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110-498: Prior to 1990, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office helicopters were used for air transport of critically ill and injured patients to area hospitals. With Palm Beach County's population rapidly growing, it was evident that a formal countywide Trauma System was necessary. In November 1990, the Trauma Hawk Aero-Medical Transport Program was established with the purchase of a Bell 412 helicopter. The mission of

220-440: A tropical monsoon climate ( Köppen climate classification , Am ). The South Florida metropolis sees most of its rain in the summer (wet season) and is quite dry in the winter (dry season). The wet season, which is hot and humid, lasts from May to October, when daily thunderstorms and passing weak tropical lows bring downpours during the late afternoon. The dry season often starts in late October and runs through late April. During

330-605: A 2020 population of 6,138,333. The MSA is made up of three "metropolitan divisions" : The MSA is the second most populous metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States and has an area of 6,137 sq. mi (15,890 km ). The original MSA for Miami, as defined by the OMB, included only Dade County (now Miami-Dade County). By 1995, the Miami-Hialeah and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood-Pompano Beach MSAs had been merged into

440-588: A category-2 hurricane. With wind gusts in Palm Beach County peaking at 91 mph (146 km/h), the storm inflicted structural damage on about 15,000 houses and 2,400 businesses. Six deaths occurred in the county. Jeanne struck near the same location as a category-3 hurricane on September 26, 2004. The storm also brought strong winds, with an official wind gust of 94 mph (151 km/h). About 4,160 homes were damaged and 60 were destroyed. Jeanne left about $ 260 million in damage in

550-468: A deliberate grounding so as to obtain an insurance payout has been proposed. The coconuts were salvaged, too many to be eaten, and thousands were planted. A lush grove of palm trees soon grew on what was later named Palm Beach. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 2,383 square miles (6,170 km ), of which 1,970 square miles (5,100 km ) are land and 413 square miles (1,070 km ) (17.3%) are covered by water. It

660-618: A higher margin than Miami-Dade County did. In the 2016 presidential election, 62.3% of voters in the Miami metropolitan area voted Democratic. This was the 6th highest of any metro area in the United States. However, in recent years the area has shifted hard to the Republicans, with former president Donald Trump losing the metro area by 16 points in 2020 compared to losing it by 30 in 2016 (Fueled especially by Miami Dade County shifting 22 points to

770-716: A news bureau in Havana, Cuba. The Palm Beach Post serves mainly Palm Beach County, especially the central and northern regions, and the Treasure Coast . The Boca Raton News publishes five days a week and circulates in southern Palm Beach County. El Nuevo Herald , a subsidiary of the Miami Herald , and Diario Las Americas , are Spanish-language daily papers that circulate mainly in Miami-Dade County. La Palma and El Sentinel are weekly Spanish newspapers published by

880-425: A population of 23,009, area of 7.21 square miles (18.7 km ) and population density of 3,191.41 inhabitants per square mile (1,232.21/km ). Miami, the largest city in the metropolitan area, had population density of over 10,000/sq mi (more than 3,800/km ) in 2000. The Miami Urbanized Area was the fourth-largest urbanized area in the United States in the 2010 census. The most notable colleges and universities in

990-564: A pre- Great Depression peak of $ 89 million in 1929. The city's population quadrupled between 1920 and 1927. Early on September 17, 1928, the Okeechobee hurricane made landfall near West Palm Beach as a category-4 storm and crossed Lake Okeechobee shortly thereafter. While the hurricane caused catastrophic impact in eastern portions of the county, the Lake Okeechobee region suffered a much heavier loss of life. Wind-driven storm surge in

1100-471: A relatively high percentage of Republican voters for an urban county, due partially to its Cuban-American population, which leans Republican as a result of its anti-communist views, but Miami-Dade County still remains very Democratic when compared with most of Florida's other counties . Despite being more suburban and affluent, Palm Beach County is reliably Democratic as well and in the 2020 presidential election voted for Democratic candidate Joe Biden by

1210-459: A secret blast shelter was built on Peanut Island during his presidency because escalating Cold War tensions. Hurricane David struck near West Palm Beach late on September 3, 1979, with sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h). The storm's winds shattered windows in stores near the coast and caused property damage. A few roofs were torn off, and numerous buildings were flooded from over 6 in (150 mm) of rainfall. Damage in

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1320-673: A significant number of aerospace facilities in the county, operated by United Technologies , Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne , Sikorsky Aircraft , General Dynamics , Lockheed Martin , and B/E Aerospace . Many of these companies rank among the top 100 employers for the county. The largest employer in Palm Beach County is the School District of Palm Beach County , with 27,168 employees, including more than 12,800 teachers. Previously W. R. Grace and Company had its headquarters in unincorporated Palm Beach County, near Boca Raton , employing about 130 staff. On January 27, 2011, it announced it

1430-485: A unique dialect, commonly called the Miami dialect, is widely spoken. The dialect developed among second- or third-generation Hispanics , including Cuban-Americans , whose first language was English , though some non-Hispanic white , black , and other races who were born and raised in Miami-Dade tend to adopt it as well. It is based on a fairly standard American accent but with some changes very similar to dialects in

1540-640: Is a coastal metropolitan area in southeastern Florida . It is the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States , and the largest metropolitan area in Florida. It is also known as South Florida , SoFlo , SoFla , the Gold Coast , Southeast Florida , the Tri-County Area , or Greater Miami , and officially as

