The Port of Palm Beach is located about 110 kilometers north-northeast of the Port of Miami on the western shores of Lake Worth (actually a lagoon) protected from the Atlantic Ocean by a narrow barrier island. The town of Palm Beach is a fashionable and exclusive community with a year-round population of over ten thousand people and a seasonal population of around 30 thousand.
In 1878, the Providencia wrecked offshore, dumping a cargo of coconuts on the sandy beach of what would become the Port of Palm Beach. The coconuts took rood, and early settlers in the area gathered the nuts and planted them. In 1880, they named the village Palm City.
After Henry M. Flagler extended his Florida East Coast Railway to West Palm Beach in 1894, the Port of Palm Beach grew as a resort, attracting many ultra-wealthy and famous celebrities of the Gilded Age to build their winter homes there. The early settlers soon found themselves very wealthy, as Flagler and his peers began to buy land on the island of Palm Beach.
Incorporated in 1911, the modern Port of Palm Beach continues to be one of the most exclusive winter resorts in the United States. Construction in the Port of Palm Beach is tightly regulated, and it has no manufacturing. Rather, the town contains luxury hotels, clubs, expansive private estates, and yachting facilities.
The barrier island of Palm Beach is the ultimate in luxury. The standards were first set by industrialist Henry Flagler, trendsetter E.R. Bradley, and architect Addison Mizner, and the community has faithfully upheld those standards.
Review and History Port Commerce Cruising and Travel Satellite Map Contact Information