ (58.2 mi˛). 142.8 km˛ (55.1 mi˛) of it is land and 7.9 km˛ (3.1 mi˛)
of it (5.26%) is water.
Due to vast areas of swampland immediately to the west of the city's downtown,
growth occurred to the north and south in a linear fashion. Until the 1960s, the
city was no more than several blocks wide but over 100 blocks in length. Large
scale development finally occurred to the west of the city 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 that serves as a reservoir for the city drinking
supply.
Climate
The climate in West Palm Beach is tropical, with some discernible seasons,
although not in the temperate climate sense. The brief, mild winters (December
to early March) are noticeably cooler than the humid, tropical summers with low
temperatures frequently dipping into the 40s F (5-9 C) and more rarely the 30s F
(1-4 C), and on extremely rare occasions below freezing. High temperatures
typically range from 65 to 82 F (18 - 28 C), although during cold spells high
temperatures can remain in the 50s F (10 - 15 C). The lowest temperature ever
recorded in the city was 27 F (-2.8 C) on January 19, 1977, a date which also
recorded measurable snow; and January 20, 1985 which was accompanied by a heavy
frost. Other notable freezes which damaged the area's lucrative winter vegetable
industry occurred in 1983, 1989, 1997 and 2006.
The sixth months of summer (May through October) are hot and humid although
easterly winds off the Atlantic and afternoon thunderstorms from the interior
tend to temper the heat on a day to day basis during this period. Daily high
temperatures consistently range between 86 - 92 F (30 - 33 C) between early June
and late September. The heat index or humidex consistently measures between 90 -
102 F (32 - 38 C) during this period. Low temperatures average between 72 - 81 F
(22 - 27 C) during this period. A record high of 100 F (37.8 C) was recorded in
June, 1921.
The transitional months, November, March and April, are typically dry and warm
with temperatures ranging from 55 F to 85 F (12 C - 28 C), although there can be
short periods of quite cool weather in March and late November. Hurricane season
is officially from June 1 through November 30, with the peak months being
August, September and October. The city has received direct or near direct hits
from hurricanes in 1928, 1949, 1979, 1992, 2004, and 2005.
Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High °F 89 90 94 99 96 98 101 98 97 95 91 90
Norm High °F 75.1 76.3 79.2 82.1 85.9 88.5 90.1 90.1 88.7 85 80.4 76.4
Norm Low °F 57.3 58.2 61.9 65.4 70.5 73.8 75 75.4 74.7 71.2 65.8 60.1
Rec Low °F 27 32 30 43 51 61 66 65 66 46 36 28
Precip (in) 3.75 2.55 3.68 3.57 5.39 7.58 5.97 6.65 8.1 5.46 5.55 3.14
Source: USTravelWeather.com
Areas surrounding West Palm Beach
Much of the urban area directly west of the city, which includes areas such as
Westgate, Belvedere Estates, Lakeside Green, Century Village, Golden Lakes
Estates, Lake Patrick, Bahama Heights and Drexel Park, to name a few, is not
officially within the boundaries of West Palm Beach, these areas possess a "West
Palm Beach" address. Urban services, such as police, fire, parks and water and
sewer are provided by Palm Beach County in these areas.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 82,103 people, 34,769 households, and
18,253 families residing in the city. The population density was 574.9/km˛
(1,488.9/mi˛). There were 40,461 housing units at an average density of
283.3/km˛ (733.8/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city was 58.09% White, 32.21%
African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.46% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander,
4.35% from other races, and 3.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of
any race were 18.21% of the population.
There were 34,769 households out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 34.3% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 47.5% were non-families. 37.6% of all
households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who
was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the
average family size was 3.02.
In the city, 21.3% of the population is under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24,
31.5% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or
older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,774, and the median income
for a family was $42,074. Males had a median income of $30,221 versus $26,473
for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,188. About 20.5% of
families and 23.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including
29.2% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.L
Languages
As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 72.49% of all
residents, while Spanish made up 17.71%, French Creole was at 4.46%, and French
made up 1.27% of the population.
History
The West 500 block of Clematis Street has been designated the Clematis Street
Historic Commercial District.The city was founded by Henry Flagler in 1894, as a
community to house the servants working in the two grand hotels on the
neighboring island of Palm Beach, across Lake Worth. The original spelling was "Westpalmbeach",
but it was feared that the 13-letter word would be an ominous omen for the
fledgling community. During the 1920s, the city grew rapidly during the Florida
land boom, during which many historic structures and neighborhoods were built.