1650-468: Is about 100 miles (160 km) long (north to south) and at most 20 miles (32 km) east to west; in some areas, its east to west width is only 5 miles (8 km). The Miami metropolitan statistical area is the second-longest urbanized area in the United States behind the New York metropolitan area . It was the eighth-most densely populated urbanized area in the United States as of the 2000 census. As of

1760-488: Is also statistically the most likely major area to be struck by a hurricane in the world, trailed closely by Nassau, Bahamas , and Havana , Cuba. Many hurricanes have affected the metropolis, including Betsy in 1965, Andrew in 1992, Irene in 1999, Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma in 2005, and Irma in 2017. In addition, a tropical depression in October 2000 passed over the city, causing record rainfall and flooding. Locally,

1870-532: Is composed of roughly 4,200 employees, including approximately 1,600 sworn law enforcement personnel, 700 sworn corrections personnel, 1,900 civilian personnel and 1,800 volunteers. The annual operating budget for the PBSO is more than $ 800 million, as of 2023. Ric Bradshaw has been sheriff for Palm Beach County since 2005. There are two jail facilities operated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. One

1980-592: Is in Belle Glade, called the West Detention Center, which houses all custody levels from minimum to maximum security. At any one time it can contain up to 991 inmates (total bed capacity), with a staff of 188. The facility has a video visitation program which allows families to communicate with inmates remotely. The largest jail is the Main Detention Center. Three towers - South, East, and West, make up

2090-684: Is much less common in Broward County and Palm Beach County , where the majority of the population is non-Hispanic. Greater Miami is served by several English-language and two major Spanish-language daily newspapers. The Miami Herald , headquartered in Doral , is Miami's primary newspaper with over a million readers. It also has news bureaus in Broward County , Monroe County , and Nassau, Bahamas . The South Florida Sun-Sentinel circulates primarily in Broward and southern Palm Beach counties and also has

2200-576: Is not native to Florida (nor anywhere else in the United States). Its presence in what is today Palm Beach County is due to the shipwreck of the Spanish ship Providencia in 1878, near today's Mar-a-Lago . It was traveling from Havana to Cádiz, Spain with a cargo of coconuts. The shipwreck was within walking distance of the shore—the Florida State Archives conserves a picture of a painting —and

2310-721: Is one of the three counties that make up the Miami metropolitan area , which was home to 6.14 million people in 2020. The area has been increasing in population since the late 19th century, with the incorporation of West Palm Beach in 1894 and after Henry Flagler extended the Florida East Coast Railway and built the Royal Poinciana Hotel , The Breakers , and Whitehall . In 1928, the Okeechobee hurricane struck Palm Beach County and caused thousands of deaths. More recently,

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2420-574: Is part of the larger South Florida region of the state, which also includes the Everglades and the Florida Keys . With 1,279.2 sq mi (3,313 km ) of urban landmass , the Miami metropolitan area also is one of the world's most populous urban agglomerations . South Florida is largely confined to a strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and Everglades , and Miami's urbanized area

2530-513: Is requested to respond, the Traumahawks are referred to as "Traumahawk 1" or "Traumahawk 2". They receive pages and alerts just like every other fire station in the county. When Fire-Rescue arrives on the scene (vehicle accident, misc. traumatic injury, fall, etc.), Paramedics will assess the situation, and request that the Traumahawk be dispatched to the scene, via portable radios. In some cases,

2640-469: Is significant tropical agricultural production, especially nurseries , truck crops (vegetables), and sugar cane . Palm Beach County has been called the "Winter Vegetable Capital" of the nation. Around 12,000 years ago, Native Americans began migrating into Florida. An estimated 20,000 Native Americans lived in South Florida when the Spanish arrived. Their population diminished significantly by

2750-772: Is split into two separate television/radio markets: The Miami-Fort Lauderdale market serves Miami-Dade, Broward and the Florida Keys. The West Palm Beach market serves Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast region. Miami-Fort Lauderdale is the 12th largest radio market and the 16th-largest television market in the U.S. television stations serving the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area include WAMI-TV ( UniMas ), WBFS-TV ( The CW ), WSFL-TV ( Independent ), WFOR-TV ( CBS ), WHFT-TV ( TBN ), WLTV ( Univision ), WPLG ( ABC ), WPXM ( ION ), WSCV ( Telemundo ), WSVN ( FOX ), WTVJ ( NBC ), WLRN-TV ( PBS ), and WPBT (also PBS),

2860-488: Is the seventh-most populous county in the United States . Miami is the region's financial and cultural core and most populous city. Other principal cities , as defined by the Office of Management and Budget , include Fort Lauderdale , West Palm Beach , Pompano Beach , Boca Raton , Sunrise , Deerfield Beach , Miami Beach , Kendall , Doral , Delray Beach , Jupiter , and Palm Beach Gardens . The Miami metropolitan area

2970-438: Is the 4th-largest in Florida and the 11th-largest in the United States. Broward County Public School District is the 6th-largest in the United States. The University of Miami is one of the top-ranked private research institutions in the United States, and has the most selective admissions standards of Florida's 171 colleges and universities. As of 2023 , Florida International University , with over 55,000 enrolled students,

