West Palm Beach, city, seat of Palm Beach County, southeastern Florida, on Lake Worth and the Intracoastal Waterway, opposite Palm Beach; incorporated 1894. West Palm Beach is a noted resort, a farm market, a commercial fishing hub, and an aerospace research center. Manufactures include chemicals, paint, aluminum items, clothing, and electronic equipment. In the city are Palm Beach Atlantic College (1968), Norton Gallery and School of Art, a performing arts theater, a botanical garden, and a science museum. The community was developed in the 1890s by the financier Henry M. Flagler. Population 63,305 (1980); 67,643 (1990); 82,103 (2000).
