# West Palm Beach, Florida
**West Palm Beach** is a city in [Palm Beach County, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/palm-beach-county-florida), and the county seat, located on the mainland shore of the Lake Worth Lagoon across the [Intracoastal Waterway](https://www.edgepedia.org/intracoastal-waterway) from the town of Palm Beach. It is the largest city in the county and one of the three main cities of [South Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-florida), with an estimated population of 127,189 as of July 1, 2025.[1](https://www.wpb.org/Our-City/History) • [2](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/westpalmbeachcityflorida/PST045225)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Incorporated | November 5, 1894, two years before Miami; about 1,000 residents in 1895[1](https://www.wpb.org/Our-City/History) |
| Population | 117,415 at the 2020 census; 127,189 estimated July 1, 2025, an 8.4% increase[2](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/westpalmbeachcityflorida/PST045225) |
| Land area | 53.82 square miles (2020); density 2,181.7 people per square mile[2](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/westpalmbeachcityflorida/PST045225) |
| Income and housing | Median household income $73,446 (2020–2024, in 2024 dollars); median gross rent $1,772; median owner-occupied home value $414,200[2](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/westpalmbeachcityflorida/PST045225) |
| County role | County seat of Palm Beach County and its largest city[1](https://www.wpb.org/Our-City/History) |
| Rail | Brightline station at 260 Quadrille Plaza Drive, downtown, on the Miami–Orlando line[3](https://www.gobrightline.com/train-stations/fl/west-palm-beach) |
| Airport | Palm Beach International Airport was renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 9, 2026[4](https://apnews.com/article/ab184b710cac13b1555255140ef6b4d5) |
## History
The city began as a service town for the resort island next door. Henry Morrison Flagler, the railroad magnate and [Standard Oil](https://www.edgepedia.org/standard-oil) partner, first visited the Lake Worth region in 1893 and laid out a 48-block town site in August 1893 to house the workers who would staff his hotels across the lagoon in Palm Beach.[5](https://education.pbchistory.org/pbc_community/west-palm-beach/) • [6](https://getengagedwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/final-2017-cwpb-complete-budget-book.pdf) The city was incorporated on November 5, 1894, two years before Miami, and counted about 1,000 residents in 1895.[1](https://www.wpb.org/Our-City/History)
The 1920s brought a surge of platted neighborhoods, speculative housing, and bungalow construction for new arrivals, until investor worry in 1926, material shortages, the 1928 hurricane, and the [Great Depression](https://www.edgepedia.org/great-depression) ended the boom.[7](https://www.wpb.org/Departments/Development-Services/Planning-Division/Historic-Preservation/WPB-Historic-Preservation) During World War II the city served as a military training site, and thousands of servicemen moved through its airport, the modern-day [Palm Beach International Airport](https://www.edgepedia.org/palm-beach-international-airport).[1](https://www.wpb.org/Our-City/History) • [8](https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/record/20333/files/FI15031315_West_Palm_Beach.pdf) Florida's first junior college, Palm Beach Junior College, opened in 1933.[1](https://www.wpb.org/Our-City/History)
## Geography and demographics
The city covers 53.82 square miles of land and sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, separated from the barrier island town of Palm Beach by the Intracoastal Waterway.[2](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/westpalmbeachcityflorida/PST045225) • [9](https://www.visitflorida.com/places-to-go/southeast/west-palm-beach/) Population grew from 99,919 in 2010 to 117,415 in 2020 and an estimated 127,189 by mid-2025, an 8.4% rise over the 2020 base.[2](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/westpalmbeachcityflorida/PST045225)
The 2020–2024 [American Community Survey](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-community-survey) period shows a diverse population: 32.8% Black alone, 24.6% Hispanic or Latino, 36.2% White alone not Hispanic or Latino, and 17.8% two or more races; 28.2% of residents are foreign born, and 31.3% of households speak a language other than English at home.[2](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/westpalmbeachcityflorida/PST045225) Median household income is $73,446, with 14.1% of residents in poverty.[2](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/westpalmbeachcityflorida/PST045225)
## Economy and development
West Palm Beach is a regional center of commerce and government.[1](https://www.wpb.org/Our-City/History) The city has absorbed roughly $2.1 billion in new development investment since 2022, according to city planning department data.[10](https://dailywestpalmbeach.news/article/property-westpalmbeach-20260709-bc20e2239a34?lang=en) Corporate arrivals include [ServiceNow](https://www.edgepedia.org/servicenow), the California-based enterprise AI company, which announced a new regional headquarters and AI institute in the city for 2028.[11](https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2025/10/21/miami-business-relocation-2025) [The Breakers](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-breakers) resort began demolition for a major expansion to build an entertainment center set to open in 2028.[12](https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2026/06/03/whats-going-up-large-scale-development-in-miami-gardens)