3080-463: Is the second-largest county in Florida by land area and third-largest by total area. Much of the water is the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Okeechobee . The county has an estimated 526,000 acres (213,000 ha) of farmland. The eastern third of Palm Beach County is highly urbanized, while the central and western portions of the county are suburban or rural. Palm Beach County is one of three counties in

3190-463: The 21st district , Lois Frankel of the 22nd district , and Jared Moskowitz of the 23rd district . Nine districts of the Florida House of Representatives represent parts of Palm Beach County, with the seats held by Kelly Skidmore (D) of 81st district, John Snyder (R) of the 82nd district, Rick Roth (R) of the 85th district, Matt Willhite (D) of the 86th district, David Silvers (D) of

3300-564: The Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Palm Beach County 's annual financial report, Checks & Balances: Your Guide to County Finances. The County collected $ 1.1 billion in property tax revenue in FY 2018, an increase of 6 percent over the previous year. Sales tax collections rose to $ 175.8 million, marking the eighth consecutive year of growth. Revenue from Tourist Development Tax receipts

3410-766: The Cook Partisan Voting Index listed four as being Republican-leaning: the 18th, 25th, 26th, and 27th, with the 25th being the most Republican-leaning at R+5, and five as being Democratic-leaning: the 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, with the 24th being the most Democratic-leaning at D+34, making it the ninth-most Democratic-leaning district in the nation. Among those employed in the Miami metropolitan area, 32% were management, professional, and related occupations, 30% were sales and office occupations, 18% were service occupations, 11% were construction, extraction, maintenance and repair occupations, and 9% were production, transportation, and material moving occupations. 81% of

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3520-674: The Florida land boom of the 1920s . Many local historic districts and landmarks listed in the National Register of Historic Places in Palm Beach County were designed and constructed during the 1920s, with the main contributors being architects Maurice Fatio , Addison Mizner , Marion Sims Wyeth , and the firm Harvey and Clarke , which included Gustav Maass . Total property value in West Palm Beach skyrocketed from $ 13.6 million in 1920 to $ 61 million in 1925, before briefly reaching

3630-757: The Jupiter Hammerheads , an affiliate of the Miami Marlins, and the Palm Beach Cardinals , an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Prior to the construction of Roger Dean Stadium, the Montreal Expos and Atlanta Braves held their spring training at Municipal Stadium in West Palm Beach. The West Palm Beach Expos , a Single-A affiliate of the Montreal Expos, also played their games there. The Ballpark of

3740-466: The Miami metropolitan area . However, the county's western communities along Lake Okeechobee, such as Belle Glade , South Bay , and Pahokee , have also been considered more part of the rural Florida Heartland . The Atlantic coastline of Palm Beach County is about 47 mi (76 km) in length. It consists mainly of barrier islands and peninsulas, including Jupiter Island , Singer Island , and Palm Beach Island . These islands are separated from

3850-542: The Miami metropolitan area . It is Florida's third-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and Broward County and the 26th-most populous in the United States , with 1,492,191 residents as of the 2020 census . Its county seat and largest city is West Palm Beach , which had a population of 117,415 as of 2020. Named after one of its oldest settlements, Palm Beach , the county was established in 1909, after being split from Miami-Dade County. The county's modern-day boundaries were established in 1963. Palm Beach County

3960-556: The Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area . With a population of 6.18 million, its population exceeds 31 of the nation's 50 states as of 2023. It comprises the three most populated counties in the state , Miami-Dade County , Broward County , and Palm Beach County , which rank as the first, second, and third-most populous counties in the state, respectively. Miami-Dade County, with 2,701,767 people in 2020,

4070-475: The Mid-Atlantic , especially the New York area dialect , Northern New Jersey English , and New York Latino English . Unlike Virginia Piedmont , Coastal Southern American, and Northeast American dialects and Florida Cracker dialect of the Miami accent is rhotic ; it also incorporates a rhythm and pronunciation heavily influenced by Spanish in which rhythm is syllable-timed . It is possible to differentiate

4180-837: The Palm Beach Outlets , CityPlace , Boynton Beach Mall , The Gardens Mall , Town Center at Boca Raton , The Mall at Wellington Green and Mizner Park . Formerly, the Palm Beach and Cross County Malls operated in the county, though they closed in 1997 and 2010, respectively. The Florida Department of Corrections operates the Glades Correctional Institution in an unincorporated area in Palm Beach County near Belle Glade. Palm Beach County's revenue from property taxes, sales taxes and tourist development taxes reached record levels in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, according to

4290-547: The Palm Beach Post and Sun-Sentinel , respectively, and circulate in the same areas as their English-language counterparts. There are several university student-run newspapers in the area, including The Miami Hurricane at the University of Miami , University Press at Florida Atlantic University , PantherNOW at Florida International University , and The Current at Nova Southeastern University . Greater Miami

4400-735: The Seminoles , the former slaves or descendants of former slaves fought alongside them against white settlers and bounty hunters during the Seminole Wars . Portions of the Second Seminole War occurred in Palm Beach County, including the Battles of the Loxahatchee in 1838. The county's oldest surviving structure, the Jupiter Lighthouse , was built in 1860, after receiving authorization to

