Palm Beach, Florida is a 16-mile-long barrier island, world-renowned for its extraordinary beauty, located in Palm Beach County. It is commonly called the Town of Palm Beach or Palm Beach Island. The town is located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, which separates Palm Beach from the cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth.

Palm Beach, FL was incorporated on April 17, 1911. The town was established by Henry Morrison Flagler, one of the founders of Standard Oil. Flagler recognized Florida's potential to attract out-of-state visitors. He created a resort community with two luxury resort hotels, the Royal Poinciana Hotel and the Breakers Hotel. In 1902, Flagler built a Beaux-Arts mansion named Whitehall. His constant entertaining at Whitehall helped establish the tradition of a Palm Beach winter season. In 1960, Whitehall reopened as the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. Today, Palm Beach, Florida is well known as an exclusive winter home for the wealthy.

The U.S. Census Bureau lists 10,468 permanent residents of Palm Beach for the year 2000, although the winter population can be considerably larger. Many of Palm Beach's residents are affluent, with a median household income of $137,867, more than twice the national average of $50,046. Palm Beach, Florida boasts some of the most beautiful and impressive homes in the world. Single-family owner-occupied homes had a median value of $1,000,001, compared to $119,600 for the rest of the country.

The picture-perfect quality of Palm Beach, FL has always been protected by civic-minded residents who established organizations to preserve and protect Palm Beach. The Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1929 by businessmen who wanted to ensure the island's high standards. The Palm Beach Civic Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the town retains a special quality of life. The Citizens Association of Palm Beach is focused on the protection and preservation of the beaches.

Palm Beach is famous world-wide for its stores and boutiques. Since the 1920s, Worth Avenue has been known for its high-end merchandise offered by stores such as Tiffany, Chanel and Cartier. The quaint “vias,” small courtyards lined with boutiques, set Worth Avenue apart from other shopping districts.

The community is served by Palm Beach International Airport located in West Palm Beach. Public transportation is available through Palm Tran in Palm Beach. Amtrak as well as Tri-Rail in West Palm Beach also serve the community with commuter rail service. The Royal Park Bridge, which connects the Florida towns of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach over the Intracoastal Waterway, will soon be joined by a $130 million replacement for the Flagler Memorial Bridge. The new bridge will have 12-foot-wide travel lanes, 8-foot shoulders, a median, and 6-foot sidewalks separated from traffic by a railing. The Palm Beach Police Department is committed to keeping the Town of Palm Beach and its visitors safe.

The School District of Palm Beach County operates the one public school in Palm Beach, the Palm Beach Public Elementary School. Numerous private schools are located in nearby West Palm Beach.

Palm Beach is part of the 15th Judicial Circuit of Florida. The 15th Judicial Circuit covers all 2500 square miles of Palm Beach County. Courthouses include the Main Judicial Complex in downtown West Palm Beach, the North County Courthouse in Palm Beach Gardens, the South County Courthouse in Delray Beach, the West County Courthouse in Belle Glade, and the Criminal Justice Complex in suburban West Palm Beach.

Court divisions include criminal, civil and family court. Family court covers all domestic matters including divorce, child custody, child and spousal support, domestic violence and visitation. A Unified Family Court approach is used in Florida. This is a fully integrated approach to handling all cases involving children and families. It prevents duplicate hearings while resolving family disputes in a fair and timely manner. Coordination of multiple cases involving one family leads to more informed judicial decision making and decreases the potential for conflicting court orders.

Unified Family Court services are available at all four Palm Beach County courthouse locations. West Palm Beach is closest to Palm Beach. The Main Courthouse in West Palm Beach is located at 205 N. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL 33401.