New Residents: A Guide to Palm Beach
Welcome to the Town of Palm Beach. As you get settled in our wonderful community, there are several topics to learn about to ensure your transition into Town life is as seamless and enjoyable as possible.
To sign up for all town communications, please visit the Stay Connected page.
Electricity in Town is provided by Florida Power & Light (FPL). To open a new account or make changes to an existing account, please visit FPL's moving webpage or call 1-888-988-8249.
In the event of a power outage, please visit FPL's outage map for details.
The Town has been undertaking a major utilities undergrounding project. Learn more about the project and its benefits.
Water in the Town is provided and maintained by the City of West Palm Beach. To manage your account and bill, please click here to visit West Palm Beach's Public Utilities' webpage. If you have any questions or notice any issues with your water supply, water meter boxes or a street hydrant, please call the City of West Palm Beach at 561-822-1300.
Learn more about the Town's storm water and sanitary sewer systems.
Town residents and businesses can receive cable TV, internet and landline phone services through Xfinity/Comcast or AT&T/DirecTV. Other alternatives include T-Mobile 5G Home Internet and Starlink, among others.
The Town's Sanitation Bureau manages garbage and recycling collection services for residential and commercial customers. View the schedule and find the pickup days for your address.
The Town's Trash Bureau manages vegetation/landscaping yard trash collection schedules.
Additionally, the Town also operates a Special Collection Service for furniture, appliance and other large goods disposal by appointment and for an extra fee.
While the Town of Palm Beach is one of the safest communities in the nation, residents often invest in a home security system.
If you choose to do so, the Town requires all home alarm systems to be registered. Learn more about registering your home alarm and opting into the Direct Connect Program.
The Police Department also offers a home watch service for when you are away from your Palm Beach residence. Learn more and join the program.
The Town is proud to offer world-class, full-service Police and Fire-Rescue Departments.
Learn more about the Town's Emergency Services departments.
QUICK CONTACTS (in event of emergency, call 911)
Palm Beach Fire-Rescue: (561) 838-5420
Palm Beach Police Department:
Non-Emergency: (561) 838-5454
Confidential Tips: (561) 227-6464 or Click Here to Report Online
Property taxes in Palm Beach County are managed by the Palm Beach County Tax Collector. Your tax bill is calculated using the taxable value determined by the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser. View and pay your tax bill.
Residents who meet certain ownership and residency criteria may qualify for exemptions. Learn more about the exemption criteria.
The Palm Beach County Tax Collector's Office offers services for motor vehicle, driver license and other ID cards. The closest location is 301 North Olive Avenue in West Palm Beach, a few blocks once you cross the bridge.
Services provided include: driver license, ID card, learner license, road and written tests, motor vehicle registration, motor vehicle titles, disabled parking permits
The office operates by appointment only and proof of Palm Beach County residency is required. Make an appointment for one of their services.
Additionally, please note if you are shipping or receiving your car via car carrier, your vehicle may only be loaded and off-loaded in the south parking lot of Phipps Ocean Park. It is your responsibility as a resident to advise the car carrier company of this information to avoid fines.
Elections and voting is managed by the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections. Their website provides information on voter eligibility, voter registration, voting by mail, and everything else voting- and elections-related. You must register 29 days before an election to be eligible to participate. To vote in primaries in Florida, you have to declare a party affiliation or your ballot will only consist of non-partisan races or issues.
Town residents belong to one of seven precincts. Your precinct assignment is based on your residential address. Precincts and their respective polling locations are listed below:
| Precinct Number | Polling Location & Address |
|---|---|
| 5601, 5602 | St. Edward Church Parish Center, 165 North County Road |
| 5603, 5604 | Mandel Recreation Center, 340 Seaview Avenue |
| 5605, 5607, 5608 | Fire-Rescue Station #3, 2185 South Ocean Boulevard |
The Town's speed limit is 25 miles per hour, except where posted otherwise. Several roads in Town allow for 30 miles per hour, and 35 miles per hour is allowed on South Ocean Boulevard south of the Southern Boulevard Bridge.
Three bridges lead from West Palm Beach over to Palm Beach: the Flagler Memorial Bridge, the Royal Park Bridge and the Southern Boulevard Bridge. The bridge spans open twice per hour to allow for marine traffic, with the exception of workweek peak hours being limited to one opening per hour. The bridge opening schedules are controlled by the U.S. Coast Guard, not the Town.