4510-776: The Tropic of Cancer and the Caribbean , the area owes its warm, humid climate to the Gulf Stream , which moderates climate year-round. A typical summer day does not see temperatures below 75 °F (24 °C). Temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s (30–35 °C) accompanied by high humidity are often relieved by afternoon thunderstorms or a sea breeze that develops off the Atlantic Ocean, which then allow lower temperatures, although conditions still remain very muggy. During winter, dry air often dominates as dew points are often very low. Average daily high temperatures across South Florida during

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4620-493: The 18th century, due to warfare, enslavement, and diseases from Europe. In 1513, Juan Ponce de León became the first European in modern-day Palm Beach County when he landed at the Jupiter Inlet. Among the first non-Native American residents were African Americans , many of whom were former slaves or immediate descendants of former slaves, arriving in what was then Spanish Florida in the late 17th century. Finding refuge among

4730-462: The 2009 tax year. Politically, metropolitan Miami is strongly Democratic , like most large metropolitan regions in the United States. Broward County is the second-most heavily Democratic county in the state, behind only Gadsden County , which is much smaller. This contrasts with most of the rest of Florida, whose heavier Southern influence and high population of elderly voters makes it a swing or Republican -leaning state. Miami-Dade County has

4840-485: The 2013–14 season. USL Palm Beach is an upcoming American professional soccer team based in Palm Beach County. Founded in 2023, the team plans to make its debut in the USL Championship . The Palm Beach Imperials are an American Basketball Association 2006 expansion franchise. Tourists can visit these attractions and annual events: A number of shopping malls exist throughout Palm Beach County, including

4950-399: The 2020 census, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale urbanized area had a land area of 1,244.18 square miles (3,222.4 km ), with a population of 6,077,522, for a population density of 4,884.78 inhabitants per square mile (1,886.02/km ). The Miami metropolitan area also had one urban cluster (UC) as of the 2020 census, which is not part of the Miami urbanized area. The Belle Glade urban cluster had

5060-458: The 25 electoral votes to Bush, as Harris's tally prior to the state-ordered recounts placed him ahead of Gore by 537 popular votes. In turn, this gave Bush victory in the national election. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, a Federal Bureau of Investigation investigation revealed that 12 of the 19 hijackers trained or resided in Palm Beach County during the months prior to

5170-444: The 31st district. As of 2023, the county has a slight Democratic plurality, with large Republican and independent minorities, respectively. In gubernatorial races, the county had been a stronghold for Democrats, a trend that began in 1990 and continued up until 2022 , when incumbent Republican governor Ron DeSantis won a majority of the vote in the county. Miami metropolitan area The Miami metropolitan area

5280-400: The 40s during the early morning hours before quickly warming-up toward late morning/early afternoon. It is rare for temperatures to drop below 40 °F (4 °C), however, low temperatures at or around 35 °F (2 °C) have occurred some years. South Florida only experiences these cold spells about twice each winter and they typically only last a day or two before temperatures return to

5390-478: The 87th district, Omari Hardy (D) of the 88th district, Mike Caruso (R) of the 89th district, Joseph Casello (D) of the 90th district, and Emily Slosberg (D) of the 91st district. Additionally, the county has four seats in the Florida Senate , which are represented by Gayle Harrell (R) of the 25th district, Tina Polsky (D) of the 29th district, Bobby Powell (D) of the 30th district, and Lori Berman of

5500-686: The Advance Life Support Transport License issued by the State of Florida . The pilots are Health Care District (HCD) employees. To the Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Communications Center (dispatch) , the Traumahawk Hangar is known as "Station 82" . When alerted to standby for an incident, the crews are paged as "TH A" for the primary crew, and "TH B" for the secondary crew; once the aircraft

5610-654: The CSA was defined in 2013, it included the Okeechobee μSA, but not the Key West μSA. In 2018 the Okeechobee μSA was removed from the CSA and the Key West μSA was added. The Okeechobee μSA was re-added to the CSA in 2023. The Miami metropolitan area is frequently named the "Gold Coast" in convention with Florida's other coast regions , including the Space Coast , Treasure Coast , Sun Coast , Nature Coast , Forgotten Coast , Emerald Coast , Fun Coast , and First Coast . Like several of

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5720-524: The Florida Legislature reduced Palm Beach County's share of Lake Okeechobee from about 80 percent to less than 40 percent and divided the lake more equitably among Glades , Hendry , Martin, and Okeechobee counties. A final change to the county's boundaries occurred in 2009, when a small portion of land was given to Broward County. The 1910s and much of the 1920s brought prosperity and rapid population growth to South Florida, coinciding with

5830-417: The Florida judicial district include the state attorney and public defender . All positions are 4-year terms, requiring direct election by voters in presidential election years. Five former county commissioners have been accused or found guilty of corruption from 2006 to 2009. A grand jury recommended a strong inspector general . This position was approved by county voters in 2010. A county judge found that

5940-574: The Health Care District operate two air ambulances in Palm Beach County. The two Sikorsky S76-C+ Trauma Hawk air ambulances are identically equipped helicopters that can carry two patients each and up to four medical attendants if needed. The aircraft are available to respond and provide emergency services to all municipalities throughout Palm Beach County . On special occasions, the Traumahawk will be asked to provide emergency transportation for hospitals, and other Fire-Rescue departments throughout

