The city was founded by Henry Flagler in 1894, as a community to house the servants working in the two grand hotels on the neighboring island of Palm Beach, across Lake Worth. During the 1920s, the city boomed and was a rival to Miami, leaving it with many historic structures and neighborhoods.

From the 70s to the new millennium, the city has undergone a tremendous re-birth  as newcomers  rediscovered the city's historic areas, elegant new high-rises including Donald Trump's “Trump Plaza”, and a reviving downtown entertainment and shopping district called CityPlace. Clematis Street, West Palm Beach's historic shopping venue was afraid it would lose popularity. To keep that from happening, the Clematis Street district was hugely renovated and refurbished. It is now home to Clematis by Night, an outdoor event held on the street with live music and food. It is also home to West Palm Beach's nightlife, along with CityPlace.

Burt Reynolds has a horse ranch here and there is a park named after him.

More info can be found on the Perfect Florida Villas forums or The Perfect Florida Guide