Bridge opening schedules
- Flagler Memorial Bridge - 15 and 45 minutes past the hour
- Royal Park Bridge - on the hour and 30 minutes past the hour
- Southern Boulevard Bridge - 15 and 45 minutes past the hour
Learn more about the bridge opening schedules and planned traffic impacts in Town.
The Town is conveniently located near Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA). PBIA services 13 airlines and 180 daily flights on average. Nonstop destinations include New York, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Connecticut, Dallas, Baltimore, Charlotte, among others. PBIA offers parking, in addition to a convenient selection of taxi and rideshare services.
For nonstop access to more domestic and international destinations, Palm Beach is roughly 50 miles from the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and 75 miles from the Miami International Airport (MIA). A new way to access these airports includes the Brightline high-speed rail service, which offers shuttles from their Ft. Lauderdale and Miami stations to each airport. Learn more about the Brightline and its shuttle service.
Tri-Rail, South Florida's tri-county rail service, also can be used to reach FLL and MIA, in addition to many other cities south of Palm Beach, from its conveniently located station in West Palm Beach.
The Town is also home to several world-class resorts and boutique hotels. Some of the many hotel choices include The Breakers, Four Seasons, White Elephant, The Colony, The Brazilian Court and The Vineta Hotel (expected in 2024). Amenities of the various hotels include comfortable rooms and suites, pool and beach access, fitness centers, golf, tennis, spas and more. Additionally, several of the hotels operate restaurants on their property or throughout Town.
While there are a number of private membership golf and tennis clubs in Town, the Town is proud to be home to the renowned Par 3 Golf Course, Seaview Park and Phipps Ocean Park Tennis Centers, and the newly-built Mandel Recreation Center and Town Marina. Learn more about the Recreation Department's offerings.
Additionally, the Town is home to the nearly six-mile Lake Trail, taking bikers, joggers and walkers from the Royal Park Bridge to the North End of the island. The nature, scenery and breeze from the Intracoastal makes for the perfect place to exercise. Please note electric bicycles, motorized skateboards and other motorized vehicles are not permitted on the Lake Trail.
The Town is home to 12 miles of beachfront and two public beaches, Midtown Municipal Beach and Phipps Ocean Park. The Town provides lifeguard safety services at the two public beaches every day of the year. Beachgoers also can access the beach from Barton Avenue to Seaspray Avenue and from Sunset Avenue north to Wells Road, although there are no lifeguards in these sections. Dogs are only allowed on the Sunset to Wells beach. Dogs may be unleashed from dawn to 9am and must have a leash after 9am.
The Town is also home to several beautiful parks, including Bradley Park near the Flagler Memorial Bridge and Lake Drive Park in front of the Town Marina. Certain organizations in Town also maintain gardens, parks and green spaces to enjoy. Additionally, the Town, the Preservation Foundation and other community partners are planning the revitalization of Phipps Ocean Park. Learn more about the project.
The Town is home to several nationally and internationally acclaimed restaurants and chefs. Ranging from quick coffee and snacks to fine dining, there are options located throughout the Town. Many options are located along Royal Poinciana Way, Worth Avenue, The Royal Poinciana Plaza and on surrounding streets.
The Town is also a renowned shopping destination. From grocery stores and bicycle shops to designer clothing and luxury watches, you can find whatever you need right here in Town. Stores are often located adjacent to restaurants, with many options near The Royal Poinciana Plaza and Worth Avenue.
Learn more about local restaurants, shops and businesses from the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Various religions and denominations of religions have places of worship in the Town. Churches include St. Edward Catholic Church, Royal Poinciana Chapel and The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea. Jewish congregations include Temple Emanu-El, Palm Beach Synagogue, The Chabad House and New Synagogue.
There is also the Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians and Jews that brings together community members of both religions to discuss issues and find common ground.
Two hospitals tend to be the hospitals of choice for Palm Beach medical needs due to their proximity.
The closest hospital is Good Samaritan Medical Center, located just north of the Flagler Memorial Bridge in West Palm Beach. In addition to the emergency room, Good Samaritan offers surgical procedures, cancer screening and care and specialists from a variety of medical disciplines.
The next closest hospital is St. Mary's Medical Center. St. Mary's is a 460-bed hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center. In addition to St. Mary's emergency care capabilities, the hospital is known for its Palm Beach Children's Hospital.
Additional resources