6050-426: The Miami accent from a variety of interlanguages spoken by second-language speakers. The Miami accent does not generally display addition of /ɛ/ before initial consonant clusters with /s/ , speakers do not confuse of /dʒ/ with /j/ , (e.g., Yale with jail ), and /r/ and /rr/ are pronounced as alveolar approximant [ ɹ ] instead of alveolar tap [ ɾ ] or alveolar trill [r] in Spanish. The Miami accent

6160-408: The Miami area typically represented 40% of household income, compared to 34% nationwide. Property tax increase: In March 2009, Miami area lawmakers passed a 5–10% hike in property tax millage rates throughout the metropolitan area to fund the construction of new schools and to fund understaffed schools and educational institutions, resulting in an increase in residents' property tax bills beginning in

6270-510: The Miami metropolitan area (2014) According to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center , Christianity is the most prevalent religion in the Miami metropolitan area (68%), with 39% professing attendance at a variety of churches that could be considered Protestant and 27% professing Roman Catholic beliefs. Judaism is second (9%), followed by Islam , Buddhism , Hinduism and a variety of other religions have smaller followings; 21% of

6380-440: The Miami metropolitan area include Florida Atlantic University , Florida International University , Nova Southeastern University , and the University of Miami . The region also has three community colleges, Broward College , Miami Dade College , and Palm Beach State College . Some of these institutions, such as Florida International University and Miami Dade College, make up some of the largest institutions of higher learning in

6490-937: The Miami-Fort Lauderdale Consolidated MSA, consisting of the Miami Primary MSA (Dade County) and the Fort Lauderdale Primary MSA (Broward County). In 2003, the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach MSA was merged with the consolidated MSA to form the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area, consisting of: the Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deefield Beach Metropolitan Division (Broward County),

6600-815: The Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall Metropolitan Division (Miami-Dade County), and the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach Metropolitan Division (Palm Beach County). The Census Bureau also defines a wider commercial region based on commuting patterns, the Miami-Port Saint Lucie-Fort Lauderdale Combined Statistical Area (CSA), with a population of 6,887,655 in 2020. As of 2023 , the CSA consists of three component metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and one Micropolitan statistical area (μSA): When

6710-457: The Palm Beaches , opened in February 2017 in West Palm Beach, accommodates both the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros for spring training. Also popular are the Florida Atlantic Owls , an NCAA Division I school that participates in American Athletic Conference . The FAU football team plays at FAU Stadium , and averaged 17,941 fans during the 2017 season. The FAU basketball team plays at FAU Arena , and averaged 1,346 fans during

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6820-476: The United States. The Miami metropolitan area is also known as South Florida , SoFlo , SoFla , the Gold Coast , the Tri-County Area , or Greater Miami , and, for U.S. government statistical purposes, the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2023 , the Miami metropolitan area is defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget as the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), with

6930-407: The aforementioned "butterfly ballot" and the closeness of the statewide results between Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush , the Florida Supreme Court mandated manual recounts in all counties with disputed results. However, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the decision in Bush v. Gore on December 12, allowing Florida Secretary of the State Katherine Harris to award

7040-405: The area for work, vacation, or retirement. The base was closed and became a commercial airport again in 1962. Migration to the county by workers, tourists, and retirees continued into the 21st century. On August 28, 1949, a category-4 hurricane struck Lake Worth Beach with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h), causing considerable damage. Throughout Palm Beach County,

7150-491: The attacks. Later that month, during the anthrax attacks , a letter containing spores of this substance was mailed to the American Media, Inc. building in Boca Raton. Three people were exposed to the anthrax, including Robert Stevens , a photo editor who later died after an infection induced by exposure. Three hurricanes severely impacted Palm Beach County in 2004 and 2005: Frances , Jeanne , and Wilma . On September 5, 2004, Frances made landfall in Martin County as

7260-473: The cause of the Confederacy. After the Civil War ended, the Jupiter Lighthouse was relit in 1866. In October 1873, a hurricane caused a shipwreck between Biscayne Bay and the New River . The crew survived the wreck but nearly died due to starvation because of the desolation of the area. In response, five Houses of Refuge were built along the east coast of Florida from the Fort Pierce Inlet southward to Biscayne Bay. Orange Grove House of Refuge No. 3

7370-471: The center. The largest is the South Tower, constructed in 1993 from concrete and steel at a cost of $ 52 million. The East and West Towers were built in 1983; they now flank the South Tower, completing the Main Detention Center. The Main Detention Center's primary function is to hold high risk inmates, federal inmates, and those inmates who are in need of special medical attention or are otherwise unable to operate at other facilities. The total number of beds at

7480-479: The commissioners is elected County Mayor and one of them is elected Vice Mayor. Commissioners serve staggered terms, and commissioners from Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7 are elected during presidential election years, while the commissioners from Districts 2, 4, and 6 are elected in gubernatorial election years. Elected county officers include a clerk of courts and comptroller, sheriff , property appraiser, tax collector , and supervisor of elections. State officers serving

7590-433: The county acquired national attention during the 2000 presidential election , when a controversial recount occurred . In 2004, Palm Beach County was Florida's wealthiest county, with a per capita personal income of $ 44,518. It leads the state in agricultural productivity; agriculture is Palm Beach County's second-largest industry, after real estate development. In undeveloped (central and western) Palm Beach County there