**Growth and its limits.** The pace of building has become the city's central civic argument. A citizen group has called for a two-year pause on new major development requests, and trackers of the city's pipeline counted dozens of projects already approved or under construction.[13](https://www.wpbf.com/article/west-palm-beach-development-projects-building-boom-67-projects-florida/73428531) In July 2026 Mayor Keith James paused work on the city's proposed Downtown Master Plan and created a resident-led committee after weeks of public concern over transparency, infrastructure, and the speed of growth.[14](https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-west-palm-beach-mayor-downtown-master-plan-growth-concerns/71858541) That September, after public outcry, the city withdrew its proposal to allow 25-story buildings along the downtown waterfront; 21 community meetings on the downtown update had been held between January 2025 and May 2026.[15](https://www.wlrn.org/development/2026-09-08/high-rise-waterfront-buildings-axed-from-west-palms-downtown-proposal) The Planning Board then unanimously recommended approval of comprehensive-plan amendments that keep the 25-story incentives off most of Flagler Drive while shifting growth capacity inland.[16](https://www.wpbnewconstruction.com/updates/west-palm-downtown-plan-six-million-square-feet-growth-2026-09-23/)
Housing affordability is a persistent constraint. The city's Consolidated Plan reports a shortage of affordable and available units for households earning less than 80% of area median income, with the greatest need below 30% of AMI, and residents identified affordable housing as their highest priority in outreach.[17](https://www.wpb.org/files/assets/city/v/1/housing/documents/west-palm-beach-con-plan-public-display-pdf-7.3.25.pdf) Palm Beach County's Housing Action Plan states plainly that the county has an affordable and workforce housing crisis.[18](https://westgatecra.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/September-15-2025-CRA-Board-Meeting-Agenda-Packet-1.pdf)
## Transportation
The [Brightline](https://www.edgepedia.org/brightline) passenger rail line stops downtown at 260 Quadrille Plaza Drive, connecting the city to Miami and Orlando; the station opens daily at 5:20 AM until the last train.[3](https://www.gobrightline.com/train-stations/fl/west-palm-beach) Tri-Rail commuter service also serves the city, with a free Palm Tran Route 2 connection to the airport.[19](https://www.tri-rail.com/stations/west-palm-beach) The city's airport, long known as Palm Beach International Airport, was officially renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 9, 2026; the Trump family regularly uses it when visiting the [Mar-a-Lago](https://www.edgepedia.org/mar-a-lago) estate in nearby Palm Beach, and a stretch of Southern Boulevard from the airport to the estate had earlier been ceremonially renamed.[4](https://apnews.com/article/ab184b710cac13b1555255140ef6b4d5) • [20](https://apnews.com/article/2884284f0a538fc2649f474c90a0fd90)
The rail line runs through dense urban fabric. In the 65 miles between West Palm Beach and Miami there are 174 grade crossings, a density Eric Dumbaugh, a professor of urban and regional planning at [Florida Atlantic University](https://www.edgepedia.org/florida-atlantic-university), describes as nationally unusual and a factor in pedestrian and driver fatalities.[21](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2025/10/brightline-train-florida/684624/)
## Culture and attractions
Downtown is organized around four retail and entertainment districts: Clematis Street, The Square (formerly CityPlace), Northwood Village, and Antique Row, the last considered by many in the trade the antique design center of Florida.[9](https://www.visitflorida.com/places-to-go/southeast/west-palm-beach/) • [22](https://discover.pbc.gov/touristdevelopment/PDF/CSL_Palm_Beach_County_Convention_District_Expansion_-_Final_Report-9.11.2020.pdf) Cultural anchors include the Norton Museum of Art, with European, American, Chinese, and contemporary collections; the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts; the Palm Beach Zoo; and the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens and Flagler Museum.[1](https://www.wpb.org/Our-City/History) • [9](https://www.visitflorida.com/places-to-go/southeast/west-palm-beach/) Annual events include SunFest, a waterfront music and art festival held each May, and the Palm Beach International Boat Show.[9](https://www.visitflorida.com/places-to-go/southeast/west-palm-beach/) On the city's western edge, Grassy Waters Everglades Preserve offers hiking and views of the [Everglades](https://www.edgepedia.org/everglades).[1](https://www.wpb.org/Our-City/History)
