West Palm Beach: Palm Beach County's Government and Cultural Center
Henry Flagler built West Palm Beach in the 1890s as a service town for his resort developments on the island of Palm Beach across the Intracoastal Waterway. That relationship persists in altered form: Palm Beach remains a private enclave of extreme wealth, while West Palm Beach serves as the county seat and commercial hub where the everyday business of the region gets done. The two municipalities share a waterway but operate in fundamentally different economic tiers.
Clematis Street, running from the waterfront west through the downtown grid, has functioned as the main commercial corridor since the city's founding. After years of decline, a revitalization effort starting in the 1990s brought restaurants, bars, and small retailers back to the street. CityPlace, now called Rosemary Square, added a mixed-use development a few blocks south. The Norton Museum of Art, which underwent a major expansion completed in 2019, holds a substantial collection of American, European, and Chinese art.
West Palm Beach has experienced a noticeable influx of financial firms and technology companies in recent years, particularly following the pandemic-era migration of businesses from New York and the northeastern United States. Office leasing along the Flagler Drive corridor has tightened, and condominium development downtown has accelerated. Palm Beach International Airport provides the primary air connection for the county.
Show more
Henry Flagler built West Palm Beach in the 1890s as a service town for his resort developments on the island of Palm Beach across the Intracoastal Waterway. That relationship persists in altered form: Palm Beach remains a private enclave of extreme wealth, while West Palm Beach serves as the county seat and commercial hub where the everyday business of the region gets done. The two municipalities share a waterway but operate in fundamentally different economic tiers.
Clematis Street, running from the waterfront west through the downtown grid, has functioned as the main commercial corridor since the city's founding. After years of decline, a revitalization effort starting in the 1990s brought restaurants, bars, and small retailers back to the street. CityPlace, now called Rosemary Square, added a mixed-use development a few blocks south. The Norton Museum of Art, which underwent a major expansion completed in 2019, holds a substantial collection of American, European, and Chinese art.
West Palm Beach has experienced a noticeable influx of financial firms and technology companies in recent years, particularly following the pandemic-era migration of businesses from New York and the northeastern United States. Office leasing along the Flagler Drive corridor has tightened, and condominium development downtown has accelerated. Palm Beach International Airport provides the primary air connection for the county.
Country selected
Region selected
City selected