7700-410: The county reached $ 30 million, most of which was incurred to agriculture. The county became the center of controversy during the 2000 presidential election . Allegedly, the "butterfly ballot" , designed by Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore , led to an unexpectedly large number of votes for Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan , rather than for Democrat Al Gore . Due to

7810-409: The county was $ 33,610. About 8.6% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those aged 65 or over. The St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins conduct their spring training at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter . Two teams in the Class A-Advanced Florida State League also play their home games at Roger Dean Stadium:

7920-595: The county. On October 24, 2005, Hurricane Wilma struck Collier County as a category-3 hurricane. The storm moved northeastward, directly crossing Palm Beach County. Several locations reported hurricane-force winds, including a wind gust of 117 mph (188 km/h) in Belle Glade. Over 90% of Florida Power & Light customers lost electricity. Two deaths occurred in Palm Beach County. The storm inflicted some degree of impact to more than 55,000 homes and 3,600 businesses. Palm Beach County suffered about $ 2.9 billion in damages. In August 2012,

8030-489: The decade also brought an airport to the county. Morrison Field, later renamed the Palm Beach International Airport , opened in 1936. After the U.S. entered World War II , it was converted to an Air Force Base in 1942. During the war, thousands of servicemen arrived in Palm Beach County for training and supporting the war effort. Following the conclusion of World War II, a number of veterans returned to

8140-529: The dispatcher may automatically dispatch Traumahawk based on information that a 9-1-1 caller will give when calling in an emergency. The dispatcher will then page Traumahawk, and a crew will prepare for takeoff. Unless the call meets the criteria for an "auto-fly" (confirmed shooting, multiple calls for a bad vehicle crash, etc.), the crew does not fly until on-scene Paramedics verify the situation to meet either "Trauma Alert", "Cardiac Alert", or "Stroke Alert" criteria, and they are told to do so by Dispatch. Both of

8250-582: The employed population 16 years and older, the leading industries in the Miami area were educational services, health care, and social assistance, which accounted for 18%, and Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services, which accounted for 13% of the population. 79% of Miami area workers drove to work alone in 2005, 10% carpooled, 4% took public transportation, and 4% used other means. The remaining 3% worked at home. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 28.5 minutes to get to work. In Miami-Dade County

8360-473: The establishment of many new businesses. The Royal Poinciana Hotel , constructed by Flagler and his constructed crews to accommodate wealthy tourists, opened for business in February 1894. About a month later, the Florida East Coast Railway , owned by Flagler, reached West Palm Beach. On November 5, 1894, Palm Beach County's oldest city, West Palm Beach, was incorporated. In 1896, another hotel built by Flagler

8470-583: The facility is 2,166. The South Tower can hold 1,285 inmates, the East Tower has 418 beds, and the West Tower has 404 beds. Since the founding of Palm Beach County in 1909, 16 people have served as county sheriff. In the United States House of Representatives , Palm Beach County is represented by three Democrats and one Republican: Sheila Cherfillus-McCormick of the 20th district , Brian Mast of

8580-599: The family vacationed in Palm Beach in December ;1960. On December 11, Pavlick forwent his attempt because Kennedy was with his wife, Jacqueline , and their two children. Four days later, Pavlick's car, which had sticks of dynamite inside, was surrounded by police and he was arrested. Charges against Pavolick were dropped on December 2, 1963, 10 days after Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas . Additionally,

8690-661: The former dug in the 1890s and the latter created between 1926 and 1927. Several other islands exist within the Intracoastal Waterway, including Hypoluxo Island, Munyon Island , and Peanut Island . In addition, the county has an abundance of coral reef patches along its coastline and has made efforts to preserve them. Companies headquartered in Palm Beach County include Office Depot , The ADT Corporation , TBC Corporation , G4S Secure Solutions , NextEra Energy , The GEO Group , American Sugar Refining , Carrier , Globalsat Group , and Bluegreen Vacations . There are

8800-414: The ground, before they arrive. Once the patient is on board, the crew will change their radio channel to the hospital's radio channel, to which they are transporting. This communication structure has been demonstrated numerous times in the T.V. Shows " EMERGENCY! " and " ER ". Palm Beach County Sheriff%27s Office Palm Beach County is a county in the southeastern part of Florida , located in

8910-408: The height of the dry season from February through April, South Florida is often very dry, and often brush fires and water restrictions are an issue. At times cold fronts can make it all the way down to South Florida and provide some modest rainfall in the dry season. The hurricane season largely coincides with the wet season. In addition to its sea-level elevation, coastal location and position near

9020-530: The helicopters, as well as each crew member have portable radios for communication. Each radio is programmed with miscellaneous channels and Talkgroups within the Palm Beach County Motorola Type II SmartZone Radio System . (wiki) These radios are used to communicate with dispatch, police, and Fire-Rescue Paramedics already on the scene. Most often, they are used to getting patient/stability information from Paramedics on

9130-543: The households in the Miami area. This figure includes both married-couple families (45%) and other families (20%). Nonfamily households made up 35% of all households in Miami. Most of the nonfamily households were people living alone, but some consisted of people living in households in which no one was related to the householder. Occupied housing unit characteristics: In 2005, the Miami area had 2.0 million occupied housing units – 1.3 million (66%) owner occupied and 688,000 (34%) renter occupied. As of 2010, housing costs in

