West Palm Beach is a mid-sized city of 117,000 residents (2020) in the Greater Miami (Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach) Metropolitan area.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
West of the smaller, more famous town Palm Beach, West Palm Beach is mostly commercial but has some attractions and landmarks worth visiting.
The easiest way to get around West Palm Beach and South Florida is by car. The city is set up on grid system, and is fairly easy to navigate. Downtown is roughly 2 miles north east of Palm Beach International Airport. Palm Beach County is served by Interstate I-95 and U.S. Highway 1 and US 441. It is also served by Florida's Turnpike. In-Airport car rental companies include: Alamo Rent A Car, toll-free: +1-800-462-5266. Avis Rent A Car, toll-free: +1-800-331-1212. (updated Oct 2018) Budget Rent A Car, toll-free: +1-800-527-0700. (updated Oct 2018) Enterprise Rent-A-Car, toll-free: +1-800-261-7331. Hertz Car Rental, toll-free: +1-800-654-3131.
1 Norton Museum of Art, 1451 S Olive Ave (In downtown West Palm on Dixie Hwy, about a quarter of a mile from Okeechobee Blvd), ☏ +1 561-832-5196, hello@norton.org. Th 11AM-5PM, F 11AM-7PM, Sa Su 10AM-5PM, 1st hour each day only for members and their guests. its permanent collection features American Art, Chinese Art, Contemporary Art, European Art and Photography. Its masterpieces of 19th- and 20th-century painting and sculpture include works by Brancusi, Gauguin, Matisse, Miró, Monet, Picasso, Davis, Hassam, Hopper, Manship, O'Keeffe, Pollock and Sheeler. The museum presents special exhibitions, lectures, tours and programs for adults and children throughout the year. Free.
There are over 40 miles of beautiful beaches in Palm Beach County. The proximity of the Gulf Stream keeps the waters warm year-round although many miles are private a nearby public beach in the city of Palm Beach has lifeguards during the day, and is easily accessible. Flags by the lifeguard announce hazardous conditions (red for dangerous surf conditions, and purple for dangerous sea life). For snorkeling, two places might satisfy. One is John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, on the north end of Singer Island. The beach contains a shallow reef full of fish. Be careful, shark and barracuda are seen occasionally. This park also has kayaking, music on Sundays, and some short hiking trails.
1 Whole Foods Market, 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Drive, Palm Beach Gardens (exit Hwy 95 at 79A, travel east less than one mile, it is in Downtown at the Gardens on the north side of PGA before (west) of the Gardens Mall), ☏ +1 561-691-8550. 8AM-10PM. Full grocery and cafe offering fresh and local produce, fresh and local seafood, grass fed beef as well as a butcher in the house, enticing array of salads and entrees prepared to eat-in or take-out, brick oven pizzas, custom sandwiches, full scale bakery, unique coffees, great wine and beer selections, nutritional supplements and spa products, and cheeses from around the world. 2 King Super Buffet, 4270 Okeechobee Blvd., ☏ +1 561-567-8886.
Clematis by Night, sponsored by the City of West Palm, is a lively event each Thursday on Clematis Street until 9PM. There's live music, and the audience can purchase beer and wine -- poured by a (rotating) area non-profit, who gets to keep the profits. 1 O'Shea's Pub, 531 Clematis St, ☏ +1 561-833-3865. A traditional Irish pub with a great beer garden on Clematis.
Driving -- Florida has "no fault" auto accident laws, which means you are responsible for up to $10,000 in damage to your car, even if you are not responsible for the accident. Make sure your rental car comes with collision insurance, or obtain separate insurance. Florida also has a very high rate of auto fatalities, so take extra care on the roads. Crime -- Despite a dropping crime rate, the crime is very high for a city the size of West Palm Beach, it has been rated as the 14th most-dangerous city in the United States, but the areas of high crime are not anywhere near the areas that would be traveled by the everyday tourist.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, West Palm Beach typically sees ~32°C daytime highs and 20 rainy days.
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