The city quickly declined thereafter, however, due to hurricanes in 1926 and
1928, and the Great Depression.
In the 1960s, Palm Beach County’s first enclosed shopping mall, the Palm Beach
Mall, and an indoor arena were completed. These projects led to a minor revival
for the city. However, West Palm Beach declined again a decade later. Crime was
a serious issue due to racial tensions and high vacancy rates. But following the
1970s, the city has undergone a renaissance as newcomers have rediscovered the
city's historic areas, graceful new high-rises including Donald Trump's elegant
“Trump Plaza”, and a resurgent downtown entertainment and shopping district
called CityPlace. Clematis Street, West Palm Beach's historic shopping venue,
concerned about competition from the new entertainment district, underwent an
extensive renovation. It is now home to Clematis by Night, an outdoor event held
on the street with live music and food. Clematis Street and CityPlace are the
centers of West Palm Beach's nightlife.
Today West Palm Beach is once again a growing city. New residential buildings
are common downtown, and an increasing number are being built. Once dilapidated
single family homes are being renovated in many neighborhoods to accommodate the
city's growing population. The city recently built a new convention center. A
new downtown library and city hall funded by bonds are currently being built;
completion is expected in the spring of 2009. Vacation-goers are increasingly
attracted to West Palm Beach as a quieter, less frenetic alternative to the
larger cities of South Florida.
Neighborhoods/Communities
Andros Isle
Bay Winds
Bear Island
Bear Lakes Estates North
Brelsford Park
Briar Bay
Bridgeport at Bay Winds
Broadway
Central Park
Downtown/Downtown Neighborhoods
Echo Lake
Egret at Bay Winds
El Cid
Estates at Bay Winds
Flamingo Park
Foxhall
Freshwater Lakes
Grandview Heights
Harbour at Bay Winds
Ibis
Ironhorse
Lake Mangonia
Lakes of Laguna
Lakes of Laguna at Catalina
Liberty Bay at Briar Bay
Liberty Isles at Briar Bay
Mango Promenade
Monceaux
North Shore
North Tamarind
Northboro Park
Northend
Northwest
Northwood
Northwood Estates
Northwood Gardens
Northwood Harbor
Northwood Hills
Northwood Pines
Northwood Renaissance
Northwood Shores
Old Northwood
Palm Beach Lakes
Palm Beach Lakes South
Palm Club Village
Parker Ridge
Parliament Golf Villas
Pelican at Bay Winds
Pineapple Park
Pinewood
Pinewood Park
Pleasant City
Poinciana Park
Presidential Estates
Presidential Way
Progressive Northwest
Prospect Park
Prospect Heights
Providencia Park
Regatta Cove at Bay Winds
Riverwalk of the Palm Beaches
Roosevelt Estates
Roosevelt Estates-North
Sail Harbor at Briar Bay
Sapphire at Bay Winds
Sandalwood Lakes
South Dixie Antique Row
South End
Southland Park
Southside Business
Southside Neighborhood
Southwest Neighborhood
Spencer Lakes
Sunshine Park
Tamarind/Northwest Business
The Coves at Briar Bay
The Palm Club Village II
The Tides at Briar Bay
Townhouse Court Estates
Vedado (Park)
Villages of Palm Beach Lakes
Waters Edge at Briar Bay
Westfield
Notable residents, past and present
Hank Aaron, All-time home run king. A street is named for him.
Marshall Criser, former president of the University of Florida.
Theresa LePore, former Supervisor of Elections; designer of the butterfly
ballot, which figured prominently in the U.S. presidential election, 2000.
William Harris, former tennis player
Barbara Pariente, former Chief Justice and current Justice of the Florida
Supreme Court.
Dickey Betts, former Allman Brothers Band member.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Catcher for the Atlanta Braves.
David McCampbell, American Naval Aviator during World War II.
George Hamilton, Actor, graduate of Palm Beach High School.
Burt Reynolds, Actor, graduate of Palm Beach High School.
Adrian Rogers, former president Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of
Bellevue Baptist Church
Education
Primary and Secondary Education
Public education is provided and managed by The School District of Palm Beach
County. Their main office is located in unincorporated West Palm Beach.