9240-476: The hurricane destroyed 65 homes and damaged 13,283 others. The area's first television station, WIRK -TV Channel 21, began broadcasting on September 13, 1953. It went off the air less than three years later. However, NBC affiliate WPTV-TV and CBS affiliate WPEC first aired in 1954 and 1955, respectively – both of which are still in existence today. Richard Paul Pavlick nearly attempted to assassinate then President-elect John F. Kennedy while

9350-599: The lake inundated hundreds of square miles, including the nearby communities of Belle Glade , Pahokee , and South Bay . At least 2,500 deaths occurred, many of whom were black migrant farmers. An assessment of impact throughout the county reported 552 businesses destroyed, 1,447 businesses damaged, 3,584 homes destroyed, and 11,409 homes damaged, leaving 4,008 families homeless. However, several cities were excluded, such as Boca Raton, Greenacres , Lantana , and South Palm Beach . Damage in South Florida totaled roughly $ 25 million. In response to

9460-595: The land from President Franklin Pierce in 1854. During the American Civil War , Florida was a member of the Confederate States of America . Two Confederate adherents removed the lighting mechanism from the lighthouse. One of the men who removed the light, Augustus O. Lang, was also the first white settler in Palm Beach County. He built a palmetto shack along the eastern shore of Lake Worth in 1863 after abandoning

9570-846: The latter television station being the only channel to serve the entire metropolitan area. In addition to the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market, West Palm Beach has its own. It is the 49th largest radio market and the 38th-largest television market in the U.S. Television stations serving the West Palm Beach area include WPTV (NBC), WHDT (Independent), WPEC (CBS), WPBF (ABC), WFLX (FOX), WTVX (The CW), WXEL (PBS), WTCN (MyNetworkTV), and WPXP (ION). The West Palm Beach market shares use of WSCV and WLTV for Telemundo and Univision respectively. Also, both markets cross over and tend to be available interchangeably between both areas. In 2015, WPBT and WXEL merged their operations, to form South Florida PBS , although both stations have maintained separate programming schedules and social media platforms, but share

9680-896: The mainland by the Intracoastal Waterway , with much of the waterway locally known as the Lake Worth Lagoon . The main barrier landmasses are split by four inlets: the Jupiter Inlet , the Lake Worth Inlet , the South Lake Worth Inlet , and the Boca Raton Inlet. Two of the four inlets are natural, but significantly altered – the Jupiter and Boca Raton inlets – while the Lake Worth and South Lake Worth inlets are man-made, with

9790-417: The mandate covered municipal government in 2015. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office ( PBSO ) provides police services to the county's unincorporated areas and the 13 municipalities covered by PBSO. PBSO also oversees the county jail system, provides security at all four of the county courthouses, and is the primary law enforcement agency covering Palm Beach International Airport . The Sheriff's Office

9900-549: The mid 70s. On average South Florida is frost-free, although there can be a light frost in the inland communities about once every decade. Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30, although hurricanes can develop outside that period. The most likely time for South Florida to be hit is during the peak of the Cape Verde season, mid-August through the end of September. Due to its location between two major bodies of water known for tropical activity, South Florida

10010-519: The municipalities has its own city, town or village government, although there is no distinction between the 3 names. Much of the land in the metropolis is unincorporated, which means it does not belong to any municipality, and therefore is governed directly by the county it is located in. The Miami metropolitan area contains all or part of nine Congressional districts: the 18th , 20th , 21st , 22nd , 23rd , 24th , 25th , 26th , and 27th districts . As of 2017 (the 113th Congress),

10120-515: The others, it seems to have originated at the time the area first saw major growth. One of the best known of Florida's vernacular regions, the name is a reference to the wealth and ritzy tropical lifestyle that characterizes the area. The region has a tropical climate , similar to the climate found in much of the Caribbean . It is the only metropolitan area in the 48 contiguous states that falls under that category. More specifically, it generally has

10230-556: The outer bands of Hurricane Isaac dropped at least 15.86 in (403 mm) of rain near Lion Country Safari . The consequent flooding left neighborhoods in The Acreage , Loxahatchee , Loxahatchee Groves , Royal Palm Beach , and Wellington stranded for up to several days. As Hurricane Irma approached in September 2017, mandatory or voluntary evacuations were ordered for more than 290,000 residents of Palm Beach County. Although

10340-538: The people employed were Private wage and salary workers; 12% were Federal, state, or local government workers; and 7% were self-employed. The median income of households in the Miami area was $ 43,091. 78% of the households received earnings and 13% received retirement income other than Social Security. 30% of the households received Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $ 13 . These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source. In 2005, for

10450-472: The population did not identify with any religion. The Miami area has one of the largest Jewish communities in the United States. 10.2% of the population identified as Jewish in the 2000 Census . According to a 2011 survey of American Judaism, Palm Beach County had the most Jews of any Florida county both in absolute numbers (205,850) and as a percentage of the overall population (15.8%). Broward County came in second place with 170,700 Jewish residents or 9.8% of

10560-510: The population, and Miami-Dade County came in third with 106,300 or 4.3%. Changes in house prices for the area are publicly tracked on a regular basis using the Case–Shiller index ; the statistic is published by Standard & Poor's and is also a component of S&P's 10-city composite index of the value of the residential real estate market. As of 2005, the Miami area had a total of 2.3 million housing units, 13% of which were vacant. Of