## Recent changes
Two 2026 decisions show how the city's growth debate extends beyond its borders. On July 15, 2026, after a meeting of more than 12 hours, Palm Beach County commissioners voted 5-1 to deny the Project Tango AI data center, a proposal for 3.6 million square feet of development; the landowner, PBA Holdings, filed an appeal under the Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act.[23](https://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/loxahatchee-acreage/palm-beach-county-commissioners-to-vote-on-controversial-project-tango-ai-data-center-near-arden) • [24](https://stetnews.org/2026/08/18/project-tango-appeal/) In October 2026, President Trump proposed developing his private golf course in West Palm Beach into a [Camp David](https://www.edgepedia.org/camp-david)-style presidential retreat, with the plan already submitted to local officials.[25](https://apnews.com/article/205be0a595a3b716532956dc65791552)
## References
1. [History, City of West Palm Beach](https://www.wpb.org/Our-City/History)
2. [U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: West Palm Beach city, Florida](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/westpalmbeachcityflorida/PST045225)
3. [Brightline West Palm Beach Station](https://www.gobrightline.com/train-stations/fl/west-palm-beach)
4. [South Florida's Palm Beach airport renamed President Donald J. Trump International, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/ab184b710cac13b1555255140ef6b4d5)
5. [West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County History Online](https://education.pbchistory.org/pbc_community/west-palm-beach/)
6. [City of West Palm Beach Budget Book, Chapter 1: Introduction](https://getengagedwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/final-2017-cwpb-complete-budget-book.pdf)
7. [WPB & Historic Preservation, City of West Palm Beach](https://www.wpb.org/Departments/Development-Services/Planning-Division/Historic-Preservation/WPB-Historic-Preservation)
8. [Community Background Report, Florida International University](https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/record/20333/files/FI15031315_West_Palm_Beach.pdf)
9. [West Palm Beach, Florida, VISIT FLORIDA](https://www.visitflorida.com/places-to-go/southeast/west-palm-beach/)
10. [City Commission Greenlights 28-Story Mixed-Use Tower on Clematis Street Corridor, The Daily West Palm Beach](https://dailywestpalmbeach.news/article/property-westpalmbeach-20260709-bc20e2239a34?lang=en)
11. [Companies that announced South Florida relocations in 2025, Axios Miami](https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2025/10/21/miami-business-relocation-2025)
12. [What's going up: Large scale development in Miami Gardens, Axios Miami](https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2026/06/03/whats-going-up-large-scale-development-in-miami-gardens)
13. [West Palm Beach building boom: Dozens of projects already under construction or approved, WPBF](https://www.wpbf.com/article/west-palm-beach-development-projects-building-boom-67-projects-florida/73428531)
14. [West Palm Beach mayor pauses Downtown Master Plan, proposes resident committee, WPBF](https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-west-palm-beach-mayor-downtown-master-plan-growth-concerns/71858541)
15. [High rise waterfront buildings axed from West Palm's downtown proposal, WLRN](https://www.wlrn.org/development/2026-09-08/high-rise-waterfront-buildings-axed-from-west-palms-downtown-proposal)
16. [West Palm's Waterfront Towers Are Gone. Six Million Square Feet of Growth Is Not., WPB Updates](https://www.wpbnewconstruction.com/updates/west-palm-downtown-plan-six-million-square-feet-growth-2026-09-23/)
17. [City of West Palm Beach Consolidated Plan (public display)](https://www.wpb.org/files/assets/city/v/1/housing/documents/west-palm-beach-con-plan-public-display-pdf-7.3.25.pdf)
18. [Westgate CRA Board Meeting Agenda Packet, September 15, 2025](https://westgatecra.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/September-15-2025-CRA-Board-Meeting-Agenda-Packet-1.pdf)
19. [Tri-Rail West Palm Beach Station, South Florida Regional Transportation Authority](https://www.tri-rail.com/stations/west-palm-beach)
20. [Section of South Florida roadway could be renamed 'President Donald J. Trump Boulevard', AP News](https://apnews.com/article/2884284f0a538fc2649f474c90a0fd90)
21. [A 'Death Train' Is Haunting South Florida, The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2025/10/brightline-train-florida/684624/)
22. [Palm Beach County Convention District Expansion Final Report](https://discover.pbc.gov/touristdevelopment/PDF/CSL_Palm_Beach_County_Convention_District_Expansion_-_Final_Report-9.11.2020.pdf)
23. [Palm Beach County commissioners vote against the 'Project Tango' AI data center, WPTV](https://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/loxahatchee-acreage/palm-beach-county-commissioners-to-vote-on-controversial-project-tango-ai-data-center-near-arden)
24. [Project Tango appeal, Stet News](https://stetnews.org/2026/08/18/project-tango-appeal/)
25. [Trump proposes Camp David-style presidential retreat at his private Florida golf club, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/205be0a595a3b716532956dc65791552)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Places and geography › Settlements and neighborhoods › Cities and towns › Cities, towns, and villages of the Americas › Cities and towns in the South Atlantic › Cities and towns in Florida*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license