Post-Secondary Education
The original Palm Beach Junior College building was recently restored and is
being used by Palm Beach Community College.Palm Beach Community College is the
oldest community college in Florida, founded in 1933. The original building
housing Palm Beach Community College is in West Palm Beach, adjacent to the
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. School of the Arts (on the site of the old Palm Beach
High School), and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The
building has been restored and is once again being used by the college. The
Community College now has four campuses in the county, with the main campus
located in neighboring Lake Worth.
Palm Beach Atlantic University is a four-year, private, university with
approximately 3,200 students. The university has grown rapidly in the past ten
years, and future growth is expected to continue. The expanding waterfront
campus is located on seven blocks within the south end of downtown, and includes
several historic structures converted to academic use.
Northwood University is a four year private business college offering bachelor
and graduate degrees. The campus is located in the northwest part of the city.
Libraries
West Palm Beach’s public library sits on the end of Clematis Street. Prior to
the library's construction in the 1960s, this site was a park - this gave a
waterfront view to the famed Clematis Street. The city will later move the
library a few blocks west (to the site of the D+D building) and again reopen
this area as a park.
The Palm Beach County Library System’s main library is on Summit Boulevard just
outside the city limits.
Attractions
Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park
Controversies and crime
During the past two years, West Palm Beach has experience a surge in political
corruption scandals. Most recently Former City Commissioner Jim Exline was
sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for not reporting to the IRS a $50,000
payment from a developer and then funneling it through a jewelry store. Not long
before, the County Commissioner of Palm Beach County, Tony Masilotti, pled
guilty to Federal charges stemming from corrupt land deals.
In 1993, West Palm Beach was featured in a 60 Minutes segment on urban decay. At
the time, 80% of downtown properties were vacant. Since then, the city has done
much to improve its image, at least in the physical sense. Occupancy is high,
and housing prices have risen rapidly. However, crime remains a serious issue.
Annual crime rates are always more than three times the national average and
West Palm Beach consistently ranks as one of the nation's 100 most dangerous
cities. However, as of 2006, the city's crime average has been gradually
decreasing while robbery was up 17 per cent.
Morgan Quitno lists West Palm Beach as ranking as the 14th most dangerous city
by population in the United States. However, some may argue that the crime data
concerning West Palm Beach is unfairly skewed because it does not take into
account the much larger unincorporated area adjacent to the city, which has a
much lower crime rate than the incorporated area. Even the troubled
neighborhoods within the incorporated parts of the city are isolated
geographically and largely avoided by the general public.
West Palm Beach was the focal point of a controversy regarding voting
irregularities that some claim may have affected the outcome of the U.S.
presidential election, 2000.
Transportation
The historic Seaboard Air Line station serves Amtrak and Tri-RailAir: The city
is served by Palm Beach International Airport, located in unincorporated West
Palm Beach. The airport also attracts people from all over the county as well as
from the Treasure Coast counties to the north.
Highways: US Highway 1 passes though the city’s downtown, commercial, and
industrial districts. Interstate 95 bisects the city from north to south with
several interchanges serving West Palm Beach. Florida's Turnpike passes through
West Palm Beach further west. State Road 80, running east-west, is currently
being converted from a surface artery to a partial expressway, which will run
from Interstate 95 to State Road 7.
Rail: Amtrak and the Tri-Rail commuter rail system serves the city from a
historical station located on the west side of Tamarind Avenue, just east of
I-95. CSX Transportation and the Florida East Coast Railway also serve the city.
Bus: Greyhound Lines operates scheduled intercity bus service out of the train
station on the west side of Tamarind Avenue. Palm Tran, the Palm Beach County
municipal bus service, operates scheduled service throughout the city. A
city-operated trolley-style shuttle bus also offers complimentary transportation
between Clematis Street and Cityplace.
Media
See also: List of radio stations in Florida
See also: List of TV stations in Florida
West Palm Beach is served by The Palm Beach Post, which has the 57th highest
daily circulation in the country, according to the 2007 BurrellesLuce survey,
and is the city's sole daily newspaper. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, based in
nearby Fort Lauderdale, is increasing its coverage of the area, reporting local
news in Palm Beach County. West Palm Beach, along with Fort Lauderdale, is
served by an alternative weekly publication called New Times Broward-Palm Beach.
West Palm Beach is ranked as the 38th largest television market in the country
by Nielsen Media Research. The market is served by stations affiliated with
major American networks including WPTV/5 (NBC), WPBF/25 (ABC), WFLX/29 (FOX),
WPEC/12(CBS), WTVX/34 (CW), and WXEL/42 (PBS).
Contact Information
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