10670-551: The program is to save lives and reduce injury mortality through the rapid transport of patients to specialized healthcare facilities such as; trauma, burn, spinal cord, and pediatric hospitals. The helicopter was owned by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County . Originally, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department provided the pilots and performed the maintenance, and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue provided two flight Paramedics. Today, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue and

10780-417: The right between 2016 and 2020), and Governor Ron DeSantis winning the metro area outright in the 2022 gubernatorial election , winning both Miami Dade and Palm Beach Counties (With the former being won by double digits) while losing Broward only by less than 16 points. The metropolitan area is governed by 3 counties. In total there are 107 municipalities or incorporated places in the metropolis. Each one of

10890-448: The same subchannel lineup. In Florida, each county is also a school district . Each district is headed by an elected school board . A professional superintendent manages the day-to-day operations of each district, who is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the school board. The Miami-Dade County Public School District is currently the 4th-largest public school district in the nation. The School District of Palm Beach County

11000-529: The state. The two Traumahawks are hangared at Palm Beach Int'l Airport in West Palm Beach, FL . They are located at the South-East corner of the airport, next to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office hangar. Each helicopter is staffed with one pilot, one Registered Nurse (RN) and one Paramedic . The RN's and paramedics are Palm Beach County Fire Rescue employees. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue maintains

11110-692: The storm is credited as the No Name Storm of 2000 , though the depression went on to become Tropical Storm Leslie upon entering the Atlantic Ocean. The following is a list of the twenty largest cities in the Miami metropolitan area as ranked by population. There is a strong divide between the northern and southern parts of the region in terms of dominant language. In 2010, English was the household language of 73.1% of Palm Beach County residents and 63.4% of Broward County residents but only 28.1% of Miami-Dade County residents. In contrast, 63.8% of Miami-Dade County residents spoke Spanish at home. Religion in

11220-438: The storm passed well west of the county, much of the area experienced hurricane-force wind gusts, with a peak gust of 91 mph (146 km/h) in West Palm Beach. Impact was generally limited to widespread power outages and damaged trees and vegetation, though isolated property damage was reported. The storm left about $ 300 million in damage in the county, as well as five fatalities. The coconut palm , Cocos nucifera ,

11330-698: The storm, the Herbert Hoover Dike was constructed to prevent a similar disaster. As a result of 1926 Miami hurricane and the 1928 storm, Palm Beach County, along with the rest of South Florida, began suffering economic turmoil and pushed the region into the Great Depression, even before the Wall Street Crash of 1929 . Housing prices dropped dramatically in the county, with the total real estate value in West Palm Beach falling to $ 41.6 million in 1930 and then to $ 18.2 million in 1935. However,

11440-410: The total housing units, 52% were in single-unit structures, 45% were in multi-unit structures, and 3% were mobile homes. 25% of the housing units were built since 1990. As of 2019, over 70% of Miami's residents are renters with median rent of $ 1,355, $ 180 over the national average. Households and families: There were 2,338,450 households, The average household size was 2.6 people. Families made up 65% of

11550-561: The winter are around 74–77 °F (23–25 °C). Although daily highs can sometimes reach 82–85 °F (28–29 °C) even in January and February. Daily low temperatures during the winter are generally around 55–63 °F (13–17 °C). Each winter, cold fronts occasionally make their way down to the northern Bahamas and South Florida . As a result, daytime high temperatures in South Florida may only reach around 65 °F (18 °C) or cooler. When this occurs low temperatures can dip into

11660-539: Was $ 53.8 million, up from $ 48.5 million in FY 2017. Meanwhile, Local Option Gas Taxes paid by motorists for gasoline decreased for the first time in five years, partially due to higher gasoline prices, which reduced the number of miles driven, according to the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller's Checks & Balances report. The county is governed by a board of commissioners , consisting of seven commissioners, who are all elected from single-member districts. One of

11770-445: Was built near Delray Beach in 1876. Very few people lived in modern-day Palm Beach County prior to the arrival of Henry Flagler , who first visited in the early 1890s. A Standard Oil tycoon, Flagler was instrumental in the county's development around the turn of the century. First, he purchased land on both sides of Lake Worth . Other investors followed suit, causing a small boom and bringing in existing businesses and resulting in

11880-596: Was closing the Boca headquarters and moving its administrative staff out of state along with some employees. Likewise, A360 Media, LLC , publisher of the National Enquirer , was headquartered in Boca Raton, but moved New York in 2014. For 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $ 53,242, and for a family was $ 64,445. Males had a median income of $ 44,324 versus $ 37,337 for females. The per capita income for

11990-565: Was opened, the Palm Beach Inn, later renamed The Breakers . He also constructed his own winter home , which he and his wife moved into in 1902. The arrivals of Major Nathan Boynton , Congressman William S. Linton , and railroad surveyor Thomas Rickards in the 1890s also proved important because they developed communities that later became Boynton Beach , Delray Beach, and Boca Raton , respectively. The Florida Legislature voted to establish Palm Beach County in 1909, carving it out of what

12100-468: Was then the northern portion of Dade County and initially including all of Lake Okeechobee . The southernmost part of Palm Beach County was separated to create the northern portion of Broward County in 1915, the northwestern portion became part of Okeechobee County in 1917, and southern Martin County was created from northernmost Palm Beach County in 1925. The boundaries remained the same until 1963, when

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