West Palm Beach, FL

West Palm Beach is the county seat and largest downtown in Palm Beach County, a waterfront city on the Lake Worth Lagoon facing the island of Palm Beach. People come for its museums and performing arts, a walkable downtown around Clematis Street, a busy waterfront and quick connections by air and rail.

Where is West Palm Beach?

West Palm Beach sits on the mainland side of the Intracoastal Waterway, about 70 miles north of Miami. Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) is about 10 minutes from downtown, and the Brightline station downtown connects to Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Orlando. I-95 runs through the city, Florida’s Turnpike runs farther west, and three bridges cross the lagoon to the island of Palm Beach. The city has no ocean beach of its own; the nearest public sand is a short drive over the bridges.

Things to do in West Palm Beach

Start downtown on Clematis Street, the city’s historic main street, which runs down to the waterfront along Flagler Drive. The waterfront has a long promenade, public docks and green space, and in fall and winter the West Palm Beach GreenMarket fills the area on Saturday mornings. Clematis by Night brings free evening concerts to the waterfront. A few blocks south, the Norton Museum of Art, founded in 1941, is one of the largest art museums in Florida, and the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens sit nearby. The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts hosts Broadway tours, concerts, opera and dance.

For time outdoors, the Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park is a family favorite, and water taxis and boat tours run from downtown to Peanut Island, a county park in the Lake Worth Lagoon known for snorkeling and calm water. In February and March, the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals hold spring training at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. The Lake Trail on Palm Beach and the beaches across the bridges are easy add-ons by bike or car.

When to visit West Palm Beach

November through April is the best time to visit, with dry, mild weather, the GreenMarket, a full arts season and spring training. Summer is hot and humid with afternoon storms and fewer events, and hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30. Downtown garages make parking simpler than on the island.